Apple AIRPORT EXTREME Setup Guide

AirPort Extreme

Setup Guide

Contents

5 Chapter 1: Getting Started

About the AirPort Extreme

About the AirPort Software

What You Need to Get Started

The AirPort Extreme Status Light

13 Chapter 2: AirPort Extreme Networks

Using the AirPort Extreme with a Broadband Internet Service

Using the AirPort Extreme to Share a USB Printer

Using the AirPort Extreme to Share USB Hard Disks

21 Chapter 3: Setting Up the AirPort Extreme

Using AirPort Utility

Creating a New Wireless Network

Configuring and Sharing Internet Access

Setting Advanced Options

Allowing Wireless Clients Access to Your Network

27 Chapter 4: Tips and Troubleshooting

If You Can’t Connect to the Internet

If You Forgot Your Network or Base Station Password

If Your AirPort Extreme Isn’t Responding

If Your AirPort Extreme Status Light Flashes Amber

If Your Printer Isn’t Responding

Updating AirPort Software

AirPort Extreme Placement Considerations

Items That Can Cause Interference with AirPort

33 Chapter 5: Learning More, Service, and Support

35 Appendix: AirPort Extreme Specifications and Safety Guidelines

Regulatory Compliance Information

Contents

Getting Started

Congratulations on purchasing your simultaneous dual-band AirPort Extreme Base Station. Read this guide to get started.

The new AirPort Extreme provides simultaneous dual-band wireless 802.11n networking. When you set up your AirPort Extreme Base Station, it creates two highspeed Wi-Fi networks:

A 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) network for 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n devices, such as iPhone, iPod touch, and older computers

A 5 GHz network for 802.11n and 802.11a devices, such as newer computers and Apple TV

Wireless devices join the network that provides them the best performance and compatibility, and the AirPort Extreme shares your broadband Internet connection with computers and devices on your network.

With your AirPort Extreme, you can:

Create a password-protected wireless home network, and then connect to the Internet and share the connection with other computers and Wi-Fi devices, such as iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV. You can also share files among computers connected to the network.

Create a guest network with or without password protection, to provide Internetonly access to wireless devices, such as computers, iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV.

Connect your AirPort Extreme to your Ethernet network. Wireless-equipped Macintosh computers, Windows XP, or Windows Vista computers can then have access to an entire network without being connected by a cable.

Connect a supported USB printer to your AirPort Extreme. All of the compatible computers on the AirPort network, both wireless and wired, can print to it.

Connect a USB hard disk to your AirPort Extreme. All of the compatible computers on the AirPort network, both wireless and wired, can access the information on the hard disk.

Connect a USB hub to your AirPort Extreme, and then connect multiple USB devices, such as printers or hard disks. All of the computers on the network have access to those devices.

Important:

Install AirPort Utility 5.4 from the CD that came with your simultaneous dual-band AirPort Extreme Base Station, or download it using Software Update, and use it to set up your base station. Previous versions of AirPort Setup Assistant and AirPort Admin Utility are not compatible with this base station.

About the AirPort Extreme

The AirPort Extreme has five ports, located on the back:

One 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet Wide Area Network (WAN) port (< connecting a DSL or cable modem, or for connecting to an existing Ethernet network

6 Chapter 1

Getting Started

) for

Three 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN) ports (G connecting Ethernet devices, such as printers or computers, or for connecting to an existing Ethernet network

One USB port (d

) for connecting a compatible USB printer, hard disk, or hub for

connecting several devices

Status light Internet WAN port

Ethernet ports Reset button

) for

Power port USB port

AC adapter

Security slot

Next to the ports is a reset button, which is used for troubleshooting your AirPort Extreme. The status light on the front of the AirPort Extreme shows the current status.

Chapter 1

Getting Started

About the AirPort Software

The AirPort Extreme works with the AirPort software included on the AirPort Extreme CD.

Install the AirPort Utility software that came on the CD and follow the instructions on the following pages to set up your AirPort Extreme and your AirPort wireless network.

Note:

You must use AirPort Utility to set up this base station. The simultaneous dual-band AirPort Extreme Base Station is not compatible with previous versions of AirPort software.

AirPort Utility

Use AirPort Utility to set up your AirPort Extreme to create a wireless network, connect to the Internet, and share compatible USB printers and hard disks. You can also connect your AirPort Extreme to an existing AirPort Extreme wireless network.

AirPort Utility is also an advanced tool for setting up and managing the Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Express Base Stations. Use it to manually adjust network, routing, and security settings and other advanced options.

AirPort status menu in the menu bar

Use the AirPort status menu to switch quickly between AirPort networks, monitor the signal quality of the current network, create a computer-to-computer network, and turn AirPort on and off. The status menu is available on computers using Mac OS X.

What You Need to Get Started

To use the AirPort Extreme you need a wireless-enabled computer that is compliant with the IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g standards, or with an IEEE 802.11n draft specification. To set up the AirPort Extreme, your computer must meet the requirements listed below.

8 Chapter 1

Getting Started

To set up your AirPort Extreme using a Macintosh, you need the following:

A Macintosh computer with an AirPort or AirPort Extreme Card installed to set it up wirelessly, or a Macintosh computer connected to AirPort Extreme with an Ethernet cable to set it up using Ethernet

Mac OS X v10.4 or later

AirPort Utility 5.4 or later

To set up your AirPort Extreme using a Windows PC, you need the following:

A Windows PC with 300 MHz or higher processor speed and a compatible 802.11a,

802.11b, or 802.11g wireless card, or a wireless card that complies with an IEEE 802.11n draft specification

Windows XP Home or Professional (with Service Pack 2 installed) or Windows Vista

AirPort Utility v5.4 or later

Plugging In AirPort Extreme

Before you plug in your AirPort Extreme, first connect the appropriate cables to the ports you want to use:

Connect the Ethernet cable that is connected to your DSL or cable modem (if you will connect to the Internet) to the Ethernet (WAN) port (<

Connect a USB cable connected from the USB port (d compatible USB printer (if you will print to a USB printer), a hard disk, or a hub.

Connect an Ethernet cable from any Ethernet device to the Ethernet LAN ports (G

) on the AirPort Extreme to a

Chapter 1

Getting Started

After you have connected the cables for all the devices you plan to use, connect the AC adapter to the power port, and plug your AirPort Extreme into a power outlet. There is no power switch.

Power port Ethernet activity light

AC adapter

Important:

Use only the AC adapter that came with your AirPort Extreme.

When you plug the AirPort Extreme AC adapter into a power outlet, the status light flashes green for one second, and then glows amber while it starts up. After it has started up completely, the status light flashes amber until your AirPort Extreme has been updated with the correct settings. The status light glows solid green after your AirPort Extreme is properly set up and connected to the Internet or a network.

10 Chapter 1

Getting Started

When you connect Ethernet cables to the Ethernet ports, the lights above them glow solid green.

The AirPort Extreme Status Light

The following table explains the AirPort Extreme light sequences and what they indicate.

Light

Off

Flashing green

Solid green

Flashing amber

Solid amber

Flashing amber and green

Solid blue

Status/description

AirPort Extreme is unplugged.

AirPort Extreme is starting up. The light flashes for one second.

AirPort Extreme is on and working properly. If you choose Flash On Activity from the Status Light pop-up menu (on the Base Station pane of AirPort settings in AirPort Utility), the status light may flash green to indicate normal activity.

AirPort Extreme cannot establish a connection to the network or the Internet, or is encountering a problem. Make sure you have installed AirPort Utility and use it to get information about what might cause the status light to flash amber. See “If Your AirPort Extreme Status Light Flashes Amber” on page 29.

AirPort Extreme is completing its startup sequence.

There may be a problem starting up. AirPort Extreme will restart and try again.

The base station is ready to allow a wireless client access to the network. See “Allowing Wireless Clients Access to Your Network” on page 26.

Chapter 1

Getting Started

What’s Next

After you plug in your AirPort Extreme, use AirPort Utility to set it up to work with your Internet connection, USB printer or hard disk, or an existing network. AirPort Utility is located in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder on a computer using Mac OS X, and in Start > All Programs > AirPort on a computer using Windows XP or Windows Vista.

12 Chapter 1

Getting Started

AirPort Extreme Networks

In this chapter you’ll find explanations of the different ways you can use your AirPort Extreme.

This chapter provides some examples of the different kinds of networks you can set up using your AirPort Extreme. It provides diagrams and explanations of what you need to do to get your AirPort Extreme network up and running quickly.

See Chapter 3, “Setting Up the AirPort Extreme,” on page 21 to find out more about using AirPort Utility to help set up your network.

See the document “Designing AirPort Networks Using AirPort Utility” for detailed information about AirPort networks and the AirPort Extreme. The document is located on the AirPort CD and at www.apple.com/support/manuals/airport.

Using the AirPort Extreme with a Broadband Internet Service

When you set up your AirPort Extreme to provide network and Internet access, Macintosh computers with AirPort and AirPort Extreme Cards, and 802.11a, 802.11b,

802.11g, and IEEE 802.11n draft specification wireless-equipped computers, can access the wireless AirPort network to share files, play games, and use Internet applications like web browsers and email applications.

It looks like this:

2.4 GHz

2.4 or 5 GHz

14 Chapter 2

DSL or cable modem

AirPort Extreme Networks

Internet WAN port

to Internet

+ 30 hidden pages