"Time Capsule and Verizon FiOS"

Actually I was wrong, the AE is also connected from Actiontek LAN to AE WAN just like the TC.

Is this correct?

I believed that setup was correct. I came across another ActionTec router This weekend. So I did exactly what you did. I connected additional ActionTec (after putting it in bridge mode) to the original ActionTec(dhcp controller) Lan port to Wan port ( just like the AEX) I found that the two wireless networks were working. Airplay was virtually seamless. Then the AEX lost Internet.(in house -I. E. airplay- wireless still working) It seems that wiring this way only allows for one router to be bridged and access Internet. I exhausted my time limit on trying to solve this problem. I do not have any set top boxes so I eliminated the ActionTec as the DHCP controller. Made the airport extreme my DHCP controller and connected the new ActionTec as a bridge. 2 routers Wi-Fi and Internet working perfectly same SSID but different channels -locked. 3 routers no can do. I read somewhere that all routers needed to be the same for 3+ routers. You have the actiontech still you probably gonna have problems still. Good luck.

Additional option- You probably would be the first person to test this. Take your time capsule ethernet wire to your ONT. Just as I did. Bridge your ActionTec Along with your other Apple products To your time capsule. Still connect Your coax to the ActionTec that is now bridged and hope that your on demand and channel guides still work. Thinking that if your ActionTec is not the controller, maybe, with the Apple in control, everything will now work for you correctly. And you will also keep the fios set top box features.

Help...I am trying to use a Time Capsule to only use as a Time Machine backup. I don't want to use is as a base station. I am trying to set it up with Fios and have no idea how to put it in bridge mode. I am using OSX 10.7.5. I wouls like to completely forego the Actiontec Fios router and ethernet it into my computer. Problem is I only have one ethernet port on my imac 27" (2010) . I do not have much experience working with routers. Any help would be appreciated...

First decide what you want to do. Eliminating the ActionTec On fios network will also eliminate your fios set top boxes' features like on demand and also your channel guide. If you do not have Fios television or do not have any Verizon FiOS set top boxes I.E Cisco and Motorola then you will be okay.

It's been some time since a post on this subject but I will add mine and see if anyone is still monitoring.

I had cable (optimum) yanked out today and Verizon Fios installed. It came with the wireless modem / router, which the tech explained is different than my cable boxes were as this device issues IP's to my set top boxes, so it's necessary.

With cable, the modem itself was a modem, and via ethernet I connected to a timecapsule which created a wifi network. They system also has 2 airport extremes (both hardwired) and 2 airport expresses, both connected wirelessly which merely operate printers in remote corners of the house via usb connections. In all, the network has worked flawlessly - I just wasnt happy with the speeds and performance of cable (and they keep raising the **** bill despite offering "new customers" all the stuff I had for half the price).

NOW - my timecapsule is connected via ethernet to the Fios modem / router. He had me change (through airport utility) to bridge mode -- prior to doing so, flashing amber. Problem solved, everything returned to normal. However, while my existing network remained the same, same name, pw, etc - the Fios router is generating a completely different network name. I changed it to mine, but he said not to - to create another wireless network with a different name or, disable the wireless compeltely.

Why can't I name them both the same, and won't they piggy back if I do so? Not that I need the additional wireless coverage - but why turn it off if there is a way to take advantage of it?

Another issue I noticed....via airport utility I have been able to see how many wireless devices are connected to each device at varying times. Since installation today, a majority of these devices (iphones, ipads, appletv, ibm, blackberry, wii, playstation, etc) are primarily showing up by mac address - not device name. I'd like to change that, or have the OPTION to do that, if possible. Even the set top boxes show up by address, not name.

Thoughts or ideas?

I did read some of the other comments which seem to imply to do a "reverse" and use the timecapsule as the main routing device and the FIOS one off of it - but I am not sure what I gain by doing so, or exactly how to make that switchover?

Thanks.

You have a lot going on there. I'll try to be short. You can have the same SSID and the same password on the ActionTec and the Apple time capsule. Whatever device you decide to "bridge" will cut your download speed in half. If you want the full speed that you are paying for I suggest to only have the ActionTec as your Wi-Fi. And then If there is a far corner in your house that does not get a Wi-Fi signal or has extremely low Wi-Fi then simply activate the one Apple Wi-Fi station in that area (that's wired to the capsule which is wired to actiontech) with its own Wi-Fi network same SS ID same password still. It will sort of piggy back. Half the download speed is better than zero. You may not experience a seamless transition if you are actively using a hand held device going from one end of the house to the other but it will be pretty close. And then again if you were streaming a video it might completely cut off on you. At my house it is sometimes hit and miss but mostly it's a hit. It may be a hit because I have my Apple extreme as the main distributor (with "allow wireless network to be extended " checked in apple extreme settings) hardwired ethernet to my fios ONT and the ActionTec is the "bridged" device. ActionTec routers do not have the "allow wireless network to be extended" feature. So if you were ActionTec is first and the Apple is bridged not really sure how that will perform for someone on the move.

If you have strong Wi-Fi signals from multiple Wi-Fi delivering stations a lot of your information can clash not piggy back. That's why I would suggest only one Wi-Fi outputting station. Overlapping signals can be an issue. Your devices are going to be switching for the strongest signal often. I would only assume that would cause issues.

If you are going to use multiple SS IDs then "lock"each device on it's own channel. Try to limit it to three channels -channel 1 channel 6 & channel 11. They won't overlap. Once again. The main device will have all of your download speed and you're goal should be to run off of that as much as possible IMO.

When you want to name your devices I'm not sure if you're talking about naming them on the ActionTec page or are you talking about naming them on the Apple capsule. If you are in the ActionTec router click on the IP addresses of the devices and just renamed them. It was that simple for me but I haven't done that in a few years maybe the program has changed. So much for being short....

You already have received some good advice which I won't venture to duplicate.

Feel free to install as many Apple Extremes and Expresses in your home as you care to. Just be sure that all of them (save for the base unit that's connected to the ActiontTec) no nothing more than extend the same SSID network.

When you have a choice between Ethernet and wireless, always choose Ethernet.

I've found Verizon FiOS to be reliable and relatively affordable, especially so if you bundle it with phone service and a TV set-top box. (On my system, that's a TiVO and a cable card.) I get 70/35 Mbs real-time service 24/7 throughout my home with 30+ IP devices of all sorts hanging off the system.

A Mac mini connected to a large screen makes Internet video streaming a breeze.

- Andy

Thanks for getting back to me - I've tinkered with this some today (can't leave well enough alone) and was just looking at the settings of my system via airport utility when your response rolled in.

The ActionTec (FIOS) router is in, running, etc and has it's own wireless network name, ie let's call it "Mike1."

It has it's own pw and nothing is connected to it.

The time capsule is plugged in via ethernet to that, and has it's own network "Mike2." It's "network mode" setting is "create a wireless network," versus the other option of "extend a wireless network." Thus, it's a different name.

The router mode is in off, or bridge mode, and the Internet is set to DHCP.

I'm wondering why I wouldn't change the network setting mode to "extend" versus create?

The two airport extremes are set up the same way....both creating a wireless network (named also "Mike2") and in bride mode, DHCP, bridge mode.

The two airport express are set to "extend" versus create (or join).

So in theory I guess what I am asking is the following:

1. Is there any reason not to set the time capsule itself to extend vs create, off of the FIOS router?

2. Should my individual airport extremes (both hooked up via ethernet cable back to the main) be

set in "extend" versus create (this answer probably doesn't matter what the answer is to #1)?

Thanks again.

Mike

I'm wondering why I wouldn't change the network setting mode to "extend" versus create?

"Extend" is used only if the Time Capsule is connecting wirelessly to another Apple router. You would NOT use this setting in your current setup. If you try it, the network will crash.

2. Should my individual airport extremes (both hooked up via ethernet cable back to the main) be

set in "extend" versus create (this answer probably doesn't matter what the answer is to #1)?

Airports (and Time Capsules) that connect using Ethernet always use "create".

AirPorts (and Time Capsules) that connect to another Apple router wirelessly always use "extend". This is the only time that "extend" would be used.

If the Time Capsule is a room or two away from the Fios router, you could have the Time Capsule create "Mike1" using the same password as Mike1. Then, you would have one "big" network.....assuming that you reconfigured the other AirPorts to use "Mike1".

However, if the Time Capsule and Fios router are in close proximity, you would not want to do this....as it will create interference effects between the two routers.

Thank you, Bob.

As cable was removed for the FIOS, the time capsule is essentially next to the FIOS device as it served as the router itself before. There's not really an option to move it far away based on how things are wired, so I will stick with the "Mike1" and "Mike2" - though I'm not sure why anyone would ever use the "Mike1" (FIOS) unless it was for guest access or something like that.

The aiport extremes are both named "Mike2" and I will leave on "create" versus "extend" as you note since they are wired. I guess my question is since they both (and the time capsule itself) are "Mike2," are they really one big network, despite being named the same and having the same pw to access, it seems that sometimes a device locks on to a good signal in one portion of the house, but when I go to another area the connection is weak, I turn off wifi and reconnect and seem to grab a closer device? Does that make sense? I just felt like by having 3 devices all saying "create" that I was actually creating 3 separate, although similarly named networks.

The express' make sense because they are in fact (in extend mode) connecting wirelessly and I presume grabbing their signal off of the closest extreme (although sometimes they appear to bounce back and forth).

So I think you've overall answered that I should leave everything alone, as is? I'm not feeling like I am getting any additional boost or use out of the wireless function of the FIOS router - I suppose I could turn the wireless portion of that off too.

Mike, if you read my post then you will know that by using the Apple routers (well any other router actually) and wire them to the ActionTec. Those devices will have their download speed cut in half. to me that is a major problem. Which ever router you ever decide to use as your primary Gateway into the Internet will have the speed that you were paying for. In your case that is the ActionTec. You can test the speed at Verizon speed test. just Google it. Of course you have to have a device that uses Flash player. So any laptop will do. If you are willing to accept that you only get half the speed then your current set up will suffice.

General - I saw that warning when I configured my network and I didn't see the bandwidth cut. I found no noticeable improvement when disabling the actiontec wifi either, so the concerns about interference also seemed overblown. My FiOS boxes all get their programming info over wifi from the actiontec network and then I have an AirPort Extreme in bridge mode to cover everything else. I reliably get my full 30 down and don't even see an improvement when I hardline directly into either router. I was very concerned about all of this when I started getting set up, but for about a year my performance has been solid.

I just ran another speedtest (speedtest.net) and am running 84 down and 39 up, so speed doesn't seem to be an issue.

I changed the FIOS router to "MikeGuest" - separate pw and access. It hardwires to time capsule, bridge mode different name - "Mike" and the airport extreme's are both set to "create a network" as stated above since they are wired, and the airport express' remain on "extend" to add to the "Mike" network. Airport utility shows them both feeding off the same extreme, which makes sense as they are closer to one of them.

What I've lost is the ability when I use aiport utility to tell what my devices are - iphones, ipads, bb's, named computers (ibm tablet, iMac, etc) by name. Everything except one obsolute IBM is either showing up as 192...series IP address or by their MAC address. Frustrating as it was nice seeing who was connected to what and knowing what they were, but I'm guessing this is a symptom of how the FIOS router issues IP's?

If it matters, my FIOS device is an ActionTec MI424 - has a red band on the front of it, dual antenna. Not sure that it's anything special.

Thanks again for all the input and help.

I guess my question is since they both (and the time capsule itself) are "Mike2," are they really one big network

They are members in what is known as a "roaming network".

The theory is that a device, like a Mac, will be able to move from one area to another and stay on the same network, automatically connecting to the access point with the strongest signal.

The theory works quite well for any Mac that I've ever used, but the theory does not work that well with the iPhone and iPad....probably because they use different operating systems than a Mac.

So, if my wife is using her iPad on one end of the house and she carries it to the other end of the house, she must turn off the wireless and then turn it back on at the iPad when she reaches the other end of the house, so the iPad will pick up the signal from the closer AirPort.