guest network does not work when bridging airport express to extreme

Apple uses VLAN 1003 to isolate the Guest Network from the main network and when you select Router Mode = Off (Bridge Mode) instead of DHCP and NAT, the Airport devices (both Extreme and Express) continue to tag the Guest Network traffic with VLAN 1003 but there is nothing to strip the header at the WAN port. So, to use the Guest Network in Bridge Mode, you have to have a router/switch upstream that will remove the VLAN header when the packet is transferred to the internet and put it back on when outside traffic is routed to devices connected to the Guest Network.

The least expensive solution I have found is the Ubiquity ER-X (at about $50). Just plug the Airport (Extreme or Express) into one of the LAN ports (E1 - E4) and set the interface to have NO ADDRESS, create a DHCP server with a dedicated block of IP addresses (maybe 10.10.0.0/16) and set the DNS forwarding to add switch0.1003 as a listening interface. Configuring the ER-X is not trivial, but a competent/dedicated novice can do it with the on-line documents and helpful forum postings.

I noticed the same thing. Guest network has never been an option if you run your AE in Bridge Mode, so when the new update showed it as a selectable option I tried it out. Mine won't even successfully log in, so I'm wondering if the guest network in bridge mode is still not an option, but the firmware has an error that allows guest network to be selected.

Been running an AirPort Exteme with new version of the AirPort Express for the past day with no issues at all regarding the extension of the Guest Network feature introduced in firmware 7.6.3.

Have tested the AirPort Express connected to the AirPort Extreme using a wired Ethernet connection and also tested using wireless only.

Everything appears to be normal. Solid connections at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, no issues, same speed as the "main" network, etc

Bob,

Can you expand on your setup? Do you have an Airport as your primary Internet connection (with Guest mode enabled)?

I have several Airports in Bridge mode, but the primary router is 3rd party. I can connect to the new-featured Guest mode WiFi, but cannot get an IP address. I presume this should be expected, as there is no DHCP enabled.

Is Apple using standard VLAN? Any other suggestions how to fully enable this?

Thank you.

AirPort Extreme is the main base station handlng DHCP and NAT for the network. Normally, I do not use the Guest Network feature of this dual band router, but decided to check out the new firmware.

The AirPort Express is normally connected back to the AirPort Extreme via a wired Ethernet connection so it functions as a separate access point in a roaming network configuration.

I tried out the Guest Network option in the new firmware on the AirPort Express and had no issues. Then, decided to try the Express out as a test connecting using wireless only. I moved it to a location that was about 30 feet and a few rooms away from the AirPort Extreme and enabled the Guest Function with no problems.

I would not expect your setup to work with the Guest Network features, since you do not have an Apple router installed and functioning as the main router for the network. That would be the device that "creates" the Guest Network and other AirPorts "extend" it using either an Ethernet or wireless connection.

Apple used VLAN for the Guest Network feature before and I assume that has been expanded somewhat with the new feature to extend the Guest Network option to other Apple routers on a network.

Many thanks for the update. My primary router supports VLAN, but in the absence of more details (from Apple) I doubt that I can get them co-operating.

Regards.

To all who have replied: Are you running your AE in bridge mode? The answers I've read have mentioned DHCP, but that's not an option in bridge mode. My AE is set up with a static IP and runs in bridge mode; it's connected via Ethernet to my Uverse gateway, and the Uverse gateway has its wireless disabled. I can create, name, and password-protect a guest network, but nothing can connect to it.

The AirPorts can now "extend" a guest network, but only if the main router is an Apple router that is configured to provide DHCP and NAT services for the network.

If you have your AirPort in Bridge Mode downstream from the Uverse gateway, the "guest" network is not going to work...since the Uverse router is not creating a guest network....In that case, you are asking the AirPort to "extend" the guest network when none exists in the first place.

Bottom line to extend a guest network, you must have an Apple router configured as the main router "creating" the guest network (Not in Bridge Mode) and a second Apple router to extend the guest network from the first.

Sadly, that's what I thought. In previous incarnations of the Airport Utility, the Guest Network functionality was (rightly) absent when the AE was in bridge mode. Why this is is a selectable option in a non-working configuration seems like an oversight.

Thanks. This is my experience. You can set up Guest Network, but it doesn't work on my network that uses bridge mode to a Verizon router.

I have the same issue ISP>Extreme Router > Cisco 8Port Switch > Bridged Express. Limited Internet access connected to express guest network. Apple's website doesn't even load. I changed the names of the guest network on each device instead of giving them the same name. I had 3 SSID's with different passwords; normal, Guest Extreme, Guest Express. It was easy to switch between all 3. If you connect to the normal network or the guest extreme it would connect out fine. if you connect to the Guest Express you would get nothing.

did you connect them direcly without a switch?

Simple bridge mode modem > AirPort Extreme providing DHCP and NAT > Netgear 8-port Gigabit Switch > AirPort Express......flawless so far

Also tested

Simple bridge mode modem > AirPort Extreme providing DHCP and NAT >>>(wireless) AirPort Express....flawless as well