Airport Extreme Bridge mode

I tried to setup the new 2013 AirPort Extreme last week and have this exact same problem. In bridge mode, connecting via Wifi doesn't work because the clients are assigned an IP address. Wired clients work as they should. I've tested this with two different units, no difference.

I'm glad I'm not the only one with this issue and I can't imagine what Apple had in mind with this functionality. Bug? Feature?

Correction: In bridge mode, connecting via Wifi doesn't work because the clients AREN'T assigned an IP address.

Update: Not only are wifi clients not assigned IP addresses, Bonjour is ALSO blocked when the Airport is in bridge mode. I just got off the phone with Apple support and they basically told me that because the Cisco VPN router the AirPort is connected to doesn't hand out "wireless IP address" (I didn't think DHCP servers discriminated against the type of connection...) the IP addresses aren't passed out via the AirPort in bridge mode. How the **** does Apple expect people to use the new AirPort Extreme as a wireless access point if this doesn't work? The more I think about it the more I want to call BS on their answer. The curent gen AirPort Express works the way it should, the Extreme doesn't.

I am also having this problem and I've been working on this for days! I just purchased the brand new airport extreme/time capsule 2GB. When set to bridge mode, no wireless clients can connect. They all say no IP. They receive an IP address just fine via ethernet and the internet works.

And as described earlier by someone else, if I setup my airport express (2nd gen) in the same configuration, bridged. Wireless clients can connect without a problem. Something is wrong with the new airport extremes/time capusles (2TB/3TB).

Did you call Apple support? The official line from them makes no sense. Glad to see this is a wide spread thing and not limited to a few hardware units.

I FIGURED IT OUT!

I've spent hours on this trying to figure this out. I finally got it to work. Here is my setup, I'm acutally traveling abroad and I'm taking my apple networking gear with me so I can always get on the other wifi networks. I am unable to modify the hosts' routers of where I'm staying.

Cable Modem/Wifi Router (all in one) NAT+DHCP -> Airport Time Capsule 2TB (created network) -> airport express 2nd gen (extended network) -> End clients (assigns ips now).

Basically this is what you have to do. When you first setup the Time Capsule, you have to make sure the WAN ethernet port is not plugged in from the non-apple modem/router. If it's plugged in, when you create the network and connect to it your end computers won't get an ip assigned via wireless (it works via ethernet) but we're fixing the wireless here.

I would, reset the time capsule, start it up, create just a brand new wireless network, ensure it has no internet connection hooked up. Make sure to enable IPv6 connecting sharing under (INTERNET -> OPTIONS), and set it to "off bridged) under (NETWORKED) make sure that "block incoming IPv6 connections" is not enabled under the (NETWORK -> NETWORK). OPTIONS). Once you have that setup and the wireless network works and you connect to it. Then connect your Time Capsule WAN port to the modem/router, and then it'll assign IPS to your end computers when you connect to your Time Capsule Wireless network.

Again: If you start up your time capsule with WAN plugged in, basically it just won't work. Another issue too that I ran into. I had this setup working earlier. But then once I restarted, the whole thing diddn't work and I couldn't figure it out at all. It turns out after I had it setup originally, even once it was working, if it restarted and the WAN port was plugged in, it just diddn't work. If I restarted it without the WAN port plugged in, then once it was started plug in it, then I could connect to it wiresly and it'd assign the IPS.

I'm sure this is a bug as you should just be able to have the WAN port plugged in to create a network with time capsule and work, but it doesn't. Once I was able to do this, I was then of course able to extend my time capsule 2TB to my airport express. Making sure once again on the express that the IPv6 connections wasn't blocked, it was in bridge mode andI enabled IPv6 internet connection sharing.

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Also one more thing, after I first setup my time capsule then extended airport express it diddn't orignally work. I had to restart my time capsule (with WAN unplugged) then started it up, then after plugged WAN in. then it wroked once everything was configured and then WAN was last plugged in my entire network worked.

Hey wmahler thanks a lot!!!

For the last 2 days I was searching the internet to find a solution!

You solved my problem with the new Time Capsule!

😉

Thank you

I managed to extend time capsule with airport express, but having problems with extreme.

It doesn't want to start working due to the wrong IP address which is getting.

😟

I am sad to say, but this did not solve my problem.

Looks like the extreme is loosing the connection and afterwards can not get the IP address from the capsule.

Almost every day I need to restart the time capsule and extreme, in order to extened the connection.

😟

This is not the real sollution.

Anyone with better idea, or can I contact apple?

I found the same prolem today by switching my airport extreme from DCHP and NAT mode to bridge(off) mode.

It's so easy to solve the problem:

0.install "airport tool" app on your iphone,ipad/ipod, or mac

1. disconnect all the ethernet cables to the airport extreme

2. reset the airport extreme by pressing the "reset" using a pencil or stick

3. lauch the airport tool app--- touch the airport extreme icon-- edit ---network---wifi mode--- setup new wireless network

4. edit- advanced---select DHCP and NAT

5.plug the ethernet cable with internet access from the main router to the wan port on the airport extreme, and plug all the other ethernet cables to any pc you like, then all your wired or wireless devices will work !

6. status: dual NAT -----------select ignore it.

Then it works!

I am trying to set up my new Airport Extreme with my existing DSL modem. I need to get the AE into bridging mode (with the modem supplying the NAT etc.) I've google and seen how this would be done via a Mac, but this is an all PC system setup, but with iPhones available to run the Airport setup app. The iOS tool insists on trying to set up the AE to connect via PPPoE, but that's not going to work for me (ISP requires the DSL modem to supply the NAT etc. and the router can't be put into bridging mode.) Anyway, let's skip the suggestion of ash-canning all my PCs and buying Macs 😀, and if possible, let me know how to switch to bridging mode on the AE from the iOS app., Thanks!

I'm going to answer my own question 😉 Before going to Advance and changing the Router Mode to Off/Bridging you must first go to Internet Connection and change from PPPoE to DHCP in the three buttons at the top of the screen. Otherwise, the Router Mode will not be editable. The product comes set for PPPoE.

Finally, this did it along with the info from wmahler! Thank you both! Ignoring the DCHP and Nat mode did the trick.

Hi There,

This sounds like something I need to try, for the past 2 weeks my internet drops at least once a day, after getting my home internet setup by the local provider - Technicolor TC7200 router/modem - I connected my Airport extreme port to enable the wifi feature, same config I used to use on my previous home with no problem but different router though, now I have all these disconnections and internet slow downs.

First time i plugged the WAN cable it update the firmware.

Then, I have trired several combinations (Extended, new network, even DHCP or NAT enabled), but I fall back with the combination of the NAT and DHCP enablement when I got the warning.

well see how behaves after your solution.

thx

OK, I been reading this post and I think it may offer some hope for my situation. I recently went from a linksys router to an AE due to constant problems with various websites. After installing the AE they disappeared, however I sometimes use a Dell PC to work from home via a Cisco VPN. For some reason it will kick me out, sometimes several times a day. Other posts have documented this problem but I have never seen a solid resolution (still looking though) However, based on this discussion, I am now thinking I might be able to reconnect the Linksys router to the cable modem, and then hook up the AE to the Linksys router (via ethernet cable?). I would plug the PC into the Linksys router when working from home and have all of our other Macs (iMac, MBP, iPads, iPhones, etc) access the internet wirelessly through the AE. Does this sound workable?

My problem will be getting the settings right since my networking level of understanding is quite limited.

Thanks