Using Airport Extreme as a wireless adaptor

[661Danny]

Hello everybody,

Here's my situation: I want to connect to my neighbors wifi (I have her permission lol) with my Airport Extreme 802.11n 4th Generation wirelessly, and connect a couple of computers to the AE with ethernet cables. Ive followed all the directions (reset, choose "connect to a wireless network" etc.) but still neither computer will connect to the internet. What am I doing wrong?
Any info will be greatly appreciated!

 

[priitv8]

I think this is the way to go: http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT4259

 

[rgarjr]

Does your neighbor have an Apple router

 

[661Danny]

Thanks for the link, but I cant connect that way. I can only connect to her network wirelessly, and no, her router is a 2Wire.

 

[nebo1ss]

Thanks for the link, but I cant connect that way. I can only connect to her network wirelessly, and no, her router is a 2Wire.

The airport extreme will not do what you are trying to do.

 

[eduardrw]

It would only work if her router is also an Airport Extreme router.

You can do it with 3rd party hardware - search for "wifi to ethernet bridge".
You could also use a MAC's capability to share your internet:
http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-share-your-macs-internet-connection--mac-60309
Option 2. Sharing Internet to a Wired Device

 

[Altemose]

Thanks for the link, but I cant connect that way. I can only connect to her network wirelessly, and no, her router is a 2Wire.

The airport extreme will not do what you are trying to do.

It would only work if her router is also an Airport Extreme router.

You can do it with 3rd party hardware - search for "wifi to ethernet bridge".
You could also use a MAC's capability to share your internet:
http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-share-your-macs-internet-connection--mac-60309
Option 2. Sharing Internet to a Wired Device

An AirPort can act as a client with any router regardless of brand but cannot wirelessly extend a 3rd party router. OP, can you post screenshots of your settings?

 

[eduardrw]

I have not tried what you are attempting but here is an excerpt from:
http://superuser.com/questions/4320...-wlan-while-also-using-the-usb-ethernet-ports
"Proxy STA" Wireless client mode, a.k.a. "Join w/ 'allow Ethernet clients'"

I believe this mode first shipped with the 802.11n AirPort Express (early 2008 to present). You'd use this for the same reasons as normal STA mode, with the additional ability to bridge wired Ethernet devices onto the network.

Because the 802.11 spec does not allow normal wireless clients to transparently bridge traffic, the radio in the AirPort Express has to do extra work in this mode to sort of clone the MAC addresses of any wired Ethernet devices it sees connected to its Ethernet port, and fool the upstream AP into thinking those MAC addresses are all separate wireless clients that have all joined the upstream AP (that is, it has to perform the 802.11 "STA" role on behalf of those non-802.11 devices, thus "Proxy STA").

This mode supports:

Bridging Ethernet clients in
Sharing USB printers
AirPlay/AirTunes output on AirPort Expresses.
This mode is supported on:

AirPort Express 802.11g (2004-2008)
AirPort Express 802.11n (2008-present)
(Which is to say "All AirPort Expresses, but not Extremes or Time Capsules)

 

[eduardrw]

An AirPort can act as a client with any router regardless of brand but cannot wirelessly extend a 3rd party router. OP, can you post screenshots of your settings?

Seems not to be correct!!
Airport Extreme's can't do this - only Airport Express'.

See my post above.

 

[Altemose]

Seems not to be correct!!
Airport Extreme's can't do this - only Airport Express'.

See my post above.

See this...

 

[661Danny]

thanks guys...I guess I'll just wait until I have my own internet connection

 

[Altemose]

thanks guys...I guess I'll just wait until I have my own internet connection

When I get to school I will try this personally for you with a Extreme and be sure to post screenshots as well.

 

[661Danny]

wow...thanks a lot Altemose...u rock!

 

[Altemose]

wow...thanks a lot Altemose...u rock!

We got to school today and the power went out for the afternoon which is when I could do it. Perhaps I can post them Monday.

 

[661Danny]

whenever you have time...i appreciate it

 

[Altemose]

whenever you have time...i appreciate it

What version of the utility are you using?

 

[eduardrw]

See this...

Image

This is consistent with the following Statement from above mentioned Web Page (hope you read it):
Wireless client (STA) mode, a.k.a. "Join"

This mode first shipped with the 802.11g AirPort Express (mid 2004 to early 2008). This was so that if you just wanted your AirPort Express to be a wireless audio device (or perhaps just a wireless USB print server) and wanted it to join a pre-exsiting non-Apple Wi-Fi network you had, you could do that.

This mode supports:

Sharing USB printers (and hard drives on models that support it)
AirPlay/AirTunes output on AirPort Expresses.
This mode is supported on:

AirPort Express 802.11g
Hidden, but supported on all 802.11n AirPort base stations


I have a hunch that your testing will confirm my earlier post!

 

[Altemose]

This is consistent with the following Statement from above mentioned Web Page (hope you read it):
Wireless client (STA) mode, a.k.a. "Join"

This mode first shipped with the 802.11g AirPort Express (mid 2004 to early 2008). This was so that if you just wanted your AirPort Express to be a wireless audio device (or perhaps just a wireless USB print server) and wanted it to join a pre-exsiting non-Apple Wi-Fi network you had, you could do that.

This mode supports:

Sharing USB printers (and hard drives on models that support it)
AirPlay/AirTunes output on AirPort Expresses.
This mode is supported on:

AirPort Express 802.11g
Hidden, but supported on all 802.11n AirPort base stations


I have a hunch that your testing will confirm my earlier post!

I will create a network on Monday to demonstrate this.

 

[Altemose]

So it did not work on a second generation aside from USB sharing. However, the third generation worked when on 7.5.2 and 7.6.1 which I tested.

 

[661Danny]

Im using Airport Utility 5.6.1... I took screenshots of each step I took:

 

[661Danny]

and:

 

[Altemose]

Im using Airport Utility 5.6.1... I took screenshots of each step I took:

And you still are unable to connect Ethernet clients? This is a functionality that is coded into the firmware and it worked on my 3rd generation. That being said, it appears that the functionality works for some and not for others. In my case, it worked with one Extreme and not the other. The USB port worked regardless of generation.

In summary, in a way eduardw was indeed correct that it is officially supported in the AirPort Express and will work every time on a wireless N model. That also being said, the Extreme is capable but it is touchy to say the least.

 

[eduardrw]

And you still are unable to connect Ethernet clients? This is a functionality that is coded into the firmware and it worked on my 3rd generation. That being said, it appears that the functionality works for some and not for others. In my case, it worked with one Extreme and not the other. The USB port worked regardless of generation.

In summary, in a way eduardw was indeed correct that it is officially supported in the AirPort Express and will work every time on a wireless N model. That also being said, the Extreme is capable but it is touchy to say the least.

Altermos - I remember now to have tried this quite a while ago on an Airport Extreme. While I was sometimes able to get the ethernet clients to work, they all seemed to "loose" their DHCP assigned ethernet address over time and then defaulted to 169.XXX.XXX , loosing internet connectivity.

 

[Altemose]

Altermos - I remember now to have tried this quite a while ago on an Airport Extreme. While I was sometimes able to get the ethernet clients to work, they all seemed to "loose" their DHCP assigned ethernet address over time and then defaulted to 169.XXX.XXX , loosing internet connectivity.

I had only tried this on a third generation Extreme before without issue. However, the second generation had issues when I tested it. The Expresses always worked without issue.

 

[cfedu]

I had only tried this on a third generation Extreme before without issue. However, the second generation had issues when I tested it. The Expresses always worked without issue.

For free internet, I would just buy my friend a used Airport extreme router. You could probably resell it for the same amount once you don't need it anymore.