Multiple Airports setup question

[iNewbie]

I have an older airport Extreme and 2 newer Time Capsules. Each of these is wired into an Ethernet Cable. I'm trying to get the best coverage I can and I don't think I'm doing it correctly.

Each can do 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and I believe the Time Capsules can also do 802.11ac.

Anyway - I have each currently set to "Create a wireless network" currently.

Historically I've named the 2.4 network "myNetwork" and the 5Ghz network be "myNetwork 5GHz". That doesn't seem right to me as on my device I have to sometimes manually choose one or the other to get the best signal.

So I figured I'd go through them and I renamed the wireless network "newNetwork" in all the 2.4 fields as well as the 5Ghz field. I figure that's the way it's supposed to be and let the device figure out the best connect.

But when I do that and go back into the 5Ghz section the checkmark goes away indicating it's in use. When I try to click it again it doesn't stick.

Is this the right way to do it? Am i missing anything?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!!

 

[Altemose]

So I figured I'd go through them and I renamed the wireless network "newNetwork" in all the 2.4 fields as well as the 5Ghz field. I figure that's the way it's supposed to be and let the device figure out the best connect.

But when I do that and go back into the 5Ghz section the checkmark goes away indicating it's in use. When I try to click it again it doesn't stick.

Is this the right way to do it? Am i missing anything?

No. If you want the AirPorts to automatically decide whether to use 2.4 or 5 GHz then you simply leave the "5 GHz Network Name" box unchecked.

 

[iNewbie]

ok. great. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Altemose]

ok. great. Thanks for the reply!

No problem! Also, you should have one AirPort as the main base station with the other two behind it.

 

[iNewbie]

Hmm.. I'm not sure how I have that hooked up. It the two new time capsules connect to the older airport airport Extreme... or if they all go into the switch. I have a professional 24 port super router/switch appliance that's the brains of everything. I just use the apple equipment for the wireless and some time capsules.

Does the method of connection matter?

Thanks!

 

[eduardrw]

Hmm.. I'm not sure how I have that hooked up. It the two new time capsules connect to the older airport airport Extreme... or if they all go into the switch. I have a professional 24 port super router/switch appliance that's the brains of everything. I just use the apple equipment for the wireless and some time capsules.

Does the method of connection matter?

Thanks!

If you want to use your

Hmm.. I'm not sure how I have that hooked up. It the two new time capsules connect to the older airport airport Extreme... or if they all go into the switch. I have a professional 24 port super router/switch appliance that's the brains of everything. I just use the apple equipment for the wireless and some time capsules.

Does the method of connection matter?

Thanks!

You can continue to use your "24 port super router/switch" as the Router and use the various Airports to create a roaming network with identical SSID's as you are doing. This works just fine.

There is one upside with using one of the Apple Routers as your main router -> You get all the Apple specific features (Back to my Mac, Bonjour server - transparently waking up MAC's for media access from Apple TV and other devices, etc)
In your case I assume your "super router/switch" gives you specific features you want/need.

 

[iNewbie]

Thanks. Yeah the router is some big Fortigate. It lets me control and route my 5 public ip addresses where they need to go. I don't believe that's possible on the Apple equipment.

Ok. Great. Sounds like just syncing up all the names will be a big improvement. Awesome!

Thanks!