Airport extreme base station

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The AirPort status menu in the menu bar is part of AirPort for Max OS X.

If your base station supports Power over Ethernet, the following Mac OS X applications are included on the AirPort Management Tools CD.

AirPort Management Utility

AirPort Management Utility allows network administrators to set up and manage multiple base stations from a single location.

AirPort Client Monitor

The AirPort Client monitor application monitors the signal strength and transmit rate of wireless client computers.

To extend the range of your network, you can use AirPort Admin Utility to set up multiple base stations in your network connected to one another wirelessly, known as a Wireless Distribution System (WDS), or over Ethernet.

The current model was released in 2013.

Time Capsule – £299 or £399, buy one here,

Time Capsule – $299 or $399, buy one here

What is the difference between AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme?

The AirPort Express Base Station is designed to add a few Apple features to your current network.

airport extreme base station

Both the AirPort Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme feature dual internal antennas so they can produce both a 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless network.

  • AirPrint. d Select the printer and click Add.

    Note: If the base station is set up to receive power over Ethernet, the USB port is disabled. This is a shame as everything else it does slightly better than the AirPort Express device.

    The AirPort Extreme Base Station has faster data throughput and includes the new 802.11ac standard, and you can attach an external hard drive to it for wireless Network Attached Storage (NAS).

    If you recently installed the card, shut down your computer and make sure the card is properly installed. You can also use the AirPort Utility app on your Mac or iOS device to manage your AirPort Base Station.

    How do I troubleshoot problems with my AirPort Base Station?

    If you encounter any problems with your AirPort Base Station, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take.

    If you use a standard modem and analog telephone line (the type of telephone line

    •

    found in most residences) to access the Internet, connect one end of the phone cord to the internal modem (W) port and the other end to your telephone jack.

    Important:

    telephone system. AirPort Admin Utility is located in Applications/ Utilities on a computer using Mac OS X, and in Start > All Programs > AirPort on a computer using Windows XP or Windows 2000.

    Make sure that the other end of the card is firmly inserted into the connector in the AirPort Card slot.

    If you forget your AirPort network or base station password

    You can clear the AirPort network or base station password by resetting the base station. See “Monitoring AirPort Extreme Base Station Communication” on page 17 for a complete explanation of the lights on the AirPort Extreme Base Station.

    2

    Connect the AirPort Extreme Base Station to your DSL or cable modem, Ethernet network, or, if your base station has an internal modem, a standard phone line.

    •

    If you have an Internet account that uses a device such as a DSL or cable modem, connect the device to the 10/100Base-T Ethernet WAN () port on the AirPort Extreme Base Station.

    •

    If you use an Ethernet LAN for Internet access, such as in a school or office, connect the Ethernet cable to the 10/100Base-T Ethernet LAN (G) port on the AirPort Extreme Base Station.

    To use the AirPort Setup Assistant to configure the AirPort Extreme Base Station:

    1

    Make sure you have plugged in the base station and the middle light is on.

    2 Open the AirPort Setup Assistant (in Applications/Utilities on a Mac, and follow the

    onscreen instructions.

    Use AirPort Admin Utility on a Windows XP or Windows 2000 computer

    See the document “AirPort Networks for Windows” that came on the AirPort CD for detailed instructions for setting up your AirPort Extreme Base Station using AirPort Admin Utility.

    Chapter 2

    Setting Up Your AirPort Extreme Base Station

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    • Page 14

    Page 15

    3Using Your

    AirPort Extreme Base Station

    3

    The information in this chapter will help you understand how to use your base station and how to get the most from your AirPort network.

    Use the information provided in this chapter to:

    • Configure your base station’s Internet connection

    • Use AirPort Admin Utility to modify advanced base station settings

    • Monitor your AirPort Extreme Base Station status

    • Connect to and disconnect from the AirPort network

    • Connect additional base stations to your AirPort network

    • Extend the range of your AirPort network

    Configuring the Base Station

    The AirPort Setup Assistant provides complete configuration options for most AirPort networks.

    For advanced settings, you can use AirPort Admin Utility (in Applications/Utilities) to configure your AirPort Extreme Base Station.

    AirPort is a wireless local area network (WLAN) technology that provides high­performance wireless communication between multiple computers and the Internet. If Internet sharing is turned off, you need to reset your base station and enter a new IP address. Read our AirPort Extreme review here.

    The current model hasn’t been updated since 2013.

    AirPort Extreme – £199, buy one here.

    AirPort Extreme – $199, buy one here.

    For the lowdown on the different routers you can buy for your Mac read: Best Mac router

    AirPort Time Capsule

    Apple’s Time Capsule is essentially an AirPort Extreme wireless router with a built-in hard drive.

    This might be useful if you want to control access to the network by restricting the range to a single room, for example.

    To shorten the range of your AirPort network:

    1 Open AirPort Admin Utility, in Applications/Utilities on a Macintosh and in Start > All

    Programs > AirPort on a Windows XP or Windows 2000 computer.

    2 Select your base station and click Configure.

    3 On a Macintosh, click Wireless Options.

    Do not connect an external antenna to a base station that supports PoE and is mounted in the air space above a ceiling.

    This chapter explains how to set up your base station:

    • In your home or small office with an Ethernet or dial-up connection to the Internet

    • In school, where you might have both a broadband and an Ethernet connection

    • In a business or school using Power over Ethernet

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    Page 22

    Setting Up a Home Office Network

    If you are setting up an AirPort network in your home or small office and you have a broadband DSL or cable modem connection to the Internet, and an existing Ethernet network, you may need the following items:

    • An AirPort Extreme Base Station or multiple base stations

    • A DSL or cable modem with Internet access

    • AirPort- or other wireless-equipped computers

    • An optional Ethernet network

    The following illustration is an example of an AirPort network in an office.

    The US National Electric Code (NEC) and the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) require that you use plenum-rated Ethernet cables in air-handling spaces.

    Extending the Range of Your AirPort Network

    In addition to adding base stations to your network, you can attach an Apple-certified external antenna to the base station to extend your network’s range.

    To return the base station to the factory settings:

    m

    Press and hold the reset button for five full seconds.

    The base station restarts with the following settings:

    • The base station receives its IP address using DHCP.

    • The network name reverts to Apple Network XXXXXX (where X is a letter or number).

    • The base station password returns to public.

    Important: Resetting the base station to factory defaults erases all the settings you

    have entered for the base station, including access control and RADIUS settings.

    28Chapter 5 Troubleshooting

    Page 29

    If you move your AirPort Extreme Base Station to a location on your network with a different subnet and lose communication with the base station

    Your AirPort Extreme Base Station may have an invalid IP address.

    These specifications are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference in a residential installation. The AirPort Extreme is a more powerful model that supports faster speeds and advanced features like simultaneous dual-band Wi-Fi. On your device, look for available Wi-Fi networks and select the network name (SSID) you assigned to your AirPort Base Station.

    You will then be prompted to enter the password you set during the setup process.