Airport Extreme base station vs. Linksys router

Hi all -- I have a tech choice to make and I'm soliciting advice and war stories from those who have been in my place.
I have a DSL connection, G5 Mac and a Windows laptop. I've been connecting to the Internet via a Linksys WRT54G router -- the Mac is connected to the router via Ethernet, and the Windows machine connects wirelessly -- and I've been happy with this setup. I have it on good authority that I'll be getting an Airport Express in my stocking this year; I had done a little research and found that it is possible to make the WRT54G and the Airport Express work together, and was planning on doing some hacking and fiddling to make that happen in the new year.
However, last night my WRT54G seems to have died a horrible death -- all its lights started blinking at once, the Internet connection went away, then all the lights went out except for the "diagnostic" light, and now no lights come on at all. No idea what happened, but it seems pretty kaput.
So! I'm in need of a new wireless base station. I could get an Airport Extreme base station, or I could get another Linksys (or another off-the-shelf 802.11 router, but we'll just use "Linksys" as the catch-all phrase here to mean "not an Airport Extreme base station"). The most obvious difference is price -- the Airport Extreme station is $200, while the Linksys is more like $65. Another thing that irks me about the AE station is that it only has one LAN port. I do like being able to plug in my laptop to the wired network to do some diagnostics once in a while and it'd be a pain to have to disconnect my Mac to do so. And then there's nagging worries that the AE base station might not work as well with my Windows laptop.
On the other hand, I'm sure that setting up the Airport Express would be much, much easier with the AE base station. And I do like the idea of the base station being able to dial up if my DSL goes down (as it does from time to time). Basically, I am tempted by the AE base station feature-wise, but I'm kind of balking at paying three times the price and not getting even a second LAN port. Any advice, particularly from people who have used both types of routers in a mixed network, would be appreciated.

Replace your Linksys with another WRT54G. Then you can hook up your anticipated AX as either a client (connected like a computer), a wireless access point (connected using ethernet with DHCP disabled on the AX), or using WDS:
http://discussions.apple.com/click.jspa?searchID=-1&messageID=607414

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Airport Extreme Base Station and Linsys Router

I have an existing wireless network using Linksys Router and A Linksys Access Point. COX is my ISP provider. The router and the cable modem are upstairs in the house. The access point is downstairs, near the TV so I can use an ethernet connection with my BluRay etc. The accesspoint also rebroadcast improving the reception downstairs.
I am thinking of purchasing an AEBS for the following purpose only.
1. Be able to share a printer from MBP and PC
2. Be able to share Lacie HDD for data storage.
Can I connect the AEBS ethernet port to the ACCESPOINT ethernet input?
I do not want to connect the AEBS to cable modem directly, since it is already setup with my ISP and is working great.
Is it possible to do it? If so, any help will be greatly appreciated.
If not then it may not be worth getting AEBS.

Duane:
Thank you for the welcome and your reponse.
Let me understand this.
The LinkSys AccessPoint (downstairs) in my home is connected via wireless to the main router (upstairs) and thereby to the internet. It has one ethernet port at the back and is also rebroadcasting the wireless signal. I can connect a PC to this port to get the connectivity.
According to your response, *I can use this port on the Access Point to connect to one of the three Ethernet ports available on the AEBS.* Is this correct?
Once connected in this fashion, then I need to configure the AEBS as a bridge.
*Can you elaborate on this?* I mean how to do this.
Assuming that this is done correctly, then can I use the remaining ports on the AEBS ie USB and the ethernet ports (2 remaining) for adding a printer, a HDD and maybe also connect the PC.
Thank you and waiting for your reply.

How do I open the same ports on an Airport Extreme Base Station for multiple computers at the same time?

As the title suggests...
I have a mix of five Mac and PC's at home using an Airport Extreme Base Station as the router.   I need many ports opened on the AEBS for all of the computers- not just one computer. (for example: three people want to play TF2 on Steam at the same time; each machine needs the correct ports open on the router).   Port forwarding only allows me to forward a given port to a single IP, yet I need that port open for five differnt IP's, all at the same time.
How do I do that on an AEBS?
In the same way, I have a small office of four iMacs using an old airport with the same exact issue.   I would like to be able to connect to all of them remotely with Apple Remote Desktop, but the port forwarding on the airport only allows a port to forward to a single IP.   I want to be able to tunnel into the office network and log onto any machine behind the Airport extreme... not just a single IP.    I currently have it set up where I can tunnel into the office from my house, I can find the one machine that the port forwarding has been assigned to, I can log on and everything is just fine... with one machine.    How do I open the firewall for the other machines?
TL,DR version: How do you open ports on an Airport Extreme Base Station instead of forwarding ports?   Forwarding ports doesn't work for multiple IP's.

You can open a single or multiple ports to a single device or different ports to different devices, but you cannot open the same port to multiple devices via the AirPort Utility for the Apple routers.

DrayTek Vigor 120 + Airport Extreme Base Station? I have queries.

Ok, so my 3 or 4 year old USR 9108 router went down today-- again. I'm fed up and want a new one. It dies on me once or twice a month. It has decided it doesn't like my powerline adapters lately. and I'm fed right up. I run an internet radio station and what I need is stability.
At the moment, I'm thinking of setting up a DrayTek Vigor 120 ADSL modem (modem-only) with the Airport Extreme Base Station for my router. (I already have an Express on my network.)
First of all, can anyone please comment on whether they have this set-up and whether it's solid? I've heard good things about both of these devices, and I need something that's not going to flake out as regularly as my USR has been doing of late. Rock solid is a good thing for a 24/7 stream.
Second, can I just confirm a few questions that I think I know the answer to, but want to be sure before shelling out?
I am in the UK using an ISP that uses PPPoA; so I need to be sure the modem has a PPPoA to PPPoE bridge in order for the Airport to talk to the outside world. (Right?). I gather the DrayTek will do this. Will it therefore be just a question of setting the Airport to connect via PPPoE and then entering my ISP login settings in Airport Utility?
I need a setup ideally that, like the USR, will allow me to assign IP addresses manually to some machines or devices on my network but allow DHCP on other things (like my iPhone). It's particularly important that the radio stream should have a static IP. I gather, from having a play with my Express's settings, that I'll be able to accomplish this either directly or by DHCP IP-reservation. Directly would be preferable. Therefore, if I, e.g., assign my computers an IP address on their local network settings and then just shift the Airport's DHCP range so that it starts with (say) 192.168.1.10, rather than, 192.168.1.2, will the Airport be happy with that?
I also need port forwarding / port mapping. This should be o.k., right?
Thanks for help, people.

I'm running a very similar setup here in the UK. I use a Netgear DG834 rather than the Draytek 120 which I was looking at. I use a Time Capsule connected to the router which is in half-bridge mode and this allows me to connect using PPPoE, which is possible on the BT ADSL network, which I didn't know before! - there's no need to get an expensive PPPoA-PPPoE bridge. I guess the Draytek would do an even better job than the Netgear, but mine was the free solution
I use the TC to give out addresses to a network of various kit, with one fixed IP for a specific device. I find the TC and my airport express very easy to set up and run, if slightly light on the details of what's actually going on. That said, if it doesn't work, then they're probably broken!
Nothing you've asked for is out of the ordinary / impossible on the apple kit.
Hope that helps!

Certain web address not available when using Airport Extreme Base Station

Hello. To access my "secure" account at the local library, I must use a web address that contains a colon followed by a number. I believe that this is a port number, but I confess that all the discussions here regarding ports are going well over my head, and I may be incorrect with this assumption.
My problem is that while I CAN access this site by connecting to my DSL router directly via ethernet cable from my iMac G5, I cannot access the site when connecting to the internet in the mode: iMac Airport to Airport Extreme Base Station to DSL router via ethernet.
The format of the web address is: http://xxxx.yyyy.net:####/zzzzz/, where #### is the number I guess may be specifying a port and causing my problem.
Can anyone advise me, in simple terms, how to get to this address when in the Airport--internet connection mode? Will the solution have any adverse side effects?
Regards and Thanks
iMac G5, 2.5 year old AEBS Mac OS X (10.3.9) Westell 327W 4-port DSL Modem, not using wireless feature.

Very likely the embedded firewall that comes with your AirPort blocks the port you are trying to use.
In order to solve this, best way is to modify the AirPort settings (open the AirPort maintenance app):
Click at the tab "port forwarding" and add the desired port as "public port" to the list. "private IP" is the IP of your Mac and for "private port" type in the port number again.
If you are unsure about the IP of your Mac, look at the network maintenance application.
Well, one side-effect is that you have an open port in your configuration which could cause security issues... but only if you are paranoid So there is nothing to care about (note that without the AirPort inbetween your Mac and your modem, this port would be not blocked and freely accessible

Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station

Is the Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station also a router or just a wireless access point?

Yes, it's a router.

How do I configure an Airport Extreme base station to receive and distribute a wi-fi network from a broadband wireless router?

I have recenly upgraded my broadband service and now have a wireless router. My old network configuration was a router connected by ethernet cable to an Airport Extreme base station which then broadcast my wireless network (I also had an Airport Express base staion set up as a wi-fi booster elswhere in the house).
I now have two networks (my original network and the new network from the wireless router) and wish to amalgamate these into one.
Ideally I wish to use the Airport Extreme base station as the "remote" booster (I have purchased Powerline adapters for this purpose) but don't know how to configure the Airport Extreme base station in order to to this.
Can you advise on the best set up for this please?
My Mac is running OS X 10.8.2 and the Aiport untility is version 6.1.
Thanks in anticipation.

The AirPort Extreme should be configured to "create a wireless network" with the same WiFi network name, security type (usually WPA2 Personal) and password as your existing router. It should be configured as connection type Ethernet and be in bridge mode.

I have a Cisco wireless router. Can I buy an Airport Express plug in booster for a distant part of my house or do I need an Airport Extreme base station instead to make the Airport Express plug in booster work?

Can I buy an Airport Express plug-in wifi signal booster to connect to a Cisco wireless router, or do I have to buy an Airport Extreme base station to make the Airport Express plug-in work?

You would need either an AirPort Extreme or an AirPort Express connected to the Cisco router, with a permanent Ethernet cable connection.
Configure the Extreme or Express that is connected to the Cisco router to "create a wireless network".
Then, you could add an AirPort Express to "extend a wireless network" to provide more wireless coverage for the network that the Extreme or Express would be creating.
Remember that the Express can only "extend" the quality of signal that it receives, so it must be located where it can receive a strong signal from the "main" AirPort.
If you don't need the Cisco wireless signal, you could turn it off.....or use that network for guests or something similar.
The bottom line here......you always need two Apple routers if you want to extend the network wirelessly.

Airport Extreme Base Station and 2wire Modem / Router

I have Yahoo DSL with a 2wire modem / wireless router combo. I have an iMac and a MacBook both running Leopard. I can't seem to get the Back to my Mac feature to work. I'm currently running the trial version of .Mac. I'd like to get a full .Mac account but I want to be sure I can utilize the Back to my Mac feature. If I were to bridge an Airport Extreme Base Station to the 2wire would that solve my issue with Back to my Mac. Additionally I like the idea of being able to plug a printer of external hard drive into the Airport Extreme.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I got it to work. I purchased the Airport Extreme Base Station and took the following steps which I found here http://forums.macosxhints.com/archive/index.php/t-68141.html
First connect directly to the 2Wire with the Ethernet cable.
Instructions from 2Wire:
1. Clear the HomePortal to Factory State –can be accomplished two ways
2. Go to http://homeportal/management
3. Click on Resets
4. Click on Reset to Factory State
5. Click Continue
6. Have customer press Hardware Reset button with paperclip (HG products only and BellSouth HWs)
7. Have customer unbend a paperclip
8. Have customer insert paperclip into recess for Hardware Reset button (outlined with Red circle) on back of HomePortal.
9. Hold paper clip in for ten (10) full seconds
Next steps:
1. Go to http://homeportal/management again
2. Click on Configure under Broadband Link
3. Enter VPI 0 and VCI 35
4. Click on Disable PVC Search
5. Set Connection Type to Direct IP
6. Click Submit/Save
7. Have cu go to http://homeportal/management
8. Click on Configure Services
9. Have cu Uncheck Enable Routing
10. Click Submit
Airport configuration:
1. Open the AirPort Admin Utility and select your Base Station.
2. Click Configure and enter your password.
3. Click the Internet tab.
4. Choose PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE) from the Connect using pop-up menu.
5. If required by your ISP, enter your user name, password and service name in the appropriate fields. ( Your name and password is you full email including the @sbcglobal.net part and your email password)
6. Click Update.
7. After the base station restarts itself, quit the AirPort Admin Utility.
If that doesn’t work call apple and they should be able to help with the airport configuration.
Back to My Mac now works. Hope this helps someone else.
Message was edited by: WalrusBoy

Connect to Linksys Cable Gateway via AirPort Extreme Base Station?

Thank you in advance for any replies.
I have the following new setup:
A G3 Blue tower running OS X 10.4.10 is successfully connected to the internet via a Linksys WCG200 Cable Gateway connected to RCN's cable internet service. The WCG200 unit has wireless capacity though it's connected to the G3 tower via ethernet cable.
A second Mac (G3 iMac DV running OS X 10.4.10) is in another room in the office. I'd like to set it up with internet by wirelessly connecting with the existing WCG200 unit using an Airport Extreme Base Station (AEBS) I've recently acquired. To ensure a smooth process, I reset the AEBS to factory settings and installed the AEBS software (version 4.2) onto the iMac DV. Finally I plugged in the AEBS into the iMac DV using an ethernet cable plugged into the AEBS's WAN port (AirPort Admin Utility advised me to do so).
That's the hardware configuration. Working out the software and configuration details is proving 'niggly'.
First, I used the AirPort Setup Assistant to configure the AEBS. I told it to Set up a new Base Station, then to set it up as connecting to the internet using a Cable modem (the top option of two—the second was to set it up with internet through a LAN). I set up the name and passwords for the Base Station and had the utility configure the AEBS accordingly.
No internet connection occurred. I tried using the Internet Connect utility in the Applications folder, but no button or visible option for connecting via AirPort appeared, as the Setup Guide indicated it should, only a button for a VPN appeared.
I called Apple and asked whether it was even possible to connect to the internet using the AEBS talking wirelessly to the WCG200 unit. A tech told me it could be done by going into the AirPort Administration Utility, going into Configuration, clicking on the WDS tab and inputting the MAC address for the WCG200 unit, then going into the Airport tab and typing in the channel that the WCG200 is using. Note that the WCG200 unit has 3 MAC addresses listed; one each for “modem MAC address,” “WAN-MAN MAC address,” and “WAN-DATA MAC address”. I used the “modem MAC address.
The Apple tech added that it might need further tweaking, but that Apple couldn’t provide this tweaking and that I might check various forums if need be.
I followed the Tech’s advice, at which point the utility informed me that it couldn't use DHCP or NAT with this setup’ and to make sure that the "Distribute IP Addresses" checkbox was deselected under the Internet tab. This I did, but it was already deselected. I told the utility to update the AEBS accordingly, and restarted everything, including the 2 Macs and the WCG200.
Result:
No connection.
Tried it again with the Ethernet plugged into the AEBSs LAN port, still no connection.
Help! Can’t I get the AEBS to even see the WCG200? I know wireless is properly functioning in the WCG200 because another user with a Windows laptop connects to it wirelessly. The Mac Tech also mentioned that this could be relatively easy with an AirPort Express piece of hardware (Card? Base station?) but that it would be difficult with the Airport Extreme Base Station.
At this point we’re willing to spend $100 on getting this up. What would be our best option in terms of equipment, or can connectivity be accomplished with what we have?
Thanks again,
skyheart

skyheart, Welcome to the discussion area!
In theory using WDS would provide what you need.
In reality the Linksys device is not compatible with Apple's WDS and therefore this will not work.

Airport Extreme Base Station as bridge for Westell DSL router

I have searched the forums & internet and for the life of me cannot get my network to work properly! I hope you can help.
Here is the situation (I rent so chances are we will not be moving hardware anywhere):
- Westell (Verizon) DSL wireless router downstairs connected to the internet, 1 iMac via ethernet, and 2 ibooks via Airport cards
- One lonely Powermac G4 upstairs that does not have a wireless card
- One extra Airport Extreme Base Station with firmware version 5.7 installed & connected via ethernet/LAN to the G4
I figured the "easy" thing to do would be to use the AEBS as a wireless bridge to get the G4 online. The network utility has occasionally thought that the G4 was connected to the internet, but the internet didn't work at all when it said that!
I have been configuring the AEBS using my wireless ibook (G3). I "unchecked" distribute IP addresses, and "checked" connect to network via WDS. I used the Westell's MAC address as the main WDS source. Under the "WDS" tab, I said to configure the AEBS as a remote station and the Westell router as the main station, and to allow wireless users to connect.
I have tried using the same Network name for each. WEP/WAP is NOT set up on either modem, so passwords aren't a problem. They are both set to channel 6. I am configuring the TCP/IP settings manually.
When the network names are the same, the internet either stops working, or the computers can't find the AEBS.
I don't understand why the AEBS seems unable to see the DSL network.

Hi,
Well, what I have been able to do is this:
I have a Westell Wireless DSL router, just like the one mentioned here, and just like the one mentioned in the article I made reference to, the one started by Mr. Müller.
As was mentioned in the Mr. Müller article, there are some possibilities that will work. They were submitted by a guy named Duane, from Texas. He gives three alternate possibilities, which he entitled "Solution #1, Solution #2, and Solution #3. He says all three of these alternatives will work, and in reading them over I came to the following conclusions: First, he really knows his stuff, and second, his proposed solutions would probably work.
Based on his comments I decided to take a risk yesterday - I put my older Mac Base Station in a drawer and invested in a new Airport Extreme.
Anyway, I digress...
What I've done is follow Solution #3. And it works! I now have a connection from my laptop to the Airport Extreme base station and the internet. I am typing this message using that connection. All I had to do was disable the wireless connection of the DSL router (using their software, of course), and connect the Airport Extreme, via the LAN Ethernet connector, to the Westel DSL router.
Now, all that remains for me is to extend the range of the base station, using an Airport Express. I haven't had any success with that yet, but I see no reason why I shouldn't get it to work eventually. If you can help me out with that, though, I'd sure appreciate it.
Best regards,
Patrick
Macintosh G5, Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Trying to connect a NetGear Wifi Range Extender to my existing Wifi. I have an Airport Extreme Base Station and I am also connected to a Vonage Phone Router. Any help would be appreciated?

I am trying to connect a NetGear Wifi Range Extender to my existing Wifi. I have an Airport Extreme Base Station and I am also connected to a Vonage Phone Router. Any help would be appreciated?
The Apple update Firmware for my Airport Extreme Base Station does not update for some reason? Help?
Additionally, I have an older version Airport Express that does not update with the newer Airport Utility Version 6.3 and asks me to download 5.6 to update? Is this worth it?
Thanks

The netgear is not going to work very well.. and not at all unless it is universal wireless extender.. you cannot use WDS method.
If it does support universal wireless then make sure the airport uses a rational SMB compatible wireless name.. not an apple name which is 35 characters long with spaces and illegal characters like apostrophe.
So nice AE name.. AEwifi and actually while you are trying.. fruitlessly to do this.. use AE24ghz and AE5ghz (so different names on the different bands)
Assuming your AE is gen3 or greater.
You should also fix the wireless channel at least for 2.4ghz since the netgear is probably only going to repeat 2.4ghz so use channel 11, as a trial.
And use no wireless security as a test.. if that works.. then use WPA1 & 2.. as often old equipment using WPA2 is not compatible.
If it fails with simple name.. fixed channel and no security. Sorry it is not compatible at all.. it happens.
If your AE is G wireless or earlier model.. really the time has come for replacement.
If your Express is G wireless model it is not supported.. and is too old to bother with expect I guess if you want to run audio to a speaker.
You must use older 5.6 utility to do this.. so do you have a computer running older OS.. up to Mountain Lion it is easy to install with a bit of manipulation.. later is much harder .. or windows computer anywhere or available to you.

Can I use the Airport Extreme Base Station with my already existing D-Link router to increase signal strength?

I already own a wireless router that I would like to keep. Could I use this Airport Extreme Base Station to improve that signal strangth to my room from the living room or to the basement? Would I have to hard-wire both the Base Station and my existing router? You probably have read this question more than once, and I have read some questions of this product too, but for some reason these Apple products I have some trouble with.

Could I use this Airport Extreme Base Station to improve that signal strangth to my room from the living room or to the basement?
Yes
Would I have to hard-wire both the Base Station and my existing router?
Yes

Airport Extreme Base station and speedtouch modem router

hi
i was wondering will my speedtouch(THOMSON ST585v6sl) modem router (wireless) work with the Airport extreme base station? or do i need a modem only?
thanks in advance

Welcome to the discussions, dood!
The Thompson ST585 appears to be a combination modem and router, so you could use one of the LAN ports on that device to connect an ethernet cable to the WAN port on the Airport Extreme. In this configuration, the Extreme would act as a "bridge" to the Thompson, which would function as the main router and supply the IP addresses for the network. You would be able to create a wireless network with the Extreme in this setup, but only the "main" network would be active. In effect, you have two routers in this setup.
If you connected the Extreme directly to a modem only, then it would serve as the main router for your network and you would be able to make use of the "dual band" wireless capability of the Extreme to create a "main" and "guest" wireless network. There are 3 LAN ports on the Extreme that you can use for ethernet devices.

Using Airport Extreme base station as wireless Cable router and airtunes.

Can I replace my wired Roadrunner cable modem with a Apple Airport Extreme wireless 56g router removing the wired modem out of the picture?
I just have read and have not come to the complete conclusion that the Airport extreme base station is a standalone wireless router.
I would like this if it is a wireless standalone router as I want to but a pair of wireless airtunes router for music around the house keeping the Airport Extreme in my room where the airtunes routers would not be as I have the computer in my room and I have iTunes right there and would not need the airtunes routers in my computer room.
Leon.

Can I replace my wired Roadrunner cable modem with a Apple Airport Extreme wireless 56g router removing the wired modem out of the picture?
The AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBS) does NOT have a built-in DSL/Cable modem. You will still require a Cable modem in order to access your ISP's Internet service.
I just have read and have not come to the complete conclusion that the Airport extreme base station is a standalone wireless router.
The AEBS IS a wireless router, but it is NOT a combination wireless router & cable modem.

Airport Extreme base station vs. Linksys router

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