Setting up network with Apple Airport Extreme, Netgear router and xbox 360

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 19 Apr 2011 at 00:44

Ok I am looking for a solution to get the following devices to talk fine.

I have my
___________________Sky Netgear router__________________

______Netgear router___________________Airport Extreme___

___Apple Computer____________________Xbox 360_________

I have the computer i am using directly wired into a netgear router which at the moment is acting as a bridge with another cable that goes directly to the sky router downstairs.
From the router in my room I want to attach an airport extreme which will have an xbox 360 plugged into it.

Can you help me set up all the devices so they can all just bridge.. At the moment the xbox isn't even noticing its connected to the airport via cable.

I'm not interested in removing the 2nd router from my room either. I need all the devices.

Fr0dders · 19 Apr 2011 at 00:53

Two Questions, have you done the basic stuff

1) made sure that the airport extreme has the cable from the router in the uplink port and not the LAN port, and that the xbox 360 is connected to one of the 3 LAN ports on the airport extreme ?

2) have you used the utility to set the airport extreme up in bridge mode ?

Assuming you have.

I think the problem is you're trying to bridge one router, to another router that is in fact bridged to another router.

The airport extreme is a router to all intents and purposes. Why do you need a netgear router, and the airport extreme in the same room ?

I think the only solution to your problem may be to remove the router upstairs thats bridged and replace it with the airport extreme.

I don't know if bridging onto another bridge is even possible. I'm guessing not, but googling doesn't reveal much.

PardonTheWait · 19 Apr 2011 at 06:56

Why do you need both routers? Would it not make more sense to swap the netgear router for a switch?

PaulyD · 19 Apr 2011 at 09:24

PardonTheWait said:
Why do you need both routers? Would it not make more sense to swap the netgear router for a switch?

My first thought

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 19 Apr 2011 at 10:11

I need more than the 4 ports each single device offers. Wondered if it was possible using the hardware I have without buying owt else.

shine · 19 Apr 2011 at 10:13

All you should need to do is plug a cable from port 4 on the netgear into the wan port on the airport. That should give you what you need.

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 19 Apr 2011 at 10:21

shine said:
All you should need to do is plug a cable from port 4 on the netgear into the wan port on the airport. That should give you what you need.

I tried the xbox doesn't seem to see its connected to anything.. Although it does if I dont use the netgear router/switch

JonB · 19 Apr 2011 at 10:32

Can't you turn the routers into switches by turning off DHCP etc?

killari · 19 Apr 2011 at 10:34

I remember having some trouble when I was setting up my Time Capsule. You could try changing the internet connection sharing option to "Distribute a range of IP Adresses" then on the TCP/IP section jamming in the IP of your router as the host.

PaulyD · 19 Apr 2011 at 12:05

Johnny|lucidcomposure said:
I tried the xbox doesn't seem to see its connected to anything.. Although it does if I dont use the netgear router/switch

Sounds like the airport extreme is not configured correctly between the LAN and WAN ports

Try this:

Router in room - take out of bridge mode, turn DHCP off and in LAN settings set the Sky router downstairs as the default gateway, ensure LAN subnet is the same as the Sky router (should be fine anyway, but double check) - effectively make this a switch with Sky router downstairs as the DHCP server

Air port extreme - Not sure on this as never used one, is it a full blown router? If so you may need to set the LAN as on a different subnet (say 192.168.2.1) to your ethernet connections and set the WAN port to again point to the sky router (say 192.168.1.1) downstairs as the default gateway - may cause an issue with strict NAT on the xbox 360 though as will be double NAT through the two devices

EDIT: Can enable UPNP on the router which should get round the Strict NAT but the hardcore network people will say this is a security risk as opens the ports.

Fr0dders · 19 Apr 2011 at 13:01

Johnny|lucidcomposure said:
I need more than the 4 ports each single device offers. Wondered if it was possible using the hardware I have without buying owt else.

If you just want to use the router as a 4 port switch to add onto the 3 ports of the airport extreme that should be fine providing you get the cabling right.

See above for instructions

PardonTheWait · 19 Apr 2011 at 21:05

Johnny|lucidcomposure said:
I need more than the 4 ports each single device offers. Wondered if it was possible using the hardware I have without buying owt else.

I got an 8 port ZyXel switch for about £36 delivered, the GS105 you can get for about £22ish I think if you keep having trouble. I haven't been using it long but its worked flawlessly so far. I couldn't find many reviews but the few I did find were positive.

Worth doing if you can't get this worked out