Wifi Router at resort

I am going to a resort in a little over a month. They have wifi that you can pay for (which we are) however only one device can connect at a time. We have three families going with us. I have an airport express and my mac. I know I can connect my airport express and let it connect as a bridge to the resorts router and then up to ten devices can connect to my airport. I also know some routers dont let others connect to it as a bridge. So my backup plan is my mac with internet sharing.


My question is setting all this up. For the airport all I have to do is set it up as a bridge in airport utility and then have the wifi devices connect to my router. Is this correct?


I dont know how to set up the mac for internet sharing with other devices so thats also what I need to know.


I just want to make sure when I get there I know what to do so there is no hassles because it will be hard to try and troubleshoot it in another country.


Thanks!!!!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Jun 11, 2011 9:16 AM

Reply
11 replies

Jun 11, 2011 11:07 AM in response to nunes013

I have an airport express and my mac. I know I can connect my airport express and let it connect as a bridge to the resorts router and then up to ten devices can connect to my airport.


In order for the AirPort Express to provide a wireless network, it must be connected to an Internet source using an Ethernet cable, so it cannot perform the duties that you describe in your post if the resort is providing only a wireless signal.


Can you clarify on this?


I dont know how to set up the mac for internet sharing with other devices so thats also what I need to know.


If the Mac is setup for Internet Sharing and is receiving a wireless signal, it cannot repeat or share the wireless signal. It can only share a signal at the Mac's Ethernet port.


If it turns out that the resort is wireless only, it might be possible to configure one AirPort Express to "join" the wireless network and provide an Ethernet signal to a second AirPort Express which would be configured to 'create a wireless network" for up to 10 wireless clients. In my traveling experience, this type of setup will work approximately 50% of the time.

Jun 11, 2011 11:39 AM in response to nunes013

Usually hotels and resorts offer wifi service without access restrictions pertaining to the number of devices that can access a wifi connection. Perhaps you misunderstood their explanation of wifi service. In hotels I've been able to use AirportExpress as a wifi router using DHCP or as a wireless access point (i.e. no DHCP) while hooked up to the hotel Ethernet connection.

Jun 11, 2011 11:45 AM in response to nunes013

I checked the email again and it said only one device at a time. The thing is, is when you buy the wifi for your room its for your room. We have three families and are all going to separate rooms so we were going to order wifi for one room (because it is $60 per week) and just split it. And there are 3 families with 5 kids so we are all going to want to connect. I have an airport extreme I could bring to and try what Bob said to do. Thanks so much for your responses!!!

Jun 11, 2011 11:46 AM in response to Russa

Usually hotels and resorts offer wifi service without access restrictions pertaining to the number of devices that can access a wifi connection.

That is not my experience at all. I usually have to review the bill and point out at check out that I am a hotel club member, etc to get the charge reduced to access for one device per day.


Hotels have become a lot more sophisticated in the last few years and most them now make you log in separately for each wireless connection if you are connecting directly to their wireless.


If I am lucky enough to get a hotel with an Ethernet connection, I can usually configure the AirPort Express to hand out IP addresses to each connected client. That way, the hotel router only "sees" one device....the AirPort Express.

Jun 11, 2011 12:31 PM in response to Bob Timmons

i wish it was that way.


here is the email that they sent when I asked them about the wifi:



We do have WiFi internet access throughout our resort, however it does have

an additional fee. The fees are as follows:

1 hour - $10usd

1 day - $15usd

1 week - $60usd

This charge can be paid by credit card or can be charged to your room.

Please be advised that the internet code can only be used on one internet

device at a time. We also have 2 desktop computers that are available for

you to use, they are located in our business center which is open daily from

7am-11pm. The internet fees are the same when using these computers.




Im going to try the suggestion you posted about the two airport devices. I think thats my only option so Ill try it out. Thanks for everyones help!!!

Jun 11, 2011 12:40 PM in response to nunes013

Would't AirPort Express work as network extender? Just to extend the resort's wifi connecting to it with given id and password and all the clients, in this case nunes013 and the company, connecting to that AirPort Express? I guess in that case all the connections would be recognized by resort's wifi router as the only one.

The problem might be if the main wifi router is set to not allow network to be extended....

Jun 11, 2011 1:14 PM in response to Munas

Would't AirPort Express work as network extender?

Extremely unlikely as this is a proprietary feature among Apple routers and is not compatible (as far as we know) with devices from any other manufacturer.


It would work.....IF


1) The main router at the hotel and all wireless access points were Apple "n" wireless devices

2) The main Apple router has been configured to allow its network to be extended


Even if this could be configured, the Airport in the room will be in Bridge Mode, so the hotel router will pick up the MAC address or AirPort ID of each device and charge for each device that connects.

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Wifi Router at resort

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