AirPort TimeCapsule / Express Home Network Configuration

Hi,
I'm looking for some advise and guidance for the following configuration:
AirPort TimeCapsule to replace my Internet Router.
Then get an Airport Express to act as a Ethernet Bridge / AirPlay access point to my existing AV hardware.
Is this possible ?
Will the communication between the TimeCapsule and Express be over 802.11ac ?
Do you think this will be sufficient for Full HD streaming ( including HD Audio streams) or should I use AV500 powerline adapters as well ?
Appreciate any feedback / comments :-)
Rgds,
Ian

1. Since a "router" is needed next to the cable modem and before the ethernet switch, should we put the new Extreme in that basement location? Or, should we instead put the new Extreme somewhere on the main floor of the house (connected by ethernet) and leave the old one where it is?
Assuming the older Extreme is no older than Gen3 or Gen4 it is a perfectly adequate router for the speeds that cable will generally give you.
And therefore it is best to bridge the new AC extreme and use it upstairs via ethernet. That will then give you the best wireless in the most suitable area of the house.
2. Should we somehow bridge the two Airport Extremes (the old one and the new one) into one wireless network?
Yes, what is called roaming network. Both units create a wireless network.
You simply setup same name and same security/password on all the devices for wireless. The wireless channels are the differentiator.. and you can either leave that on auto or take some control over it and set manually. I would be inclined to do it manually just because the AC wireless needs the 149 channel for high speed AC.. so you do not want the old Extreme in the basement using that. Force that one to channel 36 or 40. However it is likely to work itself out ok on auto.. but I recommend you check it.
The apple docos on roaming are rather ancient..
Here is a post with newer info.
Setting Up Roaming - New AirPort Extremes and Utility
3. Should we go a further step and also bridge in one or both of the old Airport Express units, perhaps on the top floor of the house for example?
Yes, if you have a black spot with poor wireless you can add the Express to help. The old ones are single band and will probably work better at 2.4ghz but whatever suits you.. perhaps setup one on 2.4ghz and one on 5ghz.

Similar Messages

Need advice on airport set up (home network)

hi all,
i am just wondering what the best set up would be for my home network, listed below are what i have set up, and what i think could be the best setup
i have an office upstairs which contains:
-ADSL2 modem
-iMac 802.11n
-PC wired
-printer
-750GB LaCie HDD
i have my lounge room which is downstairs and almost below the office. (in case it matters) the office is above my garage – which is next to my lounge room. so the airport will be going through the floor & my brick garage wall.
in my lounge i have:
-macbook 802.11n
-iphone x 2 802.11g
-xbox 360 (currently have wireless adapter but i think ill sell it due to speed/depending on the setup i go with)
i am concerned because i need to have the network G for my iphones and depending on how i set up my 360.
i want to stream HD media to my 360 from my imac (through connect 360) and i have not been able to watch it yet as i lag every 30-40 seconds watching lost in HD. (that was using the faulty netgear DG834N modem/router which i have just sent back to netgear/supplier for a refund).
now after discovering i can use an apple airport extreme and express together i figured i could do either one of two things:
-have an extreme wired to the 360 downstairs( utilizing really only 1 port), have the HDD connected to the extreme (i figure if its connected via ethernet to the extreme, even though the imac is wireless, being connected to the source (extreme + hdd) i shouldn't get lag watching HD or using the 360 online.
Then the express is upstairs in the office where the modem plugs into the express and the express shares the network to the extreme.
now with this method i figure i can have an 802.11n (b/g compatible) network and all my devices can run off it. (don't need pure N as the 360 is connected via ethernet)
because the printer is in the office i would set the printer up to be shared via the imac and the laptop could just use the shared printer (i don't print too often). id prolly have to buy a wireless adapter for the dell but i could also share the network via ethernet to from the imac.
the 2nd:
- the extreme is upstairs with the modem connecting to the imac, PC, HDD and printer wired.
the airport express is downstairs with the xbox 360 (im assuming the ethernet port can send info and not just receive packets). this way the modems are linked up and (i hope) the network is running at 5Ghz so its fastest possible for streaming HD/SD media.
running this method i would need to set the imac up to host a G network for the iphones as they don't support N.
the laptop can connect wirelessly.
now i have only just discovered you can make a WDS using an extreme and express. so im sorry if ive gotten anything wrong, i have been using my netgear router and to date it has SUCKED!
a couple of questions:
is the express slower than the extreme, does it have gigabit ethernet and is the express going to lag being rougly 2 walls, 8-10 metres (in a direct line) from the express?
if i were just to keep my current xbox 360 wireless device, would it suffice for streaming SD/HD media?
now i am looking in the future at getting another hard drive (500-750GB) would i be best to get a time capsule or just sticking with the extreme? can the time capsule rout/network as good as the extreme?
and now, for my final question, i have a friend 10 townhouses, 5-6 real houses down (if i had to guess he'd be 100 metres from my place). if he were to get an extreme, could he use my internet/connect to my network?
i appreciate anyone helping me, i know its a long read but i just don't want to overdo it, also i don't want to be lagged if i feel like playing some multiplayer halo3/GTA IV or want to watch HD/SD media.
thanks guys

-have an extreme wired to the 360 downstairs( utilizing really only 1 port), have the HDD connected to the extreme (i figure if its connected via ethernet to the extreme, even though the imac is wireless, being connected to the source (extreme + hdd) i shouldn't get lag watching HD or using the 360 online.
Then the express is upstairs in the office where the modem plugs into the express and the express shares the network to the extreme.
now with this method i figure i can have an 802.11n (b/g compatible) network and all my devices can run off it. (don't need pure N as the 360 is connected via ethernet)
because the printer is in the office i would set the printer up to be shared via the imac and the laptop could just use the shared printer (i don't print too often). id prolly have to buy a wireless adapter for the dell but i could also share the network via ethernet to from the imac.
That is a possibility. However you may find that the wireless signal can not penetrate the 2 walls and still be usable. You will only know by trying it.
the 2nd:
* the extreme is upstairs with the modem connecting to the imac, PC, HDD and printer wired.
the airport express is downstairs with the xbox 360 (im assuming the ethernet port can send info and not just receive packets). this way the modems are linked up and (i hope) the network is running at 5Ghz so its fastest possible for streaming HD/SD media.
running this method i would need to set the imac up to host a G network for the iphones as they don't support N.
the laptop can connect wirelessly.
The iMac would NOT be able to host a G network of the iPhone. The iMac would need to be connected wirelessly to the signal provided by the AirPort Extreme base station (AEBS). It can't connect to a wireless network as a client AND host a wireless network at the same time.

Airport time capsule private network configuration

I am trying to use the airport timecapsule in a very non-standard way, and struggling to get the configuration to work. I need the ability to have the time capsule (airport router) stand alone, with NO connection to the Internet or other network source (no DHCP server on the WAN side). I want to have a static IP for the WAN side, where I can define a compatible static IP on a laptop such that one laptop (possibly more in the future) is connected on the WAN side, and additional laptops are connected on the LAN side, and they can talk to each other. Attempting to configure this in the Airport utility consistently gets me an error message that the router address is not compatible with the WAN IP address.
Can somebody share insight about the following configuration items under the Internet tab of the airport utility :
IPv4 address (if I assign this 192.168.2.1 .... does that mean the WAN IP port on the time capsule has that IP address ??)
Subnet mask (does this apply to the LAN IP, WAN IP or both ??)
router address (If I assign this 192.168.1.1 I see impact in the network tab, where the DHCP address range is populated, so I am expecting this applies to the LAN side only ??)
Using the above values, I am NOT able to update the time capsule, it complains about IP address compatibility.
My goal is for the WAN side to be 192.168.2.x and the LAN side to be 192.168.1.x ...... where the Airport Time Capsule is an "island" just serving that small population of hosts

I timed out for editing.. why Apple do you have 5min edit window.. would it hurt for 60min.. seesshhh..
Let me rephrase what I knew was right but could not explain.. There is the world of difference between a NAT router and a proper pro level router.
NAT routers do things one way.. it is designed to reach the internet from your LAN.. It uses a trick.. NAT.. ie address translation..
Many LAN Private IP addresses Masquerade as a single Public IP.
A proper router can route packets both ways between different domains/subnets/etc.
This is why incoming packets to your network have to be allowed in via port forwarding unless you have a link from internal request from a computer.
In other words people cannot access your file shares on your LAN without you opening the port forwarding and making it available.. whereas you can access any site on the internet and download files.
So back to your example..
You can access files on your server side LAPTOP plugged into the WAN side.. That is trivial and will work fine. You don't need ICS which I suggested.
And it means you can always access files one way.. so if you have one computer that you need to access many other computers.. The many others can be WAN and the one computer LAN.. (opposite to the way you think)..
Here. Try it yourself.. This works.
I plugged in a laptop and set it as 192.168.2.10 statically.
LAN side setup.
Right, plugged in a computer.. and it got the first available IP 192.168.1.2
From this computer I can ping across the NAT.. to the WAN port of the TC and the WAN computer.
ping 192.168.2.1
PING 192.168.2.1 (192.168.2.1): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.2.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=63 time=0.453 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.2.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=63 time=0.763 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.2.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=63 time=0.458 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.2.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=63 time=0.355 ms
^C
--- 192.168.2.1 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.355/0.507/0.763/0.153 ms
minimeray-2:~ Ray$ ping 192.168.2.10
PING 192.168.2.10 (192.168.2.10): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.2.10: icmp_seq=0 ttl=63 time=0.653 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.2.10: icmp_seq=1 ttl=63 time=0.752 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.2.10: icmp_seq=2 ttl=63 time=0.825 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.2.10: icmp_seq=3 ttl=63 time=0.861 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.2.10: icmp_seq=4 ttl=63 time=0.849 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.2.10: icmp_seq=5 ttl=63 time=0.862 ms
^C
--- 192.168.2.10 ping statistics ---
6 packets transmitted, 6 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.653/0.800/0.862/0.076 ms
But from WAN side I cannot reach the computer on LAN..
Ping from 192.168.2.10 failed to reach 192.168.1.1 (LAN side of the TC).. or 192.168.1.2 (computer plugged in)..
It still failed even though I set 192.168.1.2 as default server.. again this is not surprising as I would need to work a bit more.. but if I like ran HTML server from Mac on LAN, then I should be able to access it from WAN.. same as internet connected computer will work.. but you can only access the computer to which the ports have been mapped.
So why it doesn't work.. Because it is a NAT router.
How to get it working.. Buy a true router.. or a cheap router that runs third party like dd-wrt that offers gateway mode (NAT router) or true router mode..
See http://www.patrikdufresne.com/en/multiple-subnets-routing-with-dd-wrt/
Apple just do not build their routers with this flexibility...
And sorry .. I am getting old and the brain can take a day or two to click in.. that is why I experiment myself.. as soon as I tried I realised my mistake and why it won't work in exactly the way you want.. or at least I am assuming so.
It is relatively easy however to get multiple computers talking to each other from different LAN subnets.. just buy a managed switch.. these are cheap now for 8 port smart switch.. easy to set vlan with different subnets.

Most Secure Home Network Configuration

I have already working properly a Wireless Home Network with the following configuration.
Cable modem wired to Linksys E1000 router
Linksys router wired to PC Desktop, also conected wireless to a laptop and a printer.
Everything is working fine, but my question is...what is the most secure combination?? This one or if the Cable modem is wired directly to the PC desktop and this wired to the router, from it wirelessly to the laptop and printer??? Any other?
Maybe this helps...The PC desktop has Windows XP, the laptop has Windows 7.
Thank you,
Solved!
Go to Solution.

The way you have it is the best. The other combination won't actually work unless you configure your PC for internet sharing and have it online at all times you need internet on any of your computers.

Issues with Airport Extreme/Express/PS3 network

I have searched and searched and cannot find the answer to my problem. In my house I have an Airport Extreme, a Linksys switch, and an Airport Express all creating my wireless/ethernet network in the house. Since day one, my PS3 joined our network and I have been able to get online, no problems. Recently though I have decided to attempt to get the horribly difficult NAT type 2 with no success.
Right not I have the Extreme acting as the WDS main and the Express (which delivers perfect connection to the PS3) acting as a WDS remote in Bridge mode. The Extreme is sharing a public IP and I have a DHCP reservation for my PS3 (using the default 10.0.1.253 IP) along with all the PS3 necessary ports forwarded. I have also set up the Extreme to set my PS3 as the default NAT host.
My problem is that I get a "Conflicting DHCP Range" error. I also get a lot of warning messages every now and then saying "10.0.1.x is already in use by *MAC address* 10.0.1.1". I still can get on the internet with my computers and PS3 but I have noticed that signing onto PS network works very rarely.
I absolutely cannot make sense of this. I also don't have my NAT 2 so can anyone help me.

Is the PS3 connected to the express over WiFi or plugged into the ethernet port on the express or both?
You should not need forward ports and set the default NAT host. Just setting the default NAT host will forward all traffic that is not sent to another host to the PS3. I would recommend forwarding ports instead of using default host for security reasons.
You could also try setting static IP info in the PS3.

Airport Extreme & Express WDS Network with 5Ghz possible?

Hi Guys,
is it possible to run an Airport WDS Network with 5Ghz? I´m using an Airport Extreme Base and a Express, but its only possible to run it with Draft N in 2,4 Ghz... so thats not enough... for IPTV.
any ideas...
thanks
Simon

Simon2207, Welcome to the discussion area!
No. WDS is an 802.11g feature and 802.11g only operates at 2.4 GHz.

Airport Base/Express - Guest Network

I have the lastest generation Airport Base station connected to 2 Airport Express stations in my house with a primary wireless and guest network. I made a change to my guest network password on my base station, but the password change have not been pushed to the 2 Airport Express stations and the old password is still recognized on the Airport Expresses. I have restarted both units, but the old guest network is still recognized.
I like to periodically change the guest network password and making the change on the base station should push any changes to express units automatically.
Has anyone else had this issuse and what is the resolution?
Thanks
Vijay

I like to periodically change the guest network password and making the change on the base station should push any changes to express units automatically.
You might want to let Apple know what you would like to see in a future update.
Apple - AirPort Express - Feedback
In the meantime, you will need to manually change the password on each AirPort.

I am unable to see my Airport Extreme/Express on my MacBook via Airport Utility

I have two issues:
1. I am unable to see my Airport Extreme and my Airport Express via my MacBook Air's Airport Utility when I scan for Base Stations. However, the computer is happily connected to the wireless network of my Extreme (the Express is used to extend range)
2. I am unable to see a HDD that is connected via USB cable to the Airport Extreme.
Any suggestions welcome.
Thanks

Further info:
Setup
MacBook Air running OS X 10.5.8
AirPort Extreme Base Station
AirPort Express used to extend range
AirPort Utility v5.5.3
The MacBook Air is actually connected to the wireless network provided by the two AirPorts!
Oddly, I see both AirPorts just fine when using my older PowerBook G4 with an older version of the AirPort Utility.
In addition, I cannot see the external HDD connected to the AirPort Extreme Base Station, and my wireless printer (HP D410a) suddenly stopped working via the MacBook Air. However, it works just fine from my iPhone, which is connected to the same AirPort Extreme/Express wireless network.
Recently, at the request of Sky Broadband, I switched to fixed IP addresses instead of DHCP, as I was having issues with the DHCP set-up.

Airport tmcpsle 2tb as network with cellular modem for internet

Just purchased an Airport Timcapsule 2TB to use with iMac. I only have 4G internet access with an AT&T Unite hotspot. The want to use the airport as my home network and use the AT&T Unite through the Airport through the USB connection. Is this possible?

No, you cannot use USB for modems or routers or any other device except a printer and/or hard disk.
The TC needs ethernet if you want to use it for your home network.. it can become a dumb client.. using join a wireless network. but it will not provide anything but hard disk access to the network.. albeit slowly.

Configuring BT HomeHub 4 on home network with AirPort Express & Time Capsule

I have changed my broadband provider from Sky to BT in the UK and hence from a Sky router to a BT HomeHub 4 router but can't get the new router to work as before with my home network and an extended wireless network running off an AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule. I had the Sky router with the wireless network off acting as the DNS server and the AE and TC set to connect using DHCP, Create a Wireless Network and the Router Mode set to Off (ie Bridge mode).
I am not an expert but I think the issue could be due to the different BT hub IP settings (Hub IP Gateway Address and DHCP Network Range). From discussion forums I am also not clear whether it is better to use DHCP, Static or PPPoE settings for the AE and TC.
Has anyone managed to configure a BT HomeHub with a home network and an AE/TC for running the wireless network?

There is really very little difference in the setup between the sky hub and the BThub.
BUT the apple routers do not take kindly to sudden changes of management.
Reset both to factory and start over.
The TC or AE plugged into the BThub will still be in bridge mode with create a wireless network.. and the Extreme working in extend wireless mode.. unless you have them tied together with ethernet. (or visa versa depending on your layout.. AE in bridge and TC extending.. same difference).
You can just leave the BT hub wireless on.. or turn it off as you like. Setup can be a bit tricky as the airport utility seems to insist on the router plugged into the Hub taking over as main router.. this is wrong.. but it is hard to get it to do what you want.. so just finish the setup in the airport utility then manually edit the setup to do what you want.
Or do it fully manually.
I gave a full set of instructions here.
Linking AirPort Extreme to my bt home hub
Note:
You have express in the title and extreme in the text.. but it is same thing from setup point of view.

Can I configure a wireless home network with two cable routers (both with separate connections to the same cable company)? Issue is poor signal strength even with multiple Airport Expresses added to the network.

I have a wireless home network consisting of a time capsule, two airport expresses and a cable modem. Even with this configuration I get a very weak signal in much of be condo - the walls, etc. are solid concrete. I want to see if I can add another separately connected cable modem and connect one of the existing airport express to it by Ethernet cable. If so, this would give me two wired hubs and greatly improve signal strength. I do not know if this configuration will in fact work or if I will just wind up with two, separate and unrelateable networks. Unfortunately, there is no way to run any additional Ethernet cable and I doubt simply adding more Airport Express will help. Thanks.

Try Ethernet over Power adapters.. these are very popular for your kind of environment.. being able to make non-wireless link to another area where you can setup a wireless access point.
Airport Express are not great for wireless power.. if you really have issues with wireless strength in a bad environment apple stuff is not the way to go.
The comparison chart here.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/router-charts/bar/58-2_4-ghz-dn?see=P_F
This is their worst test location you can also see averages.. the latest airport extreme.. is there a long way down.. and that is a much better wireless device than Airport Express.
The Ubiquiti power AP is small cheap and designed for precisely this duty.. useless in an apple wireless network.. you will need to run ethernet or EOP adapters back to the main router.. but if the normal omni directional antennas don't provide enough signal you can get directional ones.. I suspect you can cover your whole apartment with a pair of these and high gain directional antenna.

How to connect a 2nd airport express in a home network?

I'm triying to connect a second airport express in my home network but when I plug in and go to Airpot Utility says :
"This version of AirPort Utility doesn’t support this base station. Go to AirPort Service and Support for more information."
I don't know what to do to get connect the second airport exprees?, Do I miss something ?

You need AirPort Utility 5.6 to configure that model Express. The problem with that version is that Mountain Lion will refuse to let you install it.
This dilemma is easily solved. You simply need to extract the app from the installer package using a package extractor like Pacifist or unpkg. Pacifist is shareware, unpkg is free.
Download Pacifist here: http://www.charlessoft.com/
Download unpkg here: http://www.timdoug.com/unpkg/
Download AirPort Utility 5.6 here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1482
When the AirPort Utility .dmg file finishes downloading, open it to expand and reveal the AirPortUtility56.pkg package installer file.
Directions for Pacifist (I do not have screenshots for unpkg but the idea is similar):
Open Pacifist and from its File menu, navigate to the package and open it.
Click the "reveal triangles" until you see AirPort Utility 5.6.app:
Select it and then click Install from Pacifist's toolbar. It will then be installed in your Utilities folder, and you can quit Pacifist.
Mountain Lion will not allow you to delete its existing version of AirPort Utility. Just ignore it. It and the older version (which will bear the unique name "AirPort Utility 5.6") can peacefully coexist.
If you happen to have an archived copy of the AU 5.6 app somewhere, such as a Time Machine backup or equivalent, you can simply restore it or drag the app to your Mountain Lion system's Utilities folder instead of resorting to the above procedure. It will run without complaint. It is only the package installer that is the problem.
If you have an older computer with a version of AirPort Utility earlier than 6.0, you can administer it that way as well.

Setting up a home network: AirPort Extreme & AiPort Express

I'd like to setup my home network with both my new Aiport Extreme and my existing AirPort Express.
Ideally, the setup would be as follows:
Ethernet Network Connection + External HD via USB --> AirPort Extreme
Home Speakers --> AirPort Express
I know that I want my Extreme to act at the main, then the Express to operate on the same network as a relay or remote. I've tried to follow all of the online support documentation to manually configure a WPA. No matter what configuration I use, I run into trouble.
Any advice?
MacBook 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mac OS X (10.4.9) 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

From your post, I assume you have the new square 802.11n Extreme. Download the Airport Utility (it is not the same as the Airport Admin Utility) from the disk that was provided with the Extreme. It is a little round icon with a blue Airport Symbol in the center and is below Airport Admin Utility in your Utilities Folder. You may have to do a factory reset on the Extreme and I know you're going to have to do one on the Express.
Set your system up on the Extreme first after factory reset. Choose the type of security you wish to use. Call the system something different than your original system like putting use "New" before the system name. You can't carry forward either system names or passwords to the new system. Then when you set the password for security I'd use something different than the original password.
Once your system is built, do a factory reset on the Express by using a paper clip or ballpoint pen. Unplug the Express, push in on the reset button with the paper clip or pen point. The while still depressing the reset button, plug the Express back into the outlet. You'll get a few quick green light flashes, then several rapid blinking amber lights. Wait until the amber light stops blinking then you can stop depressing the reset button. It takes a few minutes for the Express to come on line.
Go to the Airport Utility and you should see your Extreme as the base station and then the Express will come up with the factory ID.
Configure from there.

Connecting to existing home network via Airport Express

I had my Macbook Pro connected to our home router which allowed me access to our home network and the internet. On this network we had connected both my MBP and my flatmates PC (which is connected directly to the router via network cable).
Through this configuration i was able to both access the internet AND access files on the PC. I have recently purchased and airport express to eliminate the need for the network cord. Since setting up the AE i have been able to connect to the internet no problem by creating a wireless network and using all the automatic settings, however in the process i have lost my ability to connect to the home network and my flatmates computer. In fact, under "networks" in finder the home network has disappeared. Also in network prefences i am getting a warning saying "The cable for Ethernet is not plugged in".
Is anyone able to tell me what im doing wrong?
thanks ....
Message was edited by: seysearles

The problem is that the AirPort Express (AX) is creating a subnet.
To prevent that, configure the AX to act as a bridge (so that it is NOT sharing a single IP address).

Trying to get my Viera TX-P42S30B hooked up to me home network via Airport express with no luck.

Trying to get my Viera TX-P42S30B hooked up to my home network via Airport express with no luck.
Have tried both wired (network cable) and wireless to no avail, can't find much info online, any help appreciated !
Airport utility 5.5.3
Airport Extreme 802.11n
Airport Express 802.11g

The problem is that the AirPort Express (AX) is creating a subnet.
To prevent that, configure the AX to act as a bridge (so that it is NOT sharing a single IP address).

AirPort TimeCapsule / Express Home Network Configuration

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