I have made this post merely as a confirmation that I am indeed thinking of this correctly.
Currently, I have a BTHomeHub DSL Router (wireless) using DHCP. From there the Router is connected to the Airport Extreme using Ethernet and I have set the Airport Extreme in Bridge Mode. From the there are 2 Win XP machines connected directly to the Ethernet ports of the Airport Extreme, and then the iMac, MacBook, iPhone, PS3 and Wii all connect wirelessly through the Airport Extreme. The third Ethernet port of the Airport Extreme runs upstair to a Belkin Wireless Router with 4 Ethernet ports which I have set into Wireless Access Point mode whereby the subnet mask and the IP address are identical to the HomeHub Router. From here an Internet Radio connects wirelessly because it can't pick up a great signal from the Airport Extreme. Also the Belkin is connected to a switch which then goes to Windows 7 machine upstairs and goes down to a Squeezebox Duet receiver under the TV. To top it all off I have a printer connected to the Airport Extreme so I can print from both the Macs and both the XP machines using Bonjour (unfortunately Win 7 doesn't work with the printer because there are no drivers).
Originally I had a Linksys WRT54GS which served me well but was causing me some problems so I decided to get the Airport Extreme and must say all the problems have disappeared and the PS3 no longer causes the network problems. Before I used to have the Linksys as a router. When I originally connected it, it conflicted with the HomeHub so I changed the IP on the Linksys, problem solved.
When I was setting up the Airport Extreme the Airport Utility suggested I set up in Bridge mode as NATs and IPs were conflicting. It then dawned on me that maybe I should have set up the Linksys this way all along, so I went into the Belkin settings and set it as a Wireless Access Point instead of a router. It seems silly to have 3 routers all assigning different IP addresses. Now when I go through the Belkin, Airport Extreme or the HomeHub it appears the IP address in the Network Preferences remains the same whatever part I connect to.
Am I correct in thinking that the current set up is correct? Logic tells me that the HomeHub is the device that acts as a firewall and assigns all the IP addresses to all the devices on the network. I am assuming the Airport Extreme and Belkin are merely just extending the network and provides the added benefits of the Airport Extreme such as Wireless N and printer sharing? If I am doing it wrong then please let me know as I am continuing to add more and more devices and as a result becomes more complicated to I would like the basic network to be set up correctly.
Lastly, from the Belkin goes a switch which has a Squeezebox Duet and a Windows 7 machine. Is the switch entirely necessary? Or would it be just easier using the ethernet ports on the Belkin instead to go to the SB and the Win 7 machine?
Apologies if this sounds silly. I have tried Googling yet have find something which fully explains the differences of bridges, wireless access points, routers, switches etc.
Thanks.
Currently, I have a BTHomeHub DSL Router (wireless) using DHCP. From there the Router is connected to the Airport Extreme using Ethernet and I have set the Airport Extreme in Bridge Mode. From the there are 2 Win XP machines connected directly to the Ethernet ports of the Airport Extreme, and then the iMac, MacBook, iPhone, PS3 and Wii all connect wirelessly through the Airport Extreme. The third Ethernet port of the Airport Extreme runs upstair to a Belkin Wireless Router with 4 Ethernet ports which I have set into Wireless Access Point mode whereby the subnet mask and the IP address are identical to the HomeHub Router. From here an Internet Radio connects wirelessly because it can't pick up a great signal from the Airport Extreme. Also the Belkin is connected to a switch which then goes to Windows 7 machine upstairs and goes down to a Squeezebox Duet receiver under the TV. To top it all off I have a printer connected to the Airport Extreme so I can print from both the Macs and both the XP machines using Bonjour (unfortunately Win 7 doesn't work with the printer because there are no drivers).
Originally I had a Linksys WRT54GS which served me well but was causing me some problems so I decided to get the Airport Extreme and must say all the problems have disappeared and the PS3 no longer causes the network problems. Before I used to have the Linksys as a router. When I originally connected it, it conflicted with the HomeHub so I changed the IP on the Linksys, problem solved.
When I was setting up the Airport Extreme the Airport Utility suggested I set up in Bridge mode as NATs and IPs were conflicting. It then dawned on me that maybe I should have set up the Linksys this way all along, so I went into the Belkin settings and set it as a Wireless Access Point instead of a router. It seems silly to have 3 routers all assigning different IP addresses. Now when I go through the Belkin, Airport Extreme or the HomeHub it appears the IP address in the Network Preferences remains the same whatever part I connect to.
Am I correct in thinking that the current set up is correct? Logic tells me that the HomeHub is the device that acts as a firewall and assigns all the IP addresses to all the devices on the network. I am assuming the Airport Extreme and Belkin are merely just extending the network and provides the added benefits of the Airport Extreme such as Wireless N and printer sharing? If I am doing it wrong then please let me know as I am continuing to add more and more devices and as a result becomes more complicated to I would like the basic network to be set up correctly.
Lastly, from the Belkin goes a switch which has a Squeezebox Duet and a Windows 7 machine. Is the switch entirely necessary? Or would it be just easier using the ethernet ports on the Belkin instead to go to the SB and the Win 7 machine?
Apologies if this sounds silly. I have tried Googling yet have find something which fully explains the differences of bridges, wireless access points, routers, switches etc.
Thanks.