Airport roaming network connection sharing and optimisation of base station switching

They advise setting the primary base station connection sharing to ‘Share a public IP address’.

The modern version of this is DHCP and NAT in the network tab. In fact bridge works fine as well.. what is important is the TC is setup to create a wireless network. And all the other units will also do the same.. using the same name and same security settings.

There is some discussion here about the difference between apple's methods in the v5 and v6 utility.

Setting Up Roaming - New AirPort Extremes and Utility

I’ve also noticed that as I move between the base stations my MacBook Pro has difficulties switching between the base stations to gain the strongest signal.

It has worked pretty well if not perfectly.. but Apple made some big changes at Yosemite.. did you upgrade install Yos onto your computer.. if so it could need a bit more work.. like a clean install..

However your correct.. not everything or every computer roams well.. some simply do not do a scan often enough..

AFAIK there is no way to adjust it.

It needs a metaphorical kick in the rear.. off wireless and on again.. for example.

If the issue is important and you cannot get it to roam properly have a go setting the same wireless channel in each device.. this is the wrong method.. but wireless is a bit of strange bundle of stuff and how it works is more pragmatic. I have read of people doing this and it cured their actual roaming issue.. even if the result was more interference.

How does one establish the roaming function when the Internet Service Provider (cable company) replaces their simple cable modem with a "Residential Gateway?" In other words I was working fine for years with my Airport Extreme acting as my router, DHCP server and wireless access point. Then, when I upgraded my cable service to "Whole House DVR," along comes the cable company with a speedier DOCSIS 3.0 modem replacement albeit built into the bigger box they call a gateway. The very first thing they do, even before powering their device on, is log into my Airport Extreme to put it in Bridge Mode because they insist only they can be the router and DHCP server. They are willing to allow the customer device (Airport Extreme) to function as the wireless access point.

Thus my question is whether I can achieve roaming functionality with the Extreme operating in Bridge Mode. One credible poster in this or a related thread mentioned that roaming can also work with non-Apple routers. So then should I enable the wireless functionality within the ISP's gateway and treat my Extreme (along with any subsequent Express units) as the extended base stations by leaving them in bridge mode and replicating the WLAN parameters?

By the way, Google Fiber has begun deployment here in Kansas City and they too provide a "network box" that insists on being the router and DHCP server. Naturally they market the "Whole House DVR" feature thus requiring any customer-owned LAN devices to operate in bridge mode. I guess the trend in set top boxes for TVs is to share the same LAN subnet, which I suppose makes sense given our present and future desire for interactive TV using our own devices.

Thanks in advance.

Bruco

How does one establish the roaming function when the Internet Service Provider (cable company) replaces their simple cable modem with a "Residential Gateway?"

One configures all the AirPorts in Bridge Mode.

Alternately, Apple seems to now be advising to keep the "main" AirPort acting as router, not a bridge. That creates a Double NAT error on the network, which Apple claims that you can ignore. We don't go along with this.

That might be true on a simple network, but it will cause all sorts of issues if you are trying to play games online interactively, or use Back To My Mac to connect back to your network from a remote location over the Internet. Double NAT can create some strange browsing issues as well.

Thus my question is whether I can achieve roaming functionality with the Extreme operating in Bridge Mode.

Absolutely.

One credible poster in this or a related thread mentioned that roaming can also work with non-Apple routers.

It can, if things are configured correctly.

So then should I enable the wireless functionality within the ISP's gateway and treat my Extreme (along with any subsequent Express units) as the extended base stations by leaving them in bridge mode and replicating the WLAN parameters?

Yes, if all of your AirPorts are located some distance from the Gateway. But, if you have an AirPort close to the gateway, you will need to choose which device will provide wireless, and turn off the wireless function on the other device. Two access points close together will very likely create interference issues when they are both using the same SSID, security and password.

In out company we have main non-apple router, that is also a firewall. This router has an internett IP on the WAN side and a LAN IP on the LAN side. A Windows server on the network runs DHCP and DNS. We have one Airport Extreme and one Time Capsule, and we would like to set up a roaming network with this equipment.

I have connected the Airport and the Time Capsule to our switch. They both have static LAN IP-adresses. They are both configured in Bridge mode. They have the same SSID (lets call it "myssid"). They have the same wireless security settings (wpa2 personal and the same password). However, roaming does not work. On my laptop, I get two wireless networks called "myssid". And there is no automatic changing between wireless points when I move around our office spaces. I can manually change between the two "myssid" networks.

Is this correctly configured?

I guess that only one "myssid" network should appear on my laptop list of available networks, if this was working?

Is it possible to make this work? We can not use and Airport as DHCP server, the Win server needs to run this service.

However, roaming does not work. On my laptop, I get two wireless networks called "myssid". And there is no automatic changing between wireless points when I move around our office spaces. I can manually change between the two "myssid" networks.

Is this correctly configured?

If you are using a utility to scan for wireless network, you will see two networks. That is because you have two networks....they just both happen to be using the same wireless network name, security, and password. If you have a third access point, you would see three networks all with the same name.

However, a wireless device should only "see" one network. I do not know why your laptop "sees" two networks. Is it a Mac?

Mac laptops will generally do a nice job of automatically switching between the two different access points when you walk the laptop around from one area to another. But most PCs and mobile devices like iPhones and iPads and other tablets will not usually switch as you move them from one area to another. That is just a nature of the beast with these types of devices.

With these devices, you will need to get in the habit of temporarily turning "off" the WiFi when you move the device from one area to another, then turning the WiFi back on "on" when the device is close to another access point.

I guess that only one "myssid" network should appear on my laptop list of available networks, if this was working?

Yes, on a Mac device. I cannot say on other devices. Make sure that each network has exactly the same wireless network name, exact same wireless security settings, and exact same wireless password.

Is it possible to make this work? We can not use and Airport as DHCP server, the Win server needs to run this service.

It should work if the DHCP server is working correctly. For example, my neighbor has a modem/router that was provided by the ISP which provides DHCP and NAT services for his network. He has two Apple wireless access points......an AirPort Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme both set up as a roaming network. The network works fine with his two Mac laptops when he walks them around the house. But, he has to manually turn off his other mobile devices when he moves them from one area to another and then turn them back on when they are in another area closer to another access point.

My laptop is a Windows PC (Win7). I did not test with my Mac laptop (MacBook Air, Yosemite). I will try to do that next time I get the chance, maybe next week. Thanks a lot for answering, this explains it.

My company (actually, my customer) now have a Windows environment. Reason we use the Airports is because we already own them. So the next question would be - how to create a roaming network for a Windows environment? Or should this go in a different forum?? We are willing to buy new equipment if that is neccessary.

The MacBook Air should show only one network when you click the WiFi icon at the top of the screen.......if you are using the exact same wireless network name, exact same wireless security and exact same password on the access points.