Airport Extreme Bridge Mode DHCP Reservations

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Airport Extreme Bridge Mode DHCP Reservations

First I understand that in Bridge Mode DHCP doesn't work.

I have an AirPort Extreme Base Station that I've used as my primary router for some time, I am now replacing it, but it has a large table of DHCP reservations I'd like to save as a resource. My intention is to move the AEBS to the garage and put it in bridge mode.

My question is, will my DHCP reservation table be deleted when I switch to Bridge Mode? or will it just become unavailable? If I switch back will it still be there, or will it think I'm setting up a new network and clear it out? Bottom line, how can I now use my router in bridge mode and preserve or save a copy of my reservation table? I'm hesitant to test this as it seems easy to lose the table. Thanks for your help.

AirPort

Posted on Jul 26, 2020 11:32 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

LaPastenague

Level 9

67,262 points

Jul 26, 2020 1:26 PM in response to A07570

Before you change anything.. save the current configuration.. Most people seem to not realise this is possible ... or how useful it can be.

In the airport utility, click the icon of the airport, click edit.. you must be in the setup to save the setup.

Click File in the top menu and Export Configuration File.

A file will be saved with the TCname.baseconfig

Click on this file and open in textedit. The file is in xml so easy to read.

Use Find for example a computer you configured that has its static IP set.. And you will see the whole lot of dhcp reservations you have made.. copy and paste them to another file.. and you will have all the info to copy and paste easily into another router. (although all routers seem to require you to manually enter MAC address in some different way).

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Answer 2

A07570 Author

Level 1

63 points

Jul 26, 2020 2:56 PM in response to LaPastenague

Perfect! I now have 3 copies, one on iCloud, couldn't ask for more (except maybe for me to at least look at the menu --too much time on the iPad). The macOS Airport Utility's ability to allow viewing and editing the DHCP reservation table in IP order has kept me with this router even after I found better, it's hard to find.

In any case, thank you so much for pointing me exactly where needed!

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Answer 3

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,174 points

Jul 26, 2020 12:01 PM in response to A07570

In theory, the DHCP Reservations will be retained.....but not visible.....when you change the AirPort over to Bridge Mode and they will appear again when you switch the AirPort from Bridge Mode back to router mode of DHCP and NAT.

So far, the theory has proven true for me when I have tested it out a few times.

But in actual practice, I would not trust the theory and would take screenshots of the current DHCP Reservations or write them down......before......I switched the AirPort over to Bridge Mode, just in case the theory does not work out as expected.

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Answer 4

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,174 points

Jul 26, 2020 3:24 PM in response to A07570

Just a note of caution that I have experienced "Unexpected Errors" when I've tried to reload copies of configuration files in the past, so my advice of having a hard copy of the settings is still advised. It's your call though.

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Answer 5

A07570 Author

Level 1

63 points

Jul 26, 2020 4:08 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Thanks again, I meant to mention that I'd opened the xml file and see the info I need, so that should work for me. At this point I'm not likely to reload it, but there may be a MAC address and name in there that comes in handy, this will work perfectly for my backup! 👍

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Airport Extreme Bridge Mode DHCP Reservations

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