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Fios wireless router and three airport expresses

rhett7660

rhett7660

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jan 9, 2008
14,224
4,304
Sunny, Southern California
Hello..

I have a fios wireless router setup and I have three Airport Express setup in the house.

I have been reading that you can and cannot extend a non wireless router that is not from Apple.

My question is, can anybody help set this up?

Fios Wireless router (basic settings, with WEP2 security)
Airport Express_BR (Hard wired)(Create a Wireless network)(Off (Bridge Mode)
Airport Express_Main (Hard wired)(Create a Wireless network)(Off (Bridge Mode)
Airport Express_LR (Hard wired)(Create a Wireless network)(Off (Bridge Mode)

I have all the wireless names set to the same thing, using WEP2 for security. I am using DHCP.

I am unfamiliar with the Verizon Fios Router so I don't know if this will work or not.
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,136
15,597
California
rhett7660 said:
Hello..

I have a fios wireless router setup and I have three Airport Express setup in the house.

I have been reading that you can and cannot extend a non wireless router that is not from Apple.

My question is, can anybody help set this up?

Fios Wireless router (basic settings, with WEP2 security)
Airport Express_BR (Hard wired)(Create a Wireless network)(Off (Bridge Mode)
Airport Express_Main (Hard wired)(Create a Wireless network)(Off (Bridge Mode)
Airport Express_LR (Hard wired)(Create a Wireless network)(Off (Bridge Mode)

I have all the wireless names set to the same thing, using WEP2 for security. I am using DHCP.

I am unfamiliar with the Verizon Fios Router so I don't know if this will work or not.
Click to expand...

What will not work is using WDS to extend a WIRELESS network, you are correct. But what you are doing here is using a WIRED connection to provide wireless around the house. The way you have this configured will work with one change... you will need to name all three of the wireless Airport Express networks a different SSID since they are not shared.
 
rhett7660

rhett7660

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jan 9, 2008
14,224
4,304
Sunny, Southern California
Weaselboy said:
What will not work is using WDS to extend a WIRELESS network, you are correct. But what you are doing here is using a WIRED connection to provide wireless around the house. The way you have this configured will work with one change... you will need to name all three of the wireless Airport Express networks a different SSID since they are not shared.
Click to expand...

Just for clarification, I would need to change all my Airport Express's to a different network name?

Example:
Fios Router broadcasting Network 1234
AE_BR broadcasting network 2345
AE_Main broadcasting network 4567
AE_LR broadcasting network 5678

right now I have them all broadcasting 1897 with same password.

This what you are saying to do?

I should not have this?
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,136
15,597
California
rhett7660 said:
Just for clarification, I would need to change all my Airport Express's to a different network name?

Example:
Fios Router broadcasting Network 1234
AE_BR broadcasting network 2345
AE_Main broadcasting network 4567
AE_LR broadcasting network 5678

right now I have them all broadcasting 1897 with same password.

This what you are saying to do?

I should not have this?
Click to expand...

It will work with them all the same name, but you are still really not sharing the same wifi. You are just sending out three, separate wifi network signals with the same name. My reason for saying they should be named differently is so you would know which one you were joining.
 
rhett7660

rhett7660

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jan 9, 2008
14,224
4,304
Sunny, Southern California
Weaselboy said:
It will work with them all the same name, but you are still really not sharing the same wifi. You are just sending out three, separate wifi network signals with the same name. My reason for saying they should be named differently is so you would know which one you were joining.
Click to expand...

Ahhhh ok. Gotcha.

Is there a setting that I would need to do in order to share the same network or do you think just renaming them would be a better way to go?
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,136
15,597
California
rhett7660 said:
Ahhhh ok. Gotcha.

Is there a setting that I would need to do in order to share the same network or do you think just renaming them would be a better way to go?
Click to expand...

I don't know if the size/layout of your house would support it, but you could use the first AE as the main device, then the second and third to wirelessly extend the first. This would put all three on one wifi network.
 
rhett7660

rhett7660

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jan 9, 2008
14,224
4,304
Sunny, Southern California
Weaselboy said:
I don't know if the size/layout of your house would support it, but you could use the first AE as the main device, then the second and third to wirelessly extend the first. This would put all three on one wifi network.
Click to expand...

I have the fios router broadcasting also. Would I keep that one setup the same or put it on a different network name?

So it would look something like this:

Fios: 1234
AE_BR: 3456 Extend, Wireless Tab Network Mode: Join Wireless Network, Network Tab Router Mode: still set to off (bridge mode)?
AE_Main: 3456 Main
AE_LR: 3456 Extend, Wireless Tab Network Mode: Join Wireless Network, Network Tab Router Mode: still set to off (bridge mode)?

Does this look correct? The only setting I am unsure of is the Router Mode.

P.S. Thank you very much for helping me, this is has been driving me batty!
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,136
15,597
California
rhett7660 said:
I have the fios router broadcasting also. Would I keep that one setup the same or put it on a different network name?

So it would look something like this:

Fios: 1234
AE_BR: 3456 Extend, Wireless Tab Network Mode: Join Wireless Network, Network Tab Router Mode: still set to off (bridge mode)?
AE_Main: 3456 Main
AE_LR: 3456 Extend, Wireless Tab Network Mode: Join Wireless Network, Network Tab Router Mode: still set to off (bridge mode)?

Does this look correct? The only setting I am unsure of is the Router Mode.

P.S. Thank you very much for helping me, this is has been driving me batty!
Click to expand...

Make the FIOS one different because you will not be using it any longer. Otherwise, you look good except you will want the AE_Main in bridge mode also. All three in bridge mode because the FIOS router will be handling DHCP.
 
rhett7660

rhett7660

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jan 9, 2008
14,224
4,304
Sunny, Southern California
Weaselboy said:
Make the FIOS one different because you will not be using it any longer. Otherwise, you look good except you will want the AE_Main in bridge mode also. All three in bridge mode because the FIOS router will be handling DHCP.
Click to expand...

Great! I will try this out and let you know!

One more question, even though the AE are all hard wired should I expect network degradation? or should I be ok since they are all hard wired?
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,136
15,597
California
rhett7660 said:
Great! I will try this out and let you know!

One more question, even though the AE are all hard wired should I expect network degradation? or should I be ok since they are all hard wired?
Click to expand...

You can unplug the ethernet wire from the last two AEs since it won't be used. You are using WDS to extend the wireless from the first AE to the second and third. Using WDS does reduce speed... sometimes up to half. But if it is just for Internet access, you will likely still have wifi speed faster than your Internet connection.
 
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