add a 2G channel to my Airport Extreme

Thanks for checking on that. This model produces both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channels at the same time. So, you cannot "add" 2.4 GHz channels because this is already happening. You can check the Specifications of the AirPort Extreme to confirm below.

I would suggest that you try assigning different names to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz signals and then try to connect the camera to the 2.4 GHz network name to see if it can connect that way.......although the camera should connect to your dual band network unless the camera is using older WiFi technology.

If you decide to try this, and you have a Mac, here is how to do this:

Open AirPort Utility on your Mac, locates as follows: Finder > Applications > Utilities > AIrPort Utility

Click on the picture of the AirPort Extreme

Click Edit in the smaller window that appears

Click the Wireless tab at the top of the next window

Click the Wireless Network Options button near the bottom of the window

Enter a check mark in the box next to 5 GHz Network Name

Click Save, then click Update at the lower right of the window and give the AirPort a minute to restart with the new settings

Your 2.4 GHz network is now the normal name of your wireless network. Your 5 GHz network is now the normal name of your network with "5 GHz" added to the name, so it should be easy to identify both networks.

Try and connect the camera to your normal network, which is now the 2.4 GHz network.

If your AirPort Extreme was produced within the last 12 years, it is a dual band model that provides both a 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channels simultaneously. So, your AirPort Extreme is very likely already doing what you ask.....providing a 2.4 GHz signal.

To make sure though, let's get the model of AirPort Extreme that you have. Is is tall, like a "tower" or is it "flat", like a small white pizza box?

If you have the taller tower version, just say that you have the "tower".

If you have an older "flat" model, look on the bottom of the device for the model number. It is usually embedded in the foam pad base. The model number starts with an "A" followed by 4 numbers. Post back that info please, if you have the "flat" version of the AirPort Extreme.

What we may need to do is assign separate names to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network signals, which might help the camera connect to the 2.4 GHz signal, although modern products should have no trouble connecting to a dual band WiFi signal.

Yes, as follows:

AirPort Utility > Select AirPort Extreme > Edit > Wireless Tab

Click to insert the cursor at the end of the name of the wireless network, then backspace to delete the name, then type in the new network name

Click Network Options and edit the name of the 5 GHz network as well, leaving 5 GHz as part of the name

Click Save

Click Update at the lower right of the window to save the new settings

The issue is not the AirPort if your other WiFi devices connect.

Try using a network name for the 2.4 GHz network that uses only normal letters and numbers and does not exceed 14 characters . Avoid using blank spaces in the name as well.

Examples:

JPlan2's Red Apple Wireless Network.......not good with older technology WiF devices......apostrophe, too long, blank spaces

JPlanWiFi.......OK

Edit to my last reply above.......

If the camera is using really old WiFi technology, it may not connect to a network name that uses special characters likes an apostrophe, asterisk, dollar sign, etc as part of the name of the network.

In addition, older WiFi devices want to connect to networks with short simple names.......no more an 12-14 characters in the network name, with only normal letters and numbers in the name.

This all started when I replaced my very old Apple router with a New Apple router.

So, you are saying that the cameras worked with your old Apple router but not the new Apple router?

Cameras still not connecting to WiFi. SimpliSafe support suggested the checking the port TCP8890 is open. Tesserae in the post below suggests this is incorrect information.

Tesserax and I are really saying the same thing, but in a different way. TCP Port 8890 would not have anything to do with whether the camera could or could not connect to the wireless network.

TCP Port 8890 might be needed if the camera(s) worked on your local network, but you were not able to access the camera(s) from a remote location over the Internet. An example of this might be you are vacation, and want to check the camera system from your travel destination or other places along the way.

Hopefully, if you go with a new router, you will not have to separate the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks. As I said, virtually any modern product will connect to a dual band network with no modifications needed. I have a garage door opening system and a home theater remote control system that connect to my AirPort Extreme......same as yours.....with no modifications needed. The devices connected with no problems just like a Mac computer or iPhone iPad.

The fact that your camera(s) say that they must connect to a 2.4 GHz network tells me that they are using older WiFi technology. If the cameras still won't connect to the new router, then you'll need to consider other cameras.

Hope that you can get things working soon. It should not be nearly this hard.

So to confirm........the camera still will not connect to the WiFi network, correct?

I hesitate to say that you might consider lowering the wireless security setting on your AirPort to see if the camera can connect that way. If it can connect using lower security settings, this would confirm that the camera is using long out of date WiFi security settings.

If the camera still will not connect with lower security settings, then it likely never will. Time to consider the possibility of a defective product, or another brand of camera.

FWIW, a port is used to allow an application to communication over a network. They are associated with a firewall, typically on a router, but could also be a software firewall running on a computer. Most likely, the app you use to communicate to the IP camera needs to have this port open to do so. Normally this is not an issue over your local network ... unless you are running a software firewall on your computer. Macs have them, but they are disabled by default. However, if you plan on accessing your camera from a remote location outside of your home network, the a port on your router would need to be opened to allow for that access.

With that said, your AirPort Extreme base station has a simple NAT "firewall." By default all traffic going outbound from your home network is not blocked. However, all inbound traffic is for security reasons. There are two basic exceptions: 1) Traffic coming inbound that are replies to traffic initiated on the home network are not blocked. These would be considered "established" & "related" traffic, and 2) By configuring port mapping/forwarding on the router to open specific ports.

Unless you plan on accessing this camera remotely, there is no need to open a port on the AirPort as all internal traffic only goes through your AirPort's Ethernet switch and not the router portion.

I imagine that before you got the camera, that all of your WiFi devices connected to the AirPort Extreme dual band network with no issues.

So, you might want to stress that fact with the support folks from the camera company.......who will try their best to blame your AirPort.

You may need to look for a camera that specifies that it will connect to "dual band" networks, they way that all your other WiFi devices do.

Unfortunately, I cannot help on the port situation since I cannot duplicate the setup that you have. Most routers will automatically open the correct ports using a process called UPnP. Apple routers do not have this feature but use a similar feature called NAT/PMP.

Perhaps another user will be able to help.

This support article might help as well:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3415

Good luck! Your Apple router opens dozens of different ports automatically every day all day.

If the camera still won't connect to the WiFi network......that is an issue that must be solved first.

Ports would not come into play......unless......the camera is connected to the WiFi network correctly but it cannot connect to the Internet.