using DHCP and NAT....?

When you were with Rogers, your modem/router acted as two separate devices. The modem portion provided the Internet connection and the router portion of your modem/router provided the DHCP and NAT*** services for the network.

The AirPort Extreme was configured in the correct Bridge Mode settings because the modem/router was already providing DHCP and NAT services.

In Bridge Mode, DHCP and NAT are turned off and the AirPort Extreme acted as a pass through device for these services. This is because you never want two devices, both trying to act as routers on the same network.

When you do have two devices that can act as routers....as you did when you were still with Rogers.... one device (your modem/router) is configured to provide DHCP and NAT and the other device must be configured in Bridge Mode to prevent DHCP and NAT conflicts that would occur with two devices both competing with each other to do the same thing.

When you replaced the Rogers modem/router combination device, you had an Internet connection from the simple modem, but you lost the DHCP and NAT services that the modem/router formerly provided. Now, the AirPort Extreme is acting as your main router....not a bridge as it was before....and it is the AirPort Exteme that is now providing DHCP and NAT services for your network.

***

DHCP is the service that supplies IP addresses to each device on the network

NAT is the service that allows a single Internet connection to share its services with all devices on the network

Excellent explanation! Thx

I think I understand from your explanation, but I'd just like to confirm the correct configuration for a specific use I'm interested in.

I'd like to use an AirPort Express Base Station, FC414LL/A http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC414LL/A/airport-express-base-station-june-20 12, as a travel router, in which the AirPort Express connects to an existing network (ex. hotel) to access the internet, and then provides and additional sub-network to connect multiple devices to, i.e. laptop, iOS devices. The point being to allow multiple devices to connect to a something like a hotel's wired network, or perhaps for multpiple devices to connect to a hotel's wireless network but appear to that hotel's network router as a single device. It's been suggested eleswhere that even this latter sceanario could be accomplished with an AirPort Express Base Station by creating a new network and using the DHCP and NAT mode.

Am I correct in thinking the "DHCP and NAT" mode is the corect way to configure the AirPort Express network in both situations?

Thanks in advance.

Sorry, I am not sure that I understand "both" situations that you ask about.

If there is an Ethernet port in the hotel room that provides an Internet connection, your chances are very good that you can configure the AirPort Express to create a wireless network and use the DHCP and NAT router mode setting to set up your own private wireless network in the room.

If the hotel provides only a wireless connection, a single AirPort Express will do nothing for you.

If you happen to have two AirPort Express devices, then you can usually configure the first Express to "join" the hotel wireless network and then connect an Ethernet cable from the first Express to the second Express which is configured normally as your travel router.

Then, the hotel only "sees" one connection and you only pay for Internet service for one device. The second Express allows you to connect multiple wireless devices to your "private" network the same as if it was connected to a wall Ethernet port.

Ah, I see. I wasn't sure if a single AirPort Express could be used wirelessly to both "join" and create a "new network" simultaneously.

Thank You

A single Express can "join" or "create", but it cannot do both at the same time.