Using an Apple router on Orbi

Question

I have read here that you can repurpose an Apple Airport device (like an Airport Extreme) as an extender on the Orbi mesh network provided that you enable Bridge mode on the Airport device and connect the Airport using Ethernet to the Orbi. I also confirmed that it works. The problem I have is that although I can use the Orbi's main network SSID (for example, Smith) while on the Extreme, I cannot get it to recognize the guest network of the Orbi mesh. In other words, the network name (SSID of Smith) and the guest network name (SSID: Smith Guest) are both set up identicallyt on the Orbi and the Airport Extreme. When I'm in range of the Airport Extreme I can use the Smith network but cannot get the Orbi's guest network. Any ideas how I can use the Airport Extreme as an extender for the guest network too?

ekhalil · Answer

Yes, this is a known Issue in Apple Airport in Bridged mode. Apple Airport uses vLANs to manage guest network.
A workaround is described in this article: https://www.thegeekpub.com/5191/use-airport-extreme-guest-network-bridge-mode/

FURRYe38 · Answer

I don't think you can bridge two SSID connections when using the wireless bridge mode. You can only use one at a time. At least thats what I found with my 3rd gen AE. Maybe follow on gens can. Ask Apple about this.

bmeighan wrote:
I have read here that you can repurpose an Apple Airport device (like an Airport Extreme) as an extender on the Orbi mesh network provided that you enable Bridge mode on the Airport device and connect the Airport using Ethernet to the Orbi. I also confirmed that it works. The problem I have is that although I can use the Orbi's main network SSID (for example, Smith) while on the Extreme, I cannot get it to recognize the guest network of the Orbi mesh. In other words, the network name (SSID of Smith) and the guest network name (SSID: Smith Guest) are both set up identicallyt on the Orbi and the Airport Extreme. When I'm in range of the Airport Extreme I can use the Smith network but cannot get the Orbi's guest network. Any ideas how I can use the Airport Extreme as an extender for the guest network too?

bmeighan · Answer

Thanks to your hugely helpful responses and ideas, I may now go with a simpler solution to solve the issue with extending the guest network on an Airport Extreme connected to an Orbi router. Here is my proposed solution and a question before I do it.

Since the "remote" location (a detached guest home where I have ethernet connecting the networks) requires only guest network privileges, I'm thinking of swapping the network names (SSID) on the Orbi router. In other words, I plan to use SSID "Smith Guest" (Smith is used as the example network name) as the main network and SSID "Smith" as the guest network. Since I only need the Smith Guest network in my guest home and the only extender device is the Extreme in that location, it leaves my main home with both networks and still allows me to use both networks on my Orbi router and Orbi satellites. I believe this will solve my problem. By the way, my router and all satellites (including the Extreme) are connected by ethernet cable.

|----> Extreme ----> Smith Guest House ---> Smith Guest network

Orbi Router |---------------------> Smith Main House ----> Smith Guest & Smith networks

|----> Orbi Sat1 ---> Smith Main House ----> Smith Guest & Smith networks

|----> Orbi Sat2 ---> Smith Main House ----> Smith Guest & Smith networks

My question is this: Are the main and guest networks on an Orbi mesh network prioritized similarly? In other words, I do not want the guest network (now named Smith and used for 90% of the network traffic) to be compromised or slowed by swapping network names. Thanks again for your help.

ekhalil · Answer

You don’t need to swap the SSID’s in the Orbi network. My suggestion is as follows;
- Keep Smith as main network and Smith Guest as guest network in Orbi.
- Set the SSID for the main network in the AE as Smith Guest and disable the guest network in the AE.

bmeighan · Answer

Ekhalil -- I agree that the guest network from the Extreme will not work in bridged mode. That is why I plan to assign the guest network name to the main network on my Orbi router.&nbsp;Since the Extreme is in the guest house and all I need there is a guest network, I plan to use SMITH GUEST as the main network across my environment. That way, the SMITH GUEST network will work in the main home and in the guest house. I don't need a secondary (guest network) in the guest house. In my main home, which is connected 100% by Orbi router and Orbi satellites, I will have both the SMITH GUEST and SMITH networks. Does this make sense? Thanks for reading and responding. (And based on your earlier suggestion, at some point I may become competent enough to do the vLAN stuff.)

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Using an Apple router on Orbi

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