Extended AirPort Extreme Network Unable to Connect

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Level 1

10 points

Extended AirPort Extreme Network Unable to Connect

I have two AirPort Extremes. One was set up in the basement directly to my network and is working fine. The other AirPort Extreme was set up upstairs, plugged into the same hub as the downstairs Extreme, and I followed the default setup procedure on my MacBook Pro to extend the downstairs wireless network via ethernet. You can connect to the downstairs Extreme via wireless devices no problem, but when you move upstairs into the range of the Extreme on that level, you are unable to attach to the wireless network. I can see the network, but when attempting to attach via the MacBook, the wireless indicator works for a while, then displays a "!" with no other message. On an iPhone, you are not able to connect at all.

The setup procedure in Mac OS X is very straightforward, and I accepted all defaults in the AirPort Utility to extend the existing AirPort Extreme (downstairs) network. There are no other wireless networks that may interfere.

The router in this home is a Luxul XBR-2300. The AirPort Extremes are plugged into a switch that the router is also plugged in to. Both AirPort Extremes have access to the network/internet-- if you plug a device directly to the AirPort Extreme it can get to the internet via the hardwired connection.

I've been working on this problem for two days, have returned one of the AirPort Extremes thinking it was defective, but I have the same problem.

I did the same type of setup in another home with two AirPorts and it was 'plug and play'.

AirPort Extreme 802.11n (4th Gen), iOS 7.0.4

Posted on Dec 28, 2013 9:55 AM

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Answer 1

Tesserax

Level 10

158,490 points

Dec 28, 2013 11:40 AM in response to kennygc

If both AirPort Extreme base stations are interconnected by Ethernet they should be configured for a "roaming" network.

Roaming Network Setup Basics

Setup both AirPort Extreme base stations as bridges. Network tab > Router Mode: Off (Bridge Mode)
For each base station:
Connect to the same subnet of the Ethernet network.
Provide a unique Base Station Name.
The Network Name (SSID) should be identical.
If using security, use the same security type (WEP, WPA, etc.) and password. Note: It is highly recommended that you use WPA2 Personal for best bandwidth performance.
Make sure that the channel is set at least three channels apart from the next base station to prevent Wi-Fi interference.

The following are the basic setup steps:

Power all the base stations down.
Perform a "factory default" reset on each of the base stations. Note: You may have to perform this more than once to make sure they "stick."
Connect one Ethernet cable between the Ethernet switch to the (circle of dots) port on the basement Extreme. Connect a second Ethernet cable between the switch and the WAN port of the upstairs Extreme.
Power up just the basement Extreme. Set Network Mode option to: Create a wireless network. Set the Router Mode to: Off (Bridge Mode). Verify that you can get Internet connectivity with network clients either by wireless or by wire connections to the basement Extreme.
Power up the upstairs Extreme. Use the AirPort Utility to select it.
Configure the upstairs Extreme with the Network Mode option set to: Create a wireless network. (Note: Do NOT set it to "Extend a wireless network."
Set the Wireless Network Name, Wireless Security, & Wireless Password options to be exactly the same as that used for the basement Extreme.
Set the Router Mode to: Off (Bridge Mode).
Select Update and allow the upstairs Extreme to restart.
Once restarted verify that you can roam with a wireless laptop or iOS device between base stations and still gain Internet access.

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Answer 2

kennygc Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 29, 2013 8:43 AM in response to Tesserax

Tesserax, thank you for the reply. I have commented next to each suggestion.

If both AirPort Extreme base stations are interconnected by Ethernet they should be configured for a "roaming" network. They are interconnected by Ethernet and are configured for a "roaming" network.
Setup both AirPort Extreme base stations as bridges. Network tab > Router Mode: Off (Bridge Mode). This is how they are both set up.
For each base station:
Connect to the same subnet of the Ethernet network. They are on the same switch. They are on the same subnet.
Provide a unique Base Station Name. They have unique names.
The Network Name (SSID) should be identical. They have the same SSID, exactly.
If using security, use the same security type (WEP, WPA, etc.) and password. Note: It is highly recommended that you use WPA2 Personal for best bandwidth performance. They are both using WPA2.
Make sure that the channel is set at least three channels apart from the next base station to prevent Wi-Fi interference. Initially the Apple AirPort Utility set both up under "Wireless" settings to "Automatic". Based upon this suggestion, I set the Basement Extreme manually to the first channel choices for 2.4hz and 5.0hz networks. I set the Upstairs Extreme manually to channels at least 3 channels away. NO CHANGE to the problem.

The following are the basic setup steps: I have done the following in an attempt to fix the problem, after changing the wireless channels on both units manually:

Power all the base stations down. Done.
Perform a "factory default" reset on each of the base stations. Note: You may have to perform this more than once to make sure they "stick." Done. Confirmed with rapidly flashing light on both.
Connect one Ethernet cable between the Ethernet switch to the (circle of dots) port on the basement Extreme. Connect a second Ethernet cable between the switch and the WAN port of the upstairs Extreme.
- Basement Extreme: Modem-->Router-->Switch-->Basement Extreme WAN Port
- Upstairs Extreme: Basement Extreme LAN Port-->Upstairs Extreme WAN Port (Prior to this change they were both plugged in to the switch via the WAN port)
Power up just the basement Extreme. Done.
Set Network Mode option to: Create a wireless network. Done. Set the Router Mode to: Off (Bridge Mode). Done. Verify that you can get Internet connectivity with network clients either by wireless or by wire connections to the basement Extreme. Verified-- can connect with no problems. NOTE: I set this up using the iPhone AirPort Utility using default settings to create a network. I then verified these settings on the MacBook Pro in the AirPort Utility. I manually set channels based upon your recommendation to set them to insure no interference, restarted, and verified that I can connect.
Power up the upstairs Extreme. Use the AirPort Utility to select it. Done. Verify that this unit has not been plugged in after reset until now. NOTE: It now shows in the AirPort Utility Network Diagram that the Basement AirPort Extreme is connected to the Internet, and the Upstairs Extreme is plugged into the Basement Extreme. Before, both were shown connecting to the Internet.
Configure the upstairs Extreme with the Network Mode option set to: Create a wireless network. (Note: Do NOT set it to "Extend a wireless network." Verified. Was set up correctly by default.
Set the Wireless Network Name, Wireless Security, & Wireless Password options to be exactly the same as that used for the basement Extreme. Verified.
Set the Router Mode to: Off (Bridge Mode). Verified. Was set up correctly by default.
Select Update and allow the upstairs Extreme to restart. Extra Step: Manually set the channel to be 3 away from Downstairs Extreme based on initial recommendation, above. Restarted the Upstairs Extreme.
Once restarted verify that you can roam with a wireless laptop or iOS device between base stations and still gain Internet access. Problem not solved.

I followed everything above exactly. Neither my MacBook Pro nor my iPhone can connect to the "Apple Network" out of range of the Basement Extreme. The network line connecting the Extremes is verified and is a good line.

Again, thank you for the very detailed response. I had pretty much tried all of the above other than plugging the Upstairs Extreme WAN directly to the Basement Extreme LAN Port and manually setting channels on both. Did I screw anything up based upon what you wrote? Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Ken

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Answer 3

kennygc Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 29, 2013 9:34 AM in response to kennygc

I believe that I solved my own problem. Here is how:

1. KEY STEP: Remove the existing router (Luxul) between the modem and the switch and replaced it with the Basement AirPort Extreme. So, I went from this configuration:

Modem--> Luxul Router-->Luxul Switch-->Basement AirPort Extreme-->Upstairs AirPort Extreme

to the following:

Modem-->Basement AirPort Extreme (WAN Port)-->Upstairs Airport Extreme (WAN Port) and Luxul Switch plugged into the LAN ports of the Basement Extreme, thus removing the existing router between the modem and the switch.

2. Reset and turn off both AirPort Extremes.

3. Turn off modem and switch.

4. Restart modem and allow all links to occur.

5. Restart Basement AirPort Extreme and accept the defaults to create a new network (using iPhone AirPort Utility). This found the modem/WAN and set up a DHCP/NAT server automatically. Interestingly enough it created a 10.0.X.X subnet by default. Most routers I've used in the past default to the 192.168.X.X subnet. I leaved it as is.

6. Restart the Luxul switch. Verified that the Basement Extreme wireless and ethernet connections all work.

7. Restart the Upstairs AirPort Extreme (remember, it has been reset and it's WAN port is plugged into the LAN port of the Basement Extreme).

8. Accept all defaults on the Upstairs AirPort Extreme.

It seems that the problem was the Luxul router was not playing nice with the extended roaming network set up by the AirPort Extremes (probably a DHCP or NAT issue). Using the AirPort Extreme to replace the legacy router, using all default settings, resettting everything, and plugging the extended AirPort Extreme's WAN port into a LAN port on the main AirPort Extreme solved the problem. I haven't tested whether it still works with the extended Extreme plugged directly into the switch vs. plugged into the first Extreme's LAN port. I don't want to mess with it anymore! :-)

Thanks for the help, Tesserax

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