Airport Extreme

[hetzell1991]

Okay, I just purchased an Airport Extreme to use because in my house there are 2 iMac's, a Macbook Pro, and old MacBook, 2 Apple TV's, 2 iPhones, and an iPad. I have a wireless router through a local service provider, Cincinnati Bell, running through DSL. The DSL is a phone line that hooks into the DSL port on my Cincinnati Bell wireless router. Unfortunately, there are only Ethernet ports on the back of the Airport Extreme. So now I have my Airport hooked up to an Ethernet cable that is on the back of the wireless router. Basically, I am wondering if there is any way for me bypass the other wireless router and hook my Airport Extreme directly to my internet. I have the Airport all set up and am have all my devices using it, but I do not think that it is working as well as it would if i could just bypass the wireless router. Any thoughts? Any help would be much appreciated

 

[mreg376]

It's probably working fine, but one or more of your devices might be running off the DSL's wireless. Sounds like your DSL "wireless router" is actually a combination DLS modem and router. The easiest thing to do, if you haven't already, is to set your Extreme to operate in "bridge" mode, and it will extend the DSL box's router function through its own wireless system. Then if you can get into the DSL box's configuration and turn off its wireless radio you can be sure that all your wireless devices are running through the Extreme. If you haven't set bridge mode you might be running two nested NAT systems which might impair performance. Which ethernet port are you using on the Extreme? The WAN or a LAN port?

 

[hetzell1991]

I believe I am running through the WAN port, I'm not home right now, so I can't look right now, but I am almost positive it's in the WAN port. Also, how do I get the extreme to run in "Bridge" mode? Would that be in Airport Utility?

 

[S.B.G]

Can you request a different DSL modem from your ISP which has an Ethernet port on it?

 

[hetzell1991]

Can you request a different DSL modem from your ISP which has and Ethernet port on it?

I can try, and probably will cause I would really like to have the Airport Extreme working properly

 

[S.B.G]

I can try, and probably will cause I would really like to have the Airport Extreme working properly

I would also recommend downloading AirPort Utility 5.6 to use with your new AEBS. The newer version has been iOSified and Apple stripped out just about all functionality from it.

Here is where you would set up bridge mode.

 

[robgendreau]

Are you saying you cannot connect to the router Cin. Bell gave you? It should have ethernet as well as wifi. It will probably route to the Airport Extreme via ethernet (that's the fastest). The AE would be set up in bridge mode. That's how most folks do it.

And no, the AE CANNOT attach directly to a DSL line of any type. Nor can it connect directly to a cable from your cableco. Broadband usually terminates in your home in what is commonly called a "cable modem," "DSL modem" or "residential gateway." In addition to taking the broadband off cable or DSL, they often have routers built in.

You can put another router downstream from these; and as I said most people just put that extra router in bridge mode to do that, as SandboxGeneral noted.

 

[hetzell1991]

I do have it hooked up to the Cincinnati Bell router by Ethernet, I just was not sure if I could bypass the router. I'll download that Airport Utility, thanks And then I have one more question, by having the Airport Extreme, am I actually getting faster speeds when I'm using multiple devices? Or is the fact that it is running through the other router mean that the AE is kind of useless?

 

[S.B.G]

I do have it hooked up to the Cincinnati Bell router by Ethernet, I just was not sure if I could bypass the router. I'll download that Airport Utility, thanks And then I have one more question, by having the Airport Extreme, am I actually getting faster speeds when I'm using multiple devices? Or is the fact that it is running through the other router mean that the AE is kind of useless?

If the other router is slowing speeds down, then yes the AEBS can only run at that speed. A computer network is not unlike a chain; it's only as fast as it slowest link.