Airport Express with Netopia 2247 on Eircom

Joe D'Arcy

I have a dead spot in my house where I want to locate a new iMac. Apple told me that I could use Airport Express as a wirless range extender with my Netopia 2247 router that I got from eircom. I have been trying for a few days now to get this to work using all the hints and advice I could get on the net but have not got it working yet. Does anyone know how to get this set up working?

440Hz

Probably easier to tell us what you have tried already...

oh and welcome

Joe D'Arcy

First try was using the Airport utility. Got message that IP address of the base router was incompatible. Tried Apple support yesterday but they decline to help. Tried eircom support - nice guy but not their problem. Tried Netopia support and got a French guy who tried hard to help but even the email he sent was in such poor English that I couldn't understand what he was suggesting other than he based it on using an Airport Extreme base station and setting the Netopia router to IP passthrough - I think!! Neext I did lots of Googling and found a few promising hints on macosxhints.com. They suggested connecting the AE to the router via ethernet cable, getting the AE to join the existing wireless network, enabling Airtunes, rebooting, disconnecting the AE, unplugging the AE and then plugging it back in. This didn't work because when I tried to enable Airtunes I got the same error message as above. Decided to ignore this and continue with the steps suggested in the hint to extend the range using the AE but got the same error message again. Googled the error message and found a reference on the Apple Airport Troubleshooting section to ISP's using restricted ranges of IP addresses starting in 192 or 10. At this stage it's almost 2 in the morning last night so I quit. This morning I decided to have another go at Apple in the belief/hope that they are the people most likely to solve it for me!!! Contacted the sales guy who had taken my order on the phone. He repeated his belief that it should work. I told him that it probably would but that the Apple web site and the Apple tech support say no. He spoke to tech support and they agreed to help tonight when I get home to the Mac. Current plan is to give this a go. If it doesn't work I will return the AE and buy one of the Ethernet over electrical wiring solutions tomorrow. There is a fairly decent one on offer in Maplin at the moment. Not my preferred solution and it won't look as good.

Enough detail?? Just venting my frustration!!

Joe D'Arcy

Still no solution. Worked with Apple tech support for almost an hour last night but couldn't get the Netopia to use the Airport Express as a wireless range extender. The Apple guy's off the record opinion was that although people had got other non Apple routers to work in this way with AE, it was probably not possible or extremely difficult to get the Netopia 2247 to work in this way.
At this stage my options are to try to get another wireless range extender to work with the Netopia or to use one of the solutions that allows you to run an ethernet signal through the electrical system. Does anyone have any experience and/or recommendations in this area?
Or I might try Netopia tech support again!!!!

440Hz

I have used Airport Express units as boosters to a non Apple router, but not a Netopia one (have it working with a couple of Belkins). If you have gone through all the options with the tech guys online there is probably not much we can suggest here.

Im reluctant to say fork out for a new router, but it probably would be the faster/easier solution. I can't think of any reason offhand why the Netopia units should be that drastically different though.

Joe D'Arcy

Thanks 440. Yeah looks like i am wasting my time with the Netopia/Express combination. I've started a thread on the Wireless forum just in case someone out there knows how to make it work. The router was standard issue from eircom for a long time so I am not giving up hope yet.

The cost of an Apple Extreme is not much more than the other alternatives. Can I use this as an ADSL modem with Eircom or will I have to use the Netopia as a modem and use an ethernet connection to the Extreme which will the be the base router?

Joe D'Arcy

440, Looked up the detail on the Extreme and decided to get one. Even made the guy who had sold me the express feel a bit guilty so that I got a small discount on it.
I'm new to the Mac. I bought a Macbook pro last Christmas but my 16 year old son managed to persuade me that his need was greater than mine. Anyway, I'm looking forward to discovering the joys of the Mac. The silver lining to my problems with the Express is that it led me to this forum which I'm sure will be a great help on the journey.

440Hz

Thats great news Joe. Sorry I meant to get back to you on the Extreme Base Station, but im having a sick day

Glad you got yourself sorted and that you found us here. If you need any help getting the new setup going please ask, although Im sure you will be fine with it.

Keep the posts coming!!

Joe D'Arcy

Extreme worked like a dream!! It solved the dead spot problem so no need for the Express as a range extender and I can run an 'n' network when the kids aren't using their 'g' PC. The 16 year old is having fun with the Express streaming music all over the place.

May2008

Having problems getting my Airport and Netopia 2247 to communicate-just got a second router from eircom this morning and have been on phone to Eircom and to Apple -neither of which can help, THought the original one was faulty but the new one is exactly the same. Have changed privacy settings -to no advantage. The router can connect to internet via ethernet and can also pick up my neighbour's Belkin wireless connection-which leads me to think that the Airport is working perfectly. Any help / advice greatly appreciated.... thank you.:(

whiterebel

Does your Mac see your router?

May2008

Yes ...sees the router and I use 192.168.1.254 etc to change settings / disconnect/ restart etc.

whiterebel

May2008 wrote: »

Yes ...sees the router and I use 192.168.1.254 etc to change settings / disconnect/ restart etc.

Have you taken off all seccurity settings - disabled WEP/WPA etc.

May2008

yes...tried it with no privacy settings, no wep/wpa psk etc.....still no luck

whiterebel

May2008 wrote: »

yes...tried it with no privacy settings, no wep/wpa psk etc.....still no luck

Does the airport symbol in the menubar at the top go black like it has a signal?

crosstownk

I had this problem. And tried all of the suggestions listed above. The Netopia would not communicate with the Express. In the end I dug out my Airport Extreme base station and hardwired it to the Netopia box and extended the network to the Express. That did the trick. But for some reason, my work issue Windoze laptop will not communicate with the Airport network so I had switch the wireless function of the Netopia back on.

muggyog

May2008 is this similar to your setup?

If you have wireless turned on you should be getting wireless LED lit on the box.

Dog Fan

I recently got the netopia router and spent the bones of a full weekend getting my ibook to work wirelessly. Try this.

Set up your netopia using the 92.168.1.254 and give your network a name and then set up WEP as automatic. Copy the encryption key to a notepad.

Go to system preferences on your mac,
then network and then airport.
turn on airport,
tell the mac to look for the name you gave to the network
then when asked for a password, give the encryption key you copied earlier.

Hope this works for you

adox

Just to update this thread for what its worth, I bought a Airport Express today and confirm that it works fine with the Netopia 2247.:)

damlynmrk

I have just installed a new 2247 unit and it works fine. I am trying to extend the range of the network using my existing airport express units. The Airport utility does not detect the express even though its beside it with the orange light flashing. How can I get the airport express to extend the network.

Dog Fan

I don't have the 2247 anymore, so I can't check this.
Try plugging in with the ethernet port, and go through your network settings to find the router. Then you may be able to access the router's setup screen.

From there, there's a few options - (but I've never set one up with an airport express and i'm just guessing)

set up the router to recognise the mac addresses for your airport express units and your computer.

disable security on the router, just to check that your mac can recognise the router at all! (& re-instate security once it does)

is your router creating a separate wi-fi network to your airport express units? my machine will only log onto one wi-fi at a time.
Just tinker with it, and good luck!