Extending an iPhone Personal Hotspot?

NOTE: Though I'm using a Time Capsule here, I'm posting it in the AirPort Extreme group because I am given to understand that the TC's networking is basically an AE, and I'm not concerned with the TC-specific functions, like networked storage, for this scenario.


I'd like to use an old iPhone as the internet connection for a remote security camera. (I need to test the setup to see if the amount of traffic over the connection is too high to be practical on my data plan, but need to get it working first to run the test!)


The catch is, the hub for my security cams (Netgear Arlo) only supports Ethernet connections to the main network router:


(ISP) - (Modem/router) - [Ethernet] - (Arlo hub)


I set up a test to try this configuration:


(Mobile ISP) - (iPhone configured as Hotspot)[Wifi hotspot signal] - (TC configured as wireless network extender) - [Ethernet] - (Arlo hub)


A couple of notes about that:

  • The Time Capsule had been working great in the wireless extender role, when it was receiving its signal from another Time Capsule that was connected to the internet via cable modem.
  • For my current testing, I'm using a Mac in place of the Arlo hub, so that I can use Airport Utility to see what's going on with the network. I'm assuming that once I can get the Mac a solid internet connection, I can swap out the Arlo hub in its place.


I've set up that second physical configuration, and here's what AirPort utility on the Mac at the end of the pipe is showing me as a result (IUXTC orange status indicator flashing):

User uploaded file


I tried fiddling with settings under Internet > Internet Options, but no help. (Changing IPv6 settings for example, lost the iPhone network and added a second orange item in Status at the bottom, for the network.)


Is the iPhone Hotspot network intrinsically different from a normal wifi network in ways that will prohibit extending it to a device like the TC? Or is there some deep settings I can change to get the internet connection to pass through?


I worship you as a Networking God if you have a definitive answer, especially if it's a way to get it to work :-)

Time Capsule-OTHER, iOS 10.3.2, Operating as a network extender

Posted on Jun 1, 2017 11:17 AM

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3 replies

Jun 1, 2017 11:43 AM in response to R Allen Matsumoto

Is the iPhone Hotspot network intrinsically different from a normal wifi network in ways that will prohibit extending it to a device like the TC?

That is correct. It is different. You will NOT be able to extend the iPhone's Hotspot connection with your TC.


The iPhone's Hotspot feature is the same as tethering. You can connect other devices (smart phones, computers, notebooks, etc.) to it by USB, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth ... but not a router.

Jun 1, 2017 11:35 AM in response to R Allen Matsumoto

Hmm.. didn't think to try this until after I posted, but I have similar results swapping out the iPhone hotspot network with a working CenturyLink wifi network that all my Macs and iOS devices are successfully using.


In both the test configuration above there's no Status error for WIreless Network, it seems to like the iPhone hotspot. But with this CL wifi network, I get this error message for Wireless Network:


"This AirPort base station is set up to join a specific wireless network that can't be found. If you don't see the network you want to join, make sure the wireless device is plugged in and in range of the AirPort base station."


One other note: When I try to choose the wireless network to extend, I don't see the long list of wireless networks, only one neighbor's network. Does the AirPort network extension function only work with Apple networking devices? That would explain the futility with the CenturyLink wifi device, but still leave the original question about working with iPhone hotspots open.

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Extending an iPhone Personal Hotspot?

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