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Problems with Airport Extreme Ethernet roaming setup

Hi all,


I have:

  • DSL router with 4 ethernet ports
  • 2 airport extreme's (A1521)
  • 1 house with 3 stories


I want to:

  • create a roaming network to have the same network name on all stories
  • do the roaming with ethernet (not extend over wifi)


I can not find appropriate documentation on apple support page. the one i have found:

Wi-Fi base stations: Setting up and configuring a roaming network (802.11 a/b/g/n)


But this one is outdated. Neither Airport Extreme ports nor Setup utility version is actual.


My questions:

  • Do both AE's need to be set in Bridge mode?
  • Which AE ethernet port (WAN or LAN) need to be connected to where?
  • Would you recommend setting the channels manually or automatically


What I have already tried:

  • Set up the master AE to DHCP and NAT
  • Connect the masters WAN to the DSL router
  • Setup the "extending" AE to Bridge mode
  • Connect the "extending AE"s WAN to the master's ethernet port
  • use same SSID and password on both wireless settings using "create wireless", auto channel, same password


Did not work. As soon I connect the "extending AE"s WAN with the masters ethernet port, the airport utility jumps around. At one time, a roaming setup is shown, a few seconds later it shows it like 2 different devices. When I unplug the "extending AE", everything works again.


Then I have tried:

  • Setup both as bridge
  • Connect master & extender on two of the DSL routers ethernet ports
  • Master and extender setup with same SSID, auto channel, auto channel, same password

Same problem as above.

Could anybody provide a full documentation, step-by-step, including the used ports and configuration? Would be greeeeat!

Airport Extreme 802.11ac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.4)

Posted on Aug 12, 2014 12:09 PM

Reply
9 replies

Aug 12, 2014 3:49 PM in response to thwnet

I don't know that we can setup in and fill up the lack in apple documentation.. but getting things going in roaming network is not hard.


The apple document whilst old is still fundamentally correct.


Although Apple should have fixed it by now.. I strongly recommend you setup ipv6 manually..

And do it in both wireless and ethernet.

The airport utility now depends on it.


eg wireless.

User uploaded file


Note the airport utility is now so strongly dependent on wireless working even if you use ethernet that even if you plan on ethernet.. keep wireless on and working.


Do both AE's need to be set in Bridge mode?

There should be only one router in the setup.. that would be the dsl modem from what you have stated. If not please state clearly you are bridging it and intend to use one Airport in router mode. This also means the modem cannot provide wireless service and should be turned off.


Therefore the Apple routers will be in bridge.


Do the setup in the same room as the dsl modem.. plug the WAN port of the airport into the dsl modem.. use your computer to then setup the AE.. doing this first one properly will make the second one a breeze. If you do an automatic setup now.. let me see if the airport utility is smart enough to figure this out. I am not as convinced it gets this one right.. and I would not worry overmuch.. finish the airport utility setup using the correct wireless names.. as per your modem SSID.


Then just check through the setup using the edit to ensure everything is as expected..


I will now do this in pictures.

Aug 12, 2014 4:13 PM in response to thwnet

Setup of AEno1. I am using older Time Capsules as that is what I have available.


1. Factory reset your AE.

This is important when you have been messing around.. start from a clean slate.


The Factory Reset universal


Unplug your TC/AE. Hold in reset. and power the TC/AE back on.. all without releasing reset and keep holding in for about 10sec. The time is not important.. it is the front LED rapid flashing that indicates you are in factory mode.

Release reset.

If it doesn’t flash rapidly you have released reset at some point and try again.

Be Gentle! Feel the switch click on. It has a positive feel.. add no more pressure after that.

TC/AE will reboot after a couple of minutes with default factory settings and will wipe out previous configurations.


2. Start your airport utility..

About 1-2min after the factory reset you will see other wifi device has a new device detected. The utility will start jumping to conclusions.. in your case it might be ok.. I have other apple routers I cannot turn off so excuse the mess. It immediately wants to extend wireless.. even with ethernet to the main modem.. so I am going to go to options.


User uploaded file


Options allows me to select create a new network.. yours might be already on this.. Click next.

User uploaded file


Name the network.. this is your SSID from the modem.. or whatever you want if you want a separate network. For roaming all need to be the same. I also do not want a single password but that is up to you.. I keep all names short, no spaces and pure alphanumeric.. it helps. For Roaming you will have the same password as the modem.. good password is 10-20 character mix of case and numbers.. keep to pure alphanumeric. Click next once the settings have taken.

User uploaded file


Now you will see what else needs fixing. I have some errors.. some of my making.

Click on the yellow dot (or the airport) and find out.

User uploaded file


Most are stupid little things.. default password.. I hit ignore. But fix things that are important.

User uploaded file


Click on edit and check.. Internet yes.. dhcp is correct.

User uploaded file


Click on wireless.. Check..


User uploaded file


Click on Network.. this is the most important.

It is correctly bridged.

User uploaded file


So we now have a roaming network of modem.. + AEno1

Aug 12, 2014 5:11 PM in response to LaPastenague

Now plug AEno2 WAN port into the AEno1 LAN port.


Factory reset AEno2.


Pick it up on the airport utility. It is showing yet another device to setup. Our previous AEno1 glowing a nice green.


User uploaded file


This time we need to do next to nothing.. as I said getting the first one right gets the second one right.


Just fix up the name.. AEno2.

User uploaded file


User uploaded file


So this one just updates.. all good.

User uploaded file


Setup is complete.. hit done.

User uploaded file


Check that both units are now running.. my second one has a hardware issue but yours should also show green after you fix the problems.

User uploaded file


Then I use the wireless diagnostic program and check the wireless.

Check all the channels and make sure everything is as expected.


User uploaded file


Place the two units now in their respective locations.. power off the whole network and reboot in correct order.. modem.. wait 2min then AEno1.. wait another 2min then AEno2 (you could start both of these simultaneously but channels might be an issue).

Would you recommend setting the channels manually or automatically


Once you have everything back in places where you want them check wireless diagnostics for signal and channels being used.. if things look poor .. ie two units are using identical channels it can be worth manually fixing it.. otherwise leave well alone.. (goes against my grain to say it.. in my own system I will always control channels.. but it is more trouble and not that much effect.. as long as the spacing is reasonable).


Don't be too hopeful for idevices to roam properly.. they don't.. normally you will need to give them a good kick. ie shut off wireless and turn on again.


Tell me if there is anything you don't follow.


I have given you more pictures and less text.. also I find what I write nowadays makes sense to me but few other people.


Bob Timmons has also done several write up on roaming.. he is always worth reading..

e

Aug 13, 2014 11:38 AM in response to LaPastenague

hi,


wow, great, thank you a lot for your post!! well, somehow i don't get the dialog from your second post. I mean the screenshot after "Just fix up the name.. AEno2.". Could it be that for time capsules there are better wizards? Could you maybe post a screenshot of the wireless and network tab from your AEno2? That might help me finding the difference.


Once again, thank you, your posts are very appreciated!

Aug 13, 2014 2:25 PM in response to thwnet

Could it be that for time capsules there are better wizards?

Nope.. it is all the same.


Could you maybe post a screenshot of the wireless and network tab from your AEno2?

They are identical to AEno1 .. absolutely the same.. it has to be in a roaming network.


The only thing different is the base station name.. nothing else.


Are you doing the setup from scratch.. ie factory reset..


And WAN AEno2 plugged by ethernet into LAN AEno1??


I did the whole lot by wireless as I though that would be closer to what you would need.


In practice I tend to use ethernet.. and do a full manual setup.. there is no need to use the airport utility setup wizard.

You must use the airport utility.. but you can simply choose the AE you want to setup and do it yourself.


To do it manually follow these instructions.


Airport Utility shows "unexpected error - please try again" when connecting to Time Capsule


The rules are simple.


Internet tab.. dhcp.


Network tab.. bridge mode.


Wireless tab.. identical name and identical security and identical password to AEno1.


It is really that simple.. and IMHO if you do it manually you will understand it better.

Aug 13, 2014 2:36 PM in response to LaPastenague

hi,

thanks again, and 'no worries' (you say like this, don't you? have been once to australia, great country!). well, I did as you write. Unfortunately, as soon I plug my second AE's WAN to my first AE's LAN, i get problems and even the first AE is not working anymore. No problem to setup a wireless WLAN, on which the 2nd expands the 1st AE using wireless. I decided to leave it like it is, too much hours spent already... ;-) thank you very much, hope others can use your appreciated information! i am thinking of switching to another supplier (even if all my devices are from apple). do you have a recommendation?

Aug 13, 2014 4:09 PM in response to thwnet

For a mixed network.. Asus, the top of the range, RT-AC68U or the Netgear R7000 are excellent.


But on a network with mostly apple products.. well I do still think the apple walled garden does its job.


The setup of the second AE should be done in full isolation.. there is no need to plug it into the AEno1.. just do it manually.. and do it in isolation..


If you still have issues.. post me a stack of screenshots.. as I am sure I can figure the issue. I need all the same info as I have posted..


Do AEno1 first.. then show me the setup of AEno2 in isolation before you plug it in, and I can probably tell you what is going wrong.


No worries mate.. !!


(Sadly your accent might give it away.. 🙂)

Oct 26, 2014 2:42 PM in response to LaPastenague

thanks a lot again. i wanted to give a last feedback. after a lot of more testing i have found out, that 2 things were responsible for driving me crazy with my network:

  1. my 2nd airport extreme had hardware problems. replaced by our local support (letec) without problems
  2. my inhouse network was damaged (yes, layer 1) ;-)

so you were right with all your posts and answers and now everything works fine (also with the ethernet roaming), everything works great. thanks again and have a good time,

thomas

Problems with Airport Extreme Ethernet roaming setup

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