Airport extreme connect to existing network using bridge mode

[eljohnny22]

I'm building a mobile video rig for live streaming that requires some connectivity solutions when venues have weak WIFI.

I want to bring my own router (possibly Airport Extreme) on location to create a private LAN for my wireless cameras / encoder, but I also need to connect to the venue's internet. I found a post where someone is doing something similar, but am hoping to get some more detail on how this type of setup works i.e. how to setup my network one I show up on location with my Airport Extreme, or if there is a better solution altogether.

Excerpt from the original post:
...We bring along an Apple Airport Extreme that is connected to the host venue internet network in bridge mode. That way we are on our own private network that does not have to compete for attention on the radio side of things. This offers solid throughput as long as we can keep the components within range. In larger venues we will bring additional Airports to use as extenders to expand the reach.

I will be using either Teradek cubes, VidiUs, or VidiU minis, all connecting over a private network to my Wirecast setup on a mac. Then, I need the Mac to connect to the venue's actual internet to stream to the web.

 

[Altemose]

I want to bring my own router (possibly Airport Extreme) on location to create a private LAN for my wireless cameras / encoder, but I also need to connect to the venue's internet. I found a post where someone is doing something similar, but am hoping to get some more detail on how this type of setup works i.e. how to setup my network one I show up on location with my Airport Extreme, or if there is a better solution altogether.

There is a couple of options here. One avenue is to get a router running a firmware like DD-WRT, but that is a very complex and annoying setup if you need to reconfigure it every time you go to a new event. Another option is two AirPorts, one being an Express and the other being an Express or an Extreme. One would connect to the venue's Wi-Fi, and the other would then connect to that Express via an Ethernet cable and create your own private LAN. AirPorts have never had the capability to connect and act as a private network, so I am not sure where that quote originated.

 

[LC Phil]

I'm building a mobile video rig for live streaming that requires some connectivity solutions when venues have weak WIFI.

I want to bring my own router (possibly Airport Extreme) on location to create a private LAN for my wireless cameras / encoder, but I also need to connect to the venue's internet. I found a post where someone is doing something similar, but am hoping to get some more detail on how this type of setup works i.e. how to setup my network one I show up on location with my Airport Extreme, or if there is a better solution altogether.

Excerpt from the original post:
...We bring along an Apple Airport Extreme that is connected to the host venue internet network in bridge mode. That way we are on our own private network that does not have to compete for attention on the radio side of things. This offers solid throughput as long as we can keep the components within range. In larger venues we will bring additional Airports to use as extenders to expand the reach.

I will be using either Teradek cubes, VidiUs, or VidiU minis, all connecting over a private network to my Wirecast setup on a mac. Then, I need the Mac to connect to the venue's actual internet to stream to the web.

Hi eljohnny22,

As each client network will be different you might want to have a Plan B (see below) but the quote you supplied doesn't make sense as bridge mode will just pump all the traffic, IP address scheme etc through to your wireless network. It won't be private at all. It might be private in the sense that they have control of the wireless network they setup? Either way, it would work. Just plug a network cable from their switch/router into the WAN port of your Airport Device. Max length 100m.

If you need a private LAN you could also setup your Airport Extreme as normal and then you'll have a private network separated by your AE's firewall, but then you'll have double NAT issues, which may not affect you. So just as above you need to plug a network cable from their switch/router into the WAN port of your AE/TC.

This all assumes that these networks will allow you to do plug your AE into it. Corporate networks can shutdown the switch port if they detect this use.

Plan B: Get a 4g wireless router with a large data limit (yes, probably costly). But if the clients have a slow upload speed, then you'd be saying goodbye to your web-stream anyway.

Good luck,

Cheers,

Phil

 

[Altemose]

If you need a private LAN you could also setup your Airport Extreme as normal and then you'll have a private network separated by your AE's firewall, but then you'll have double NAT issues, which may not affect you. So just as above you need to plug a network cable from their switch/router into the WAN port of your AE/TC.

Using the Express and Extreme like I stated will also firewall the Extreme's private network. Granted, all WAN traffic will still go over the corporate network.