Airport Express + Extreme to Non apple network

[phr0ze]

I had this working before.

I have a lousy ActionTec router with weak wifi on one floor.

I want to join the express to the ActionTec as if its a wireless client.
Then run a cable from the express to a switch for other devices on the floor.
One of the devices is the extreme, which I want to simply use as an access point for a new SSID.

I could get this working if I double NAT. But I don't want that.

The Express connects fine and gets an address. The extreme seems to have gathered a valid IP from the actiontec DHCP.
The extreme 'looks' fine. But the iphone will not join the extreme's wifi.

Airport utility on the iphone shows the extreme and everything looks normal and I can configure it with the iphone.
However, when trying to connect to the extreme wifi, the phone just keeps spinning. I assume its spinning because its not getting a DHCP address.

ideas?

[drsox]

Originally Posted by phr0ze

I had this working before.

I have a lousy ActionTec router with weak wifi on one floor.

I want to join the express to the ActionTec as if its a wireless client.
Then run a cable from the express to a switch for other devices on the floor.
One of the devices is the extreme, which I want to simply use as an access point for a new SSID.

I could get this working if I double NAT. But I don't want that.

The Express connects fine and gets an address. The extreme seems to have gathered a valid IP from the actiontec DHCP.
The extreme 'looks' fine. But the iphone will not join the extreme's wifi.

Airport utility on the iphone shows the extreme and everything looks normal and I can configure it with the iphone.
However, when trying to connect to the extreme wifi, the phone just keeps spinning. I assume its spinning because its not getting a DHCP address.

ideas?

Why do you want to use the router part of the ActionTec at all ? I'm presuming that it is also a modem - can you only use the modem/ISP connect part and leave all the local network routing items to the AExpress ?

Have you tried disconnecting the AEepress from the AT and seeing if the iPhone will now connect to the AExpress ? Does the iPhone connect to the AExtreme OK ?

Why do you want to use the AEtreme as an access point and not the AExpress ?

[phr0ze]

Originally Posted by drsox

Why do you want to use the router part of the ActionTec at all ? I'm presuming that it is also a modem - can you only use the modem/ISP connect part and leave all the local network routing items to the AExpress ?

The actionTec must be used because 1, its the modem, 2 it provides network access to the set-top boxes over COAX (all the set-top boxes get an ip address from the actiontec DHCP server.)

Have you tried disconnecting the AEepress from the AT and seeing if the iPhone will now connect to the AExpress ? Does the iPhone connect to the AExtreme OK ?

Not yet. I will try again when I get home.

Why do you want to use the AEtreme as an access point and not the AExpress ?

The express is used as a wifi client. I'd rather use the express to form the 'bridge' and use the extreme for distribution. If I use the extreme as the client, I believe I will be giving something up.

[drsox]

Originally Posted by phr0ze

The express is used as a wifi client. I'd rather use the express to form the 'bridge' and use the extreme for distribution. If I use the extreme as the client, I believe I will be giving something up.

Why don't you try it the other way round ?
Leave the AExpress in the lower floor. Connect it to the AExtreme on the upper floor by LAN. Connect the AExtreme to the ActionTec by LAN. Only problem is having to run 2 LAN connections.

[phr0ze]

So I ended up turning on DHCP on the express (without NAT) and my iphone laptops work now.

However the apple TV still does not work. For some reason the appleTV can't see the internet although all my other iDevices do.

[drsox]

Originally Posted by phr0ze

So I ended up turning on DHCP on the express (without NAT) and my iphone laptops work now.

However the apple TV still does not work. For some reason the appleTV can't see the internet although all my other iDevices do.

Great. Have you checked to see that all devices have the same IP base address : xxx.yyy.zzz.<variable> ? If not, then maybe the Apple TV is on its own subnet.

If more than one DHCP server is active, then it's a race to see who give out addresses first. Plus the DHCP action also provides a link to the DNS server, so may be the Apple TV is seeing the wrong DNS server ( it should see the ActionTec. You may be able to correct it manually if the Apple TV allow manual fiddling with its IP settings - or the AExpress allows the input of an alternate DNS setting). If you have multiple DHCP servers active on the same subnet, then make sure their DHCP ranges don't overlap).

To make this work as you intended, you might try this :

1. Wire the AExpress to the ActionTec. Select Bridge mode for Network. Select Create a Wireless Network for Wireless.
2. Wire the AExtreme to the AExpress. Select the same settings as on the AExpress, inc all the wireless settings. DO NOT SELECT EXTEND WIRELESS NETWORK.

This should give you a roaming network where all devices will get DHCP from the ActionTec (inc devices connected to the AExtreme by LAN). The other bit you may need to fiddle with is the Internet settings for the AExpress and the AExtreme. Selecting DHCP for both the AEXpress and AExtreme here should be OK.

[phr0ze]

Originally Posted by drsox

Great. Have you checked to see that all devices have the same IP base address : xxx.yyy.zzz.<variable> ? If not, then maybe the Apple TV is on its own subnet.

Yep its all the same.

If more than one DHCP server is active, then it's a race to see who give out addresses first. Plus the DHCP action also provides a link to the DNS server, so may be the Apple TV is seeing the wrong DNS server ( it should see the ActionTec.

Its a race but both DHCP are using separate ranges to avoid conflics. To setup the DHCP server on the airport express I had to manually assign it an IP and provide DNS entries. Those DNS entries are then propogated to the DHCP clients. The Apple TV properly grabbed the DHCP address and DNS, but it still refuses to find the internet. I'm starting to think some kind of ARP cache is lingering.

You may be able to correct it manually if the Apple TV allow manual fiddling with its IP settings - or the AExpress allows the input of an alternate DNS setting). If you have multiple DHCP servers active on the same subnet, then make sure their DHCP ranges don't overlap).

I also tried manually plugging APPLE TV with proper non-conflicting IP settings. Still no luck.

To make this work as you intended, you might try this :

1. Wire the AExpress to the ActionTec. Select Bridge mode for Network. Select Create a Wireless Network for Wireless.
2. Wire the AExtreme to the AExpress. Select the same settings as on the AExpress, inc all the wireless settings. DO NOT SELECT EXTEND WIRELESS NETWORK.

This should give you a roaming network where all devices will get DHCP from the ActionTec (inc devices connected to the AExtreme by LAN). The other bit you may need to fiddle with is the Internet settings for the AExpress and the AExtreme. Selecting DHCP for both the AEXpress and AExtreme here should be OK.

The only problem is getting one floor to talk to the other. I can't get a wire through the floor which is what your solution suggests. I will try moving the express to the action tec and extend from the extreme though.

I thought I read somewhere you can't extend from an express. Only the extreme can be extended.

[drsox]

Originally Posted by phr0ze

I thought I read somewhere you can't extend from an express. Only the extreme can be extended.

I think both can do the same now. If you have a wire between the two then you are not extending a wireless network but instead you are creating 2 identical networks to give a roaming network. That's why you shouldn't tick the box that says - Extend Network. If there is no wire, then yes, it is an extended network.

If it is an extended network with no wire, then my settings probably won't work.

If it is a lingering ARP cache, then power cycle everything from the ActionTec outwards.