Advanced Airport/Lan Setup, Multiple Routers

[elberggreno]

So I want to setup an (advanced?) network using my existing wired router (sorry, have to use this cause of my IP-Telephone and my ISP), An Airport Extreme for high-speed N wireless to my MBP and an Airport Express for music streaming and slow wireless acces for my ibook and other devices (I don't want to compromise my N-connection for the MBP)..

I would like to let the existing router handle all the NAT (I barely know what this is) and stuff like that and simply let the Airports act like bridges (or something along thoose lines if possible).. The reson for this is I've heard the extreme has performance issues when going through NAT-handling or using the WAN-port (is it possible to connect the existing router to a LAN-port on the extreme and still have internet acces or does it have to connect to the WAN-port?)

The MBP should be able to connect to the express exlusivly for music-streaming to my stereo (if it's possible to connect to the extreme using wireless and somehow the extreme is so smart it routes trough cable to the express that would be even more awsome!)..

The Ibooks and other devices would connect wirelessly to the express for internet and music streaming.

My wish is also for all devices to be able to connect to eachother for file exchange etc, aswell as the usb-disc connected to the extreme (altough I understand this feature is crap and doesn't work at the moment?).. And of course for all devices to have internet-acces..

The (awful) windows computer would act as some kind of download/file server (hence connected directly to the first router as to not compromise speed from my 100Mbit fibre internet)

Iv'e included a diagram so you could more easily understand what I mean..

Is this at all possible, or am I aiming for the impossible, other sollutions are also very welcome!

Thanks for any help you might give me!

diagram:

 

[mrwizardno2]

What you want to do really isn't that hard. Just enable bridge mode on both of the Airport Base Stations and you should be good to go. They will hand off all network servicing (DHCP, DNS, etc) to the wired router when set this way. I run a similar setup at home. I'm workin on a diagram right now.

Edit: Added the diagram. Blue solid lines are gigabit, green solid lines are 100 megabit, red airwaves are wireless G, blue are wireless N.

The Macbook and Macbook Pro can both stream to the airport express, even though it traverses 2 wireless access points. It all still appears and works great. The Airport Extreme is set in wireless N only mode, and allows up to (theoretically) 300 megabits throughput. Since my internet service is only 6meg down / 1 meg up, I used the WAN port on my AEBS to connect (in bridged mode) to the router. I built the router using a soekris net4801-60 prototype board. It handles all network services... everything else takes orders from it.

Hope this somewhat helps. Sorry for the crappy picture, first time making a real one!.

 

[elberggreno]

Thanks for the comfirmation that it is in fact possible..

Do you happen to know if it's possible for the extreme to recognise the express (airtunes) over cable and thus alowing me to play audio through the express over the N-connection to the extreme? (Man it's easy to get lost here!)

 

[mrwizardno2]

Thanks for the comfirmation that it is in fact possible..

Do you happen to know if it's possible for the extreme to recognise the express (airtunes) over cable and thus alowing me to play audio through the express over the N-connection to the extreme? (Man it's easy to get lost here!)

Yeah, it is. That's what I'm doing...kind of. You can see the express any which way. I just hop wireless twice to get to mine instead of going wired like you're going to.

I was really surprised it all worked after I looked at how it was actually working!

 

[elberggreno]

Awsome, time to send some cash apple's way =) .. just hope they'll fix all the problems with the extreme soon, or maybe a new one next week =)

 

[mrwizardno2]

I've not had a single problem with my extreme so far. It's a beast. Of course, I'm not really letting it do anything than play access point, but still... seems solid enough.

Good luck with your setup! If you have any questions or problems getting it set up, drop me a line!

 

[kanewarwick]

Multiple routers question

Hi. My question may already have been answered, though I'm not sure if my circumstances require a different answer. In any case here's the situation.

1. I have DSL into my house (it's bundled with phone and digital tv using a Motorola box). My wife and I work in a barn 100 feet away, so I have a simple Cat 9 cable going from the house to the barn.

2. The cable is connected to a router. One line goes to my wife's computer and the other goes to an Apple Airport wireless unit downstairs, where I am. By the way, she doesn't get a strong enough signal upstairs to use the wireless, nor does the signal carry as far as the house. Nonetheless, everything works fine as is. (We both have Mac laptops.)

3. Now, I thought it would be good to set up a second router in the house. I have a new digital TV (Samsung) to which I would like to add an Apple TV unit (with Internet connection), and, in addition, it would be convenient to have wireless in the house in general. So I got a Belkin wireless router and hooked it up (there was a convenient connector I was already using for the cable running from the house to the barn).

4. The Belkin router worked fine, but, as I feared, it interfered with the Internet in the barn. I had to disconnect the Belkin and re-set the DSL Motorola router to get Internet back. So, right now there's no Internet in the house, but there is in the barn.

5. So, the question is, is it possible to have two routers in this situation, and if so, how would I go about setting it up? If I need to, I could switch between Internet in the house and barn, rather than having them working simultaneously, since we're usually in one place or the other. But, if there's a way to have both functioning at the same time, that would be ideal.

I hope that's sufficient information. Thanks for any advice you might have.