Should Iplace my ethernet switch between cable modem and airport extreme?

I'm looking for the best placement of an ethernet switch in my home network.
Should I place it "between" my cable modem and my AEBS or connect it to the output from my AEBS?
The current placement is connected to one of the AEBS outputs.
I'm attempting to set up an old AE (802.11 a/g from 2004) with a different network name than my home network, that I'm trying to set up for a college dorm network and each time I plug the AE to the switch to confirm its functionality, my network gets a little confused.
Help appreciated.
Regards,
jim P.

Should I place it "between" my cable modem and my AEBS or connect it to the output from my AEBS?
This all depends on whether you have a simple modem.....or.....a modem/router or gateway combination device.
If you have a simple modem, you cannot place the switch between the modem and the AEBS. The reason for this is that the modem can only deliver one valid IP address and it will be a matter of chance as to which of the devices connected to the switch receives it. The other device connected to the switch will not be able to access the Internet.
If you have a modem/router or gateway type of device, you can place the switch after the modem/router and before the AEBS if you wish, although there is really no advantage to doing so unless this makes things easier for you in terms of hook up.
If none of this makes much sense at all to you, leave the switch in its current location connected to one of the LAN <-> ports on the AEBS since that setup will work correctly no matter what type of "modem" that you might have.

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Please help me connect eMac, cable modem, and Airport Extreme Base Station

I connected Ethernet cord from cable modem to Airport Extreme Base Station and then another Ethernet cord from Airport Extreme Base Station to eMac, but I could not get internet access on my eMac that way. I'm only getting internet access by directly connecting eMac to cable modem. Can someone please help me with a step by step explanation of how to set these 3 machines up so that I can have internet access on both my eMac and, wirelessly, on my new MacBook. Thank you very much in advance.
eMac & MacBook Mac OS X (10.3)
eMac & MacBook Mac OS X (10.3)
eMac & MacBook Mac OS X (10.3)

jenngee, Welcome to the discussion area!
Ensure that you power off the cable modem for a minute or so when you switch it to another Ethernet device.
Ensure that you are connecting the WAN port of the AirPort Extreme base station (AEBS) to the cable modem. The eMac should connect to the LAN port.
The steps for setting this up can be found in the "Designing AirPort Networks" (direct PDF link) document. Look through that document and try to get it setup. Then return here if you have more questions. Don't forget to post what you tried and the issues you encountered.

Vonage between cable modem and Airport Express is a problem

I have my Comcast cable modem connected via Ethernet to the Vonage box which is connected via Ethernet cable to my Airport Express. When I try to connect wirelessly via my Powerbook it's a crapshoot whether or not I can connect to the internet. Mostly the quality is very poor if you can connect at all. If I cut the Vonage out of the equation hooking the cable modem to the Airport Express it works perfect. So Vonage is my problem and I need to change some settings either with my computer or my Airport Express, but which ones? I've been given several different ideas from the information I've sifted through (i.e. change the DNS, change the sharing prefs, get a hard wired router). Oddly enough an old HP computer I have in the basement connected to the internet via another Airport Express has no problems with connection at all. If someone could let me know which of these fixes I am preparing to try would work the best I would appreciate it.

Interesting. So you have two Airport Express devices configured into a WDS, with the one upstairs functioning as the main base station and the one downstairs functioning as a remote base station. And your PC downstairs connected to the remote base station has no problems connecting to the internet. Is that PC cabled to the Airport Express, or does it connect wirelessly to the remote Airport Express?
What happens if you bring the Powerbook downstairs to where the PC now resides. Does the Powerbook then get the same great internet connection as the PC?

Connecting Motorola SB6121 Cable Modem and AirPort Extreme

I moved into a new house a couple of days ago so of course the first thing that I needed to do was get the home wireless up and running. My ISP is through Comcast. I purchased my own cable modem (Motorola SB6121) instead of renting and used my own AirPort Extreme as the wireless router.
First, if you're purchasing your own cable modem, you will need to contact your ISP and provide them with the HFC MAC ID on the cable modem. Once you've gone through the motions, you will be able to connect your Mac (in my case Macbook) directly to the modem via ethernet cable and access the internet.
Issue:
When I connected the SB6121 to the AE, I could connect wirelessly to the AE, but I did not have access to the internet. So, basically the SB6121 and the AE were not talking to each other despite being physically connected via ethernet cable.
Solution:
After days of searching for online answers and forums (and trying different solutions) I was able to successfully get everything up and running. Make sure that you have 2 ethernet cables available.
Here are the steps.
I restored my AE to factory settings just to keep everything simple. Here are instructions: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3728 Once you've restored your AE, make sure that both the AE and the cable modem are unplugged from their power sources.
Plug in the power to the SB6121.
Connect your SB6121 directly to your laptop via Ethernet cable. Test to ensure that you have internet accessibility by going to any website.
Remove the ethernet cable from your laptop and plug it into the "internet in" jack in the back of the AE.
Power up the AE.
Connect your laptop to the back of the AE using ethernet cable #2.
Launch a browser. You should now be able to successfully connect to any website.
Assuming that you reset your AE to factory settings, it should just be broadcasting the generic "Airport Extreme" SSID. Disconnect the ethernet cable and connect using wireless to the SSID. Launch a browser and you should be able to connect to the internet.
You can now use the AirPort Utility to configure the AirPort settings.
I assume that this solution would work with any of the base stations.

I was having the exact same issue tonight. Just purchased the AE Model A1408 and haven't been able to maintain an internet connection on my iMac whenever I tried hooking it up via the Airport Utility application. So after I had the SB6121 connected to the AE and the AE connected to my PC with no luck, I then went to the Network icon in System Preferences. Clicked on "Assist me...". Then clicked on "Diagnostics..." and followed the directions which basically had me first power down the SB6121 modem and power it back up. Then I powered down the AE router and powered it back up. At that point I was now getting an internet connection. I then took my ipad 2 and went to the Wi-Fi settings and noticed it was asking me to setup a network through my AE. I selected that and went through the simple steps to set up the network and password and now it all works. I am a novice so don't ask me why but I now get a green solid light on my AE. I can connect other devices wirelessly. I can still access the internet on my iMac. For whatever reason, using the Airport Utility on the iMac doesn't work in my case and using my ipad to set up the wireless network did the job.

I have an Airport Extreme, I want to replace it with a Time Capsule. I swapped my cables to the new TC, unplugged both Cox Cable modem and Airport Extreme. Started up by plugging A/C power for Cox Cable modem, then power to TC. Result is blinking amber

I tried unplugging again and restarting the TC first, still gets blinking amber light. I even reset the TC because I was using it for backups only in the network, I just want to move it to the primary position. I don't even get the option of starting a new network.
I need help.

Blinking amber light is not the issue.. that will involve lots of issues due to your reset.
Make sure you have a computer plugged into the TC by ethernet.. do not do setups over wireless.
Even if you need to do the setup in complete isolation that doesn't matter.. it will work when you return it to the network.
Do a full factory reset.. I am not sure what resets you have done up to now.. full factory means you hold in reset before applying power.. and keep holding in reset until the front led flashes rapidly. About 10sec.
The TC must be in router mode if your cable modem is only a modem.. but I don't know if your cable modem is pure modem or modem router.. if the later then the TC should be in router bridged mode.
Once you have that right.. plug it back into the modem if you had to remove it..
Power cycle again if you need to. It can take 15min or more of modem off to reset the cable setting for MAC address.
Then you can setup wireless, although you can also do it whilst connected by ethernet which is usually better.
What airport utility are you using.. the latest one is too automatic.. stop any attempt to automate the setup and do it manually if you get stuck.
Even use the old utility is sometimes better.. 5.6 can be loaded even on Mountain Lion with a bit of a fiddle.

Power backup for dsl modem and Airport Extreme

Does anyone here have backup power for a dsl modem and Airport Extreme that is successful? I have a name brand power backup and when the power goes off both the dsl modem and Airport Extreme remain on; however, the network connection is lost so the fact that they remain on doesn't help. I have been unable to find anything about this problem on the internet generally and consultation with a well-known squad person has not helped. Any thoughts about this will be welcome.

Yes, I agree. But since the backup power keeps the modem powered, why doesn't the dsl connection continue? The squad person I talked with told me that the speed with which the backup power units replace power during an outage is about the same across different backup brands/units (I don't recall the speed but it was in milliseconds) and should be quick enough to retain the dsl connection. Doesn't happen.

Connecting AX and ethernet wire to cable modem (and ARD).

Hi all,
This has to be easy, but after 10 minutes of searching, I can't readily find the answer.
I have a cable modem (with one port) which works with my Macbook just fine. I plugged in an Airport Express (and used wireless only) and it works fine also, EXCEPT:
When using Apple Remote Desktop (the latest version) to control the Macs at my office, the status of all remote Macs is: Screen Sharing. When I connect to a remote system, I can see and control that Mac, but I can't copy anything either way (from remote to local or visa-versa).
When connected to the cable modem with an ethernet cable, everything works fine.
SO, I would like to connect maybe a 3 port hub to the cable modem and use both the ethernet cable and the AX (for other computers & iPhone) at the same time. Will this work? Can someone suggest a good hub/switch for this if it does?
Secondly, is there a way to use ARD on a wireless computer? It would be nice to go to a hot-spot and control my remote Macs.
Thanks.
mike p.

SO, I would like to connect maybe a 3 port hub to the cable modem and use both the ethernet cable and the AX (for other computers & iPhone) at the same time. Will this work?
No. You need a router not an Ethernet hub (or switch). The AX can't do the job because it only has a single Ethernet port.
Secondly, is there a way to use ARD on a wireless computer?
Sure. It works just like any other computer behind a router. You must configure the computer to be at a fixed IP address and then forward/map the appropriate ports through the router to the computer.

Adding QoS with a switch between modem and Airport Extreme?

Since the Airport Extreme does not offer any QoS, is this something I can add to my network with a QoS capable unmanaged network switch such as this one - http://www.dlink.com/ca/en/home-solutions/connect/switches/dgs-105-5-port-gigabi t-ethernet-switch ?
My network would then be wired like this;
Cable Mode ---> D-Link DGS-105 --> Airport Extreme --> wired / wifi network devices
(I might add a switch after the Airport Extreme either way at some point to increase the number of wired devices)
Nothing other than the cable modem and router would be plugged into the D-Link switch... - but will this actually make a difference, will it cause any grief on my home network? Is there a better way?
If its relevent, the primary reason I'm thinking about QoS is so that video chatting, streaming (on AppleTV or computers), or online gaming isn't interrupted by other devices browsing the web, downloading, etc. I've got good bandwidth from my ISP, but in my house there are 3 Apple TV's, 4 computers, 3 iPhones, and 2 Xboxes......

Based on your goal, I would suggest that you take a look at this article. With QoS you are controlling which traffic gets priority going upstream to your ISP, not the other way around. Instead, I believe you what you really want is to implement a form of VLAN. Like QoS, Apple routers do not natively support VLANs. You would need a router, like a Cisco RVS4000 to do this. VLANs are not dependent on physical switches, although you can assign a separate VLAN segement, one to each Ethernet port of the router. You can then attach the AirPort to one of the Cisco's VLAN segments. Any device, wired or wireless, connected to the AirPort would get the same priority.

150ft Cat5e between Cable modem and WRT54g...Shouldn't it work?

I have a WRT54g that I am trying to connect to my cable modem with an approx.150ft Cat 5e cable. I can connect my laptop to the modem with this cable and it works. (It does take a few extra seconds to get a link). When I try to connect the router to the modem, it does not ever successfully link. Any suggestions?

well....reducing the cable length to 100 fts and check whether this makes any difference..

Best Cable Modem for Airport Extreme 802.11ac ?

I own an Airport Extreme 802.11ac. I am preparing to purchase a cable modem. I have pretty well selected a - Cisco Model DPC3010 and was wondering if anyone had experience marrying the two?
NOTE: I have heard that though the Motorola Surfboard version (ARRIS / Motorola SurfBoard SB6141 DOCSIS 3.0) has been tested with the AE, the modem still drops connections a lot with TWC. Has anyone had similar experiences using that modem?

ISP: I am working with TimeWarnerCable in Clarksburg WV area.
CISCO & TWC: I have already confirmed that the Cicsco router is usable on their network - confirmed through TWC tech support and Amazon product reviews. This is true despite the router not listed on TWC's external and internal approved lists. (The Tech escalated to confirm Amazon review statements that the device could be connected).
CISCO & AE: I am just curious if someone else out there has experience using it with their AE - no matter who is their ISP. Any hiccups? Any thing to watch for? (Thanks in advance)
Note: the Motorola device IS on the TWC approved list, but there are too many reports of frequent dropped internet connections.

Wired connection to cable modem. Airport extreme has to connect to internet if computer goes to screen saver. Any way around this?

Airport extreme has to connect to internet if computer goes to screen saver. Any way around this?

Describe the issue in more detail.. as it doesn't currently make sense.. the AE should always be connected to the internet. It should never disconnect.. but the computer can fail to connect to wireless after sleep.. that is common problem.
See Tesserax docos if you have wireless connect issues after sleep.
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3411

Problems with Comcast (Motorola) modem and Airport Extreme

I have a very strange problem which I have been unable to solve, nor able to find a solution on Apple Support or anywhere else by Googling it.
I switched back to Comcast/Xfinity, hooked up the Motorola surfboard SB5120 modem:
My primary Macbook Pro connects to the Internet, but (and this is bizarre!) the AirPort Extreme is flashing yellow with the errors listed as a) no Internet conncetion, and b) no DNS server
All other Wi-Fi devices are *unable* to connect to the Internet; they are connecting to the home network, but nothing else.
I did a "hard" reset of the AE, and setup the home network from scratch, same problems: one Macbook connects, nothing else does.
I have power cycled everything multiple times (even unplugging EVERY cable for 30 minutes, then reconnecting), spent the better part of 6 hours trying tor resolve this.
Any other settings to change?
In AirPort Utility colors:
Green for Internet
Flashing Yellow for AirPort Extreme (errors: a) no Internet conncetion, and b) no DNS server)
Green for AirPort Express
sub-menus:
1) Internet, set to "DHCP", nothing listed for IP Address; the Subnet Mask and Router Address have assigned numberes; the last three windows are empty.
2) Wireless, set to "WPA2 Personal"
3) Network, set to "Off (Bridge Mode)
Any solutions would be most welcomed - the idiot at Comcast was insultingly unhelpful. He said that since I was able to successfully connect to the Internet, and that the modem was successfully pinging back to Comcast, that the problem was with the AirPort Extreme.

Many thanks for your reply. I think number 3) below gets to the crux:
1) The MBP is on my network, for sure, not a neighbor's. I'm doing all of this wirelessly, though tested the modem via Ethernet to make sure the modem was working.
2) I reverted to the Verizon DSL modem, it did a handshake with the AE, and all the computers were successfully connected in seconds.
3) Network set to "Off (Bridge Mode)" is how all the computers are successfully connecting via Verizon, so what am I doing wrong when using Comcast? If I set it to "DHCP and NAT" or "DHCP only" I would have to enter a range of DHCP addresses (Comcast's *might* be 192.168.100.1, but not entirely sure (any help on that - might solve the problem?)
Extreme/Express - that was a mistake. I'm solely using an Extreme for this setup, though I also have an Express, I've temporarily taken it out of the network to try to resolve the issues.
Thanks again!

Time Warner Ubee U10C018 modem and Airport Extreme

Using the equipment stated in the subject. I connect the modem to the extreme, after a few moments I get a green light, neither my iMac nor PC laptop can connect to the internet. The ip addresses that are assigned begin with 169. even though I have the extreme setup to assign the adresses 10.0.0.199 and .200 accordingly. I've never had a problem using the extreme in the other three places I've setup this network. Normally just plug into the modem and you're good to go. I've tried researching any known problems with this particular modem and have turned up nothing useful. Just curious as to where I start to look next.

My previous response was faulty... Only one computer was getting an IP address..
Here's what really worked, with 2 macbooks and a pc connecting wirelessly to the Airport Extreme, all successfully connecting to the Internet:
1. Disconnect the ethernet cable and power off your modem (Ubee)
2. Open Airport Utility, select your router (Airport Extreme), and press 'Manual Setup'
3. Go to the 'Internet' tab, then under Internet Connection, make sure 'Connection Sharing' is set to "*Share a public IP address*"
4. Under TCP/IP, Configure IPv4 should be set to 'Using DHCP'. All other settings can remain the default. Press Update.
5. Power up your modem, wait for the Ready and Sync lights to go steady, then connect the ethernet cable from the modem to the router.
Apparently, Time Warner only assigns one IP address per device (in the case the router), it's up to the router to distribute IP addresses to its constituents. I wonder why this doesn't happen automatically... :\ Let me know how your experience pans out.
Peace
Message was edited by: orisinal

Wireless modem and airport extreme

Hi. I recently bought airport extreme with the intention of using it to provide wireless access to my external hard drive and printer.
I have a netcomm nb5plus4w modem router which is connected to my broadband and currently provides wireless internet to our laptop.
I am wanting to connect the airport extreme to this current network wirelessly. Is this possible, or will I need to purchase an ethernet cable to connect my modem to the airport extreme??
I just attempted to connect it, and then had all sorts of trouble getting my modem back running with my isp.
Please use as simple language as possible. While I am the techno chick in my marriage, I am by no means proficient in the gobbledeygook language!!!!
Cheers.
i hope I have given enough info.

I am wanting to connect the airport extreme to this current network wirelessly. Is this possible, or will I need to purchase an ethernet cable to connect my modem to the airport extreme??
Sorry, but unlike the AirPort Express Base Station (AX) or the Time Capsule (TC), you will not be able to "join" an existing wireless network with the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn) wirelessly to share USB drives/printers.
Since the router you are trying to connect to is not another AirPort, you will have to connect the two (as you suggested) with an Ethernet cable for sharing.

BellSouth Alcatel DSL Modem and Airport Extreme

I have a new iMac, and BellSouth DSL Internet service (alcatel modem). I get an Internet connection when connecting the modem directly to iMac using an ethernet cable. However, when I try to configure my Airport Extreme 1 of 2 things happens: a constantly blinking amber light, or a green light. In neither instance does Airport Utility see Airport Extreme (even when the light is green). I have tried powering off and recycling both Airport Extreme and the modem, with neither solving the problem. Any thoughts?

The modem is a Speed Touch Home.
wow, I used one of those 8 years ago I did not know they still being used. If I remember correctly it did not have integrated pppoe or pptp client so it requires you to run a pppoe or pptp client on your mac. Therefore when connecting it to an apple airport basestation you have to configure the pppoe client in the base station.
so open your airport utility select your base station , choose manual setup
the click the 'internet' icon in the toolbar of the airport utility window and from the connect using drop down choose PPPoE, then configure it with your isp login details. The click the update button.

Should Iplace my ethernet switch between cable modem and airport extreme?

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