So for the last year I’ve been without a guest network, a feature that I really wanted because I refuse to use the Airport as my main router. They made the requirement that the main router that connects your home to the Internet also be an Airport Extreme, otherwise the Guest Network simply does not work. However, Apple did something only Apple does. This network is firewalled off from your home network, allowing guests to surf the web without getting access to your private data.

This feature allows you to create a second SSID, very simply that has access only to the internet. One of the features I was excited about was the Airport Extreme Guest Network. So I wanted to stick with them in my new house. Something Apple has generally been known for. I’ve always liked that the Airports just work, and always reliably. I bought several Airport Extremes when we built our new home in 2015. The Apple overlords have gone too far in this case, and I am going to show you how it really works! Using The Airport Extreme Guest Network with a Third Party Router The Airport Extreme Guest Wireless network can be used with almost any other brand of router as your main router, as long is it supports VLANs, but Apple has gone out of there way to make sure you don’t know that. And that really sucks when you need their gear to work with other manufactures products out of necessity and Apple we’re talking about things that have been industry standards for decades!

Apple loves to make their technologies proprietary and compatible with only other Apple gear. This is one of those situations where Apple really pisses me off. Is it possible to use Apple’s Airport Extreme Guest Network without using the Airport as your main router? YES.

Configure apple airport extender