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Airport Extreme 5GHz mode?
- Thread starter carrollf
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I'm wondering this too since the AEBS seems to be one of the few 802.11n devices that actually supports the 5 GHz band. Most I've seen only do the 2.4 GHz band, which is obviously crowded.
Open up AirPort Utility, and then click on Manual Setup. I believe it's under network or wireless, not real sure since I'm not next to my AEBS in order to verify. You'll see a drop down box that allows you to select the mode of 2.4 or 5Ghz. Realize though if you have a b or g card in your network, 5Ghz is not compatible. Therefore, you will have to leave it set to 2.4. If not, switch it to 5Ghz. I ran 5Ghz, but now I have my gf's laptop on it and her laptop is 802.11g, therefore I'm running at 2.4Ghz now. I'm tempted to buy her an express card so she can be 802.11n. I see an AppleTV in my future, ha.
Hope that helps.
Hope that helps.
Well it is dual band, just not simultaneously. One or the other. The worka roung is to buy a cheap 802.11g router and plug it in the Extreme's LAN port and set it in bridge mode.
So, theoretically, I could use my Extreme in 5GHz mode (giving me a connection speed of 300Mb/sec to my MBP), and the Express (connected via ethernet) to broadcast my network in -g??
You are right, it does. Basically you set up the Airport Express as its on network with different SSID as the Extreme network. Then Open the Airport Admin Utility Configure the Express and click on the Network Tab and uncheck "Distribute IP addresses". In The airport Utility, Open up the Express in manual mode, select Internet and change connection sharing to Off(Bridge Mode).
This in effect will give you 5.0GHz and a 2.4GHz network and allow all computers to see each other despite being on two separate networks.
SWEET! I tried to do this last week, but couldnt get it working like I wanted. The goal is to have as fast a connection as possible for my MBP, I do large file transfers on a regular basis to a wireless disk - but still have a -g network for my XBOX360, airtunes, & iPhone. Thanks for the help, you guys rock!
EDIT: Will this work with airtunes if my MBP is on a different network than my express running airtunes??
Yes. I have that setup (but with 2.4 GHz for the AEX). The Airport Express is used for my iPhone.
Unfortunately, I'm about to dump all my Apple networking gear. I have two AEX in WDS mode with Wireless N 2.4 GHz, and the Express in Wireless G with an ethernet connection to the base AEX. It's flakey at best (constantly dropping my wireless connection, disconnecting me from airport drives and then failing to authenticate me on reconnect until I reboot the AEX and/or my Mac). Worse yet it becomes unusable when I attach my PC or use Windows in Fusion and connect to work via VPN. It won't keep any connection alive for more than 30 minutes. I won't be able to work from home again until I go out and get replacement network gear. A waste of over $400 for me.
I think Apple needs more work on their networking technology, at least in my case they do. Maybe a simple setup for AEX works fine, but start to exercise the claimed features and it goes to hell in a handbasket.
Ive just been playing around with this option myself.
It seems that you can in fact broadcast both 5 and 2.4 from the same unit (on a time capsule at least). In manual setup > wireless > options just check the 5GHz box and give it a different name.
I connect via my MBP to the GHz one, and other devices to the original network.
It seems that you can in fact broadcast both 5 and 2.4 from the same unit (on a time capsule at least). In manual setup > wireless > options just check the 5GHz box and give it a different name.
I connect via my MBP to the GHz one, and other devices to the original network.
Of course the discussion you're replying is about the AEX model long prior to the newer ones that support dual band mode. That feature was added to the AEX hardware long after this thread originally ended 2 years ago.
In case anybody else tries to extend their network with Airports or use one as an ethernet-to-WiFi adapter, here is how to do it:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2044
It seems any Airport Express or Extreme is capable of WDS to accomplish such tasks. There are non-Apple WDS base capable base stations, but I don't know how well they would work together. The manuals for those base stations only support WDS links between two of the same model. My roommate 5-6 years ago flushed the firmware on a Linksys router to allow WDS, and they sort of worked, but it was a flaky connection between that router and an Express.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2044
It seems any Airport Express or Extreme is capable of WDS to accomplish such tasks. There are non-Apple WDS base capable base stations, but I don't know how well they would work together. The manuals for those base stations only support WDS links between two of the same model. My roommate 5-6 years ago flushed the firmware on a Linksys router to allow WDS, and they sort of worked, but it was a flaky connection between that router and an Express.
If you're looking for a simultaneous dual-band 2.4/5GHz router then I suggest the Netgear WNDR3700.
Guys go with Airport Extreme/Time Capsule as they operate simultaneous on 2.4 and 5GHz. I have two Netgears routers WTG624 and WNR2000 and they both suck big. One is randomly loosing connection to internet while the other seems to just drop wireless signal.
That's correct. The only reason why you'd want to give the 5 GHz network a separate name is to force a device to only use the 5 GHz band, since otherwise it's using the one with the strongest signal (which will almost always be 2.4 GHz, if you're not really close to the AEBS).
You're talking about a thread 1 to 4 years old...simultaneous dual band has been added since then.
Open AirPort Utility, choose Manual Setup, click the Wireless tab, then Wireless Network Options. Here you give the 5 GHz network its own name. This will create two separate networks, one for each band. You can now connect to this network instead, that way you force your computer to always use the 5 GHz band.
But beware though, because the 5 GHz band doesn't have the same reach and doesn't travel as well through walls and other obstacles. So unless you more or less have an unobstructed line of sight between the router and the computer or if they're not in the same room, it might be better to leave it on automatic...