Airport Express as travel router?

Wouldn't the "main" router see only the IP address of the switch and my switch would control the other IP addresses?

This would be true if you had a router configured to "share a public IP address", but a switch is not a router.

A switch is just a pass through device. It's the same as if you had a router in bridge mode. The switch will not receive an IP address at all.

Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

In AirPort Utility - Manual Setup
Click the Internet icon, then click the DHCP tab
You can make changes here.

You can use the "closed network" option if you don't want the name of your wireless network to be displayed. But there are dozens of utilities on the Internet that will show your network in seconds, so it's not much of security feature.

Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

If you connect a switch to one of the LAN ports on your router (which would in effect be the same as plugging into the ethernet port at a hotel) and you have no devices connected, no IP address will be assigned by the main router to the switch.

If you connect one device, that device will get an IP address. Each device that connects will get a new different IP address. But the switch itself will not get an IP address.

OK, I think I understand now. So would it really be worth it to carry the switch? It would make giving other users access easier but if the "main" router doesn't allow multiple IP addresses then it would be dead weight.

If the other devices can connect using wireless, it's probably not worth the hassle to take the switch and extra ethernet cables along. Your call on that one.

I will have to make some notes as to how to set this all up should the need arise to Share IP Address.

We may go another 2 pages on this thread 🙂, but the AirPort Express has the ability to store up to 5 different profiles. So, you store 2 profiles something like:

Bridge Mode...for bridge operation

Share Mode....when you needed to try the "share" option

In AirPort Utility, click the Base Station Menu item (very top of the screen to the right of the Apple icon)

Select Manage Profiles to play around with this.

Click Help and enter +using profiles+ in the search box for some documentation on this. It's a bit tricky, so spend some time until you get the hang of it.

If you need to get the Express back to factory defaults to start over fresh, unplug the Express, then hold in the reset button and while you keep holding the reset button in, plug the Express back in to power. Keep holding the reset button until you see the amber light begin to blink more quickly. You can release the reset button at this time.

That will get you back to the original factory defaults on the Express.

Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

Based on the info you provided, the school's main router is only allowing one device to connect to the ethernet port, so the "Share a public IP address" would be the best bet to try to connect multiple wireless devices.

Unless you have changed the DHCP IP address ranges on the device, when the Airport is setup to "Share", it provides local IP addresses in the 10.0.1.x range. That's an Apple thing, but it works well. Most home routers provide addresses in the 192.168.x.x range. Either will work.

If you changed the AirPort to provide IP addresses in the 192.168.2.x range, that should be fine as long as the school is not using that same range.

You change the DHCP range for the AirPort by using AirPort Utility - Manual Setup, Internet icon, DHCP tab. If it's on the 10.0.1.x range

The Internet IP address or school router address will probably look entirely different. That's fine.

Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

Thanks for the effort here Bob....

I have been trying to figure out how to do this and so far, I followed your instructions (page-1) and it seems to have worked. mind you I have not gotten to the Hotel yet so I guess time will tell....:))

Anyway, I just wanted to jump in and Thanks-You for your instructions and effort.

Cheers
Doug

Thanks! Please post back to let us know how things are working. The setup will work in most hotels with ethernet ports.

Did she restart everything after configuring the AirPort Express to "share"?

Power everything off, order is not important. Power up the Express and let it run a moment or two, then power up the computer to see if it will connect to the Internet. If yes, then power up the next device and try, etc.

If still no luck, then I'm afraid that it's clear that the school's main router has been configured so that it will not allow another device to perform routing functions on the network.

The only other long shot I can think of is if the school requires registration of the MAC address of the device that is connected to the ethernet port. Something like this might be entered on the school's log in page. In that case, you would use the Ethernet ID (on the side of the Express in the fine print).