2 AirPort Extreme 5th Gens to trash or repurpose?

john_the_gun_s wrote:

While I've found old youtube videos about making your router serve your printer, I wasn't able to find how to set them up in the context of NOT using the airport extremes to provide my main internet.

To just use these AirPort Extremes as Ethernet switches, you only need to make two basic configuration changes in the AirPort Utility:

1. Reconfigure the base station into Bridge Mode. This disables its routing functions (DHCP & NAT), and it effectively becomes a pass-through device. AirPort Utility > Select the Extreme > Edit > Network tab > Router Mode = Off (Bridge Mode)
2. Disable its wireless radios. AirPort Utility > Select the Extreme > Edit > Wireless tab > Network Mode = Off

Power up the AirPort Extreme that you want to use as a switch and Wi-Fi source

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

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

Power off the AirPort

Choose an Ethernet port on the Deco router that you want to use to connect the AirPort Extreme

Connect the Ethernet cable from an Ethernet port on the Deco router to the "O" Ethernet port on the AirPort Extreme

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

Open AirPort Utility on your Mac (Finder > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility)

Click on the Other Wi-Fi Devices button

Click on AirPort Extreme xxxxxxx

AirPort Utility will take a few seconds to analyze the network and then display the correct setup options for the AirPort. The window will look similar to the example that you see below except that you will see an AirPort Extreme pictured

Network Name......Type in a Wi-Fi network name for the AirPort to use

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

Password.....Type in a password for the AirPort

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

Click Next and AirPort Utility will assign the correct settings to the AirPort Extreme

There should be a nice green light on the AirPort in about a minute

This AirPort is now set up in Bridge Mode and providing a Wi-Fi signal. You can now connect Ethernet devices to any of the three LAN <--> Ethernet ports on the AirPort. If you need more Ethernet ports, you can add an Ethernet switch to one of the LAN ports on the AirPort.

Check the Wi-Fi by connecting your Mac to the Wi-Fi network that you have named. The Mac may already be connected to this network.

Post back on your progress and then we will set up the second AirPort.

I am assuming that you want to use Wi-Fi to connect the second AirPort Extreme to the AirPort Extreme that is now up and running.

Power up the 2nd AirPort Extreme that you want to use and let it run for a minute

Hold in the reset button on the back of the 2nd AirPort for 7-8 seconds and release

Allow a full minute for the 2nd AirPort to restart to a slow blinking amber light status

Power off the 2nd AirPort

Power off the "main" AirPort Extreme and leave it off for a minute

Power up the "main" AirPort Extreme and let it run for a minute

Power up the 2nd AirPort Extreme and let it run for a minute

Open AirPort Utility on your Mac (Finder > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility)

Click on the Other Wi-Fi Devices button

Click on AirPort Extreme xxxxxxx

AirPort Utility will take a few seconds to analyze the network and then display the correct setup options for the AirPort. The window will look similar to the example that you see below except that you will see an AirPort Extreme pictured

Type in a device name that you want to call the 2nd AirPort Extreme

Click Next

AirPort Utility will configure the 2nd AirPort correctly.

if I wanted to introduce one airport extreme as a switch, what should the order be? modem connected using ethernet in to deco M9, ethernet out to airport extreme in bridge mode, and then connect the power over ethernet cable to one of the airport extreme ports?

Yes, that would work.

If I use the airport extreme as a switch, will it max out at 400 to 500 MBps in Bridge mode right?

800-900 Mbps would be realistic, assuming that the Deco is providing that to the AirPort Extreme. In router mode, the AirPort would be limited to about 350-400 Mbps over Ethernet, but in Bridge Mode....the way that you would be using the device.....the AirPort acts as an Ethernet switch, since it does have Gigabit Ethernet ports.

.To use the second airport as a printer server, how do I set it up on my network? Is it possible to have 2nd AirPort Extreme as a wireless printer server as I can't have my printer close enough to my second deco M9 unit (in different room to printer) to connect over Ethernet 

The normal reason to consider using the second AirPort as a print server would be that your printer needs to connect using USB. But.....and this is a big but....only the print function will be supported at the USB port on the AirPort. If your printer is a multi-function device, the scan, copy, maintenance, etc functions will not be supported over USB.

Another complication......if you want the second AirPort Extreme to connect to the first AirPort using only Wi-Fi, then you will have to configure the first AirPort Extreme to provide a wireless signal for the second AirPort to extend. So, you will have two Wi-Fi networks....the Deco network and AirPort network....operating simultaneously in your home with devices trying to communicate over those two networks.

Yes, the printer could connect to an Ethernet port on the second AirPort if that is way that your printer normally connects to the network, but if that is the case, why can't you simply add another Ethernet over power line adapter near the printer and have it connect that way?

For this second AirPort Extreme for the printer server please kindly advise how I configure it to be the printer server?

If the printer now connects to the network over Ethernet, you would not need to make any changes to the setup of the printer at all. Simply connect it to another Ethernet port on the network, either a power line adapter or the second AirPort Extreme.

I can understand that you want to get some more use out of the AirPorts, but you will be making your network a lot more complicated to do this, with greater chances of errors occurring in the print process. Things would be much simpler....with fewer chanced of errors.....if you simply use another Ethernet over power line adapter for the printer.

If you need more Ethernet ports, simply connect a simple Ethernet switch to one of the ports on the Deco main router. Switches come in 5-port, 8-port, 16-port, etc versions.

Wi-Fi would be a much better option to connect to the printer than USB. Why can't you simply connect the printer to the Wi-Fi network that the Deco mesh system provides?

This would be by far the best way to set up your network.

Guess, I'm not understanding why you feel that you need an Ethernet "switch".

In other words, you don't need either of the AirPorts at all to connect the printer in the best way possible.

If you are saying that you don't have the manual or setup guide for the printer, you can almost always find a manual at the support site for the printer.

What is the make and model number of your printer?

Edit.....for some reason, the following text was not included with my previous reply.

Even if you want to connect the printer to the USB port on the AirPort, or connect the printer to the Wi-Fi signal from the AirPort........you are still going to need to reset the printer back to its default settings and then set it up again.

So, it would make much more sense to set up the printer in the best way possible.......to connect directly to the Deco Wi-Fi.....than try to set up a second Wi-Fi network and connect the printer to the second Wi-Fi network. This would only make things a lot more complicated and increase the chances of problems.

It appears that you might have been thinking that simply setting up the AirPorts would somehow allow the printer to connect without any further action needed on the printer. That would not be the case. The printer still needs to be reset and then set up again no matter whether you want to use the Deco network or the AirPort network.

We can tell you how to set up the AirPort as a Bridge so that it will function as an Ethernet switch and broadcast a Wi-Fi network, but things are not going to work with your printer until you are able to reset the printer and then set it up again to connect to either the Deco or the AirPort Wi-Fi network.

The same would be true if for some reason you want to use the far less desirable USB port on the AirPort.

Is this what you want to do? Do you want to also set up the second AirPort to extend the Wi-Fi signal from the first AirPort?

Finally, do you understand that we are not going to be able to help with the setup of the printer?

Things are not going to magically happen when/if you connect the printer to the USB port on the AirPort.

Thanks for posting back. Glad that you got things set up and working!