Boosting Home WiFi with TC, Express and Extreme

There is a problem in the setup.

1. You set DSL modem to bridge..

2. You set the TC to bridge..

One or the other must be router.. if you want the Verizon router to be main router.. (if you only turned off wireless that is not bridge btw). then TC in bridge..

If you want the Verizon router in bridge you must use the TC in PPPOE mode.. this is not 100% successful so try it.. but don't rely on it.

5. Then all the sudden lost internet connection. So in Airport Utility the Internet light went yellow while all three others are Green for each of the routers.

Try fixing up the first bit.. and if this is still bad.. please give me screenshot of the setup showing summary page for each unit.

Roaming means the units are all plugged in by ethernet and set as the TC is.. to bridge and create a wireless network.. only every unit has the same wireless name and security.. there is no setting called roaming as such.

There are a number of incorrect settings here, so it would be best to start over again from scratch and set things up again.....one device at a time. testing each device thoroughly before you add another.

If you decide to do this, we will need to know whether you are still using OS X (10.6.8) as your profile indicates, or as we suspect, you are using a newer operating system.

The other immediate question is whether the Verizon device is acting as a router or a bridge.

If it is configured as a "bridge"...as you indicate.....then the Time Capsule cannot also be in "bridge mode" since neither the Verizon device nor the Time Capsule would be providing routing functions in that type of setup.

One of them has to be the router for the network, and if they are both in "bridge" neither is the router.

When I spoke to VZ, they claimed they set it to Bridge Mode. Then I changed TC to DCHP and NAT and I got a error DOUBLE NAT ERROR

Although they might have said that they set the Verizon router in bridge mode, they did not. If they had setup the Verizon router in bridge mode, you would not have seen the Double NAT error when you changed the Time Capsule to DHCP and NAT.

That might bring up another question though.....that being exactly what did the Verizon folks do, if anything?

Double NAT means that you have two devices on the network, both configured to operate as routers.

So then I changed TC back to Router: Off/ Bridge Mode and I got a green light from AirPort. So it appears TC is now good

This tells us that the Verizon device is in fact acting as a router (and it is not in bridge mode). That is OK, we just needed to clarify whether the Verizon device was in bridge mode or not.....and it's not.

Keep the AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme powered off for now, and test for a few hours to make sure the TC is operating correctly on wireless and wired connections, backups are working correctly, etc.

Then, post back and we'll set up one AirPort at a time, testing as we go. We will use the setup "wizard" for the AirPorts, so you really won't have to worry about the correct settings at all. The "wizard" will do the work for you, configuring each AirPort to "extend using Ethernet", which is the correct setting.....not extend using wireless. You will have what is known as a "roaming network" when everything is set up.

Leave the TC set up as is. That is the best setup for most users to to use.

JUST TO BE CLEAR ON MY MAC, UNDER FINDER, TC DOES NOT APPEAR UNDER DEVICES BUT UNDER SHARED

That is correct. Devices are connected directly to your Mac. The TC is a Shared network item, so it appears under Shared.

Then, I would like to next step add the Airport Extreme, plug it into wall (WAN) which is connected to the VZ Router. Settings:

?Internet -DCHP / Static / PPPoE

?Wireless - Extend a Wireless Network

?Network - Router Mode Off (Bridge Mode) or DHCP Only

First, we need to make sure that the wall Ethernet connection is working. Please turn off the wireless on a laptop temporarily and connect the computer using an Ethernet cable to the Ethernet wall port. Check to make sure that the computer can get a good Internet connection this way to confirm that the Ethernet cabling is working correctly.

Post back when you have checked the wall Ethernet connection to confirm that it is working correctly, then we will continue.

As I said, we will use the setup "wizard" to configure the AirPort Extreme, so you don't have to worry about any of the settings shown above. The wizard will set up everything for you automatically. Once the AirPort Extreme is set up and working, you can use AirPort Utility to go back in and take a look at the correct settings, if you are curious. You may be surprised when you see what the actual settings will be.

OK, thanks for checking that.

Power up the AirPort Extreme for a minute or two

Hold in the reset button on the back of the Extreme for 7-8 seconds, then release

Allow a full minute for the Extreme to restart to a slow, blinking amber light

Power off the AirPort Extreme

Temporarily......connect a short, spare Ethernet cable....any length will do.....from one of the Ethernet ports on the back of the TC to the WAN "O" port on the AirPort Extreme.

Power up the AirPort Extreme for a minute or two

Click the WiFi icon at the top of the Mac's screen

Click on AirPort Extreme under the heading of New AirPort Base Station

That will get the setup wizard running. It will take a minute to analyze the network, then suggest that the Extreme will be set up to Extend the TC network name. The screen will look similar to this, except that you will see your devices pictured, with the TC on the left and the AirPort Extreme on the right.

Type in a short, simple device name that you want to use for the AirPort Extreme. Do NOT use the long suggested name

Click Next

Now, watch the screen very carefully to confirm that the AirPort Extreme is being set up to extend using Ethernet. That confirms that the setup wizard has detected the Ethernet connection so the AirPort Extreme will get the correct settings.

When you see the message of Setup Complete, click Done.

Now that the AirPort Extreme is set up correctly, power it off, and move it to the location where it is needed.

Connect the Ethernet cable from the wall Ethernet jack to the WAN "O" port on the AirPort Extreme

Power up the AirPort Extreme, wait a minute, and you should be all set

Post back on your results.

I'm sorry, but you are throwing so many questions and issues at us, that we cannot keep up.

Oh, when I first completed the set up, I never saw a extend option. So when it completed I checked and it said create a network.

That is correct. "Extend using Ethernet" displayed by the setup wizard is the same as "create a wireless network" when you check using AirPort Utility.

So I updated it to extend network

That is NOT the correct setting if you have an Ethernet connection established to the AirPort. "extend a wireless network" is only used when the AirPort connects using wireless......and you indicate that you are connecting using Ethernet.

The "wizard" will configure the AirPort with the correct settings. You will have to trust it.

I suggest that you configure the AirPort Extreme again using the setup that is listed above. If you want to go ahead and connect the AirPort Extreme to the wall Ethernet jack for the setup, that is OK......but my recommendation would be that you use a short, spare Ethernet cable and connect the AirPort Extreme directly to the Time Capsule as I outlined above.

We're not going to answer any more questions until the AirPort Extreme is set up and working correctly.

Now, another post indicates that the TC is acting up. So, you will have to concentrate on getting the TC working correctly first......before you do anything else.

We suggested before that you let the TC go for several hours to make sure that it is working reliably. That advice holds. Even longer 4-6 hours would be better before you attempt to configure any other devices.

would I have been better to leave the Verizon DSL Router acting as full router with wifi and then used Apple AE/TC to boost signal?

That all depends on whether you really need a stronger wireless signal in the garage.

If you don't, then it is better to leave well enough alone, since you would have to start all over again and reconfigure the TC and AirPorts.......unless......you have already set them up to use the exact same wireless network name and password that the Verizon router was using.