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

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.

Set up: Connecting your Wi-Fi base stations together

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

Diagram showing how to connect the primary and extended Wi-Fi base stations using Ethernet cables. Use Ethernet to connect from a LAN port of the primary Wi-Fi base station to the WAN port of an extended Wi-Fi base station. The primary base station is the base station connected directly to the internet.

➊ Primary Wi-Fi base station

➋ Extended Wi-Fi base station

To configure a roaming network

  1. Turn on all 802.11n Wi-Fi base stations and allow some time for them 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".

    Image showing Connection Sharing set to “Share a public IP address”.

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

    Image showing Connection Sharing set to “Off (Bridge Mode)”.

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

    Configuration steps for setting up a Wi-Fi roaming network.
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