Cannot see Aiport Base Station thru Router (??)

[burro]

I've got a little home network with an issue that really bugs me...

It looks a little like this:

Cable Company
|
Cable Modem (Motorola SB1500 Surfboard)
|
Router (BEFW11S4) (not used wirelessly, just as a wired router)
|
Everything else:
• iMac 2.16; 3Gb RAM; OS10.5.4 (ethernet)
• PowerBook Pro (ethernet, mostly)
• Aiport Express (ethernet, to stereo)
AND (the important one)
• Airport Base Station, Extreme (flying saucer) (1 WAN, 1 LAN ethernet port)
- various laptops (PC/Mac) (that connect through the Airport Base Station)

HERE'S THE ISSUE:

I cannot seem to manage my Airport Base Station (or the Airport Express unit) from my iMac.

The iMac cannot "see" the Base Station(s) at all through the router.

Argh.

It feels like it is one setting somewhere on the router, but I don't know what it is.

Can anyone help?

 

[TEG]

Your base station is likely set to only allow configuration wirelessly or via the LAN port. You must activate the ability to Administrate over WAN for it to work. Additionally, is the Basestation acting as a NAT server for the laptops?

I would think that you have over complicated your network structure. All your really need is this:

Cable Modem
|
AirPort Base Station
|(Wired)
Hub
iMac
PB
|(Wireless from Base Station)
AirPort Express
Other Laptops


Or nix the hub and use the AirPort Express as a wired connection to your iMac or PowerBook. But in reality, the iMac likely has AirPort built it, so why not use the AirPort Base Station as the router for the whole network? It would solve this problem, and reduce the number of devices than can cause you problems.

TEG

 

[burro]

Your base station is likely set to only allow configuration wirelessly or via the LAN port. You must activate the ability to Administrate over WAN for it to work. Additionally, is the Base station acting as a NAT server for the laptops?

Thanks for this -- I don't see anything in the Base Station prefs that let's me say that I can administrate via WAN...

I would think that you have over complicated your network structure. All your really need is this:

Cable Modem
|
AirPort Base Station
|(Wired)
Hub
iMac
PB
|(Wireless from Base Station)
AirPort Express
Other Laptops


Or nix the hub and use the AirPort Express as a wired connection to your iMac or PowerBook. But in reality, the iMac likely has AirPort built it, so why not use the AirPort Base Station as the router for the whole network? It would solve this problem, and reduce the number of devices than can cause you problems.

We are sort of spread all around a large property, so I am kind of constrained to have the Airport downstream (so that wireless will reach a detached second unit). But I am aware of the options about that, so, thanks for that, too...

 

[TEG]

I was thinking about it, and it is possible that the Airport Extreme (g) can't allow administration via the WAN port.

You were talking about a large property, why would a series of Expresses not cover your area? I currently use 3 to cover my parent's property and it seems to work well for their systems and my iPhone.

TEG

 

[burro]

Thanks for this -- I don't see anything in the Base Station prefs that let's me say that I can administrate via WAN...

Ahhh -- I see that option in the Leopard Airport utility, but not in the Tiger Airport utility...

 

[burro]

Solved

I was thinking about it, and it is possible that the Airport Extreme (g) can't allow administration via the WAN port.

You were talking about a large property, why would a series of Expresses not cover your area? I currently use 3 to cover my parent's property and it seems to work well for their systems and my iPhone.

TEG

For better throughput, and also to reduce ambient EMFs out of health considerations, I like to keep the network hard-wired as much as possible.

But thanks for all these tips!

Truth is, I know I could solve this very easily by buying one more $80 router -- I was just trying to work with what I have...

ANYWAY -- thanks to you kind folks here -- we can mark this case SOLVED --

When I enabled WAN administration (which I found easily from the Leopard Utility but could not find in the Tiger utility), while hooked up to the base unit with an ethernet cable, EVERYTHING got better...

I think it fixed a corrupted configuration file

AND

I can now see and administer the Base unit from my iMac (through a hub and a router).


Many thanks to all you great folks here!!!

x's and o's

~Lou