HT204617: Wi-Fi base stations: Setting up and configuring an extended wireless network (802.11n)

Learn about Wi-Fi base stations: Setting up and configuring an extended wireless network (802.11n)
wobins78

Q: I have a airport extreme base station and we use our neighbors wifi. Can I use it to extend the network or does my base station have to be plugged into her router?

I have a airport extreme base station and we use our neighbors wifi. Can I use it to extend the network or does my base station have to be plugged into her router?

Posted on Apr 17, 2014 9:39 AM

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Q: I have a airport extreme base station and we use our neighbors wifi. Can I use it to extend the network or does my base station ha ... more

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  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Apr 17, 2014 9:46 AM in response to wobins78
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    Apr 17, 2014 9:46 AM in response to wobins78

    The AirPort Extreme can only wirelessly extend the signal from another Apple router, so your neighbor would need to have an AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule for you to have any chance of being able to extend that network.

     

    Here, I am assuming that you and your neighbor have a new "tower" shaped AirPort Extreme or one of the the flat "square" shaped versions. The older round or "dome" shaped AirPort Extreme does not have a setting or option to "extend a wireless network".

  • by wobins78,

    wobins78 wobins78 Apr 18, 2014 8:01 AM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 18, 2014 8:01 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Thank you Bob for replying to me question. No my neighbor does not have anything AirPort. I do and we were just trying to split the internet bill by sharing the wifi. Thats why I was tring to use my AirPort Extreme Base Station at my place to extend the network.

     

    Do you know of any way to do that?

     

    Thank you in advance for your thoughts!

    Robin

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Apr 18, 2014 10:23 AM in response to wobins78
    Level 10 (105,062 points)
    Wireless
    Apr 18, 2014 10:23 AM in response to wobins78

    Do you know of any way to do that?

    Best option in terms of performance......

     

    Set up your own Internet connection with an Internet Service Provider

     

    Next best option in terms of performance......

     

    Connect an Ethernet cable from a LAN <--> port on the neighbors router to the WAN "O" port on the AirPort Extreme and set up the Extreme to "create a wireless network".

     

    A bit goofy....and "Iffy" in terms of performance, but it might work......

     

    Add an AirPort Express in your home as close as possible to the neighbor's home and set up the Express to "add" or "join" the wireless network. Then connect an Ethernet cable from the AirPort Express to the AirPort Extreme and configure the AirPort Extreme to "create a wireless network"

     

    Make sure that you understand the store's return policy before you buy.

  • by wobins78,

    wobins78 wobins78 Apr 18, 2014 10:28 AM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 18, 2014 10:28 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Thank you so much Bob! Great information! We litterally only have a wall between us because of living in an appartment so were just trying to both save money. This has been very helpful. Thank you!!!

  • by Skywoolf,

    Skywoolf Skywoolf Jun 24, 2014 2:48 AM in response to Bob Timmons
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    Jun 24, 2014 2:48 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Sorry to crash this thread but I am trying to extend the range of a Huawei pocket WiFi using an Airport Extreme Base Station without success.  Do you think it will work if I use one base station to connect to the pocket WiFi via Wifi then connect this base station to a second base station via Ethernet then the computers connect to the second base station via WiFi?  (I have two Airport Extreme Base Stations).

     

    Thanks

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Jun 24, 2014 6:44 AM in response to Skywoolf
    Level 10 (105,062 points)
    Wireless
    Jun 24, 2014 6:44 AM in response to Skywoolf

    The first AirPort Extreme must connect to the Huawei Pocket WiFi using a permanent, wired Ethernet cable connection and be set up to "create a wireless network".

     

    The second AirPort Extreme could be setup to "extend a wireless network" using wireless....or....using a wired Ethernet connection. The wired method will provide better performance than the wireless method.

     

    So, your setup would look like this:

     

    Huawei Pocket WiFi >>>>>Ethernet cable>>>>>AirPort Extreme 1>>>>>Ethernet cable>>>>>AirPort Extreme 2 (Best performance option)

     

    or

     

    Huawei Pocket WiFi>>>>>Ethernet cable>>>>>AirPort Extreme 1>>>>>Wireless>>>>>>AirPort Extreme 2 (Lower performance option)

     

    Both of the configuration setups above assume that you have 802.11ac AirPort Extremes or 802.11n AirPort Extreme versions.

  • by Skywoolf,

    Skywoolf Skywoolf Jun 24, 2014 6:23 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 24, 2014 6:23 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    The bandwidth we have available is so pathetic that performance is not an issue.  I am extremely lucky if I occasionally get 25KB per second.

     

    Unfortunately it is not possible to connect anything the the pocket WiFi.  Other than an antenna socket there is nothing to connect to. This device is smaller than a cellphone.

     

    Is there no other way?  Maybe internet sharing so one computer connects to the pocket WiFi via WiFi and then connects to an airport extreme via ethernet?  Is that possible?

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Jun 24, 2014 6:29 PM in response to Skywoolf
    Level 10 (105,062 points)
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    Jun 24, 2014 6:29 PM in response to Skywoolf

    Sorry, I cannot say whether Internet Sharing would work or not. Good luck if you want to give that a try.

  • by Skywoolf,

    Skywoolf Skywoolf Jun 24, 2014 6:49 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 24, 2014 6:49 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    OK Thank you.  I will give it a try.  It seems I have no choice other than looking for a WiFi router that can wirelessly connect and extend the pocket WiFi.

     

    Thanks again

     

    Frank

  • by Skywoolf,

    Skywoolf Skywoolf Jun 28, 2014 8:17 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 28, 2014 8:17 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    Hi Bob,

     

    I thought it was worth a try so I set up internet sharing on my iMac, connected an airport extreme base station to it via ethernet and then set up the base station as an extender.  I got the green light on the base station and airport utility shows the base station is connected with an IP address using the cellular WiFi IP address for DNS, etc.

     

    I thought I had succeeded but when I test with my MacbookPro it seems to be only connecting to the cellular wifi and not the base station.  When I get out of range of the cellular wifi but stay close to the base station I lose the connection.

     

    Should I give up or do you think there is something more I can try.

  • by Bachman,

    Bachman Bachman Aug 15, 2014 7:24 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 15, 2014 7:24 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    Hello Bob,

     

    you seem to be omnipresent and quite knowledgeable in these matters.

    Allow me to ask you the following.

    At present I have a Linksys router with a 2011 Airport Extreme (flat square) as a base station, connected through ethernet.

    Now I wish to add a 2012 Time Capsule and extend the wifi network

    First, is it OK to add the Time Capsule to the Airport Extreme network or should I switch them?

    Second, is it preferable to attach the Time Capsule to an Ethernet outlet, or should I just let it wirelessly extend the Airport Extreme network?

    Third, I have an old square Airport Express (non-ufo, but rather resembling a largish iPad charger). Can I use it to further extend the network?

    Thank you kindly for looking into this.

     

    Fleer

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Aug 16, 2014 7:25 AM in response to Bachman
    Level 10 (105,062 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 16, 2014 7:25 AM in response to Bachman

    We are drifting far away from the original question and topic that was posted 5 months ago.

     

    Please start a new post for your question.

     

    Thanks.

  • by Bachman,

    Bachman Bachman Aug 16, 2014 8:23 AM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 16, 2014 8:23 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Done!

  • by Henry Spindler1,

    Henry Spindler1 Henry Spindler1 Aug 16, 2014 5:25 PM in response to wobins78
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 16, 2014 5:25 PM in response to wobins78

    I Have two adjacent condos with the modem and anew ap extreme in one and an express set at extend network next door and it works perfectly

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