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Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet

keet
Hooked
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎02-11-2017

Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet

Hi, my first post!  I am not too techy minded so please be gentle.  I am buying an imac and airport extreme which i want to use as my router / back up.  I presently have a Hub One which I understand is a combined modem and router and plugged directly into the wall socket, not a modem, but i believe the airport extreme is a router only.  So, can I get my old BT Openreach modem out of retirement, plug it back in and connect the air port to that, getting rid of the hub one, can i in fact do that, or is there a better option, even the option of a new modem would be ok if that’s better.  I am on fibre B.B.  Thank you

11 REPLIES 11
Strat
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Re: Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet

Moderator's note by Dick (Strat) Topic moved to a more appropriate board.

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RealAleMadrid
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Re: Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet

Yes the openreach modem will work fine with the airport, I use a modem with a separate router on my 80/20 fibre connection. Just set up the account details in the airport for a PPPoE connection.

keet
Hooked
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Registered: ‎02-11-2017

Re: Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet

sorry i don’t know what an 80/20connection or a PPPoE is?

RealAleMadrid
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Re: Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet

You need to set up the airport to connect to your Plusnet broadband, this requires the broadband account username and password to be entered in the appropriate area of the airport cofiguration, can't say much more than that, I've never used an Apple airport. I'm sure there's plenty of help on the web to tell you what to do. 80/20 is just my broadband account type, I was just saying I use a separate modem and router, that's all.

keet
Hooked
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎02-11-2017

Re: Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet

Thank you.  I was wondering if anyone had done what i’m intending and had some good tips, also if it would be worth getting a new modem to use instead if the bt open reach modem?

dvorak
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Re: Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet

i had exactly the setup that you are going to had. it's straight forward and I wouldn't bother getting a new modem, the BT one is fine.

because I wanted to use the PN tv service I had to use the hub 1, but have plugged the airport extreme into that so as to use it as an extra wireless access point and also for time machine backups.
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keet
Hooked
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎02-11-2017

Re: Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet

That’s interesting, thanks for that.....so could i leave my openreach modem in the cupboard not being used and just plug the time machine into the hub one?  If i did that would it in fact give me two wireless networks and would that cause any issues? If that would work, how would i set the time machine up to work as my main wireless network?  Sorry if i sound a bit stupid, it may be because i am 😁

MisterW
Superuser
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Re: Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet

The BT modem will work fine!. However, if you wanted a new modem, this http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5728882?cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59158|cid:200290250|agid:12504951290|ti... is a good option. I've been using one for a while as a modem, It's reasonably priced (well pretty cheap actually!), can easily be switched to bridge(modem only) mode, and has good modem performance http://www.kitz.co.uk/routers/tplink_TD-W9970_review.htm. Since it's also a fully fledged router, it could be used as a backup in the event of the Airport failing.

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DaveyH
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Re: Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet


@keet wrote:

I am buying an imac and airport extreme which i want to use as my router / back up.  


 

I would strongly advise against buying an Airport Extreme now. 

 

It hasn't seen a h/w refresh in more than 4 years and Apple seem to have pretty much abandoned Airport h/w,  and frankly it was nothing special when it was current, yet they still have the audacity to ask £200 for it.

 

For that money you could buy a current top of the range combined modem/router that will [-Censored-] all over the extreme....

keet
Hooked
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Registered: ‎02-11-2017

Re: Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet

I didn’t know that thank you.....what would you suggest?

dvorak
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Re: Apple air port extreme as router with plusnet

it depends what you want if for, hacking time machine to work with another router is painful.

though you could stick with the hub one and just use an external usb drive plugged into your imac to back up.
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