AirPort Extreme Use with Another Router

Connect an Ethernet cable from one of the Ethernet ports on the Spectrum modem/router (there are usually 4 of them, choose any one that you want) to the "O" Ethernet port on the back of the AirPort Extreme.

Power up the AirPort Extreme and let it run for a minute or two

Hold in the reset button on the back of the AirPort Extreme for 7-8 seconds and release

Allow a full minute for the AirPort Extreme to restart to a slow, blinking amber light status

On your Mac.......

Click on the WiFi menu at the top of the screen and look for a listing of New AirPort Base Station

Click directly on AirPort Extreme

When you click on AirPort Extreme, that will start up the AirPort Utility setup "wizard". The wizard will take a few seconds to analyze the network and then display a screen that looks similar to the example below except that you will see your version of the AirPort Extreme pictured.

Network Name.......Type in the exact same name as the Spectrum WiFi Network

Base Station Name......Type in a name that you want to call the AirPort Extreme

Password......Type in the exact same wireless network name that the Spectrum router is using

Verify......Type in the same password again to confirm

Click Next

The setup wizard will automatically configure the AirPort Extreme with the correct settings.

When you see a message of Setup Complete, click Done.....and you are done.

Give things a try.

It's actually a lot simpler than you might think and it will take maybe 4 or 5 minutes for you to set up the AirPort Extreme to find out for yourself whether or not it will add anything to your network in terms of significant extended performance.

Post back if you are interested in the simple step by step process.

Note......for example, if your iPhone is located near your "main" router and you walk it to the area near the AirPort Extreme, it is unlikely that the iPhone will automatically "switch" to the AirPort Extreme signal. It might and it might not. There are ways for you to encourage the iPhone to switch though.

Your Mac will have a better chance of automatically "switching" from one access point to another as it moves from an area near one access point to another area near another access point.

You'll have to test things out for yourself to find how well......or if.....the AirPort Extreme will help.

if you open AirPort Utility and click on the picture of the AirPort Extreme, a smaller window will appear with a list of Wireless Clients. This is a list of the WiFi devices that are connected to the AirPort Extreme's WiFi signal at that time.

So, if a device does not appear in the list of Wireless Clients for the AirPort Extreme, then you know that the WiFi device is connected to the WiFi 6 router.

Change the setting for Router Mode on the AirPort Extreme from DHCP and NAT to Bridge Mode, which Apple calls "Off (Bridge Mode)".

Open AirPort Utility

Select the AirPort Extreme

Click Edit in the smaller window that appears

Click the Network tab at the top of the next window

Change the setting for Router from DHCP and NAT to Off (Bridge Mode)

Click Update to save the new settings

When you see a green light on the AirPort Extreme, power off the AirPort Extreme

Power off your WiFi 6 router

Wait a minute

Power up the WiFi 6 router and let it run a minute

Power up the AirPort Extreme

There will now be a better chance of devices automatically "switching" from one router to another as they move about the house.

Another way to say the same thing.......both the WiFi 6 router and the AirPort Extreme are now on the same network. With Double NAT, they are not.

If all of the Wi-Fi devices are configured as access points, all have coordinated Wi-Fi channel usage, and all have wired backhaul connections to your router/firewall/gateway/NAT box, yes. Otherwise, no.

The really simple answer to your question is YES.

ghe wrote:

If I use an ethernet cable to connect an AirPort Extreme to another type of router with WiFi 6 will it increase my coverage or the strength of my coverage or am I just wasting my time?

The setup is rather tricky though if the wifi6 router does not have AP mode. (i.e. work as Access Point rather than router)

In fact if you are separating the two wifi devices by several rooms.. so one is working in area of the house where there is virtually no signal from Airport then the new wifi6 router will work great.

Otherwise if your Airport is simply growing old, replacement with the new wifi6 router is probably better.. or wired together turn off wifi in the Airport and just use the wifi6 router.

If you tell us the actual models we can give you a clue if it is going to work easily and how to configure it in more detail.

Nice work.

So, if you run a check and note that the iPhone is connected to the AirPort Extreme and you move the iPhone close to the other router, does the iPhone disappear as a wireless client for the AirPort Extreme.......meaning that it automatically connected to your other router?

You could run the same kind of check in reverse as well. Say the iPhone does not appear as a wireless client for the AirPort Extreme. That would mean that it is connected to your other router. If you move the iPhone close to the AirPort Extreme, does it now appear as a wireless client of the AirPort Extreme? If it does, this indicates that the iPhone did switch over to the AirPort Extreme automatically.

Here's a shorter version: an AirPort Extreme (and any other AirPort router) won't seamlessly connect or "mesh" with other Wi-Fi devices.

You can configure a Wi-Fi network using a configuration with multiple access points including using AirPort routers configured as access points, but that'll require understanding a little more about Wi-Fi networking and the devices involved, and about setting up a DHCP server somewhere on your network.