Do I need my Airport Extreme with my Comcast router?

Hi all,
I have an Airport Extreme - it's about four years old.
I also have Comcast Xfinity, but will likely switch to the business service - 75mb down, 15mb up. I just bought a Mini to use as a server for our home and business use.
Here's my question: Should I be using the Airport Extreme at all? I thought about buying the newest model, as I'm sure it's much faster. I have two computers connected through the AE using Ethernet, and I am not sure if I can do that with the Comcast box (can't look right now)
Any advice for me? Thanks in advance.
Hugh

Thanks for the pictures and link to the Arris manual.
You wrote that your Extreme is about four years old. If it is a dual band model that was first produced in March, 2009 it conveys the advantage of its ability to simultaneously create both 2.4 and 5 GHz wireless networks, while the Arris can only create a 2.4 GHz network. 2.4 GHz can be crowded and is susceptible to a variety of other interference whereas 5 GHz is less so. On the other hand, the Arris has a battery backup feature which enables its use, if only for a few minutes, during a power failure. The Extreme's LAN ports are also Gigabit - it's not clear if the Arris's are.
Therefore, each one has its advantages, but technically you do not need an Extreme unless your 2.4 GHz wireless performance is unacceptable, if you want to use the Extreme's "Guest Network", its Gigabit ports, USB / hard disk sharing, or its other attractive features. A genuine Apple AirPort Base Station is also required to fully implement some features particular to Mountain Lion, such as the ability to wake a sleeping Mac and use it remotely over the Internet. In addition to those, the current production model conveys the new 802.11ac wireless protocol which may become more important as wireless devices continue to proliferate.
The decision to upgrade your Extreme would be justified if you require any of those features, but if your network needs are satisfied with your current equipment, there is no pressing need to change anything.

Similar Messages

WDS Set up - Help Needed! Airport Extreme with one Relay and one remote

Hi Guys,
I need a bit of help. I am feeling quite stupid and frustrated. I am having some difficulty with setting up a WDS network with:
Base station: Airport extreme (current version)
Relay: Airport Express (current version)
Remote: Airport Express (current version)
I start by cold resetting the three units. The Base station is connected via Ethernet. The setup I wish to get going is a simple base - relay - remote.
I go through the utility manager and set up the base station, first as "create a wireless network" enter the ISP details etc etc. Its green light. Everything is fine. Then manually configure the Base Station. Hold down option key hit Participate in a WDS. I then select main enter + and add the Mac Id's for the intended Relay unit and Remote Unit (12 character and numeric string). At this stage I am only adding the intended Relay unit and Remote units MAC number.
Question 1: Do I need to add the base unit's MAC number itself under: WDS Remotes? even I am setting it up as Main?
I am careful to note the security settings and the the Wireless Network name to match these in the relay and remote set up. Under the Wireless tab I leave the Radio Mode: as Automatic (802.11a/n - 802.11b/g/n). I make sure the base has "allow this network to be extended" ticked. Under Radio Channel selection I edit it to reference channel 1 for 2.4Ghz (5 Ghz leave as Auto). I am careful when setting up the Relay and remote to match the Radio Channel. (Although I tired many channels as I thought maybe interference was a factor and denying the fact its obviously my set up skills as a factor).
Question 2: Do you need to disable Guest networks? I would think it does not matter as I have tired turning it off and has not made any difference.
Under Access Control I leave as default, Not enabled.
Next I hit update and and error message comes up. WDS Error as it can not find other units. Ok fine as the relay and remote are not yet set up. So I ignore and can get to the stage where the base unit is working and green light with an internet connection.
I then proceed to set up the Relay unit. Doing the same steps as above with a couple of differences being I add the MAC numbers and select the WDS Mode (Relay for Relay and Remote for Remote. I add the Main base station (i.e Airpot Extreme MAC No.) when prompted and then + the Remotes MAC number. The same for the Remote except I only need to add the base station's main no.
Question 3. Do I need to add the Relay's own MAC number to its own setup? This seems doubtful as with the base station but tired with and without for good measure with no success.
The 2.4Ghz channels are all set to 1. Radio mode set to Auto. Although even when I try to manually set them to all identical it doesn't seem t help.
Then the problems begin. The base unit is Green and the Relay and Remote say they are not connected to the internet. I assume since I have not seen a WDS Error message then the units are set up correctly or as I ignored it on the base unit. But when click unignore the error seems to work itself out.
Question 4. I need help to understand why I have no internet. The remote / relay says something about no IP number and I don't really understand what I should do? Do I need to go back the Airport Utility Manager and start messing about with the TCP/IP, DHCP, NAT ? The base is set up PPPoE and the relay and remote are set to Bridge.
It is really puzzling me why the relay and remote flash amber with error messages related to the IP number? I have tried turning off the base station and router and then on again but no joy.
Can anyone please enlighten me or give me a few ideas? I am doing something very obviously stupid and I guess the fix is something simple that I have overlooked.
I did spend the time and go through the threads and search online, So I am not trying to waste anyone's time I referenced the two links to get a second opinion:
http://broadcast.oreilly.com/2009/03/taming-an-airport-express-wds.html
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/settingup_an_airport_relay_with_airportexpress/
Any help much appreciated!

Versed wrote:
I need a bit of help.
Welcome to Apple's discussion groups.
My WDS experience is limited to "main" and "remote" configurations (no "relay"), so I'm not posting from direct experience, but below is what I think would work in your case.
I go through the utility manager and set up the base station, first as "create a wireless network" enter the ISP details etc etc. Its green light. Everything is fine. Then manually configure the Base Station. Hold down option key hit Participate in a WDS. I then select main enter + and add the Mac Id's for the intended Relay unit and Remote Unit
I don't think the "main" unit needs to be told about the "remote" unit, only about the "relay" unit.
Question 1: Do I need to add the base unit's MAC number itself under: WDS Remotes? even I am setting it up as Main?
You'd never enter the MAC address of a unit into its own configuration, if that's what you mean. I also don't think that you'd need to enter the MAC address of the main into the remote and conversely.
I am careful to note the security settings and the the Wireless Network name to match these in the relay and remote set up. Under the Wireless tab I leave the Radio Mode: as Automatic (802.11a/n - 802.11b/g/n).
Five things have to match in a WDS configuration: network name, encryption type, network password, band, and channel.
I make sure the base has "allow this network to be extended" ticked.
I don't think that's important for a WDS configuration.
Question 2: Do you need to disable Guest networks?
I wouldn't think that matters.
Under Access Control I leave as default, Not enabled.
That's fine.
WDS Error as it can not find other units. Ok fine as the relay and remote are not yet set up.
Right.
I then proceed to set up the Relay unit. Doing the same steps as above with a couple of differences being I add the MAC numbers and select the WDS Mode (Relay for Relay and Remote for Remote. I add the Main base station (i.e Airport Extreme MAC No.) when prompted and then + the Remotes MAC number. The same for the Remote except I only need to add the base station's main no.
I think this should be the MAC address of the relay station, not that of the main station.
Question 3. Do I need to add the Relay's own MAC number to its own setup?
No.

How do I use my airport extreme with my FIOS router?

How do I use my AirPort Extreme base station with my FIOS Router to extend my network? I have hard disks connected to my AirPort Extreme and would lik to access them.

Probably can't answer all your questions - but.... I use a Linksys (wired and wireless) router as my primary entry point for FIOS. I use a Time Capsule and an Airport Express as a common wireless connection. So I have two visibile wireless networks and use them both depending on where I am in the house. Both the TC and AEx can be seen either wirelessly or wired from the entire network. Note - the Linksys provides all the DHCP - you set the apple routers as "bridge mode."

Using an Airport Extreme with a wireless router

I use to have an original Airport Base station connected to a D-Link DSL504 ADSL Wired Router. All worked well.
Then my basestation died so I upgraded my router to a Netgear DG834GT [108mps] ADSL wireless router. With this router I have never been able to get a full strength signal - even when the router is in the next room and my mac has been no more than twenty ft away.
I am about to move house and where the router will be plugged in will be a floor below one of my computers so I am thinking my signal will not reach my mac [I will test it once I've moved before I rush out and buy anything.] I can turn my wireless signal off of my Netgear so I was wondering if I am able to plug in a new Airport Extreme and use that for the wireless signal? I will plug the computer near my router directly in and then from the router plug in the Airport Extreme.
Does this seem a logical way or can a 'signal enhancer' from Netgear that would do the same thing? I think the usb port for my printer would be of some use for my laser printer.
Thanks.
Mark

Yes, that will work. Just put the AirPort Extreme in 'Bridge Mode" and it will become a wireless node for your wired network.

Can I use the airport extreme with a random router?

Can I add an AirPort extreme to an existing network and have a laptop play iTunes music to a stereo? I'd like to not drop 200 bucks on a new router. Thanks for any help!

I don't agree. I have a 2wire router for my Qwest DSL and I cannot get Airport Express to work properly. I cannot use any encryption, so I am taking the AE back tomorrow. I posted a question here, but no one answered it, and I've been chastized for bumping posts in the past.
I'm very disappointed with my experience, and the lack of information on the packaging for the AE.

Using airport extreme with new comcast wireless modem

I have a new Comcast modem that provides wireless. I currently use an Airport extreme and want to keep my existing network yet hook up the new Comcast modem to update their equipment. Is this as simple as just replacing the old modem?

Is this as simple as just replacing the old modem?
Whenever you make a modem change, you should plan to reset the AirPort Extreme back to factory default settings, and then set it up again to work with the new modem/router.
The reason for this is that AirPort Extreme retains the settings that it used to connect to the "old" modem, and it is extremely unlikely that those same settings could be used effectively with a "new" modem.

Using AirPort Extreme with a linksys router--advisable?

I've been told that only 4 Windows Home version machines can connect at a time to any router so connecting AirPort through a linksys router and then to the modem will enable more Windows connections than AirPort Extreme alone (8 vs. 4). Is this true and if so, are there any drawbacks to setting it up this way? Will AirPort Extreme still function as well as if it is connected directly to the modem without a linksys router?

I've been told....
They are pulling your leg. The AirPort Extreme can handle up to 50 wireless connections. We have 30+ PC laptops running at my grandson's school all connected to one AirPort Extreme.
Don't know about the Linksys, but imagine that it is about the same. If you have the model number, check on a Linksys support area or post back and someone here may know.
What is possible.....is that someone configured a router to only allow 4 devices to connect. There are various ways that this could have been done.

Do I need to connect the AirPort Extreme with a ethnet cable

Do I need to connect the AirPort Extreme with a ethnet cable

Hi Tracy,
I have an airport express connected by ethernet cable to a Netgear modem which is connected to a phone socket. Those devices stay at one end of the house. I can use my MacBook Pro to connect to the internet (by Wi-Fi, no cables) anywhere else in the house. I hope this helps.
Ian.

How to set up Airport Extreme with Charter ARRIS Modem TM902A for the first time for WIRELESS.

How to set up Airport Extreme with Charter ARRIS Modem TM902A for the first time for WIRELESS.
When Charter Tech goes to your site, have them connect the modem up, but do not connect the modem to your iMAC or MacBook Pro. What you want to do is connect the Airport Extreme to the iMac or MacBook Pro first with the Ethernet Cable. You have to do this to configure via Airport Utility to set up the Base Station Name & Base Station Password.
You will then create/configure a Wireless Network, create your Wireless Password that will be entered on each of your Devices, example, Apple Tv, your iPhone, etc., you want to allow access to your Wireless Network you are creating.
Wireless Security will be -> WPA/WPA2 personal or just WPA2
Enter the Wireless Password you want
Verify the Wireless Password (enter it again)
After it is created you will see it on the Airport Utility window with the name you created for it and to the left, will be a Dot (circle that will be yellow).
Next you then want to unplug the power to the Airport Extreme, and then take the end of the Ethernet cable you unplugged from the iMac or Lap top MacBook Pro and connect it to the back of the Modem.
Next unplug the power cord from the modem and wait about 5 minutes, then plug the power back into the Arris Modem and wait until all lights come back on the modem wait
about 5 minutes, then plug the power cord back to the Airport Extreme and you will see it the light blinking yellow. Wait about 5 to 10 minutes, during this time Restart you IMAC or MacBook Pro, and once it is back up click on the Airport Utility and you should see on the Airport Utility screen.
For INTERNET to the left the light should be green and you should see the Airport Extreme also appear and the light to the left on the screen should also be green. If they are, you then should be able to click on the Wireless Symbol on top of bar of the screen and click to select the Wireless Network Name you created.
If you Do Not See the light (Icon) next to INTERNET turn Green, or if you see the Internet Light Green, but the Light (Icon) next to the Airport Extreme is yellow, unplug the power again to the modem and unplug the power again to the Airport extreme and wait about 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes. Then plug the power cord back to the modem wait till all the lights light up then, plug the power cord back into the Airport Extreme and Restart your iMAC or MacBook Pro.
The Airport Extreme light should change from yellow to green. Open up the Airport Utility to see what the indicators are showing they should both be green. Again select Wireless network you created under the Wireless Icon on the top right of the screen. Open Safari and see if you are able to Route to a web page or the apple site should appear.
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR AIRPORT EXTREME WAS PREVIOUSLY SET UP FOR USE WITH ANOTHER CARRIERS ROUTER OR MODEM.
NOTE: If you already had your Airport Extreme connected for example, I previously had ATT Uverse and the Airport Extreme was connected to the Wireless Router Model 3801HGV, I disabled the Uverse Wireless and used the Airport Extreme for the Wireless signal in bridge mode, as the Airport extreme Signal is much stronger than the Uverse router, and I was able to obtain a Wireless signal with the Airport Extreme way much better with no signal loss which was very very frustrating with the Uverse router.
Anyhow if you had it hooked up like this, now that you will be using it with the Charter ARRIS Modem TM902A, you will need to reset the Airport Extreme to clear out the old data it has in memory, with the previous set up otherwise it will not work. Trust me I spent 6 hours trying to make it work reading all Apple Support Community questions and answers relating to this type issue/problem others have been having trying to get their set up working. I tried all the tips, and I finally decided just to see if by chance I would be able to connect with someone with Charter Tech support who might be familiar with Apple to be able to assist me and by luck I did. He told me why it was not working and was all due the previous configuration with the ATT Uverse router was still in memory with the Airport Extreme. Finally it was 10:30 PM when I decided to call Charter Tech Support and I had been working on this since 3:00 pm pacific. I did not call them earlier as all the post I read said they never received any good help from Charter. After calling them I finished up by 11:00 PM and was able to finally connect Apple Tv, iMac, iPhones and Macbook Pro. We love our Apple Product and Happy all is connected with the new
Internet Provider Charter. I must say the speed is way way much better than it ever was with AT&T Uverse.
THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:
First you will need to unplug the Airport Extreme, then by taking the tip of a pen or paper clip end you need to push the reset button on the back of the Airport Extreme and hold it
down and at the same time plug the power cord back into the Airport Extreme count to 5 or 10 then release the reset button. Then once he light in front of the Airport Extreme stops blinking you need to plug the Ethernet cable from the Airport Extreme to your iMAC or Macbook Pro, and restart which ever one you have, then open the Airport Utility once it is back up. If you see airport extreme pop up with the old network name or it shows and yellow triangle click on the Airport Extreme ICON it will not let you configure it but will ask if you want to get rid of it or remove and just do it. Then Again restart your iMAC or MacBook Pro, open up Airport Utility again, and on the top left you should see under “Other Airport Base Stations” the MAC ID for the Airport Extreme.
You will then create/configure a Wireless Network, create your Wireless Password that will be entered on each of your Devices, example, Apple TV, your iPhone, etc., you want to allow access to your Wireless Network you are creating.
Wireless Security will be -> WPA/WPA2 personal or just WPA2
Enter the Wireless Password you want
Verify the Wireless Password (enter it again)
After it is created you will see it on the Airport Utility window with the name you created for it and to the left, will be a Dot (circle that will be yellow).
Next you then want to unplug the power to the Airport Extreme, and then take the end of the Ethernet cable you unplugged from the iMac or Lap top MacBook Pro and connect it to the back of the Modem.
Next unplug the power cord from the modem and wait about 5 minutes, then plug the power back into the Arris Modem and wait until all lights come back on the modem wait
about 5 minutes, then plug the power cord back to the Airport Extreme and you will see it the light blinking yellow. Wait about 5 to 10 minutes, during this time Restart you IMAC or MacBook Pro, and once it is back up click on the Airport Utility and you should see on the Airport Utility screen.
For INTERNET to the left the light should be green and you should see the Airport Extreme also appear and the light to the left on the screen should also be green. If they are, you then should be able to click on the Wireless Symbol on top of bar of the screen and click to select the Wireless Network Name you created.
If you Do Not See the light (Icon) next to INTERNET turn Green, or if you see the Internet Light Green, but the Light (Icon) next to the Airport Extreme is yellow, unplug the power again to the modem and unplug the power again to the Airport extreme and wait about 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes. Then plug the power cord back to the modem wait till all the lights light up then, plug the power cord back into the Airport Extreme and Restart your iMAC or MacBook Pro.
The Airport Extreme light should change from yellow to green. Open up the Airport Utility to see what the indicators are showing they should both be green. Again select Wireless network you created under the Wireless Icon on the top right of the screen. Open Safari and see if you are able to Route to a web page or the apple site should appear.

I just got a Charter Modem. Model TM822. While I was moving, my Airport Extreme was still at my old place.
I have a Linksys WRT320N I used for the initial Charter setup.
I can get my Airport to work here, but the Internet light on the Modem flashes Yellow.
Hasn't caused any issues so far but one thing I did notice.
On the Linksys there were 3 DNS servers listed.
The Airport Extreme only lists 2 and i don't see where I could add another, only change whats already there.
I tried everything above, but light on modem still flashes yellow.
I have the technicians cell phone. Told me "that shouldn't be" and gave the same advice listed above.
I'll break down and call Charter one day, see if it's on their end. NSA tracking may need a reset LMAO.

AirPort Extreme with 3T time capsule file security question

Right now I am using a MacMini with an external HD as a file server. I'm thinking g of using the new AirPort Extreme with 3T time capsule to do the same tho g (while also extended my wifi reach).
With the Mac mini I have fine control over who gets to see and do what to which folders and files. It seems that with the AirPort Extreme thee is no notion of permissions or access control -- if you can get on the wireless you can access the files. That is extremely insecure.
Is my understanding correct? Is there no way to secure files hosted on an AirPort Extreme so only certain users can access them??
- john

Are there any instructions for how to format and set HFS+ user permissions on the AP Extreme's HDD?
For the formatting part, you will need to temporarily connect the drive to your Mac, and then, use the Disk Utility (a part of the OS X operating system) to partition and format the drive. You should find this utility in the \Applications\Utilities folder. For HFS+, choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" for the Format option.
For assigning user permissions using accounts, you will need to use the AirPort Utility.
Run the AirPort Utility
Select the Extreme, and then, click on Edit.
Select the Disks tab.
Select the HDD in the Partitions window.
Choose "With accounts" as the Secure Shared Disks option.
Click on the "+" button to add user accounts.
For each account desired, enter the Account Name, Password, and File Sharing Access type.
Click Save.
Click Update to write the new configuration information to the base station and wait for the station to restart.

HT4260 I have an AirPort Extreme and a linksys router. What is the best way to get 6-8 wired connections with ac speeds?

I have an AirPort Extreme and a linksys router. What is the best way to get 6-8 wired connections with ac speeds?
Appreciate your assistance.

The answer depends on whether the AirPort Extreme is your main router....or...the Linksys device is your main router.
In either case, the two devices must connect together using a wired Ethernet connection using CAT5e or CAT6 cabling.
Any version of the AirPort Extreme produced within the last 5 years will have Gigabit Ethernet ports. In order to get the same speeds from the Linksys router, it will also need to be Gigabit Ethernet capable.
If you need additional Ethernet ports, you will need to add a Gigabit Ethernet switch to either the AirPort Extreme or Linksys router.
It is assumed that your other devices connecting to the AirPort Extreme and Linksys router will also have Gigabit Ethernet capability.
Not sure why you mention "ac" speeds in your post. This relates to wireless connections, not wired.

How to connect to dsl airport extreme with built in modem

Hello everybody,
while we were tiding our cellar, i found an old airport extreme (a1034) with a built in modem, but i aint able to connect to my isp.
I looked throug the manual, but i didnt got answers there (maybe because of my poor english) . Is there a tutorial out there which tells me
how to connect to my isp?
Regards Floh
PS: again sorry for my poor english

If you try to set up the new AirPort Extreme with AirPort Utility 5.6.1, you will receive a notice that you need a more up to date version of AirPort Utility.
Nevertheless, AP 5.6.1 will allow you to set up the basics....wireless network name, password, etc.
It will appear that you can change other settings that are not found in more recent versions of AirPort Utility, but if you go in and check using a newer version of AirPort Utility, you will find that the settings that you thought you had made have not "stuck".
For example, you want to change the Radio Mode on the new Extreme and not use the Automatic setting. AP 5.6.1 will appear to let you do this. But, if you check the setting using a more recent version of AirPort Utility you will see that the setting is still set at "Automatic".
So, the bottom line here is that unless the newer version of AirPort Utility has the specific setting that you want to change, you will not be able to make that change.
Is there ANY chance, to set up my new "towers" with more
options, than the current Airport Utilities do offer?
Unfortunately, no.

Which to buy? Time capsule or Airport Extreme with USB drive(s)?

I'm getting either a TC or an Airport Extreme with an external drive.
Archive:
I noticed that TC can archive to an external drive. It seems this can be handy for creating off-site backups. Can I do this with a drive on Airport Extreme (with a powered hub and another drive)? Or do I need to move the drive to a Mac and copy there? Or should I use a network backup instead in either case? I guess this is my main question: Can archive work with Airport Extreme?
Mounting:
Is mounting the Airport Extreme for WiFi range any easier than the TC?
Drive failure:
Is the TC drive likely to fail over the next couple years? And the other way, if the TC breaks, is the drive something I can use elsewhere? I'm a little concerned about having all my eggs in one basket.
Other:
Anything I should be aware of in making this decision?

+Are there any constraints in the orientation of TC that the AirPort Extreme does not have?+
No, not really as long as you give either device plenty of airspace as they both tend to run warm to very warm. I thought mounting the AirPort Extreme might improve the signal strength a bit, but it made no measurable difference for me.
+Is the TC significantly heavier?+
The Extreme is under 2 pounds, the TC comes in a bit over 3 pounds.
+Is mounting on a pegboard bad for the HD?+
I think you may be asking if you can mount it vertically. That's not a problem and the Apple store even sells wall mounts for either device.
+Yikes. I got bad info. I read the "unsupported" constraint was dropped a couple versions ago. I thought all the comments on this were referring to the older versions of AirPort Extreme.+
Here's the Apple document. Nothing changed with Snow Leopard and I saw a specific Snow Leopard document about this...just can't find it at the moment. I'm sure other forum regulars will confirm as well if they see this post.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2038
+Is there a list of file servers that Time Machine is compatible with?+
Sorry, I don't have first hand knowledge on that and my policy is to only offer advice on things that I've done myself. That question might be worth a separate post since few people will see this question buried where it is.
Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

Wifi connection AirPort Extreme with IP-camera

I can't establish wifi connection Airport Extreme with IP-camera. At the same time cable connection is fine, but wifi not.
Please, give me an advise.

You need to create a wireless network on the AirPort Extreme, and then you probably will want to assign a compatible static LAN IP address to the camera so that you can port-forward from the router to the camera.

Airport Extreme with Bluetooth 2.0 Wireless Card

Can anyone recommend a feasible solution to the Airport Extreme with Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR card? I can only find it at Mac-Pro.com and they want a whopping $217 for it - ridiculous. I assume the cost is so high because no one else has them, but alternatively, I may just go with a Wireless 802.11g Compact Wireless USB Adapter and see if it connects.
Anyone had any luck finding this particular Airport card under $100 or tried alternative means to get a good connection with their wireless router on a PowerMac G5 (Late 2005)?

The Airport/Bluetooth upgrade kit that you're looking at from Mac-Pro.com is only sold as a replacement part, which is why it's so expensive. Same reason why the replacement video cards are also so expensive.
Welovemacs.com also has them, but the price is pretty much the same since you need the Airport/Bluetooth card, the runway card, and the standoffs (all provided together in the kit).
There isn't any selection in PCIe wireless cards for Macs, that I'm aware of. MacWireless.com has a USB stick that'll work and offers 802.11n speeds.

Do I need my Airport Extreme with my Comcast router?

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