Wireless network with iPhone as ISP

[Badger008]

Hi people first post

Right let’s say I want to create a wireless network inside my camper van, I was going to use an Apple AirPort Extreme base station 1408, I am also swapping my stereo out for an iPad mini 2 in the dash board, I want to use my iPhone 7 as an ISP, now let’s forget that I can hotspot , let’s say I want to use the router for the devices to connect to for the internet, that way when my phone rings the iPad will ring as they are both connected to the same wireless network, is this possible? With this current set up?

 

[Howard2k]

So the guests of the van will connect to a wifi network hosted by the AirPort Extreme, and the AE will route traffic back to the Internet over the iPhone 7's cellular interface. Is that right?

So the Mini 2 will access the Internet by getting there through the AE to the iPhone 7 to the Internet.

Theoretically that's not too difficult, though I don't have an AE to test and I'm not 100% sure it supports the feature, but it looks like it does. You'd need to use hotspot mode on your phone, then set the AE to bridge or client mode and have it interface between the two. The Mini will see both networks (one network for the AE and one for the iPhone 7) and will connect to the AE network. The AE network will shuffle traffic to the iPhone and back.

See the notes here on a Wirelessly Extended Network.
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT202056
and here
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT204617

Will that allow the call handoff option to work? I'm not sure actually. I suspect it might.

What would be the benefit of this structure? It's more complex to set up and brings in some performance constraints. The benefits I can think of are that you can control client access at the AE level as opposed to from your phone. But I'm not sure what else. But hey, as long as you have a strategy of some kind. I'm just asking because I feel like I might be missing something.

And if the AE won't do it then you could probably use almost any $30 router from Best Buy, ideally one that is dd-wrt compatible.

 

[Badger008]

Yes that’s right bud, and thanks for the reply,

There are a couple of benefits but I didn’t include in the original post as I didn’t think it was relevant, but seen as you asked

The whole network will also include a flip down monitor with fire stick, and i was going to set up a small NAS connected to the router with movies on for the kids,

So the fire stick will connect to the wireless network being able to

A) access the internet for streaming
B) access the NAS for uploaded movies

The iPad connected to the wireless network will be able to

A) access the internet for streaming music, maps, radio and access the NAS if one of the kids wants to watch a movie while in the front or outside/near the van.

B) now this is the point I don’t think will work, more due to the phone, if I’m at home connected to my WiFi and my phone rings, the iPad will ring as well as they are both connected to the same network, I wanted to replicate this in the van, in case someone called while I was driving, then I could use the iPad as a Handsfree phone, but it requires the phone and the iPad to both be connected to the same network.

Now the more research I’ve done, I’ve realised I don’t think my phone has the capability to provide the AE or any router with internet and access the same wireless network at the same time, I think it’s the same as trying to use your hotspot and connect to WiFi at the same time,

Does that make sense?

Thanks
[doublepost=1550821627][/doublepost]This is why I thought that if I connected my phone via USB to the router to route the internet via the phone, it may work, I suppose I could try it on my MB, connect to the internet via USB of my phone and still try and connect to my home WiFi? Haven’t tried it only just thought if it