Boost Your Airport Extreme: Tips For A Faster Connection

There are several ways to make your Airport Extreme faster. For example, you can set the Airport Extreme to Bridge mode, use WPA2, set 2.4G to a low channel and 5G to a high channel, or use MOCA or Powerline adapters.

Set the right channel and radio mode

Setting the right channel and radio mode is perhaps the most important step in making your Airport Extreme faster. The performance of your WiFi depends heavily on it.

If you have a modem/router, set the Airport Extreme to Bridge mode. Using NAT in the Airport too will slow you down. Your modem already handles NAT, so having a Double NAT is useless. If your Airport is the router, set it to DHCP NAT.

If you are using roaming networks, you will need an Ethernet connection between the remote Access Point and the main router. If running Cat5e or better cable is difficult, consider MOCA or Ethernet over Powerline bridges to pass the Ethernet signal to the remote location. MOCA uses existing Coax cables, and Powerline adapters are relatively inexpensive.

Airports also support Extended networks, sharing the Wi-Fi radio to uplink connections from the router to the remote AP, but this tends to kill Wi-Fi speeds as the same radio must provide both client and router data connections, thus reducing bandwidth by up to 50%5G is for speed but not distance; 2.4 is slower but goes further. Set 2.4G to a low channel and 5G to a high channel. Set Auto to manual and assign a low channel to it. This will allow the 5G channel to be the main one and you can get fast throughput.

Use WPA2

Using WPA2 is the way to go. Older base stations also support WPA or WPA/WPA2 (a mix of the two). The latest Airport Extremes have WPA2 Personal (WPA2) and WPA Enterprise (using a Radius server). Most users should use WPA2 Personal and make sure every other base station uses the same setting. Do not use the WPA/WPA2 setting. Instead, use WPA2 or WPA2 Personal. This ensures there can be no communication issues between the two stations, and they will work faster.

If you have a modem/router, you need to set the Airport Extreme to Bridge mode. Using NAT in the Airport too will slow you down, if things work at all. Your modem already handles NAT, so having a Double NAT is useless. If your Airport is the router, set it to DHCP NAT.

Roaming networks require Ethernet connections between the remote Access Point and the main router (AP Extreme in your case). If running Cat5e or better cable is difficult, consider MOCA or Ethernet over Powerline bridges to pass the Ethernet signal to the remote location. MOCA (uses existing Coax cables) or Powerline adapters are relatively inexpensive (compared to pulling cable through an old house) and some can approach 1GB speeds or better in the right conditions. Don't go cheap, older MOCA and Poweline adapters had poor performance, but newer tech has improved performance greatly. MOCA is typically how satellite TV and some cable services connect secondary receivers to the main DVR.

Airports also support Extended networks, sharing the Wi-Fi radio to uplink connections from the router to the remote AP, but this tends to kill Wi-Fi speeds as the same radio must provide both client and router data connections, thus reducing bandwidth by up to 50%Avoid this method if you can.

Set 2.4G to a low channel and 5G to a high channel

If you want to make your Airport Extreme faster, you should set 2.4G to a low channel and 5G to a high channel. This is because 5G is for speed, whereas 2.4G is slower but goes further. Setting Auto to manual and assigning a low channel to it will allow the 5G channel to be the main one, and you can get fast throughput.

You should also make sure you're using WPA2. Older base stations also support WPA or WPA/WPA2 (a mix of the two). The latest Airport Extremes have WPA2 Personal (WPA2) and WPA Enterprise (using a Radius server). Most users should use WPA2 Personal and make sure every other base station uses the same setting. This makes sure there can be no communication issue between the two stations, so they work faster.

If you have a modem/router, you need to set the Airport Extreme to Bridge mode. Using NAT in the Airport too slows you down, if things work at all. Your modem already handles NAT, so having a Double NAT is useless. If your Airport is the router, set it to DHCP NAT.

Roaming networks require Ethernet connections between the remote Access Point and the main router (AP Extreme in your case). If running Cat5e or better cable is difficult, consider MOCA or Ethernet over Powerline bridges to pass the Ethernet signal to the remote location. MOCA (which uses existing Coax cables) or Powerline adapters are relatively inexpensive compared to pulling cable through an old house, and some can approach 1GB speeds or better in the right conditions.

Use Ethernet over Powerline bridges

If you want to make your Airport Extreme faster, there are a few things you can do. Firstly, make sure you're using WPA2 Personal (WPA2) and not the WPA/WPA2 setting, as this will ensure there are no communication issues between the two stations. You should also set your Airport Extreme to Bridge mode if you have a modem/router, as using NAT in the Airport will slow you down.

One way to improve the speed of your Airport Extreme is to use Ethernet over Powerline bridges. This involves using Powerline adapters to pass the Ethernet signal to a remote location. Powerline adapters are relatively inexpensive and can provide speeds of up to 1GB or more in the right conditions. However, it's important to note that older Powerline adapters had poor performance, so it's worth investing in newer technology.

To use Ethernet over Powerline bridges, you'll need to connect the adapters to your power outlets and then connect your devices to the adapters using Ethernet cables. This will allow you to extend your network without having to run additional Ethernet cables.

Another benefit of using Ethernet over Powerline bridges is that it can help improve the stability of your connection. Powerline adapters use the electrical wiring in your home to transmit data, which can provide a more reliable connection than Wi-Fi, especially if you have a large home or if there are obstacles that interfere with your Wi-Fi signal.

Overall, using Ethernet over Powerline bridges can be a cost-effective and reliable way to improve the speed and performance of your Airport Extreme. By utilising your existing power outlets and electrical wiring, you can easily extend your network and enjoy faster speeds without having to run additional Ethernet cables.

Set Airport Extreme to Bridge mode

If you have a modem/router, you need to set the Airport Extreme to Bridge mode. Using NAT in the Airport too will slow you down, if things work at all. Your modem already handles NAT, so having a Double NAT is useless. If your Airport is the router, set it to DHCP NAT.

To set Airport Extreme to Bridge mode:

• Open the Airport Utility app on your computer.
• Click on the Airport Extreme icon and select 'Edit'.
• Go to the 'Network' tab and select 'Router Mode'.
• Change the setting to 'Bridge Mode' and click 'Update'.

Additionally, make sure you are using WPA2 Personal (WPA2) and not WPA/WPA2. This ensures there are no communication issues between the two stations, allowing them to work faster.

You should also pick the right channel and radio mode. Set 2.4G to a low channel and 5G to a high channel. Set Auto to manual and assign a low channel to it. This will allow the 5G channel to be the main one and you can get fast throughput.

Finally, if you are using a roaming network, consider using MOCA or Ethernet over Powerline bridges to pass the Ethernet signal to the remote location. MOCA uses existing Coax cables and can provide speeds of up to 1GB or better in the right conditions.

Frequently asked questions