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Blue Flame · Nov 6, 2006, 01:33 AM

Hi all,

I just set up my Airport Extreme basestation as the main basestation for a WDS network utilizing two more Airport Expresses. The wireless part of the network runs flawlessly but my desktop that is connected to the Airport Extreme router (Main) via ethernet no longer receives the correct IP address from the router and thus, cannot access the internet nor the LAN. I've set it up using DHCP (Main gives addresses) and it's supposed to be addressing using 192.168.1.x and the desktop is getting a 169.254.210.61 for its IP.

I'm very confused, I've tried renewing the DHCP lease on the desktop, checked to make sure that only the Extreme basestation is giving out IPs, etc. I can't figure it out. Further, the desktop does not seem to even recognize the router now.

Help....

ghporter · Nov 6, 2006, 09:54 AM

The desktop is using a self assigned IP (all 169... IPs are self assigned and basically an indicator that the computer didn't get a real IP).

Now for the meat: if the "main" is the AirPort Extreme Base Station, and you have the desktop plugged into it by ethernet, then the (hopeful) problem is the cable. I don't know of a way to restrict the DHCP server in an Extreme to only the wireless part, and if the wireless computers are getting IPs, then it's obviously working. The biggest clue here is "Further, the desktop does not seem to even recognize the router now." That happens when you have a bum ethernet cable... Try a new cable or one you can PROVE works and see what happens.

Blue Flame · Nov 6, 2006, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

The desktop is using a self assigned IP (all 169... IPs are self assigned and basically an indicator that the computer didn't get a real IP).

Now for the meat: if the "main" is the AirPort Extreme Base Station, and you have the desktop plugged into it by ethernet, then the (hopeful) problem is the cable. I don't know of a way to restrict the DHCP server in an Extreme to only the wireless part, and if the wireless computers are getting IPs, then it's obviously working. The biggest clue here is "Further, the desktop does not seem to even recognize the router now." That happens when you have a bum ethernet cable... Try a new cable or one you can PROVE works and see what happens.

yeah, i just tried a different cable and no dice. time for a third cable. what else could it be though? It seems strange that enabling WDS would burn an ethernet cable because it worked 100% before enabling WDS. It's almost as if it's behaving as though the ethernet port is disabled a la an Airport Express, except the Extreme Basestation doesn't have this option.

edit: if it makes a difference, i'm running OS X 10.4.7 and the Extreme station is using V.5.7 and the Express stations are using V6.3

ghporter · Nov 6, 2006, 10:42 PM

Well I'm stumped. I thought my answer was a slam-dunk because very few people bother to think about cables going bad. Sorry...

Blue Flame · Nov 7, 2006, 01:42 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Well I'm stumped. I thought my answer was a slam-dunk because very few people bother to think about cables going bad. Sorry...

yeah, it's got me stumped too. I think it's time for a hard reset of everything and start over....i've never encountered this problem before and i've run WDS in the past with one less AEx in the system.

Thanks for the effort

Blue Flame · Nov 8, 2006, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by Blue Flame

yeah, it's got me stumped too. I think it's time for a hard reset of everything and start over....i've never encountered this problem before and i've run WDS in the past with one less AEx in the system.

Thanks for the effort

okay, did a hard reset of all the routers and now everything works. odd.

ghporter · Nov 8, 2006, 08:55 PM

That is good, and it kind of makes sense too. You've had success with this same sort of thing on a smaller scale, so there's no reason to think that the hardware can't do it. But it gave you problems, so obviously something is wrong.

By "hard reset" do you mean "power down, wait, power up"? That's a good first step in troubleshooting a home network.

Blue Flame · Nov 8, 2006, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

That is good, and it kind of makes sense too. You've had success with this same sort of thing on a smaller scale, so there's no reason to think that the hardware can't do it. But it gave you problems, so obviously something is wrong.

By "hard reset" do you mean "power down, wait, power up"? That's a good first step in troubleshooting a home network.

nope, i mean hold the reset button until it blinks rapidly and everything goes back to the original settings

ghporter · Nov 8, 2006, 10:34 PM

That's an extreme option! It means you have to redo all your settings from scratch. But if this fixed it, that probably means that's what was needed-one goobered setting can cause a whole lot of gooberage!

Blue Flame · Nov 8, 2006, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

That's an extreme option! It means you have to redo all your settings from scratch. But if this fixed it, that probably means that's what was needed-one goobered setting can cause a whole lot of gooberage!

yeah, it hadn't been done in ages so I kind of wanted a clean slate.