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Hub 2000 Modem - Fibe Internet - extending WiFi using Airport Extreme

I have Fibe TV / Internet with Bell - using the Hub 2000 Modem/Router combination. The Hub is in my utility room / furnace room where all the Cat 5 data cable runs come into. The WiFi coverage from the Hub 2000 is all right for the Basement and Main Floor - however, the 2nd floor - not so good. What I want to do is extend the existing Wireless Network that I have set up on my Bell Hub 2000 using the Airport Extreme on the 2nd floor in my office - using the same SSID as already set up on the Bell Hub 2000. My goal is to connect the Hub 2000 using the existing Cat 5 cable drop from the 2nd floor office - plugging one end into the Bell Hub 2000 LAN Port and then the other end into the Airport Extreme WAN port in the 2nd Floor office.

Will this work based on the logic I've mentioned?

Daren

Mac Pro (Late 2013), iOS 8.4

Posted on Jul 15, 2015 12:24 PM

Best reply

roadstar1700

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Mar 13, 2017 7:15 PM

Hello,

I ran in to a similar issue to what was described. For context, Home Hub 2000 Bell Fibe internet service but no TV service.

For me, I was able to salvage the Bell Hub 2000 wireless service by configuring my AirPort Time Capsule slightly different. Rather than DHCP mode, I set the AP to Static.

1. On the Home Hub 2000, I set the IP address range to start at 192.168.2.10 to 192.168.2.254

2. I set the AirPort static to 192.68.2.2.

3. set the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0 and

4.the DNS primary to the same as your router; 192.168.2.1

The Router stays in Off (Bridge Mode). Now my time capsule is backing up my Macs in the background as it should be.

At time of writing, AirPort firmware 7.7.8. Both 2.4GHz and 5GHz network available as well as guest. All with same SSID and password as the wireless setting on the Home Hub 2000.

Hope that helps

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20 replies

Jul 20, 2015 11:38 AM in response to DubbaD

I think you may have misunderstood what I said. As I mentioned above, I must believe that if Apple Support advised you configure the AirPort in a certain way, there must have been a good reason for this based on their experience with other users who have fiber service similar to yours. It may well be that this was the only way that would allow the AirPort to work with your fiber service.

I don't know what Apple Support discussed with you or what other things that they may have asked you to try before arriving at your current setup.

If you want to try a traditional setting of Bridge Mode on the AirPort, I cannot assure you that the AirPort will continue to operate the same way that it is doing now. Changing the settings might very well result in another situation where you are unable to obtain an Internet connection, or the wrong settings present themselves during the setup.....as happened before.

I think it is probably best to leave well enough alone and leave things as is with the knowledge that you have an unconventional type of setup on the AirPort that was likely required with the fiber connection. Fiber is a different kind of animal, and settings that work fine with one fiber supplier often don't work with another. We have a huge learning curve at this point.

DubbaD Author

Level 1

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Jul 20, 2015 6:26 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Bob / LaPast...

Did some further investigation. My Router mode was "DHCP and NAT".

Talked to my CCIE Wireless Networks buddy at work. He said I did all the right steps, however, instead of clicking "ignore" on the Double NAT error, I should have edited in the AirPort Utility and gone to the "NETWORK" tab and Clicked on the Drop Down menu for the "Router Mode" and selected Bridge Mode for just using the AE as Wireless. If I wanted to use it as a routing function and wireless - change it to DHCP only - which I haven't tested yet. I did change it to "Off (Bridge Mode) per the image below - and all seems 100%. I'll try setting to DHCP only when I have a bit more time to experiment.

Jul 20, 2015 6:48 PM in response to DubbaD

Bridge Mode is traditionally the correct setting to use when you have another router "upstream" on the network....because that upstream device is providing DHCP and NAT service. Adding another router to do the same thing again makes things quite a bit more complicated, and with two devices both providing NAT services, you get a Double NAT. Apple now does not seem to mind telling users to ignore this......and yet they provide other support documents that lecture us to avoid having Double NAT on a network.....and their own AirPort Utility software does the same thing......telling you to avoid Double NAT and recommending Bridge Mode.

I don't think you can have it both ways, but I may be wrong.

Bridge Mode allows the "upstream" router to provide IP addresses and NAT service to all devices on a network. The AirPort assumes a passive role in this type of setup. Traditionally, this is the correct way to set up a network when you have two routers. Apple seems to be breaking with tradition, as I see other users posting questions about advice they have received to ignore the Double NAT.

What I did not know was how your network would behave if you tried the Bridge Mode setting. If Bridge Mode is working well for you, that is technically, the correct setting to use for the network. That's why I'm surprised that Apple seems to be offering advice to make things more complicated for users. They must have their reasons.....but they won't put them in print.

I would avoid the DCHP Only setting, since that is a special case setting that is rarely used these days. If you decide to try it, I don't know what the results will be.

DubbaD Author

Level 1

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Jul 20, 2015 6:51 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Thanks Bob. Yeah, I'm not sure why I was told originally to ignore this error of Double NAT. All the same, end result seems to work the way it should. One question, if I'm in Bridge mode - on the AE - are my LAN ports still accessible / useable? I was under the impression that the LAN ports were automatically disabled in Bridge Mode. Maybe I misunderstood my buddy from work.

Jul 20, 2015 7:05 PM in response to DubbaD

One question, if I'm in Bridge mode - on the AE - are my LAN ports still accessible / useable?

Yes, in Bridge Mode.....(Apple has to complicate things by calling it "Off (Bridge Mode)".....the Ethernet ports are all active and they all behave like a simple Ethernet switch.

So, when you are in Bridge Mode, all ports behave the same.......like LAN ports. The WAN port becomes a 4th LAN port when the AirPort is in Bridge Mode. Another way of saying the same thing is that there is no WAN port in Bridge Mode.

Hub 2000 Modem - Fibe Internet - extending WiFi using Airport Extreme