Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

forumhound · May 26, 2008, 03:04 PM

Hi all, please see this network diagram (as lame as it is) to see what I must do, or do something like this with the parts at hand. I don't think the settings are right in the 2nd Airport Express in this chain, as the imac is not seeing the wireless network that is set up and working upstairs. Can someone be kind and point me to the right settings for this config? thx,
FH

ghporter · May 26, 2008, 04:42 PM

Are the network names/SSIDs the same for both AEs or are they different? Is the second AE bridged?

forumhound · May 27, 2008, 12:44 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Are the network names/SSIDs the same for both AEs or are they different? Is the second AE bridged?

Hi there glenn! See this page for relevant screen shots of my AE setup and perhaps point me to the error in my ways...it made sense to me until i relized that i have attached the second AE just as I would another pc really...not sure it thats right. i think i need some help with specific clicks inside the 2nd AE configuration.,..note, the 1st AE is working fine, distributing IPs to anything specified in the MAC control list, including the 2nd AE...
AE CONFIGS for NETWORK

ps.swear i am on that Tibetan thing...but i can go weeks without ever leaving my flat except to play with the dog...

ghporter · May 27, 2008, 10:56 AM

The first thing I'd do is to go into the AirPort Utility, select the second base station and click "Internet Connection." Set that to "Off (Bridge Mode)", which will turn off NAT and DHCP on that unit. That should allow your second base to connect computers to your main network and thus let things work the way you expect them to.

For more suggestions, go into the AirPort Utility's help and type "bridge" in the search box. The first hit I get is about building a roaming network, where all base stations have the same network name and you can move from one's coverage area to another's seamlessly. I get the idea that this is ultimately what you're after.

forumhound · May 27, 2008, 11:18 AM

hi Glenn, well i need exact clicks for this one. on the internet connection dialog there is "Connection Sharing" setting that is set to Off (Bridge Mode) and always has been. Typing "bridge" in the "Find a Setting" search box (its not labeled help in v5.3.1) does absolutely nothing. Nothing else but the settings I have make much sense to me...I am assuming that the 2nd AE has to hand out IPs via DHCP for the downstream computers no? How else would it work? Unless ... confused.

tinkered · May 27, 2008, 12:17 PM

On APE #1 you need to click the box to "allow network to be extended" and then on APE #2 you need to choose "extend network" and point it to the wireless network being transmitted by APE #1. I can't do screen shots, as I am at work.

ghporter · May 27, 2008, 03:30 PM

I have v5.3.1. I opened the AirPort Utility, then clicked on Help in the menu bar. I selected "AirPort Utility Help" (instead of Spotlight) and in the resulting window's search box, I typed "bridge." Sorry I wasn't clear. The "sharing" setting you have ("Off (Bridge Mode)") is what I was talking about, and that should be the first step.

I think the problem is the fact that you have #2 handing out DHCP addresses. That way leads to chaos, since it will be handing out addresses that are not valid with the rest of the network because the second base does not coordinate on this with the first. By turning off the DHCP server in #2, you allow #1 to handle ALL DHCP functions so all such addresses will be compatible with each other.

Changing the second base to use the same network name as the first should give you a roaming network.

See if my steps above make sense and read the help I was talking about.

But tinkered's suggestion sounds like it's not only easier but what you're really looking for...

Simon · May 28, 2008, 03:01 AM

Are your APs connected by Ethernet or through wireless? If it's a wireless connection you need to do what tinkered suggested. Otherwise setting #2 to bridge mode should be sufficient.