Wi-Fi base stations: Setting up and configuring a roaming network (802.11 a/b/g/n)

Summary

This article explains how to set up multiple Wi-Fi base stations to create a single wireless network (known as a "roaming" network) using Ethernet.

Products Affected

AirPort Extreme 802.11n (3rd Generation), Time Capsule 802.11n (2nd Generation), Microsoft Windows

Set up: Connecting your Wi-Fi base stations together

Use Ethernet to connect from a LAN port symbol LAN port of the primary Wi-Fi base station to the WAN port symbol WAN port of an extended Wi-Fi base station. The primary base station is the base station connected directly to the Internet.

Router connected to 2 base stations

Router connected to one base station, which is connected to 3 base stations

➊ Primary Wi-Fi base station
➋ Extended Wi-Fi base station

 

To configure a roaming network
  1. Power on all 802.11n Wi-Fi base stations and allow them time to appear in the AirPort Menu Extra.
  2. Open AirPort Utility (On a Mac, choose Go > Applications from your desktop, click the Utilities folder, then open AirPort Utility. In Microsoft Windows, choose Start > All Programs > AirPort to start AirPort Utility).
  3. If you are configuring the primary Wi-Fi base station, set Connection Sharing to "Share a public IP address."

    Connection Sharing: Share a public IP address selected

    If you are configuring the extended Wi-Fi base stations, set Connection Sharing to "Off (Bridge Mode)."

    Connection Sharing: Off (Bridge Mode) selected

  4. Use AirPort Utility to configure the Wireless Network Name, security, and password on each Wi-Fi base station to be exactly the same.

    Use Identical Network Name and WPA2 selected, password entered twice
Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple’s recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.
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