BT Home Hub and Airport Express

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Level 1

18 points

BT Home Hub and Airport Express

Although the BT Home Hub is 'Mac' compatible, there is still little information on using it with Airport networks. I hope that the following makes sense (I am no expert) and is useful?
Connect the Airport Express via Ethernet cable to the Ethernet 1 port of the Home Hub

Open Airport Admin Utility

Airport Tab>Base Station>enter a base station name
Airport Tab>Airport Network>Wireless Mode>Create a Wireles Network(Home Router)
Airport Tab>Airport Network>Name>enter a network name
Airport Tab>Airport Network>Wireless Security>enter your preferred security level and ensure it matches the Home Hub security level
Airport Tab>Airport Network>Channel>choose the same channel as your hub, do not use automatic
Airport Tab>Airport Network>Create a closed network>leave this unchecked
Airport Tab>Airport Network>Mode>if you have a mix of 11b and 11g cards leave the mode at 892.11b/g Compatible
Airport Tab>Airport Network>Wireless Options>leave these alone if you want to avoid problems

Internet Tab>Connect Using>Airport (WDS)
Internet Tab>Configure WDS Host>MAC Address>enter the MAC address of the Home Hub(i.e the primary WDS base station
Internet Tab>Configure WDS Host>MAC Address>tick the box Also allow wireless client computers
Internet Tab>Configure WDS Host>Configure>Using DHCP>the IP address will be assigned in the range 192.168.1.6*and the Subnet mask should read 255.255.255.0 and Router address should be 192.168.1.254

Network Tab>Uncheck Distribute IP addresses

WDS Tab>Enable this base station as a WDS>check this box>from the drop down list choose>remote base station
WDS Tab>Allow wireless clients on this base station>check this box
WDS Tab>Main AirPort ID> enter the MAC address of the Home Hub or use Select to scan for the Home Hub wireless network and you should pick up the MAC address etc automatically

Click to Update these settings.

Go to bthomehub.home and ensure that you have WDS dis-ABLED in the settings. You will have to log on as admin (password is defaulted to ‘admin’, but it is worth changing it!).
To do this after logging on as admin go to>Home Network>Interfaces>WLAN At this point you should be presented with Wireless Access Point click on Configure (top right) Scroll down the screen that follows and click Configure WDS and you will be presented with the Wireless screen. Click Scan for wireless access points. The BT Home hub will scan for available networks and once it has found these you should click apply but DO NOT ENABLE WDS! Click back from this screen to Home Network and you should see your wireless Mac(s) and their various connections

Best wishes and hope this works for you! My iMac/Mac Mini and PowerMac G4 now connect perfectly through the Airport Express and I have extra Extreme and Dual Ethernet Airports for printer and Windows file sharing. I am running OS X 10.4;10.3 and 10.2 variously without seeming conflict. Airport firmware is 6.3

Power PC 400 G4 AGP 10.2.8 Mac OS X (10.4) iMac G4 800 10.2.8; Mac Mini 1.42 10.3.6;Airport Dual Ethernet BS

Power PC 400 G4 AGP 10.2.8 Mac OS X (10.4) iMac G4 800 10.2.8; Mac Mini 1.42 10.3.6;Airport Dual Ethernet
Power PC 400 G4 AGP 10.2.8 Mac OS X (10.4) iMac G4 800 10.2.8; Mac Mini 1.42 10.3.6;Airport Dual Ethernet BS
Power PC 400 G4 AGP 10.2.8 Mac OS X (10.4) iMac G4 800 10.2.8; Mac Mini 1.42 10.3.6;Airport Dual Ethernet BS

Posted on Nov 11, 2006 12:10 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Duane

Level 10

124,267 points

Nov 11, 2006 3:14 PM in response to gds_mac

Internet Tab>Connect Using>Airport (WDS)
I

That is incorrect. WDS is only used to wirelessly connect multiple Apple base stations.

You want it configured to use Ethernet. If your BT connection normally uses DHCP, then use DHCP.

Network Tab>Uncheck Distribute IP addresses

That is incorrect. You want that enabled.

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Answer 2

gds_mac Author

Level 1

18 points

Nov 11, 2006 11:45 PM in response to Duane

Thanks for the reply-please see my comments at the end of my original post

I have extra Extreme and Dual Ethernet Airports for printer and Windows file sharing

I am using an Airport Extreme, so need to have WDS enabled. I have the Express connected via Ethernet and its location means I can more conveniently use it for AirTunes.The Extreme will then connect to the Express wirelessly from my home office(located two rooms away)
I have already used my PC to connect wirelessly to the Express with DHCP turned off and I can connect to my VPN and office network without any difficulty-therefore do I need to have DHCP checked?

Power PC 400 G4 AGP 10.2.8 Mac OS X (10.2.x) iMac G4 800 10.2.8; Mac Mini 1.42 10.3.6;Airport Dual Ethernet BS

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Answer 3

Duane

Level 10

124,267 points

Nov 12, 2006 11:34 AM in response to gds_mac

You only need to have WDS if you are wirelessly connecting the AX and AirPort Extreme base station (AEBS). Since you have the AX connected via Ethernet you don't want WDS enabled.

Please explain how the AEBS and snow AirPort base station (ABS) is connected and to what those devices are connected to.

WDS won't work with a snow ABS.

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Answer 4

gds_mac Author

Level 1

18 points

Nov 13, 2006 12:48 AM in response to Duane

I have now changed settings as you advised from WDS to Ethernet for the Express>BT Home Hub connection.
I know from previous posting that the ABS Snow does not support WDS.
Hers is what I want to achieve, however so far, with the exception of the Mac Mini (untested/unconfigured for use with Extreme)it all works?:-

Power PC 400 AGP OS 10.2.8>Airport Extreme PCI Card>Wirelessly connect via Express (connected via Ethernet to BT Home Hub)

Mac Mini 1.4 OS 10.3.6>Ethernet>ABS Extreme>Wirelessly connect via Express (connected via Ethernet to BT Home Hub)

iMac G4 Flat panel OS 10.4>Airport Original Card>Wirelessly connect via Express (connected via Ethernet to BT Home Hub)

Samsung PC Windows XP(SP2)>802.11G Card>Wirelessly connect via Express (connected via Ethernet to BT Home Hub)

All four of the above connect to the ABS Snow on a separate wireless network for file sharing and printing.(I set this up via help/info from the discussion forum and given it works without hiccup have left it as it is!)

Hope this helps and any further assistance/advice is appreciated-I am keen to get it right since the BT Home Hub is relatively new-UK based Home Hub forums http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=77

Thanks,
Graham

Power PC 400 G4 AGP Mac OS X (10.2.x) iMac G4 800 10.4; Mac Mini 1.42 10.3.6;Airport Snow;Airport Express;

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Answer 5

Duane

Level 10

124,267 points

Nov 13, 2006 6:33 AM in response to gds_mac

You need to configure the AX (connected to BT modem) as a WDS "main base station" as described in KB 107454.

You need to configure the AirPort Extreme base station (AEBS) [connected to the Mac mini] as a WDS "remote station" or "relay station". This will activate the Ethernet port on the AEBS so that the Mac mini can get to the network.

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Answer 6

gds_mac Author

Level 1

18 points

Nov 20, 2006 2:05 AM in response to Duane

You need to configure the AX (connected to BT modem)
as a WDS "main base station" as described in KB 107454.

You need to configure the AirPort Extreme base
station (AEBS) [connected to the Mac mini] as a
WDS "remote station" or "relay station". This will
activate the Ethernet port on the AEBS so that the
Mac mini can get to the network.

Many thanks!
Regards,
Graham

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Answer 7

Duane

Level 10

124,267 points

Nov 20, 2006 8:18 AM in response to gds_mac

Glad that I could help!

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