Airport Extreme - So Confused

[Icey]

Hi,

So my family recently purchased an AirPort Extreme because our wireless internet at our house has been extremely unreliable. Our goal was to use the AirPort extreme instead of our current DSL modem, however, I'm having lots of trouble setting it up using Airport Utility and will probably end up calling in the professionals sometime soon to do this. My only question as of now is, is it even possible to use the Airport Extreme as our wireless router/modem? I thought that is what this product was for, but I'm doubting myself after having so much trouble setting it up and seeing all of the other capabilities it has.

Thanks!

 

[flopticalcube]

The Airport Extreme has no modem capabilities.

 

[Intell]

It cannot be a modem. You still need to have you modem to turn the DSL signals from the phone line into Ethernet signals for the Airport Extreme.

 

[MonkeyET]

Plug your modem into the AE with a ethernet cable. If you current modem has wireless capabilities, turn them off. The setup will address any issues. I recently purchase one and I have Verizon FIOS. I have had many issues in the past as the Verizon router wanted issue IP addresses. I spent hours trying to diagnose the issue.

When I purchase the Airport, it automatically configured this. What took two hours before, took five minutes. I have had no drop outs, no lack of signal, and increased performance. I believe you made the right decision.

 

[miles01110]

I believe you made the right decision.

How is buying a router instead of a modem the right decision?

 

[killmoms]

If you have a modem/router combo which cannot have its routing abilities turned off, I’d highly suggest you contact your ISP and get a simple modem only, and then use the Airport Extreme for your routing and wireless network needs.

 

[Icey]

Thanks everyone for the advice/knowledge/input.

So, if I do hook this up to a modem and run it that way, is it going to give us better wireless coverage than what we have now? I know I'm speaking in ambiguous terms here since none of you know what our coverage is like now, but I'm basically asking is the product meant to give better wireless range than a standard router.

 

[stomer]

So if your modem has a bridge mode, you need to turn that on. Then you should be able to hock up the modem to the AEBS.

These days ISPs tend to lock down their modems so as to make it easier to support their customers. So setting bridge mode on might be out of the question.

If you simply wanted better wireless coverage, then an Airport Express (in bridge mode) might have been a better and cheaper solution.

 

[MonkeyET]

How is buying a router instead of a modem the right decision?

Well in the OP it states:

Our goal was to use the AirPort extreme instead of our current DSL modem, however, I'm having lots of trouble setting it up using Airport Utility and will probably end up calling in the professionals sometime soon to do this. My only question as of now is, is it even possible to use the Airport Extreme as our wireless router/modem?

Then I proceeded to explain how to hook up the current DSL modem which they have, to the AE which they just purchased. The AE would provide a more consistent wireless experience if their current modem had wireless capabilities. I did not see if the OP explained this or not. I saw it as a good move since I had recently purchased one myself, and found it to work very well.