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by Glenn Fleishman

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"This Take Control book is a must-have for anyone who needs to quickly and easily set up an AirPort network." —Phil Kearney, "father" of Apple's AirPort product line

If you're trying to solve a particular problem, you can jump in and read the topics in this ebook in any order, but if you start at the beginning, you'll learn how Apple's 802.11n gear fits into the world of Wi-Fi networking.

With that background, you'll learn where to position and how to set up base stations, with diagrams showing common network scenarios—see two examples above—and with step-by-step instructions for configuring key Internet sharing and security options and connecting client computers. For those who have funky Internet connections or tricky IP addressing needs, Glenn provides extended advice for creating a working Wi-Fi network.

Glenn provides real-world directions for important scenarios, including how to:

Create a basic (or not so basic) Wi-Fi network, using Apple's base stations:

• Set up a wireless network with a single base station, or with multiple base stations - whether you want to extend a network with Ethernet or a wireless connection (or a mix of the two), Glenn examines your options and provides configuration steps. He also touches briefly on powerline connections.

• Keep your existing network, but replace an older or broken base station with a new one.

• Export your base station's configuration, either to make a backup or to create a model configuration to use on other base stations.

• Connect Macs (10.5 Leopard and later), iOS devices, and Windows 7 computers to your network.

• Set up reliable and relevant security for your network. Also, add a guest network that gives your guests Internet access while restricting their access to local resources.

Attach peripherals to your network:

• Add a USB-connected printer, and connect to the printer from Mac and Windows computers.

• Add a USB-attached drive to a Time Capsule or AirPort Extreme, and configure client access.

• Connect a 2nd- or 3rd-generation Apple TV to your network

Do more networking:

• Set up a Time Machine backup to a Time Capsule base station.

• Expand the capabilities of an AirPort Express by setting up audio streaming, trying Rogue Amoeba's Airfoil media streaming utility, or extending your network with ProxySTA.

• Share files conveniently and wirelessly between Macs with the AirDrop file-transfer feature, plus understand the type of networking that AirDrop uses.

• Put computers more directly on the Internet with port mapping or a default host.

• Set up Back to My Mac with iCloud in order to access an AirPort or Time Capsule drive remotely, or to configure your base station remotely.

• Set up a Software Base Station or do ad-hoc networking.

Understand what's going on and solve problems:

• Find out what the icon on your Wi-Fi menu means, and discover what the colored light on your base station is trying to tell you.

• Learn what a MAC address is, plus how to find it. (Hint, 1 Infinite Loop is not the MAC address that you seek.)

• Read background information about the bands and channels used with Wi-Fi networking, understand how Apple's Wi-Fi gear fits into the picture, and get ideas for how to create an optimal network that avoids interference problems.

• Understand the differences among AirPort Utility 6 (for Mac), AirPort Utility for iOS, and AirPort Utility 5 (for Mac and Windows). Find a free download link for the previous edition of this ebook, which covers AirPort Utility 5.

• Learn how to update the firmware in your base station, and how to revert to an older version of your firmware, if necessary.

"If anyone knows about real-world Wi-Fi, it's Glenn Fleishman."
    —Mark Frauenfelder, co-founder of bOING bOING

Book Info 187 pages Version 3.1 Updated Aug 23, 2012 3.5 MB download ISBN: 9781615424054 Free sample with Table of Contents, Intro, Quick Start, and section starts. iPad & Kindle An EPUB is available to purchasers of this title; log in to your account to download it. More info... A Mobipocket file is available to purchasers of this title; log in to your account to download it. More info...

About the Author Glenn Fleishman is a tech journalist based in Seattle, where he lives with his wife and two sons, both of whom are adept at accidentally pressing the power button on his laptop. He’s a contributing editor at TidBITS, responsible for much of their Web infrastructure; a columnist for the Seattle Times; a regular contributor to the Economist's Babbage blog; a senior contributor at Macworld; a regular voice on BoingBoing; and a Jeopardy winner. He appears regularly on public radio programs.

Book Reviews MyMac Murphy Mac Contact us for review copies Author Interviews MacVoices (Aug-11) MacVoices (Jun-09) MacVoices (Apr-07) MacVoices (Nov-08) Contact us for interview requests

Table of Contents Read Me First Introduction Quick Start to AirPort Networking Quick Troubleshooting Guide Mac Wi-Fi Iconography Light Reading Learn Wireless Basics Wi-Fi Gear from Apple Plug In Your Base Station and Get Started Set Up a Network Pick the Right Place and the Right Channel Advanced Networking Connect Your Devices AirPort Express Extras Connect Multiple Base Stations Reach Your Network Remotely Set Up a Shared USB Printer Set Up a Shared USB Disk Share Files with AirDrop Secure Your Network Overcome Interference Appendix A: Apple TV and Wi-Fi Appendix B: Configuration Files Appendix C: Setting Up a Software Base Station Appendix D: Channels Explained Appendix E: What and Where Is a MAC Address? About This Book

Read Me First Welcome to Take Control of Your 802.11n AirPort Network, Third Edition. If you’re setting up, extending, or retooling a Wi-Fi network with one or more 802.11n base stations from Apple—including the AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, or Time Capsule—using AirPort Utility 6 on the Mac or AirPort Utility in iOS, this book will help you get the fastest network with the least equipment and fewest roadblocks. This book also has advice on connecting to a Wi-Fi network from older versions of Mac OS X and Windows 7. It was written by Glenn Fleishman, edited by Tonya Engst, and published by TidBITS Publishing Inc.

Introduction

Apple introduced integrated Wi-Fi wireless networking to the world with AirPort in 1999. Although corporations had already been using forms of wireless networking for warehouse tracking and to connect buildings in large campuses, the costs were high, speeds were low, and complexity was manifest. Apple’s products shot off the shelves due to their relatively low initial price, simple configuration interface, and excellent performance.

Apple originally required add-on cards for Macs to use Wi-Fi; a few years ago, the Mac Pro became the last model for which Wi-Fi was an extra-cost option. Apple now builds the fastest flavor of Wi-Fi, called 802.11n, into every Mac it sells, as well as every iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

Despite Apple’s 13-year history with wireless networking and the general excellence of their software and support, setting up a wireless network isn’t always a snap. This book helps you set up an 802.11n AirPort network and offers tips to help save time, improve security, extend range, and enjoy a technical edge when working with Wi-Fi.

Although this book focuses on using AirPort Utility 6 (with 10.7 Lion and 10.8 Mountain Lion) and AirPort Utility (for iOS) to configure your network, I also cover compatibility and connections with older computer hardware, and how to connect to 802.11n via Mac OS X and Windows 7. I also provide some information to help you use Wi-Fi with 10.6 Snow Leopard and 10.5 Leopard.

I start with wireless basics, move through installation and configuration, explain how to share printers and hard disks, tell you how to connect to a Wi-Fi network, give advice on extending a network’s range and quality, look at using an AirPort Express’s unique features, and finish with how-to information on security for those who want their AirPort networks safe from freeloaders and intruders.

Free download: If you need help with AirPort Utility 5, you can refer the previous edition of this ebook—there’s no extra charge. Follow the “access extras” link in Ebook Extras, and look in the blog.

Quick Start to AirPort Networking

You can read this book from start to finish, and you’ll find that it covers topics like learning about Wi-Fi, unpacking a base station, starting configuration, figuring out the network you want to build, and then configuring that network. More specific cases follow, such as how to add a printer, separating older and newer flavors of Wi-Fi into two separate networks, and securing a network. 

Use this Quick Start to get an idea of how you might jump into the book if you are at a particular stage in working with your network, and to find more than one path through the material.

Need a quick solution? Flip ahead a few pages to the Quick Troubleshooting Guide or see Light Reading to learn what the light on your AirPort base station is trying to tell you. Also, you may especially wish to consult Overcome Interference.

Learn wireless basics:

• Get a quick grounding in Learn Wireless Basics.
• Familiarize yourself with Wi-Fi Gear from Apple.

Plan your network:

• For common configurations, see Picture Your Scenario and focus on the diagrams and descriptions at the beginning of: New Network, Single Base Station, Extend a Network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, and Replace an Existing Base Station.
• For ideas on using the AirPort Express, skim AirPort Express Extras.
• For more advanced possibilities, consult Connect Multiple Base Stations, and pay special attention to the descriptions and diagrams at the start of Add Access Points via Ethernet and Bridge Wirelessly. Also, note that Appendix C covers creating a Software Base Station and Ad Hoc Networking.
• Although it’s not necessary for a basic setup, you can consider the channels and bands that your Wi-Fi network will use in Spectrum Trade-offs. 

Set up your base station(s):

• Unpack your base station and start down the path of configuring it in Plug In Your Base Station and Get Started. You’ll likely continue in one of these sections:

• Learn how to configure a new network with a single base station. See New Network, Single Base Station.
• For existing networks, find what you need to Extend a Network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi or Replace an Existing Base Station.
• When wireless is the way to go, learn what you need to extend a network using only Wi-Fi. See Bridge Wirelessly.
• Hook up a larger network with many base stations. See Connect Multiple Base Stations to build a network that spans a house or office connected wirelessly, or via electrical outlets or Ethernet.

• Further configure your network’s LAN settings for fixed addresses or special cases. See Advanced Networking.
• Pick the Right Place and the Right Channel for your base station, thus making sure your network reaches as far as you want with the bandwidth you need. For help with concepts used in that section, consult Spectrum Trade-offs.
• Share a printer or a hard drive. See Set Up a Shared USB Printer or Set Up a Shared USB Disk.
• Set up Time Machine backups with a Time Capsule base station. Read Work with Time Capsule.

Connect to your base station:

• Find out how to connect Macs and systems running Windows to a base station in Connect Your Devices.
• Access your network when you’re not physically on it. See Reach Your Network Remotely.
• Access your base station with the Back to My Mac service in iCloud. See Access a Base Station via iCloud.

Add music and video:

• Use the AirPort Express to stream music. See Stream Audio with AirPlay and Share with Airfoil.
• Get jiggy with a video- and audio-streaming set-top box, the Apple TV. See Appendix A: Apple TV and Wi-Fi.

Connect between Macs:

• Understand the AirDrop peer-to-peer file-transfer feature, and see if your hardware and situation are a good fit to use it. Read Share Files with AirDrop.

Secure your network:

• Avoid security tricks that don’t work. Consult Simple Tricks That Don’t Work.
• Apply encryption using the best—and often simplest—method. See Use Built-In Encryption.
• With a 2009 or later AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule, you can Set Up Guest Networking.

Learn still more advanced topics:

• Stop pulling your hair out over a problem with new firmware you install that doesn’t work. See Revert to Older Firmware.
• Make a brief acquaintance with IPv6 and learn how to configure it with AirPort Utility in Configure IPv6 Networking.
• Get a few details about saving and re-using an AirPort base station’s settings in Appendix B: Configuration Files.

What’s New in Version 3.1

This update was inspired by three events that took place after version 3.0 of this ebook appeared in early 2012:

• AirPort Utility update: In AirPort Utility 6.1, Apple restored configuration features for IPv6 networking and WPA2 Enterprise security. See Configure IPv6 Networking and Turn On WPA/WPA2 or WPA2 Enterprise.
• OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion: When 10.8 Mountain Lion became available in July, it left most Wi-Fi features and options alone, but has one major change worth calling out. The software base station feature that lets you turn a Macintosh into the equivalent of a hardware Wi-Fi router like an AirPort Extreme now finally includes proper modern security. See Software Base Station for details. Plus, the Wi-Fi Diagnostics app is now easier to launch and has a revised interface. Read Use the Wi-Fi Diagnostics Program.
• New AirPort Express model: The new AirPort Express has substantial changes in its form, but only minor changes in its features, notably the addition of a second Ethernet port. Where it’s important to note differences between it and the 2008 AirPort Express model, I refer to the new model as the 2012 Express.

I also added advice about troubleshooting your connection if an exclamation-point icon appears at the top of the Wi-Fi menu in the menu bar. See Wi-Fi Network Won’t Assign an IP Address.

What Was New in Version 3.0

The previous version of this ebook made a significant change: it replaced coverage of AirPort Utility 5 in favor of focusing on AirPort Utility 6, which was released in February 2012 and updated to version 6.1 in June 2012. 

AirPort Utility 6 runs on 10.7 Lion or 10.8 Mountain Lion. 

The big new feature in AirPort Utility 6 is a graphical depiction of the layout of an AirPort network. This is terrific for visualizing how parts are connected and seeing where errors lie.

AirPort Utility 6 has many features that are documented in previous editions of this book, but it omits several options designed for mixed 802.11g and 80211.n networks and it can’t configure 802.11b and 802.11g AirPort base stations (any base station released from 1999 through 2006). Further, although AirPort Utility 6.1 can configure the 2012 AirPort Express, AirPort Utility 6.0 cannot.

This ebook also now discusses AirPort Utility for iOS, which has a similar approach to AirPort Utility 6, and makes it possible to configure and manage an Apple base station without a desktop computer. That’s a first for Apple.

Older versions of AirPort Utility remain available:

• Mac: The latest releases of AirPort Utility 5 for the Mac are AirPort Utility 5.6.1 for Leopard and Snow Leopard and 5.6.0 for Lion and Mountain Lion. However, version 5.6.0 cannot configure a 2012 AirPort Express; only version 5.6.1 can, and 5.6.1 will not install under Lion or Mountain Lion.
• Windows: AirPort Utility 5.6.1 for Windows XP, Vista, and 7 is the latest version. In the future, I expect that Apple will update Windows AirPort Utility to a feature-identical version 6.

Free download: If you need help with AirPort Utility 5, you can refer to the previous edition of this ebook—there’s no extra charge. Follow the “access extras” link in Ebook Extras, and look in the blog.

Can I attach a hard drive to an AirPort Express?

P.F. asked: "I have an Airport Express (purchased April 08). I have tried to mount an external drive as an AirDisc, with no success. Does your book take me through the steps?"

Here is Glenn's reply: "The AirPort Express can't handle an external drive. Only the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule can share USB-attached drives. The Express supports a single printer only. See: http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/features/printing.html. Sorry for the bad news. While it seems like Apple might be being petty at not including hard drive support in the Express, I believe that they keep the price low on that unit while including features nobody else does (dual-band support, etc.) by having a quite low-powered processor. That processor likely can't handle the demands of communicating with a drive while operating as a base station. The processor (or there may be multiples) in the higher-end base stations are more capable."

Do you have an ebook that focuses on older Apple base stations?

We have two older ebooks that focus on older base stations, but that still might be useful, even though they were last updated some time ago. If you purchase this ebook, you can download either of them from the ebook's blog—look near the beginning of ebook's "Read Me First" for information about accessing the Ebook Extras. The two older ebooks are:

• Take Control of Your AirPort Network: This is the first of Glenn's AirPort-related ebooks. It describes networking with 802.11b and 802.11g gear, and its descriptions of Mac OS X are from before 10.5 Leopard.

• Take Control of Your 802.11n AirPort Network (version 1.6): Last updated in 2009, this ebook covers the simultaneous dual-band 802.11n base stations that Apple released in 2009. Although its core focus is on 802.11n, it also covers scenarios where you are using 802.11b and 802.11g gear, or where you are mixing older and newer base stations on the same wireless network. Its primary Mac OS X focus is on 10.4 Tiger, 10.5 Leopard, and 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Operating Systems Covered in This Book

This ebook gives specific directions for OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, and Windows 7. Where applicable, 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard are covered in reasonable detail. The version of AirPort Utility described in this ebook (version 6) works only with 10.8 Mountain Lion and 10.7 Lion. Although we expect Apple to release a version of AirPort Utility 6 for Windows that will work much like its Mac sibling, Apple has not yet done so, as of August 23, 2012.

Can I read this ebook on an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Kindle?

There are lots of great ways to read our ebooks on these devices. For more details, please read our latest Device Advice.

Ask a Question

Feel free to ask us if you have a question about this title!

Phil Kearney, "father" of Apple's AirPort product line, writes:

This "Take Control" book is a must-have for anyone who needs to quickly and easily set up an AirPort network. It is a clean and concise guide to get you past any stumbling blocks you may encounter in the process of configuring your wireless network. Even the more advanced chapters and topics will be a great help to anyone who designs and installs 802.11 networks for a living.

David Travis, a reader who ended up with a blazingly fast network, writes:

I bought the book because I'd just purchased a Time Capsule and I wanted to know (a) if my old Graphite Base Station was now a white elephant and (b) if the older Macs on my home network would prevent me from getting top speed from my new Time Capsule. Glenn's book showed be how to use Airport Utility to set up a 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz network in parallel, answering both questions. Thanks to that guidance, and the tip about OpenDNS, I now have a blazingly fast Internet connection.

Reader with a zero config problem writes:

Your book saved the day for me. In fact, it saved several days. A Windows laptop connected to my AirPort network via a WEP connection suddenly failed to recognize the AirPort signal. After 2 wasted days of troubleshooting, I thought to consult your ebook.

It described precisely the problem I was having and advised me to restart 'Wireless Zero Configuration.' I was up and running with about two mouse clicks! Many thanks for your on-target advice. I won't be so slow to consult your material in the future.   —W.P.

Send Us Your Comments!

How could we not publish such kind words? If you'd like to send us your comments (good or bad, though we hope they're all good), just click the Feedback link on the cover of your copy of the ebook. Be sure to let us know if we can publish your comment. Thanks!

Update Plans

August 24, 2012 -- Now that we've updated this ebook for Mountain Lion and for a few other changes that took place earlier in 2012, we have no immediate plans to update it again.

—Tonya Engst 

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AirPort Utility 6.2 Adds More Guest Networking and Wi-Fi Printer Connections

April 5, 2013 -- 

Apple's AirPort Utility 6.2 update has two significant improvements, one of which has been long asked for by readers of this book: expanded guest networking. The update also adds support for WPS-capable Wi-Fi printers. To enable either option, you must update the firmware on your base station(s).

You can now set up guest networking even on base stations that are set to "Bridge" mode in which the base station doesn't assign addresses to devices that connect through it. In the past, you could enable a guest network only a main base station, connected to a broadband modem and set to act as a DHCP server.

WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) is a method to create a secure network connection without entering a password on the client device, such as a printer. Companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and Google have never standardized how WPS works in operating systems, but for printers, allowing WPS is a no brainer, especially for printers that have no Ethernet port to simplify configuration. To add a Wi-Fi printer in AirPort Utility 6.2, edit a base station and then choose Base Station > Add Wi-Fi Printer. Select whether to use a PIN or to allow the next WPS-capable device that attempts to connect, and then click Update. With a PIN, you enter the code that the printer provides when placed into WPS mode. With First Attempt, you select the network from the printer's WPS menu and then the printer connects. (WPS configuration varies enormously by printer.)

AirPort Utility 6.2 also has "improved international support," but without any explanation from Apple.

—Glenn Fleishman 

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Installing AirPort Utility 5 on a Mountain Lion Mac

December 12, 2012 -- 

Although Take Control of Your 802.11n AirPort Network focuses on AirPort Utility 6, some readers may want to run AirPort Utility 5 in order to access options not available in AirPort Utility 6, such as options for configuring an older base station.

It is possible to download AirPort Utility 5.6 for Mac OS X Lion to a Macintosh running 10.8 Mountain Lion and to download AirPort Utility 5.6.1 for Leopard/Snow Leopard to a Mountain Lion Mac. I know this for sure, because I just did it. However, if you double-click on one of these downloaded package icons and run the installer, you'll get a message about how "the version of Mac OS X on this volume is not supported." Great... now what?

To solve this maddening problem, you must extract the utility from the installer package. Chris Breen has written a short Macworld article about this problem and suggests using Pacifist to do the extraction. Several commenters to the article suggest free solutions. And, Frank Tisellano has created a donationware AirPort Utility Extractor that can do the job.

—Tonya Engst 

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Time Capsule Failure Prevention and Resolution

March 19, 2010 -- 

A recent TidBITS article, Time Capsule Failures: When They Happen and What to Do, discusses a spate of Time Capsule failures, possibly due to overheating. The article makes suggestions for avoiding this problem, and it describes how to best address the problem if it happens. Unfortunately, if your Time Capsule does go belly up, you'll ideally have another backup of your Time Capsule drive, so if you haven't looked into setting one up, this article should give you additional incentive.

—Tonya Engst 

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