Airport Express Configuration Problems

[Wild-Bill]

Ok, I know I must be missing something SOOOO simple that when any of you helps me out with the answer it will be a real forehead slapper.

First, I bought an Airport Express a few months ago along with an AppleTV. i have an existing wireless-G network consisting of the following:

Mac Pro - Ethernet
12" Powerbook - Wireless

Comcast cable modem > DLink DGL-4500 Wireless G

When I added the Airport Express and AppleTV to the mix, I configured the AE in "Bridge" mode to send 5 GHz wireless N to the ATV. The configuration then became:

Comcast > DLink DGL-4500 > Airport Express (connected via ethernet LAN to WAN), in Bridge Mode > AppleTV.

Now I have a Macbook Air that I have been trying to add to the Wireless-N network. Without changing the configuration, the MBA can "see" both the wireless-G and wireless-N networks, but it keeps getting an auto-asigned IP when I try to connect it to the AE via WPA2.

I would like to have both wireless G and wireless N in the house to support my iPhone, iPod Touch on (G) and the MBA and AppleTV on the (N). I don't want to part with the DLink because it has an SPI firewall.

What Do I need to do to get the Airport Express to spit out and retain a proper IP to the Macbook Air? I do have some IP address reservations in the DLINK and MAC Address filtering for wireless clients only. Should I re-do the IP address reservations in the DLINK ? Or do I need to run a subnet on the Airport Express to dish out two DHCP clients for the MBA and Airport Express?

In my searching, the majority of posts I have seen centered around extending an existing wireless network, but what I want to do is have a wireless G and a wireless N network, nice and separated, and retain the SPI firewall of the DLink.

Thoughts?

(It's no fun trying to experience a new MBA when you're tethered with a USB Ethernet port..... )

 

[waw74]

if the express is in bridge mode, the IPs are being assigned by the d-link. The mac filtering on the d-link should only affect things connecting to the G network.

I have a similar setup (linksys with G, and express with N), and my MBP gets the same IP if it connects to my G or N network.

you want to leave the express in bridge mode (i.e. don't want to run a new subnet), or the phone and touch (on the G) won't be able to talk to the MBA and TV (on the N), which would make the remote app not work.

 

[Wild-Bill]

Thanks for the reply.

I guess I'll go back in and re-do the IP address reservation list, or get rid of it all together and just set the range equal to the number of devices. I think I utilized the reservations on the Windows side anyway to make networking easier. Since there aren't any more Windowz boxen here I guess I can try removing all the reservations.

Thanks

 

[gsahli]

wild-bill - You have assumed you understood waw74 about bridge mode. To put your Express in Bridge mode, go into Airport Utility, and Turn off "Distribute IP addresses." This means your d-link will be the only router that will assign IP addresses via DHCP. Your "G" devices will communicate through the Express, but they will get their IP address from the dlink.

HTH

 

[waw74]

wild-bill - You have assumed you understood waw74 about bridge mode. To put your Express in Bridge mode, go into Airport Utility, and Turn off "Distribute IP addresses." This means your d-link will be the only router that will assign IP addresses via DHCP. Your "G" devices will communicate through the Express, but they will get their IP address from the dlink.

HTH

gsahli you have assumed you understood me

there is no check box for distribute ip addresses, it's in a drop down list with a selection called "off (bridge mode)", so when selecting bridge, you automatically aren't distributing IPs.

his G devices will still talk to the the dlink, his N devices will talk to the express. All will get IPs from the dlink

 

[Wild-Bill]

gsahli you have assumed you understood me

there is no check box for distribute ip addresses, it's in a drop down list with a selection called "off (bridge mode)", so when selecting bridge, you automatically aren't distributing IPs.

his G devices will still talk to the the dlink, his N devices will talk to the express. All will get IPs from the dlink

I understood waw74, gsahli. I was in bridge mode initially.


Anyway, thanks again waw74 for helping me through my brain fart. I had to go back into the DLink and increase the IP address range by one. I also got rid of the IP address reservations, since I am all Mac now and don't need that feature to predictably locate a share. So, in the end it was because my DLink was spitting out only enough IP addresses to cover the hardware I had before i bought the Air. I'm all straight now though. MBA and ATV are on the N, with WPA2 and I hid the SSID. The 12" PB, iPhone, and iPod Touch are on the G with WPA Personal. The DLink is set up with an IP address range of 7 addresses to cover all the hardware, and the DLink's firewall is using Stateful Packet Inspection, and MAC address filtering on the wireless clients. The Airport Express is also using MAC address filtering, and its SSID is hidden. I am satisfied with the level of network protection I have.