Yoda911
Level 1 (14 points)

Q: Can I create a unique subnetwork when extending a wireless network using Airport Extreme?

My office building has an Airport Extreme to provide wifi to our individual suites.  I would like to create a sub-network using my Airport Extreme for my suite only that uses the wifi signal from our office building and provides internet to the computers (both wired and wireless) in my suite but have it protected so that other suites in my building can't see my computers.  Is this possible and how do I do it?  I have currently set up my Airport Extreme in wifi-mode "extending a previous wireless network" and have the router with its unique router name.  But once I extended the wireless network, I could not find the network name of my router, only the office name (the one I was extending).  The computers connected via ethernet to my Airport have internet access but none of my wireless computers see my airport name, it sees the office building network name.  I'm assuming they are connecting to my Airport since the signal level is much higher than before and it appears that my Airport is rebroadcasting the network name of my office building.  Is there a way to have my Airport broadcast its unique identifier for wifi, still connect to the internet via wifi signal to the Office building airport and maintain segregation between my computers and the rest of my office building?

 

Also, when I use the Airport Utility on my Iphone, I see the internet -> the office airport extreme -> and then 2 different base stations connected in a Y.  Mine and my neighbors (who is probably doing the same thing as I am).  But there is a dotted line to my base station, does that mean I'm connected to the internet via my neighbor's airport?

 

Any thoughts?

Airport extreme, iOS 5.1

Posted on May 2, 2013 10:17 AM

by Bob Timmons,Apple recommended
Bob Timmons Bob Timmons
Level 10 (105,448 points)
Wireless
A:
I would like to create a sub-network using my Airport Extreme for my suite only that uses the wifi signal from our office building and provides internet to the computers (both wired and wireless) in my suite but have it protected so that other suites in my building can't see my computers.

 

It is not possible to configure a single Apple AirPort router in this manner using wireless only, but it would be possible to do this with a single AirPort if you connect your AirPort Extreme to the "main" router using a wired Ethernet connection.

 

As for wireless only....you could probably do what you want by using two Apple routers....an AirPort Express to join the wireless network and provide an Ethernet signal to the AirPort Extreme's WAN port. Then the AirPort Extreme could then be configured to provide a separate network using a different subnet.

 

Users on the "main" network would not be able to "see" any devices on your "private" network and vice versa.

 

I use the two router set up all the time at hotels that only provide a wireless signal. The first Express "joins" the wireless network and feeds an Ethernet signal to the second AirPort which is configured to "create a wireless network" in router mode.

 

This way, I can connect multiple devices to my "private" network, but only pay the hotel for one connection since the hotel router only "sees" the AirPort Express that joins the network.

Posted on May 2, 2013 11:03 AM

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Yoda911

Q: Can I create a unique subnetwork when extending a wireless network using Airport Extreme?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Bob Timmons,Apple recommended

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons May 2, 2013 11:03 AM in response to Yoda911
    Level 10 (105,448 points)
    Wireless
    May 2, 2013 11:03 AM in response to Yoda911
    I would like to create a sub-network using my Airport Extreme for my suite only that uses the wifi signal from our office building and provides internet to the computers (both wired and wireless) in my suite but have it protected so that other suites in my building can't see my computers.

     

    It is not possible to configure a single Apple AirPort router in this manner using wireless only, but it would be possible to do this with a single AirPort if you connect your AirPort Extreme to the "main" router using a wired Ethernet connection.

     

    As for wireless only....you could probably do what you want by using two Apple routers....an AirPort Express to join the wireless network and provide an Ethernet signal to the AirPort Extreme's WAN port. Then the AirPort Extreme could then be configured to provide a separate network using a different subnet.

     

    Users on the "main" network would not be able to "see" any devices on your "private" network and vice versa.

     

    I use the two router set up all the time at hotels that only provide a wireless signal. The first Express "joins" the wireless network and feeds an Ethernet signal to the second AirPort which is configured to "create a wireless network" in router mode.

     

    This way, I can connect multiple devices to my "private" network, but only pay the hotel for one connection since the hotel router only "sees" the AirPort Express that joins the network.

  • by David Macfarlan,

    David Macfarlan David Macfarlan Sep 23, 2016 3:22 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 23, 2016 3:22 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    Hi Yoda,

     

    I have a similar situation I am hoping you can help me with.

     

    At my office I can connect to a secure TWC Wifi hotspot and I would like to utilize my Time capsule to create a separate network to wireless and ethernet connected devices. There will only be two users on this network.

     

     

    What do you recommend for this?

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Sep 24, 2016 8:59 AM in response to David Macfarlan
    Level 10 (105,448 points)
    Wireless
    Sep 24, 2016 8:59 AM in response to David Macfarlan

    The only possible way that this might work would be to add an AirPort Express and configure it to "join" the TWC wireless network. Then, connect an Ethernet cable from the LAN <--> port on the AirPort Express to the WAN "O" port on the Time Capsule.  Configure the Time Capsule to "create a wireless network".

  • by Tesserax,Apple recommended

    Tesserax Tesserax Sep 24, 2016 9:33 AM in response to Yoda911
    Level 9 (54,906 points)
    Wireless
    Sep 24, 2016 9:33 AM in response to Yoda911

    When extending, both base stations must be on the same network subnet to work.

     

    What you are looking for is to use Virtual LANs (VLAN) as a solution. With a VLAN you can create separate network segments to isolate users. Each segment could have its own Wireless Access Point (WAP) to provide Wi-Fi.

     

    Unfortunately, the Apple base stations do not have a fully functional VLAN option outside of their Guest Networking feature. This feature only allows "guest" users to access the Internet, not local network resources.

    Also, when I use the Airport Utility on my Iphone, I see the internet -> the office airport extreme -> and then 2 different base stations connected in a Y.  Mine and my neighbors (who is probably doing the same thing as I am).  But there is a dotted line to my base station, does that mean I'm connected to the internet via my neighbor's airport?

    A "dotted" line connection represents a wireless one; Solid lines represent a wired (Ethernet) connection. If I understand your comment, then both your base station and your neighbor's are connected back to the office AirPort Extreme by wireless.