Airport Express / Time Capsule Questions....Joining Existing Network

[Westyfield2]

Firstly, the below questions are based on my assumption that the Time Capsule's firmware & hardware is similar to the Airport Extreme (but with the addition of the HDD!)


The router my network's running off is a Linksys WRT600N (has both 2.4Ghz & 5Ghz and 802.11b/g/n).

I'm interested in adding a Networked hard disk to the network (not through using the router's USB port) for the sole purpose of Time Machine backups.
From what I know, Time Machine doesn't work with NAS's apart from the Time Capsule (which from looking at it, would be a waste of money as I don't want to use it as a router.)


From what I've read, the Time Capsule can be connected by ethernet to the existing router (or switch), and have all it's Wi-Fi & routing functions turned off - making it only work for it's NAS HDD (that'll work with Time Machine.)
Now that seems like quite a waste of money on a £200 device that has WiFi etc built in.

Now, thinking about it, one of the locations I'd put the Time Capsule when connect as above, has bad wireless reception......
From what I've read (especially this thread), when the Time Machine is connected as above, and I disable the Time Capsule's built in router and DHCP server, it can be assigned a different SSID (my network already has 2 (one for 2.4ghz & one for 5ghz)) and it'll be broadcasting without interfering my existing network.
My wireless devices could be given the Time Capsule's SSID & encryption details, and would be able to connect to that or the Linksys (depending on where abouts in the house they were) - and as both networks are connected together, all shared HDD's and internet would work fine joining together over the three SSID's from the Linksys & Time Capsule.


The tricky bit, is there a way of having the Time Capsule repeat/boost the signal coming from the Linksys? (instead of broadcasting on a different SSID, it'd be acting as a Wireless Access Point).
From my research about repeating, I know that WDS is needed, and accoring to here the Linksys WRT600N supports it. (whatever it actually is!)
So, would the Time Capsule be able to repeat/boost the Linksys's signal? If so, how? (I'd keep the two router's connected together by gigabit as obviously the location of the Time Capsule would be one where the Linksys's signal struggles to reach.)


Anything wrong with the idea of broadcasting on a different SSID? And any ideas about broadcasting on the same SSID?

Blimey that's a long post! If your still reading this far and understand what I'm on about you can have a cookie

Thanks
Ed.

EDIT: Realized title error, should be "Extreme" not "Express" (as thats what the Time Capsule's based on).

 

[Mr Spew]

I've tried using an Airport Express to send out a wireless signal, but couldn't work out how to boost or repeat the original one, so tried it on its own. Being that it's a wireless router (just without the ports), it confused the main router lots and needed plenty of restarting sadly. Hopefully there's a way to perhaps turn off the wireless on the original router and only use the wireless as a pass-through on the TimeCapsule? Or am I too hopeful?

 

[Westyfield2]

I posted the exact same post on Apple Discussions: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1358601&tstart=0

And from there, it looks like I can have the Linksys router broadcasting its two channels, and the Time Capsule (connected by ethernet) broadcasting one of them.


Is it just me, or does that look too easy to be true? I'd read loads of stuff saying how hard it was to repeat/boost (without disabling) a router with another router!

 

[Deleted member 651465]

I've tried using an Airport Express to send out a wireless signal, but couldn't work out how to boost or repeat the original one, so tried it on its own. Being that it's a wireless router (just without the ports), it confused the main router lots and needed plenty of restarting sadly. Hopefully there's a way to perhaps turn off the wireless on the original router and only use the wireless as a pass-through on the TimeCapsule? Or am I too hopeful?

That is what I have done.

My modem in the bedroom has no wireless (but you could easily turn it off), and then I have just connected an AirPort Express base station to it via an ethernet cable.

The base station sends out the wireless signal which my devices connect to, and it all "just works"

You have to remember to switch off DHCP on the base station, and let your modem do it for you, otherwise you'll have two devices trying to dish out IP addresses.

Oh, and you can only get the AirPort Express to boost a signal when using it with an AirPort Extreme base station.

The Time Capsule has no modem inside.. it's just an access point.

 

[WotDa]

The Time Capsule has no modem inside.. it's just an access point.

Would the steps be the same though? Turn off DHCP and on the Capsule and wireless on the router?

 

[Deleted member 651465]

1) Turn your router's wireless off

2) Turn off DHCP in the Time Capsule

That way, everything still has it's own IP, but it's assigned by the modem and the Time Capsule would only have to worry about sending the signal.

You could use the modem's wireless if you have a big house, but then you'd have to swap networks if you moved from 1 end to the other.

 

[Mr Spew]

So it should work with a standard router where you turn its wireless off and turn of DHCP on the Airport Express? I don't have an Extreme, as sadly, there's no modem inside and I can't be bothered with the hassle of a DSL standalone modem, seems silly really! Oh, and Xbox 360s don't connect to the Airport Express, it can't even find it.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

Yes.

I used to have a SpeedTouch 546v6 (modem) connected to a Netgear DG834N (wireless access point).

I just replaced my Netgear with an AirPort Exreme base station (in this example a Time Capsule would be the same), and configured it as follows...

The increased MultiCast rate insures max speeds between devices
(but limits range)

Connection Sharing disabled ensures that IP address are more managable.

I chose not to have Wireless security, but you can see how a networked printer would be shown, I have no NAS device.

 

[WotDa]

Oh, and Xbox 360s don't connect to the Airport Express, it can't even find it.

If your 360 wireless even works.

I shall bung the Capsule in my room on the rather attractive red Ethernet cable I have now and have the 360 and my pc connected to the capsule. Handy!

 

[Westyfield2]

In response to the Time Capsule repeating/adding to (not replacing) the Linksys Router's WiFi, someone posted te following on Apple Discussions:

The tricky bit, is there a way of having the Time Capsule repeat/boost the signal coming from the Linksys?

Your scenario has Time Capsule connected via Ethernet to the Linksys. To extend the Linksys's wireless network, simply configure the Time Capsule to use (a) the same SSID as the Linksys, (b) the same encryption type/level/password as the Linksys, and (c) a channel as far as possible from the one used by the Linksys.

For all wireless clients there would be one big wireless network.

&

I believe Time Capsule only has a single radio and therefore can not broadcast both 2.4ghz & 5ghz at the same time. It can be configured to do one or the other.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

In response to the Time Capsule repeating/adding to (not replacing) the Linksys Router's WiFi, someone posted te following on Apple Discussions:



&

That's not boosting the signal.. that's just "spoofing" it.

All you're doing is creating two identically-named networks that are sent out on 2 different channels.

 

[Westyfield2]

That's not boosting the signal.. that's just "spoofing" it.

All you're doing is creating two identically-named networks that are sent out on 2 different channels.

& as they'll both have the same name/encryption, wireless devices will be able to connect to whichever one's available (depending on where abouts in the house they are), and will presumably chose the strongest if they're both available.