Dave245
Level 1 (4 points)
Servers Enterprise

Q: Server-based DHCP and Guest Account Networking

I currently have a MacMini which I run as a DHCP server to provide IP addresses to computers on my wired network....I would like to keep that existing network in place but also create a separate Guest Wireless network for laptops, iPad's etc.. Can my MacMini server continue to act as a DHCP as well as DNS server for the wired network, but also create a separate wireless Guest network with a different range of IP addresses to handle my wireless devices? I have a 2009 Apple Extreme Airport base station. My current DHCP network is handing out address in the 192.168.0.71` to 192.168.0.101. I would like to have the wireless network use a totally different IP address range, maybe 172xxx or 10.xxx...Is it possible to have two separate networks working, the DHCP-supplied network and the Guest Network....

Posted on Aug 24, 2016 7:33 AM

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Dave245

Q: Server-based DHCP and Guest Account Networking

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  • by Fai2,

    Fai2 Fai2 Aug 24, 2016 12:10 PM in response to Dave245
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Servers Enterprise
    Aug 24, 2016 12:10 PM in response to Dave245

    You can create the secondary/guest/WiFi network on your Airport Extreme Base Station (AEBS) using the Airport Utility.

     

    Connect the AEBS to your local wired network via the AEBS's WAN port. Your MacMini/DHCP will assign it a local IP in your 192.x.x.x range. Then use Airport Utility on the MacMini to set up a WiFi network in another local range of your choice, such as the 172.x.x.x you mentioned. This will give wireless clients access to the internet, but not to services (printers, server, etc.) on the primary 192 network.

     

    If you wanted wireless clients also to have access to services on your 192 network, you'd put the AEBS into bridge mode (Airport Utility > Internet Connection tab > Connection sharing pulldown menu > select Bridge mode). This would allow your DHCP server to assign IP addresses in your primary 192 range to wireless clients through the AEBS.

     

    I'm not sure if this applies to your older AEBS or not, but for some years the AEBS has itself supported creating a additional guest WiFi network in a secondary local IP range. This allows having a primary network with full access to all services, plus a guest network that only allows an internet connection. I do this at home.