Double NAT with Airport Extreme and Virgin Media Broadband

Question

Double NAT with Airport Extreme and Virgin Media Broadband

More details on Virgin Media Hub/Airport Extreme Issue

I have just installed Airport Extreme (Apple) having previously used Time Capsule (Apple). Over the past two years, printing to a Wi-Fi enabled printer over a 'Wi-Fi Network' worked just fine using the Capsule linked to the Virgin Media Hub by an ethernet cable.

Under the new set up of Airport Extreme, which connects to the Virgin Media Hub in the same way (via Ethernet cable), the Wi-Fi printer sees the Wi-Fi Network and gives an IP address on its settings display. However, with Apple Airport Utility set to (Off) Bridge I cannot get any printer access over Wi-Fi.

When I switch it to 'NAT' I am getting a flashing Amber warning light saying 'Double NAT' BUT I can print while experiencing a Double NAT...

Should I be worried about the Double NAT? Can I organize settings on either the Virgin Media Hub or the Airport Extreme so that I can use a Wi-Fi printer and not have the Double NAT? My wife also accesses the Wi-Fi printer from her PC and she also uses a VOIP service...

Any info much appreciated. Thanks.

Posted on Jan 5, 2016 4:10 AM

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Answer 1

Tesserax

Level 10

158,208 points

Jan 5, 2016 9:36 AM in response to finediningguide

When connected by Ethernet your new AirPort Extreme should be configured as a bridge to prevent a "double NAT" condition. However, by default the Extreme will still be broadcasting a Wi-Fi network that would be different than the one provided by your Virgin Media Hub. What you will want to do is to further configure both routers for a "roaming" type network. They would still broadcast their own Wi-Fi, but both would use the same network name (aka SSID), and use the same wireless security type & password ... so wireless network clients would seem them as a "single" network.

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