TMUP Live 75: Wireless Networking and Airports
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Tonight Associate Editor George Starcher and I talk all things wireless networking and Airport routers. This is one you want to keep notes on.
Show Notes
Panasonic HD-PLC Ethernet Adaptor Starter Pack
More Hints from George
Basics to remember
TKIP = WPA1
AES = WPA2
for G clients pick 802.11N (b/g compatibility mode)
if all Apple N gear use the 5GHZ radio N Only.
To use N wide channels – Airport Utility – Manual Setup – AirPort Wireless Tab, Wireless Option Button – Check use wide channels
To turn off broadcast SSID – Airport Utility – Manual Setup – AirPort Wireless Tab, Wireless Option Button – Click Closed Network
To use bridging AND extend wireless coverage.
In your main router – Check box under AirPort Wireless – Allow this network to be extended
In your bridging airport extreme or express
To bridge choose Connection Sharing (Off Bridging Mode)
in AirPort – Wireless choose wireless mode : Extend a wireless network
Check the box Allow wireless clients
Enter the wireless settings from your main Airport router
If just adding a second access point on same network,
Under connection sharing choose Off (Bridging Mode)
Under AirPort-Wireless choose to create a wireless network and use the same ssid and encryption as your other wireless access point on the main router.
Check box to Allow this network to be extended
Hey guys just got back from my hols, and I got a Time Machine now I'm trying to set it up and I'm thinking about the channels issue, well guess what I had a look using iStumber and I see 6 wireless signals! 2 on channel 1, 2 on channel 11, 1 on chaanel 6 and 1 on channel 9 !!
the noise varies from 14 to 20% and the signal strength varies from 25 to 41%.
Do I need to leave my Airport Extreme setting on Automatic?
Comment by Gazmaz — April 24, 2008 @ 9:56 am
In that scenario I would not use auto. It could cause performance issues as it jumps around often. I would go with channel one. Channel six is something I always avoid. Since someone is on the high end and not using standard (9) channel numbers i would avoid that end.
Comment by georgestarcher — April 24, 2008 @ 4:57 pm
When I change my Airport Extreme to 802.11n only (5 GHz), with the “wide” turned off, the range decreases considerably and the range of the Airport Express in g mode is also reduced. If I turn on the “wide” then the signal range for both is even worse. Is this normal?
Thanks for your show I always learn so much.
Comment by iheritch — April 24, 2008 @ 8:28 pm
Thanks I was wondering that, and at this point I can't go 5GHz as I only (at this point) have one wireless router and I use Apple TV as well as an iPod touch. One other question I have an old Netgear router and was thinking of getting rid of that, is the built in Firewall on the extreme as good, as the Netgear Firewall has served me very well, and do I need to set it up?
Comment by Gazmaz — April 25, 2008 @ 12:36 am
Hrm. I have not seen a significant range difference. But then frequency penetration can be different based on the materials and layout of your home. But if you are trying to use wide channels and there are strong sources of interference in the additional channel space I could that that might degrade performance. Though does not tend to the rule but rather the exception in my experience to date.
Comment by georgestarcher — April 25, 2008 @ 3:14 pm
All home class devices dont have a real traditional firewall. It is more a feature of the network address translation that all home routers do. The netgear is not going to be any different really than the airport gear.
Comment by georgestarcher — April 25, 2008 @ 3:25 pm
I enjoyed your podcast #75 on Wireless networking. I wanted to hook my airport express via the ethernet connection to a remote computer and share the Internet connection from my main airport extreme router with that remote airport express. The only way I get this to work is in WDS mode. The only way I can get WDS to work is with WEP encryption. I wanted to use wpa2. Do you know any work arounds?
Comment by Rwise — April 25, 2008 @ 4:25 pm
Ok, so in setting up a n only 5 Ghz network and a g 2.4 network I have set my Airport Extreme to n only 5 Ghz, and the Airport Express to n (g & b compatible) 2.4 Ghz. Is this correct? The Air Port software does not give you a g & b only choice.
Comment by iheritch — April 25, 2008 @ 5:27 pm
There is no G/B on 5GHz radio. That is A or N. G/B is only a 2.4GHz option else it wouldn't be B/G compatible.
Comment by georgestarcher — April 26, 2008 @ 3:52 am
Make sure your firmware is current to get WPA as an option for WDS. Then give your express time to go green. It takes a bit of time to boot, find the network and establish the connection once you have it set.
Comment by georgestarcher — April 26, 2008 @ 3:53 am
Thank you. I've listened to hundreds of podcasts over the past few years, and this is one of the most informative I've heard. Any Mac magazine would be lucky to get an article submitted with this much easy-to-understand information regarding a complex system which we all must live with on a daily basis.
Comment by Tom — May 5, 2008 @ 7:24 pm
Thank you Tom, it was great to have George on and to talk about this in detail. Keep listening.
Comment by typicalmacuser — May 5, 2008 @ 10:49 pm
Is it possible to do this without connecting the Time Capsule to the Airport Express via ethernet? I'm trying to do this wirelessly and have been unsuccessful so far.
Comment by Ryan — May 15, 2008 @ 11:25 pm
Is it possible to do this without connecting the Time Capsule to the Airport Express via ethernet? I’m trying to do this wirelessly and have been unsuccessful so far.
Comment by Ryan — May 16, 2008 @ 6:25 am