Setting up a bridge

Question

Level 2

214 points

Setting up a bridge

Hi, I thought I could do this. I have been reading for days to prepare and....UNCLE....
I have seldom been so frustrated.
I have setup a new Airport Extreme network using the Airport Utility that came with it. It was easy and it works well. I have my G5 tied by ethernet cable to the Airport Extreme and the following tied in wirelessly:
2 Tivo's, a laptop and a Roku.
My problem is in connecting a Sony BD player to the network. It has an ethernet connection. I have a new Airport Express that I have connected to the BD Player with an ethernet cable. The Airport Express is plugged into an outlet.
I have studied the "Designing Airport Networks Using Airport Utility" to try to set up a bridge. All I want to do is allow the BD player to connect to the internet via the Extreme wireless network. I do not have to or want to extend the reach of the system; the Extreme is more than capable of reaching all of my home (and probably my yard).
I can't do it. I have tried configuring it 7-8 times in several different ways and always come up with a problem I can't understand nor resolve.
Right now the Airport Express is blinking amber (that's all it has ever done-never green) and probably tied in a knot internally.... I have never been able to get the two devices (the Extreme and the Express) to show up at the same time in the Airport Utility. For awhile I could get them to show up individually by toggling back and forth between them from the desktop icon.
Right now I can not even get the Airport Express to appear in the Airport Utility and it has disappeared from the desktop icon choices. Rescanning doesn't help.
Questions:
1. Is there something that has to be configured in the Airport Extreme setup to let it know there is an Airport Express and that it needs to connect on to the network?
2. How do I get the Airport Express to show in the Airport Utility so that it can get configured; if I even learn how to configure it.
3. Are there simple (emphasis on simple; the terminology is like a foreign language to me) instructions that will allow me to configure the Airport Express to do what I want. I do think I am trying to a pretty non complex setup... but again "Uncle".
I would appreciate advice. Thanks.
John

PowerMac G5, Dual 2 GHz, Mac OS X (10.4.11), Macbook, Airport Express, Lacie BU

Posted on Feb 9, 2009 11:18 AM

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Answer 1

Tesserax

Level 10

158,208 points

Feb 9, 2009 11:34 AM in response to johnhewitt

There are at least three ways to enable the 802.11n AirPort Express Base Station's (AXn) Ethernet port to support wired devices:

o Configure the AXn to extend the 802.11n wireless network provided by the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn).
o Configure the AXn as a relay or remote base station in an 802.11g Wireless Distribution System (WDS) with the AEBSn as the main.
o Configure the AXn as a ProxySTA. This would not extend the wireless range of the AEBSn, but it would enable the AXn's Ethernet port.

Let me know which you would be interested in and I can provide the steps to do so.

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Answer 2

johnhewitt Author

Level 2

214 points

Feb 9, 2009 12:22 PM in response to Tesserax

I would like to do the third:

o Configure the AXn as a ProxySTA. This would not extend the wireless range of the AEBSn, but it would enable the AXn's Ethernet port.

John

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Answer 3

Tesserax

Level 10

158,208 points

Feb 9, 2009 4:14 PM in response to johnhewitt

To activate ProxySTA, you must configure the Express to join a wireless network and then enable the Allow Ethernet Clients option; both settings are located on the Wireless tab of AirPort Utility.(Note that the Express, which ships with firmware 7.3, must also be updated to firmware 7.3.1 for this feature to appear.)

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Answer 4

johnhewitt Author

Level 2

214 points

Feb 9, 2009 4:36 PM in response to Tesserax

How do I update the firmware on the express?
John

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Answer 5

johnhewitt Author

Level 2

214 points

Feb 9, 2009 4:39 PM in response to Tesserax

How do I get the Express to show up on the Airport Utility?
John

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Answer 6

Tesserax

Level 10

158,208 points

Feb 9, 2009 5:57 PM in response to johnhewitt

To manually download and install firmware...

o Open AirPort Utility.
o From AirPort Utility menu, hold the Option key and choose Check for Updates....
o Select (place a check mark beside) the version you require.
o Click Download.
o Select your base station then choose Manual Setup from the Base Station menu.
o From the Base Station menu choose Upload Firmware....
o Select a firmware version and click OK.
(ref: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305301)

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Answer 7

johnhewitt Author

Level 2

214 points

Feb 9, 2009 6:18 PM in response to Tesserax

Tesserax, I checked the firmware, and it is already (no software change was necessary):

Airport Utility: 5.3.2
Airport Extreme: 7.3.2

I do not know what the Express is because it will not come up on Utility. How do I get it back so I can check it and try again to configure it iaw your direction? I have it plugged in and it is blinking amber. When I rescan in Utility it does not appear.
John

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Answer 8

Tesserax

Level 10

158,208 points

Feb 9, 2009 6:40 PM in response to johnhewitt

When having difficulties accessing the AirPort thru the AirPort Utility, try the following, in order checking accessibility with the AirPort Utility after each step:

o Check the local connection. If you are trying to access the AirPort wirelessly, make sure that you are connected to its wireless network before running the AirPort Utility to administer it. If you are still unable to access it with the utility, temporarily connect your computer directly using an Ethernet cable to one of the base station's LAN ports.

o Power cycle the base station. Remove the power adapter's plug from the power outlet, and then, wait 15 seconds before plugging it back in.

o Perform a "factory default" reset.

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Answer 9

johnhewitt Author

Level 2

214 points

Feb 10, 2009 2:40 AM in response to Tesserax

Tesserax, I finally got it. Thanks for sticking with me; thanks for the support.
The trick to getting the Express back and responsive was to do the "factory Default". I think that cleared out all the bogus configuration that I had introduced in my failed attempts.
Once I did that I was able to see it again in the utility and configure it as you directed.
This support group is great. You are never alone....
John

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Answer 10

jneb

Level 1

14 points

Mar 13, 2009 10:45 PM in response to Tesserax

I have a similar issue but have not been able to get this solution to work.

I have an Airport Extreme 802.11n that is set up in bridge mode and connected to a DSL modem that assigns IP addresses.

I wish to use a remote Airport Express (late 2008) 802.11n to connect via ethernet to a PowerMac without wireless.

In summary I desire: DSL-ethernet-AirportExtreme-wireless-AirportExpress-ethernet-PowerMac

I have reset the Airport Express to factory defaults and then set to "Join wireless network" and checked allow Ethernet clients. The Airport Express gets an IP address but any number of Macs I have tried will not get an IP address in DHCP mode (except a self-assigned one). I have verified that the cable works: when I connect the Macs to the Airport Extreme base station, they all get an IP address. All versions of firmware are 7.4.1. I have also tried checking and unchecking "Allow this network to be extended" on the Airport Extreme.

Please help. Thanks

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Answer 11

jneb

Level 1

14 points

Mar 14, 2009 10:37 AM in response to jneb

I discovered the problem.

I had "MAC Address Access Control" set to "Timed Access" and had not added the ethernet MAC address of the computer attached to the Airport Express.

Now all works wonderfully well.

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