Setting up/Configuring Multiple Airport Extremes on a Home Network

Upon Setting up the first router everything went fine

We'll need to check some settings to make sure that everything really is "fine" on the "main" AirPort, before you try to configure other AirPorts.

I believe even the second router (config'd as extending the network) went smoothly.

Despite what you might logically think, "extending" the network is not the right setting for the second AirPort if if is connecting back to the first AirPort using a wired Ethernet cable connection. So, we may need to start over or adjust some settings on the second AirPort (and third AirPort) if this is the case.

Upon setting up my third AP, it brought my entire other Network down (One of the Ap's are plugged into the Modem/Router and the other two bridge off each other.

This will happen if the third (and second) access points are not set up correctly.

Bottom line.....if you want to continue to try to set things up, we'll really need to start from square one and work forward again. Unfortunately, AirPort Utility for Windows does not fully support the A1521 version of the AirPorts.......although it might be possible to set things up this way......there will be no guarantees.

The pertinent info from Apple's specification sheet on the A1521 is below.....(notice that there is no mention of AirPort Utility for Windows here.)

System Requirements

• Setup and Administration
  • iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 6 or later and AirPort Utility 1.3
  • Mac with OS X Lion v10.7.5 or later and AirPort Utility 6.3

1. Hello Everyone, Diving into the Apple Eco System myself and picked up Three Airport Extremes A1521 routers. Love them and they're great though I'm having a weird time setting them up (Couldn't do it through iOS for some reason since it just sits there loading (iOS 13.1.3) so I used Airport for Windows

Welcome to Airports but you are a bit late to the party.. Apple stopped production in April 2018.. so you have joined us for the demise. Us rats are deserting the sinking ship.. say hi to the captain for us.

Apple bungled iOS 13 version airport utility and it gives lots of people issues.. especially since apple don't make routers anymore they don't care.. you have joined AppleDONTcare.

#1 Upon setting up my third AP, it brought my entire other Network down (One of the Ap's are plugged into the Modem/Router and the other two bridge off each other. The Airport Utility App shows the topology shows that all of the Ap's are in a vertical formation like a tree.) Would it be better to give them each their own port from the source Modem/Router directly (in theory to have them show as a horizontal landscape directly from the internet) or is it fine to bridge them?

#2What else could have brought the network down since these are all going to be wired up and my speeds are around 50/500 mbps.

When you setup the network you must realise the Second Extreme to extend the first.. but the third Extreme cannot extend the second.. this is way before mesh came to the scene.. Your third Extreme must see first Extreme as much better signal than Extreme 2 otherwise it will break..

Also it must be set to extend by wireless..

With Ethernet you MUST not use Extend.. you must use Create a wireless network.

This is handled automatically in the airport utility in a Mac.

Do you currently have ethernet between the Airport Extreme.. in which case make sure you have each of them set correctly to create a wireless network.. use the same SSID (wireless name in applespeak) and password. Not Extend.. Extend by wireless setup with an ethernet cord connected will cause a loop and trip the system.

Using ethernet is the best method and called roaming network. The airport utility in windows is probably failing because it was designed to fail when you attempt to configure v6 airport extreme. Another Apple fun configuration strategy to ensure you stick to the walled garden.

You might need to configure it manually. On each AE just set wireless to create a wireless network.. with same SSID and password.

There are a few other things important for this to be stable but the above is a good start.