"connection type" in my fios gateway.
robertoleonardo

Despite the mass of airport express + fios threads, I couldn't find this particular question. Maybe it was buried somewhere in there, but i couldn't come across it.

background: i just got fios, i seem to have successfully created a "new" network with my airport express that in reality just extends my quantum router network [though i still don't understand why 'create a new network' + bridge mode was the right play instead of 'extend network' + bridge mode - but maybe it's relevant i used the create a new network method]. i have theoretical 100/100 service - but can get like 40-65 download and 50 + upload (using speedtest.net, on both my phone and computer). its hard to control for all the variables, but i think i was getting roughly the same before i added the airport in - so even if my network isn't reaching its full potential (but it probably is - and the slow down is just a function of wi fi, multiple devices, etc.), the airport doesn't seem to be the problem.

but one thing i'm curious about - i noticed that once i added the airport, and refreshed my connection on phone/computer,  myfiosgateway.com no longer had anything listing  'wireless' as the connection type - my phone and my computer now both say connected via ethernet. this kind of makes sense since the airport is wired by ethernet to the quantum gateway, and then the phone and the computer i guess are grabbing the airport express's signal.

even though i can kind of see why it shows up as such, it seems odd - if it was truly only functioning as a bridge/extender, i would think that things connected wirelessly to the airport should show up as wirelessly connected to the network as a whole. are there settings to change that would reflect this? or am i just wrong in thinking that it would make more sense that way? 

even if it's harmless in terms of speed, i like being able to see what's on 2.4 or 5.0 gz bands (without having separate SSIDs) - and myfiosgateway provided a way for me to do that since i can't see it on my phone (though i figured out the option + wifi button on my mac, there doesn't seem to be a non-jailbreak analog for iphone)

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Re: "connection type" in my fios gateway.
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

The router is only able to show the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz device statuses if they happen to be connected to the Greenwave or ActionTec router. Anything that is not directly associated with the Wi-Fi radio on the FiOS router will generally show up as a wired device, just because the router doesn't know if it sits behind a switch, behind a wireless bridge, or if it's actually a wireless device. All it knows is that the device ARPs and asked for an IP through DHCP.

For monitoring what devices are on what radio for the Apple AirPort, try Apple's AirPort Utility for OS X and Windows. The Network Map should allow you to select devices and view informtion on each device.

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Re: "connection type" in my fios gateway.
robertoleonardo

ah. i thought that might be the case. ok thanks!

re: airport utility - i've been using it, and when i hover over the airport express on it...i see 'wireless clients' [and then my phone and my computer listed] - but don't see the radio information anywhere. oh well, it's really not a big deal i was mostly just curious. i'm just happy everything seems to be working fine. 

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