What is the best way to configure AE for use as a wireless bridge?

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Level 1

5 points

What is the best way to configure AE for use as a wireless bridge?

I am using an AE to provide airtunes to my living room receiver as well as getting internet connection to my living room PC. The way I have it set up is that I am connecting to my existing wireless network (provided by a dlink dir-655) and then plug in the minijack for airtunes and plug in ethernet cable between AE and PC. I don't have a wireless card in the PC so that's why I connect via ethernet cable/AE.

The problem is that the speed with the AE connected PC when it comes to the web, is quite slow. Many times Youtube just freezes and sometimes never catches back up.

I've checked speeds with speedtest.net and my speeds fluctuate an extreme amount.

Is there a way I should configure the AE better to act as a bridge for my ethernet/AE connected PC?

BTW, I'm only about 25 feet from the dlink wireless router so connection quality should be fine. As both devices support N, I think things should work better!

any suggestions?

Thanks

24in Alum. iMac 2.4 core2duo, 12"G4 1.0ghz PB, Mac OS X (10.6.3), 4 gigs in the iMac, 1.25 gigs in the Powerbook, iphone 2G

Posted on Mar 31, 2010 4:16 AM

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Answer 1

Tesserax

Level 10

158,646 points

Mar 31, 2010 7:50 AM in response to SwissGator

I am using an AE to provide airtunes to my living room receiver as well as getting internet connection to my living room PC. The way I have it set up is that I am connecting to my existing wireless network (provided by a dlink dir-655) and then plug in the minijack for airtunes and plug in ethernet cable between AE and PC. I don't have a wireless card in the PC so that's why I connect via ethernet cable/AE.

Do you have your 802.11n AirPort Express Base Station (AXn) configured as a wireless Ethernet bridge? (Note: Apple calls this ProxySTA.) If so, you are not extending the D-Links wireless network with the AXn ... only providing an Ethernet connection for wired devices connected to it. That would mean all wireless clients would need to connect to the D-Link for Internet access.

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Answer 2

SwissGator Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 31, 2010 8:38 AM in response to Tesserax

Well, so I don't accidentally mix up phrases, terms, etc. Let me tell you how it is set up in terms of description.

I set it up to join my current wireless network provided by the dlink wireless router (it is NOT connected to the dlink via ethernet, just wirelessly). I then have an ethernet cable that runs from the AE to the ethernet port on the back of my PC. Essentially this is providing a wireless bridge from the dlink to the ethernet connection on the back of the PC. IP address is assigned to the AE from the dlink.

In the manual setup settings, I see that there is a wireless setting to extend a wireless network and to participate in a WDS network. Would either of these two be better for what I'm trying to accomplish? It seems that this current configuration should be rock solid, but perhaps I'm not using the proper setup.

Thanks

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Answer 3

Tesserax

Level 10

158,646 points

Mar 31, 2010 8:57 AM in response to SwissGator

The newer 802.11n version of the AirPort Express offer an option to configure the base station as a wireless Ethernet bridge. Again, Apple calls this ProxySTA. You configure for a ProxySTA by having the base station join an existing wireless network AND by enabling the "Allow Ethernet Clients" option, located on the Wireless tab within the AirPort Utility.

My point is that, as a ProxySTA, the Express will NOT extend the wireless range of your D-Link router. Instead, it WILL allow wired clients to connect to its Ethernet port for network/Internet access.

In the manual setup settings, I see that there is a wireless setting to extend a wireless network and to participate in a WDS network. Would either of these two be better for what I'm trying to accomplish?

In this scenario, no ... as a WDS would not work because very few non-Apple routers are WDS-compatible. Most likely, your D-Link is not as well ... so your current configuration is the only option for what you are trying to do.

It seems that this current configuration should be rock solid, but perhaps I'm not using the proper setup.

The #1 problem with a ProxySTA is that it does not provide the highest level of bandwidth performance. Typically, for the AXn, the best-to-worst performance would be the following configurations: 1) Wired-to-wireless, 2) Wireless-to-wireless (WDS), and 3) Wireless-to-wired (ProxySTA)

As you can see, the first option would be the best, but it would require that you connect the AXn directly to the D-Link by Ethernet ... which, of course, would tie-up its only Ethernet port so that you could not connect the PC to it as you require.

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Answer 4

SwissGator Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 31, 2010 9:07 AM in response to Tesserax

OK, that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation. Looks like my current setup is the best way to do it for the time. I think it makes sense to go pick up a wireless N PCI card and just use that. Well, to really do it right, I should bore holes in the walls, ceiling, etc and route ethernet cable from my router to the PC and PS3! Well, I think I'd get a veto from the better half on that one! Thanks again.

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Answer 5

Jolly Giant

Level 7

25,464 points

Mar 31, 2010 9:19 AM in response to SwissGator

SwissGator wrote:
... and route ethernet cable from my router to the PC and PS3! Well, I think I'd get a veto from the better half on that one!

how about *powerline adapters* _*such as these*_ ?

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