Configure airport express without wifi

Captain Vash

So I bought an airport express (late 2008 model), and I had it all configured, having initially set it up with a laptop I had lying around.

and once it was configured to not use DHCP and try to be a router, it joined the same subnet as my other equipment and could be controlled over my wired network.

between then and now I got rid of my laptop so I no longer have any wireless computers in my home, my wifi is literally only there for the rare guest with wifi, and the iphones of me and my room mates.

So the airport goofed up, I factory reset it, so now it's pretending to be a router again and is trying to exact some sort of dhcp related vengeance amongst my network, putting it's self on a separate subnet so that without connecting to it's wifi signal, no device can run the airport control utility and configure it.

Does anyone know what I can do short of buying a new laptop or a wireless adapter for one of my computers?

I'm not an apple fanboy exactly, but I'm having a hard time believing that apple would have set this up to work so stupidly.

corky842

Wait, you can't configure it through just a web browser? That is pretty stupid.

It's supposed to be able to be used as an ethernet -> wireless adapter too, so try plugging it into your ethernet port and run the config program?

Captain Vash

I guess I should list what I tried already.

I have tried:

> connecting it to my router through my living room switch and running config
> connecting it to my bedroom switch and running config
> connecting it to my router directly and running config
> looking up it's assigned ip in my router's mac table and entering that into my browser
> entering in it's assigned ip in the "config other" option in the config utility and guessing passwords of "admin" "password" and "apple" and "airport" and "airportexpress"
> connecting it directly to my computer's ethernet and trying the same as above.
> using my iphone to connect to the wireless N network it's currently broadcasting and entering the ip into iphone-safari

Resetting it to factory settings multiple multiple times, and nothing.

I think the next thing to try here is too connect directly to the darn thing, and manually put my computer on the same subnet mask the airport express is using... maybe?

Thibis

To be clear; You are using the airport to provide internet to your otherwise wifi-less PC laptop?

If so, this will likely work:

Install Airport Utility.
Factory reset for good measure (most you just hold the reset button until it flashes amber rapidly.)
Run ethernet from your laptop to the airport.
Open airport utility.

It should find the airport at this point. You can use manual setup or assisted (defualt.) Assisted should be fine. Just answer questions as you go; you want to tell it to join an existing wireless network. Once it connects to your network as a client, it will not provide NAT/DHCP. But it should pass the IP through the ethernet port to your laptop, and you should be good to go.

If this isn't what you are trying to do, I'll need a better idea of your goal with the airport.

Captain Vash

Diagram time!



So I don't actually have any computer that can connect to it wirelessly which is what all the set up guides tell me to do.

Thibis

Diagrams rule!

So you are using it as another wifi access point?

Temporarily run ethernet from from a computer to the airport. Use assisted setup again with Airport Utility. One of the first screens says something like "Select what you want to do with your airport." Choose the option that says you want to connect it to an existing network using ethernet. If you are asked, tell it to use "bridge mode." Update and you will get all kinds of errors when it finishes (because it wants to be plugged into a router an not your computer). Forget them. Switch back to running ethernet from your main router to the airport. Should go green and allow your main router to provide DHCP.

If you want to use manual setup, the main thing you are looking for is changing "Connection sharing" from "using DHCP" to "Bridge mode." Assisted should be easier though.

Hope this helps, its been a while since I tried to make an airport work with another router brand. The wording I'm using may also be from an older software version, but it should be similar.

Note: This won't act as signal booster, just a separate access point. EDIT: Just realized you are probably creating a second network using N only with the airport; you don't need no stinkin' booster

Captain Vash

yes that is exactly what I want -
the network coming off the router is for my room mate's iphones and any guests we have that might need wifi.
the network coming off the airport express is purely for me and my iphone.

BEAUTIFUL.
connecting directly to my computer and then while it's connecting doing the reset seems to have done the trick and allowed my computer's airport utility to recognize the airport express.
post set up I returned it to it's desired position near my stereo and it is still doing exactly what I want. AWESOME.

Last question:
with the airport express being set up as a separate wireless access point, set up a mac address filter on my router should still apply to the airport network right?

Deusfaux

I don't think so. that should only filter out what MAC connect to it. setup a filter for the AP too, it's not like it takes much effort at all

Captain Vash

I'm just not seeing that option on the airport, since it's the express model it seems to be neutered of many obvious features that the hardware would support.

I was thinking that the main router would handle the mac filtering since it's the one handling dhcp distribution so it would be all like.. What's your mac? oh? not on my list? no ip for you!.

but I again, I'm a novice at all this stuff and am here to learn.

mts

while awesome in their usability, my airport express made me want to pull out my hair trying to set that thing up. i used mine as a way to add speakers and printing to my setwork so no help from me

ginguskahn

mts wrote: »

while awesome in their usability, my airport express made me want to pull out my hair trying to set that thing up. i used mine as a way to add speakers and printing to my setwork so no help from me

Really? Other than taking me 20mins to realise you needed the airport utility and not a web browser the 1st time I used mine, it's probably the easiest device I have ever setup.

Im not sure if you need to use the Mac filter on the airport as well, I would though to be safe. Its definatly there, I have an early model and it has it. Im not at home right now but when I am I will take a look at mine if you like.

Thibis

Not sure if you need to MAC filter the airport or not, but regardless, I'm pretty you just:

Open Airport Utility.
Manual Setup.
Advanced tab (I think).
Access Control tab.

It's probably the access control tab you aren't seeing. Because it should be called MAC filtering, but whatevs.

Also Apple likes to refer to MAC addresses as Ethernet/Airport IDs.