Attempting to create a wired WIFI network using A1521s and backhauling like other systems

Do I set up one 1521 as the router (connected to my MODEM) with my desired SSID and password and then turn it off?

No, unless for some (unknown) reason you do not want the "main" AirPort to help provide a Wi-Fi signal in the area where it is located.

And then do the following with the others I plan on using in the other areas of the house, first?

No, if you are asking the same question about turning off the Wi-Fi.

Then do I power them up one at a time daisy chaining (backhaul) from one to the next in the other rooms?

You would not want to "daisy chain" the Airports if at all possible. Yes, this will work if everything is connected and set up correctly, but.....let's say that there is a problem with the #2 AirPort. If there is a problem with AirPort #2.....then AirPorts #3, #4, and #5 will have a problem as well. This will make troubleshooting very difficult, because you cannot know in advance which AirPort is the culprit.

Ideally, you will have a "main" AirPort set up to the modem and that AirPort is configured to provide a Wi-Fi network. Then, each of the other AirPorts....#2, #3, #4 and #5......connect directly back to the main AirPort using the wired Ethernet connection and Ethernet switch.

Lastly, there seems to be conflicing information about what port to use on the back of the 1521 set to be a WIFI spot; do you use the "0" or the <=> to connect from one 1521 to the other?

I cannot answer this question until I understand exactly how the Ethernet network will be wired.

Will this be a "daisy chain" (not recommended)?

Will this be a "home run system....where AirPorts #2, #3,#4, and #5 all connect directly back to the "main" AirPort?

Or, will this be a "hybrid" system with some AirPorts connecting directly back to the main AirPort and other AirPorts connecting to other AirPorts?

Do I set them up manually or use the wizard in the Airport utility with my Macbook Pro?

Use the AirPort Utility set up "wizard" on your Mac.

Throwing a Time Capsule in the mix shouldn't matter should it?

No, as long as it is not 10 years old and you will be using it as your only backup plan.

If you are good at following directions, I will take you step by step through the setup of your system.

But it makes no sense at this point to try to provide instructions on how to set up the entire network, because there are questions and potential issues that will need to be addressed with each AirPort as they are set up and added to the network one at a time.

Post back if you want to continue.

One other factor I idn't put in my post yesterday is that there are other devices connected to the 1521s at each location via ethernet. For example, at my my #2 1521 after being set up I connected 4 other devices to one of it's Ethernet ports via a switch. My plan all along was to have a few devices (NONE WIFI) connected to a few of the 1521s on the WIFI network. I hadn't seen a post about that anywhere. Would that present a problem in the sceme of things?

Assuming that the AirPorts are all set up correctly, you can connect as many Ethernet devices to an AirPort or AirPorts as you want. You will need to use an Ethernet switch if you run out of LAN <--> ports on each of the AirPorts.

I'm still not clear on whether the AirPorts will be wired via a "daisy chain", a "home run", or a "hybrid" method, so we need more detail on this before we get started. In simple terms.....what connects to what using Ethernet?

Let's call the "main" AirPort Extreme #1 and the others, #2, #3, #4 and #5. And the AirPort Expresses #6 and #7.

I realize that this is complicated, but one slip up on setup and most of the rest of the system crashes. That's why we will be going step by step one device at a time.

Will the AirPort Express devices be Ethernet wired on the system as well? The Ethernet ports on the AirPort Express are only 100 Mbps capable while the Ethernet ports on the AirPort Extremes are 1,000 Mbps. So, the location of the AirPort Express devices is very important, if they will be wired via Ethernet. You don't want an Express dragging speeds down for the entire network.

Here is an example.........You have a "main" AirPort Extreme and you connect an AirPort Express to the "main" AirPort Extreme and then connect an AirPort Extreme to the AirPort Express. The AirPort Express will knock down Ethernet speeds of 1,000 Mbps on the main AirPort Extreme to 100 Mpbs, so you lose 900 Mbps of speed going to the next AirPort Extreme and probably other devices as well.

This can be avoided if you are wiring all the AirPorts via a "home run" directly back to the "main" AirPort Extreme.

Unless you really need the AirPort Express devices, you might consider not using them at all on the network.

We want to make sure that the "main" AirPort Extreme is set up correctly, because it will be "in charge" of the entire network. To do that, we need to know whether the device that you call your "modem" is really a simple modem.......with only one Ethernet port......or whether your "modem" is really a gateway or router with multiple Ethernet ports.

If you are not sure about this, it would help if we knew the make and model number of the "modem".....so we can do some checking on the device. We don't need a serial number......just the manufacturer name and model number of the "modem".

Setting up the remaining three will require me to connect a second Ethernet cable to the second <--> port on A1521 #1.

Correct. Be sure to test each port on the switch.....before.....you connect an AirPort to the switch.....the same way that you did with the first switch connected to #1.

That will run to another switch that had my Orbi setup on it.

That's fine. But, be sure to test all the ports on the switch....before.....you connect any other devices to the switch.

From the switch I will connect A1521s #3-#5 to ports on that switch into their "O" if my thinking is correct.

Correct. Always think of the WAN "O" port as an "input port" on each AirPort so the AirPort Utility wizard will set things up correctly. Apple could have saved many many hours of support time if they had placed an "INPUT" label next to the "O" port.

Thanks for posting back. Glad that things are working well. Nice work.

If you want to install the Time Capsule into the network, set it up the same way, but you may not need the extra Wi-Fi signal, so you can manually go in using AirPort Utility to simply turn off the Wi-Fi.

Post back if you need help with this.

Unfortunately, the Uverse modem/router is going to be the device "in charge" of the network. How well this will work with all the AirPorts is frankly open to question.

I was hoping that we could get an AirPort Extreme "in charge" of the network, but that is not going to work with the modem/router or gateway that you have.

I am assuming that the Uverse has the capability to allow at least 25+ devices to connect to the network. I am also assuming that you have a laptop with an Ethernet port which can be used to check Ethernet connections as we go.

On the #1 AirPort Extreme......power it off if it is on

Connect an Ethernet cable to one of the LAN <--> Ethernet ports on the back of the Uverse gateway. There are probably 4 of them, use any of them that you want.

Connect your laptop to the Ethernet cable from the Uverse router

Turn off Wi-Fi on the laptop

Make sure that you can get a good Internet connection on the laptop, which will confirm that the Ethernet cable and Ethernet ports are working correctly.

Then, disconnect the Ethernet cable from the laptop and connect the Ethernet cable from the Uverse to the WAN "O" port on the #1 AirPort Extreme

Power up the AirPort Extreme and let it run for a minute

Hold in the reset button on the back of the AirPort Extreme for 10 seconds and then release

Allow a full minute for the #1 AirPort to restart to a slow blinking amber light status

Make sure that the Wi-Fi is now back on at the Mac laptop

Open AirPort Utility Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility

Click on the Other Wi-Fi Devices button

Click on AirPort Extreme xxxxxx

That will start up the AirPort Utility setup wizard. The screen should look similar to the example below except that you will see an AirPort Extreme pictured.

Network Name......Type in the name that you want to use for the wireless network

Base Station Name.....Type in the name that you want to call the AirPort Extreme......(Airport Extreme 1 for example)

Password.....Type in a password that will be used for both the wireless network and the AirPort device

Verify....Type in the same password to confirm

Jot down the information on a piece of paper for later reference

Click Next

The AirPort Utility setup wizard will configure the AirPort Extreme 1 with the settings that you specified

Should be a green light on the AirPort Extreme 1 after a minute

Test using the Wi-Fi on the Mac to make sure that it can get a good Internet connection that way

Then, turn off the Wi-Fi and use another Ethernet cable to connect the laptop on one of the LAN <--> Ethernet ports on the AirPort Extreme 1. Make sure that the laptop can get a good Internet connection that way and then test the other two LAN <--> ports on the AirPort Extreme 1 to make sure that they are all working as well.

Post back on your progress and we will continue

You will need an Ethernet switch with at least 8 ports or more to "home run" all the other AirPorts back to the switch, which will be connected to one of the LAN <--> ports on AirPort Extreme 1.

I'm now ready to insert A1521 #2 onto the same network in a different room.

Connect an Ethernet switch to one of the 3 LAN <--> ports on AirPort #1 using an Ethernet cable.

Check and test each of the ports on the Ethernet switch using your computer to make sure that the Ethernet connection and switch is delivering correct speeds.

Then, connect an Ethernet cable from one of the ports on the Ethernet switch to the WAN "O" port on AirPort Extreme #2

Power off AirPort 2 if it is on

Wait a minute

Power up AirPort 2 and let it run a minute

Hold in the reset button on the back of #2 for 8-10 seconds, then release

Allow a full minute for AirPort #2 to restart to a slow blinking amber light status

Make sure that Wi-Fi is turned on at your Mac

Open AirPort Utility and click on the Other Wi-Fi Devices button

Click on AirPort xxxxxxx

The setup "wizard" will display a screen that looks similar to the example below, except that you will see your devices pictured.

Base Station Name......Type in a name for the AirPort Extreme. For example AirPort Extreme 2

Click Next

The next screen will look like this:

Then, the screen will look like this:

It is very important that you see that AirPort #2 is being extended using Ethernet.

Setup of AirPort #2 is now complete

Check each of the LAN <--> ports on AirPort #2 to make sure that everything is working.

Post back to confirm.

We will assume that all is well. Should be a very impressive Wi-Fi and Ethernet network there. Nice work.

Excellent, thanks on that question.

But.....please check my post again. (text repeated below) We still don't know what "modem" you have.

We want to make sure that the "main" AirPort Extreme is set up correctly, because it will be "in charge" of the entire network. To do that, we need to know whether the device that you call your "modem" is really a simple modem.......with only one Ethernet port......or whether your "modem" is really a gateway or router with multiple Ethernet ports.

If you are not sure about this, it would help if we knew the make and model number of the "modem".....so we can do some checking on the device. We don't need a serial number......just the manufacturer name and model number of the "modem".

Sorry for all the questions, but I think you understand that the idea here would be to get things right on the first pass.