Can I set up a WDS network with two main base stations?

I have an AEBS in the main part of the house and a time capsule in the office in the back of the house, currently with one internet connection (it's cable modem) into to the AEBS. I have tried to use relays (two airport expresses) in a WDS to have the internet connection reach the time capsule, but unfortunately the distance is too great and it won't make it.
I can move the internet connection and AEBS into the middle of the house and everything would be fine (one internet connection into the house, no need for relays to reach the time capsule), but this requires rewiring the cable connection and adding a power outlet, which seems like a lot of work.
My other option is to simply have another internet connection hardwired into the office. This would be using the same cable that comes into the house and is split outside. If I go this route--my question is--can I get the time capsule and the AEBS be on the same WDS network (same name, same passwords?), or will I have two separate networks in the house? If it is the former--how do I set it up? Can I have a WDS with two main base stations? Or is there an easier route?
Thanks the help and advice...

My other option is to simply have another internet connection hardwired into the office. This would be using the same cable that comes into the house and is split outside. If I go this route--my question is--can I get the time capsule and the AEBS be on the same WDS network (same name, same passwords?), or will I have two separate networks in the house? If it is the former--how do I set it up? Can I have a WDS with two main base stations? Or is there an easier route?
Just run the Ethernet cable from one of the LAN ports on the AEBS to the WAN port on the Time Capsule. Configure the Time Capsule to operate as a bridge.
You do not use WDS when they are wired together.
Then configure the AEBS and Time Capsule to use the same SSID, wireless encryption type/level/password. Have them operate on different channels as far apart as possible.

Similar Messages

Solution for Poor signal in a wireless WDS network with two Airport Extreme

I have just bought my second Airport Extreme to create a wireless network with the best possible signal. I have one Airport Extreme in my office and the second one (supposedly the remote base) in the living room, two brick walls and 7 meters away. I have follow Apple instructions for the setup, main base "Create a Wifi Network" and Extend network option selected. The remote "join an existent network" and Allow wifi clients selected. According to Apple this is a WDS network between two Airport Extreme.
The network is working and the signal from my iMac is very good in my Office. In the living room the signal with my PC laptop is also very good.
Problem is that my iPod Touch OS 3.0 (I use it as a remote control in my living room with a twonky media server) gets now a very weak wifi signal in my living room, in many cases I lose the wifi sgnal although I sit two meters away from the remote Airport Extreme in the Living Room. If I go to my office with the iPod, then I get a good signal.
I think that only the first Airport Extreme in my Office (Main Base) is emitting a wifi signal and the second Airport Extreme (remote) is only receiving the wifi signal not making a repetition of the wifi signal. (Sorry for my explanation, I am not technical on this.)
I thought that, in a WDS configuration, the remote Airport Extreme WAS suppose to also replicate the wifi signal in my living room.
I have also tried a WDS manual setup with the two airport with the same results.
Is there a solution for this?. Do I have to connect the two Airport Extreme with a wire ethernet in order to be able to have a wifi signal strong enough in my living room for my iPod Touch?.
Thank you for your time.

Thank you Bob for your time.
I understand from your words that with a DHCP reservation I can force de Airport Extreme Main Base to assign an specific IP to a particular client in the network. Is that correct?. If that is the case, I will reserve the 10.0.1.3 to the Twonky Media Server (I need this to be fixed to this IP) and I will change the configuration of the remote Airport Extreme to DHCP automatic.
I will give it a try in a few days. I have spent so many hours with this set up that I am a bit terrified to start again today, to tired from work.
Just one last question. Setting up the remote Airport was very difficult with the Airport Utility. I had to reset and start many times as I always got two errors in the set up:
1.- Internet not connected.
After a minute or so, most of the time the problem was corrected automatically as the remote found the main base that is connected to the internet. I got a confirmation message for this.
2.- Second problem was that Airport Utility said that it could no connect the remote to the specified network. Sometimes (not always) the remote light turn green both in the Airport Extreme and in the Airport Utility, BUT I never got confirmation of a successful installation. Nevertheless, the connection was established because the wifi network exist.
Do I have to "disable the WAN port" during the installation of the remote Airport to avoid the problems?.
Best Regards,
Fernando

How can I set up my time capsule as the primary base station with a centurylink router? I'm trying to extend my coverage, increase signal strength, and be able to connect a printer.

I recently moved and now I'm trying to set up my Time Capsule as the primary base station or router with an existing network that has a Centurylink modem/router. The TC still has the settings for my old network. I also have backups on it. I have the data backed up to another HD so it's not an issue to return it to factory settings if doing so deletes the back ups. Do I need to restore it to the factory settings to set it up? Also, what settings would I select on the TC (and the Centurylink modem/router) in order for the TC to serve as the router, instead of the Centurylink router? I want to be able to use the TC to back up my Mac's, print wirelessly, and improve overall performance. I tried setting the TC up and ended with 2 different networks. Can anyone please help me with this?

The TC has to plug into the existing modem router by ethernet.. you cannot use wireless.
You have a choice of which is router.. only if Centurylink agree to bridge their modem router.. this has to be done by the ISP and often they do not allow it.
Is your broadband cable or adsl or fibre or ???
If it is cable and you are allowed to purchase your own cable modem pick a pure modem version with no router in it.. plug the TC into it by ethernet.
Setup the TC in DHCP and NAT mode.. (depending on broadband type).
You must reset the TC to factory to do the setup.. no files are lost at all.
Here is my current recommended setup.. with Yosemite life has become harder than ever.
Factory reset universal
Power off the TC.. ie pull the power cord or power off at the wall.. wait 10sec.. hold in the reset button.. be gentle.. power on again still holding in reset.. and keep holding it in for another 10sec. You may need some help as it is hard to both hold in reset and apply power. It will show success by rapidly blinking the front led. Release the reset.. and wait a couple of min for the TC to reset and come back with factory settings. If the front LED doesn’t blink rapidly you missed it and simply try again. The reset is fairly fragile in these.. press it so you feel it just click and no more.. I have seen people bend the lever or even break it. I use a toothpick as tool.
N.B. None of your files on the hard disk of the TC are deleted.. this simply clears out the router settings of the TC.
Setup the TC again.
ie Start from a factory reset. No files are lost on the hard disk doing this.
Then redo the setup from the computer with Yosemite.
1. Use very short names.. NOT APPLE RECOMMENDED names. No spaces and pure alphanumerics.
eg TCgen5 and TCwifi for basestation and wireless respectively.
Even better if the issue is more wireless use TC24ghz and TC5ghz with fixed channels as this also seems to help stop the nonsense. But this can be tried in the second round.
2. Use all passwords that also comply but can be a bit longer. ie 8-20 characters mixed case and numbers.. no non-alphanumerics.
3. Ensure the TC always takes the same IP address.. you will need to do this on the main router using dhcp reservation.. or a bit more complex setup using static IP in the TC. But this is important.. having IP drift all over the place when Yosemite cannot remember its own name for 5 min after a reboot makes for poor networking. If the TC is main router it will not be an issue.
4. Check your share name on the computer is not changing.. make sure it also complies with the above.. short no spaces and pure alphanumeric.. but this change will mess up your TM backup.. so be prepared to do a new full backup. Sorry.. keep this one for second round if you want to avoid a new backup.
5. Mount the TC disk in the computer manually.
In Finder, Go, Connect to server from the top menu,
Type in SMB://192.168.0.254 (or whatever the TC ip is which you have now made static. As a router by default it is 10.0.1.1 and I encourage people to stick with that unless you know what you are doing).
You can use name.. SMB://TCgen5.local where you replace TCgen5 with your TC name.. local is the default domain of the TC and doesn't change.
However names are not so easy as IP address.. nor as reliable. At least not in Yosemite they aren't. The domain can also be an issue if you are not plugged or wireless directly to the TC.
6. Make sure IPv6 is set to link-local only in the computer. For example wireless open the network preferences, wireless and advanced / TCP/IP.. and fix the IPv6. to link-local only.
There is a lot more jiggery pokery you can try but the above is a good start.. if you find it still unreliable.. don't be surprised.
You might need to do some more work on the laptop itself. eg Reset the PRAM.. has helped some people. Clean install of the OS is also helpful if you upgrade installed.
Tell us how you go.
Someone posted a solution.. See this thread.
Macbook can't find Time Capsule anymore
Start from the bottom and work up.. I have a list of good network practice changes but I have avoided Yosemites bug heaven.
This user has had success and a few others as well.
RáNdÓm GéÉzÁ
Here is why Yosemite has fundamental issues.
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2015/01/why-dns-in-os-x-10-10-is-broken-and-what-yo u-can-do-to-fix-it/

Can't create a working Wireless Network using Airport Extreme Base Station

I don't know what I'm doing wrong...
I've got the cable from the modem going to the base station. I follow ALL on screen instructions. I select "Using DHCP" because when I plug the ethernet cable into my MBP it automatically does everything for me, and has that as its setting as well.
I get to the stage where it asks whether or not I'd like it to share an IP or go into bridge mode, I'm not sure what either of these two mean...I've tried both and both result in no wireless internet.
On several occasions I get to the end, and after I do the "final" update is comes back with one problem - internet connection, saying the router doesn't have a valid IP.
I'm totally lost on what to do here...
If you need more information just ask...please...

The below procedure is described in your AirPort setup manual, but it can be a little confusing. Here is my step-by-step procedure for an AEB setup for the system you describe:
A. Setup the 'Main' Base Station:
1. Do a factory reset of your AEB (main), then turnoff the DSL Modem and the AEB (main).
2. Check ethernet cable connections:
- DSL Modem > AEB (main) WAN port;
- AEB (main) > Mac computer running OS X 10.5.x.
3. Power-on DSL Modem and wait for it to initialise.
4. Power-on the AEB (main) and start your Mac computer.
5. Open AirPort Utility and select the AEB (main) in the LH pane. Click 'Continue' and give the AEB (main) a name and an admin password (twice). Click 'Continue'.
6. Select 'I don't have a wireless network and I want to create one', click Continue.
7. Give your network a name, select WPA/WPA2 Personal and insert the wireless network password (twice) - use 13 alpha/numeric characters for password. Tick 'Remember this password in my keychain'. Click 'Continue'.
8. Select 'I connect to the Internet with a DSL or cable modem using DHCP. Click 'Continue'.
9. Click 'Update' and wait for the AEB (main) to restart.
10. Disconnect the ethernet cable between your Mac and the AEB (main).
B. Setup Client computer
1. Open System Preferences/Network/AirPort.
2. Against 'Network Name:' select your network (the name you gave it at A7).
3. Click 'Advanced' and select TCP/IP. Against 'Configure IPv4:' select 'Using DHCP', then click 'OK'.
4. Click 'Apply' and exit System Preferences.

I have set up my wireless network and now have moved. How can I set up a new network with a different ip address

I have set up my wireless network on airport express and worked great. I have now moved and have a new internet provider and need to change my ip address. How do I do this

Is your new ISP providing you with a static Public IP address? ... or are they providing you with a dynamic IP address via DHCP (this would be the most common method for consumer-grade Internet service.) Next, which version of the AirPort Utility are you using? Finally, which version of the AirPort Express do you have?

How can I set up a wireless network between two Mac Mini's (media centres)?

I've just received my second mac mini (core duo, 1.83, 1 Gb ram)and want to set up a wireless network to link this with my original mac mini (PPC 1.42, 512MB) and my Belkin wireless router (g std).
I'm using both as media centres in different rooms and want to keep all my media (films, photo's, music etc.) on one mini (connected to a 640GB external drive) and access it over the wireless network. Sort of a more felxible Apple TV setup??
I've got the wireless network working no problems with both mini's connected to the internet over the network but I'm stuck at how I get the two mini's to see each other. I've tried "the Missing Manual" and these forums but no success so far.
I know it can be done but would really appreciate any suggestions/directions on what to do?
Thanks in advance<<br>
MacMini PPC and MacMini Core Duo Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Jona11-
Greetings and welcome to the Apple boards.
This document should be very helpful.
Luck-
-DaddyPaycheck

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.

Networking with AirPort Extreme Base Station

I am connected to the Internet with an SBC dsl modem, which I have had for a couple of years with few problems. However, I have been having issues networking my Mac G5, 1.8 Mhz machine since I purchased it some time ago.
In the beginning (before the Mac or -- BM as I like to call it) I was using a D-Link DI-614+ router and running a desktop PC and a laptop PC wirelessly with success. Then I bought my Mac (which I dearly love) and introduced it into my wireless network. At first it seemed to work OK. Gradually and occassionally it would lock up while trying to access an Internet site. Often the problem was resolved by rebooting the DSL modem, the D-Link router and all the computers. This would give me up to several days with no problems, but then things would rapidly deteriorate and I would have connection problems again.
I thought that if I bought an Airport Extreme base station, that would solve the problems but again, at first things were fine, then rapidly went downhill. I have worked exensively with SBC dsl techs and we have determined that the problem is not with the SBC network or with their dsl modem.
As it stands now I only get a maximum of a couple of hours of time before the slowing down of the network begins. Some of the error messages I get seem to indicate that there is a problem with the distribution of IP addresses. TCP/IP is set to use DHCP, and I connect by setting PPPoE to my SBC connections settings. "Connect using PPPoE" is unchecked. Location is currently "Automatic" although I have used the connection assistant a number of times in an attempt to get the system up and running.
I have the same problems in interconnecting the Mac with the two PCs that are on my system. In fact this is even more erratic than connecting to the Internet.
I have spent many hours with my limited knowledge of these things trying to resolve these issues but have had no success. I have scoured .Mac and other Internet sources and cannot find any specific solution to this problem. I am at a real loss as to where to go next. I am hoping someone here can help or point me in a direction where I might find a solution.
Thanks,
Don
Power Mac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Thank you very much for your response. Yes, the Mac is set to use PPPoE and the SBC information is stored there.
Just to clean things up, I removed the PPPoE configuration on the Mac and left it unchecked.
Here is other information about how the system is set up.
Note: + means item is checked, - means item is unchecked
Apple Base Station V5.7
WAN Ethernet Port: Automatic (Default)
+Enable SNMP Access
+Enable Remote Configuration
-Enable Default Host at
+Enable Remote Printer Access
-Enable NAT Port Mapping Protocol
Internet:
Connect Using: PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE)
+always stay connected
Network:
+Distribute IP addresses
Airport client computers:
+Share a single IP address (using DHCP and NAT)
((Use 10.0.1.1 addressing))
Power Mac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Bridging network with AP Extreme base station and AP Express

OK, here's the deal. I have an Airport Extreme Base Station on a WPA2 Personal network. Works great except that I want to boost the signal to the rest of the house. So, I bought an Airport Express. Airport Utility picks up both devices; but when I select the new Express to configure it, I get a msg asking to confirm that I want to switch networks. Well, I don't. I want to expand the network I have. Last night I did click "yes" and it was a disaster as I lost the Extreme altogether and the Express couldn't pick up a signal because - obviously - it wasn't connected to the ethernet cable as the base station, and also because (I think) the base station is configured to hide my SSID. I ended up working backwards and got the Extreme back to normal and put the Express back in its box until someone can tell me how to do this. I know Apple says it's easy; but it's a challenge for me. HELP!

A few things:
1. Please don't configure your base station to "hide its SSID". Doing this is absolutely useless as a security method. It will on the other hand complicate setup of your network, as well as the diagnosis of problems when they arise.
2. You must allow the Airport Utility to switch networks during the process. What is happening is that the Airport Utility must temporarily switch your Mac's wireless network connection from your existing base station to the wireless network created by your unconfigured Airport Express in order to communicate with and configure that Airport Express. After the Airport Express configuration is complete - if your Mac doesn't automatically switch your Mac's wireless network connection back again then just do so manually from the MacOS Airport menu.
3. To get a better understanding of what you are doing, start reading at page 42 of Apple's manual "Designing Airport Networks" found at:
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/DesigningAirPort_Networks_Using_AirPortUtility.pdf

Can I set up a wireless network with only certain units

Just want to set up some units not all

Not exactly sure what you are asking. Do you mean can the AirPort Express provide wireless for some wireless network clients but not all of them? If so, then the answer is yes. You can use the Timed Access feature and only allow wireless clients with the proper MAC address to connect.

Cannot create a WDS network with two Airport Express

so i have one airport express here at my parents house acting as a wireless router. i brought a second express from my house and my playstation3 and want to connect the ps3 via Ethernet, i reset my express from home by holding the small pin-sized button. i open up airport utility choose the default named airport express, hit continue>switch>name it and give it a password>I want it to join my current network>Extend the Range of my Network>Chose my network (Twice)>watch the 'configure' WDS screen. then i get this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3632/3420465586a2f1864300o.png
both expresses have been recently updated with 6.3 firmware and i'm accessing both wirelessly. i've tried over and over again resulting in the above image, can anyone please help?
btw there is no 'allow this network to be extended' box.

Psych,
Do the setup hard wired to your Mac - so connect an ethernet cable between your Mac and the AX you're trying to set up. Do the setup as usual, and once the configuration has written to the AX, restarted and you have a green light, you can remove the cable and connect wirelessly.
Sometimes, and for some reason, the configuration has problems writing to the AX wirelessly, especially after a reset.

How to extend the network when the main base station is a netgear WPN824 ?

We have had a LAN since 98 with the first graphite AirPorts. Last years, we changed to 2 AirPort Express to include a printer and to extend the range. Now when we moved, needed further extention and have enhanced number of devices to connect to the LAN I thought an Extreme would be the right thing. But they are not sold in Sweden any longer! OK checking up what is on the market it looks like they need an upgrading. So listening to some good advice netgear should be right and easy to build into a network, I bought a WPN824. It works fine, with the ADSL+2 modem. Adding the AirPort Expresses (3 of them) work as long as they are wireless clients. But I can't sort it out to extendling our LAN. The AirPorts won't recognize the WPN824 as a WDS mainbase station. The router set up for the WPN824 doesn't include WDS, says extending network is by making another network on another channel and to have another SSID. I tried that but it only makes the AirPort Expresses look yellow and not complying with transfer of internet connection.
Someone have an idea of how to make it out? Or of another up to date router with WDS function and being recognized by AirPorts?
Cheers
Viveka - - in Sweden
20 Intel Mac OS X (10.4.7) LAN of 5 (+ 15 Alu, 17 iMac, 14 iBook, Strawberry iMac)

OK, this is the way of learning - make mistakes. I can sell the WPN824 to the neighbours who are PC folks. But do you know any suitable router instead of the AirPort Extreme (and an updated version) I need as it isn´t for sale at present?
I can't even make the WPN824 an access point to an AirPort Express as it demands two ethernet ports!
Well, I'll still love our mac fleet and to get a good network (reaching to the beach house) is worth an effort!
Cheers
from Viveka - - in Sweden

Can I Use 802.11n Base Station and 802.11n AirPort Express in an 802.11 ac Time Capsule Main Base Station WDS Network?

I havea "wirelessly challenged" 2-story home and need to extend the range. Currently I have an 802.11n Main Base Station with an 802.11n Airport Express Remote. It's not getting the job done (upstairs connection is weak).
I am considering getting an 802.11ac Airport Time Capsule to help, even though I currently only have devices with 802.11n wireless connectivity (future-proof a little).
I an planning on setting up a Wireless Distribution System (WDS) Network:
1.) Setting up the Time Capsule as the Main Base Station connected to a Cable modem
2.) Reconfiguring and Setting up the current AirPort Extreme 802.11n as a Relay Base Station
3.) Reconfiguring and Setting up the current AirPort Express 802.11n as a Remote Station
I cannot "hard wire" one Base Statio to the other.
Will this work?

Will this work?
Unfortunately, no. WDS is a older, very inefficient way to extend the wireless network signal.
As such, newer operating systems like Lion, Mountain Lion and Mavericks do not even offer settings for this older WDS type of network.
In addition, the new Time Capsule has no capabilities to use WDS settings at all, even if you used a Mac with another operating system to try to set things up.
Even if it were possible to set up a WDS network, the speed on the network would be incredibly slow. As you know, WDS only operates at "g" wireless speed levels. Each "relay" or "remote" that you add to the network each cuts that bandwidth or speed in half.
With a WDS "main", "relay" and "remote", the network would be operating at about 14 Mbps......a tiny fraction of what the devices would be capable of providing normally.

Can I set up a local network without being connected to internet?

Can I set up a local network with Airport without being connected to internet?

Yes. Your AirPort Express router, by default, will create an unsecured wireless network and does not need to be connected to the Internet to do so. Local clients can then connect to this wireless network and be able to "see" each other.

Trouble setting up a WDS network

I am trying to setup a WDS network with two AirPort Extreme N devices. The first is hardlined and in the basement setup as WDS Main. The second is on the 3rd floor and entirely wireless with the exception of a printer connected to it and is setup as WDS Remote. The network works, but any apple machines take sometimes up to minutes to load web pages, while Windows machines load them instantly. I have run speed and ping test from both types of machine, and the numbers are good from both. Any ideas as to why the apple machines connect so slow?

Please see my response to your other post.
You do not want to use WDS for this as it will cut your network bandwidth by 50%. Instead, use Apple's "extend a wireless network" feature. This will provide much better performance than a WDS arrangement.

Can I set up a WDS network with two main base stations?

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