Wireless router with Airport Extreme + Expresses

[elizabeth_a]

I'm thinking about switching to Sonic but wondering how my wireless network will work with the Sonic router/modem and my hardware.

Currently I have an Airport Extreme + 3 Expresses to expand the network (there are a lot of dead zones in my house).

Can I/should I still use the Extreme? How does the Sonic hardware work with Mac products in general? Would I be better off turning off the Sonic wireless router and using the Extreme?

I'm not super technically adept, so I'm looking for the easiest transition to save my family a lot of cursing and complaining :-)

Any advice/help is greatly appreciated.

[dane]

If you're happy with the current configuration, and the multiple WiFi access points and their coverage, just plug your Airport Extreme right into the back of the Sonic.net router, and you're all set! You can disable the WiFi on our device if you'd like, but there's no real need to, you could just ignore it.

[digitalbitstream]

Dane: plugging one router into another does bring up the "Double NAT" problem. Are you sure you want to recommend that? It might work fine, until one day under heavy use one or the other nat tables fills up. Or someone will expect to print, but the two devices are on different networks.

[dane]

Dane: plugging one router into another does bring up the "Double NAT" problem. Are you sure you want to recommend that? It might work fine, until one day under heavy use one or the other nat tables fills up. Or someone will expect to print, but the two devices are on different networks.

We don't see double NAT as an issue, it's common in home networks, and in modern devices and applications, I don't expect any problems. (The only known double-NAT issue I'm aware of is when you have multiple PPTP VPN client devices on the LAN behind double NAT; only one will work.)

In regards to the potential for confusion around devices on different networks, yes, we would suggest folks pick one and use it exclusively. So this would mean in this example, plugging the Airport Extreme into the Sonic.net router, and then NOT using the WiFi or the other three Ethernet ports on the Sonic.net router for anything.

My point about leaving the WiFi enabled is that doing so causes no harm; it doesn't use spectrum capacity in any appreciable way when it's not in use, so it's not worth the bother to disable. Just disregard rather than disable.

[bbusby]

Actually, since 802.11n can use a 40MHz wide swath @ 2.4 GHz for fastest data transfer, having another high-level signal around will cause the auto 20/40 selection system to drop back to 20, thereby cutting the maximum data rate in half. Also, if streaming is being done in 11n with QoS on, the beacon from a second WiFi device can disrupt larger, aggregated packet transmissions.

References: see §§ 9.23.3, 9.11 & 9.12 of the 802.11-2012 standard

[dane]

Actually, since 802.11n can use a 40MHz wide swath @ 2.4 GHz for fastest data transfer, having another high-level signal around will cause the auto 20/40 selection system to drop back to 20, thereby cutting the maximum data rate in half. Also, if streaming is being done in 11n with QoS on, the beacon from a second WiFi device can disrupt larger, aggregated packet transmissions.

References: see §§ 9.23.3, 9.11 & 9.12 of the 802.11-2012 standard

Interesting. Guess that's unavoidable for folks who live in a neighborhood with nearby neighbors! In many locations in SF, one can see 40+ APs. WiFi is quite resilient!

[bbusby]

Actually, since 802.11n can use a 40MHz wide swath @ 2.4 GHz for fastest data transfer, having another high-level signal around will cause the auto 20/40 selection system to drop back to 20, thereby cutting the maximum data rate in half. Also, if streaming is being done in 11n with QoS on, the beacon from a second WiFi device can disrupt larger, aggregated packet transmissions.

References: see §§ 9.23.3, 9.11 & 9.12 of the 802.11-2012 standard

Interesting. Guess that's unavoidable for folks who live in a neighborhood with nearby neighbors! In many locations in SF, one can see 40+ APs. WiFi is quite resilient!

It is a remarkably robust system. The whole 20/40 thing is really much happier in the 5GHz band and this
becomes even more important with new 80 and 160-wide operation in 11ac (new standard under development).
These big bandwidth signals cannot be used at 2.4 GHz.

This is what quiet Los Altos looks like:



And the Mid-Sunset (part of your "Zone 1"):

[elizabeth_a]

Hi! I appreciate all the responses, but I'm more confused now then before.

I signed up for service and have the router right here. My service is set to start on Monday at 11 am.

So, what do I do?

I'm not sure what is the best way to go.

[elizabeth_a]

And if it helps, I'm in Bernal Heights in SF - tons of neighbors around, but only two other wireless networks pop up on my computer right now.

[digitalbitstream]

Short version:
1) Plug your existing Airport into the Sonic router.
2) Visit http://gateway.sonic.net/ , enter the code from the router, and turn off WiFI on the Sonic box.
3) Bask in the glory of "done".

Note that your "dead spots" are probably really "interference from the neighbors", at least in San Francisco. You can run something like inSSIDer on an Android phone to see and map everything. But short of moving to the subburbs, there's nothing you can do (just set your channel to 1 6 or 11 and be happy).