Can Airport Extreme Extend a non Apple Wireless Network?

Please post on your results and we'll see what happens at that time. Good luck!

Bob,

Pssst. Still here? 🙂

Sunday will be the big day.

Re-reading your instructions, particularly about
using a 5-digit passcode for WEP 64.

You also recommend using WEP 128 which uses
13 characters.

Looking at the Apple discussion link you provided
regarding password compatibility it looks as if "5"
or "13" are the magic numbers to use.

In other words, as long as I use "5" characters in
WEP 64 or "13" in WEP 128 the Apple AEBS should
communicate with the Fios router just fine....yes?

Re-reading your instructions, particularly about
using a 5-digit passcode for WEP 64.

Fios calls it WEP 64. Apple calls it WEP 40. Despite this, they are the same 🙂

You also recommend using WEP 128 which uses
13 characters.

I said it was +a bit more secure than WEP 64 (40)+, which is easily cracked, but did not recommend it.

In other words, as long as I use "5" characters in
WEP 64 or "13" in WEP 128 the Apple AEBS should
communicate with the Fios router just fine....yes

Apple says this provides the best chance of compatibility. It has always worked for me in the past, but you never really know until you try. With a bit of luck, everything will work on the first try.

Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

Bob,

Good Morning. It's Sunday.

Well, everything just about worked out perfectly....almost.

I was able to get into the Fios router and set it up for a
5-Digit 64/40 ASCII password. That was the only option
that allowed me to use 5 digits.

Miraculously, I was able to change the password on my
Macbook and Tivo with the 5-digit entry and both connected.

Now here is where things did not work out....

The Airport Extreme Base Station will not take 5 digit passwords.

The three choices I have:

*WEP (Transitional Security Network)*
*WPA/WPA2 Personal*
*WPA2 Personal*

I used the WEP and it wants more than 5 digits
I used the others as well and it won't take 5 digits.

Even held down the OPTION key while selecting
security options and no other choices appeared.

Any advice?

*There was also a choice in the setup for ALLOW*
*NETWORK TO BE EXTENDED. I put a check next*
*to that. Should I have?*

Thanks. I'll be checking back every few minutes
for a response.

Ooops forget to ask whether you have a newer simultaneous dual band AirPort Express or an older version?

If you open AirPort Utility and click on the AirPort Extreme on the left, look for information on the right about the AirPort Extreme. Just need to top line (sentence) of information...."AirPort Utility has found an......"

You do not need the check mark next to "Allow this network to be extended" unless you are planning to use another device like an AirPort Express to provide more coverage using wireless only.

You are quick!

It said something about a 80211n Gigabit Ethernet.

I am guessing it is not the dual band. I think I got
the first model that came out. Hopefully the above
should verify that.

I have to keep switching my cables for router and
Internet so I could not reprint the exact words you
were looking for but I think the above will suffice.

Message was edited by: NJ Ron

OK, thanks.

When you are on the Wireless setup page for the AirPort Extreme:

Hold down the option key while you click on the Radio Mode setting box and select "802.11 b/g compatible"

Then click the Security setting again (you may need to hold down the option key as well here) and select WEP 40 bit.

That should allow the 5 digit password to be entered.

Bob,

This turned out to be a HUGE success.

Your latest set of instructions allowed me
to use a 5-digit password. Worked perfectly.

Even better....

I am using a highly rated Western Digital
Powerline kit to extend my wireless network
across the house where the signal normally
fades quickly.

Let me give you some quick numbers:

Laptop wired into FIOS router (Best possible Speed): 42.48 down; 24.85 up; 26ms PING
Laptop wired into Powerline across the house: 38.60 down; 18.89 up; 32ms PING

So you can see I had a very strong signal to play with
using the powerline connection.

Using your instructions (which were easy to follow) I
simply configured my Airport Extreme Base Station
and plugged it into the powerline ethernet connection.

Old Wifi laptop strength across the house: 12.80 down; 8.89 up; 27ms PING
NEW POWERLINE WIFI SIGNAL STRENGTH: 25.36 down; 16.03 up; 32ms PING

So you can see a huge performance surge using the
Apple Router as a bridge to extend the network on
a powerline.

Bob, can't thank you enough. You have stuck by
all of us here answering our questions. There should
be more people around here like yourself.

Thank You!

Glad that things worked well for you!

Bob,

You still around?

Having a small problem that perhaps you may
have a quick solution for.

Ever since changing to the shorter 5 character
password I am having problems with the iPhone
and iPod Touch connecting.

There is no problem with the computers in the
house connecting wirelessly to the Wifi.

However, iPod and iPhone connects with the
password, shows the WiFi signal coming to it,
but when accessing the Internet it states that
it's offline.

Anything that I may have done here that would
prevent these devices from accessing the Internet
when they did before?

Thanks