WiFi Access Point in Bridge Mode

I have one of the last Apple airport WiFi routers they made and want to use it in Bridge mode to my main router.

The Airport offers a guest network option. Can someone tell me if the guest network will still be isolated from the main LAN if I run it in Bridge mode, which basically extends the main LAN to WiFi.

Reason I ask is that I want to wall off certain devices from the main LAN using the Guest network. Alternative I suppose is to use Firewall rules but this way seems much simpler.

I would have thought if you put it in bridge mode that would turn off the WiFi as there would no longer be any router components running on the device to allow it - the WiFi would be managed by upstream devices such as your "main router".

In reply to a post by Tacitus:

The Airport offers a guest network option. Can someone tell me if the guest network will still be isolated from the main LAN if I run it in Bridge mode, which basically extends the main LAN to WiFi.

Most router devices that offer Guest functions have to be the controlling router for the network. If you change the Airport to only Access Point mode you lose this functionality. Same with Asus or other routers that have an AP mode.

Unless you a building a more enterprise environment where you have VLANs (tagged) and your internet gateway router supports VLANs there is no way to do what you want with the hardware you have.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Most router devices that offer Guest functions have to be the controlling router for the network. If you change the Airport to only Access Point mode you lose this functionality. Same with Asus or other routers that have an AP mode.

I think it might be time to look at another router. This setup has served me well for quite a while now so probably time for a change. The Synology range look quite attractive and seem reasonably priced. Not checked recently but I imagine they would support a guest function.

I'm assuming in all this that the Guest function isolates anyone connecting to that from the main LAN.

Thanks for the advice.

In reply to a post by ian72:

I would have thought if you put it in bridge mode that would turn off the WiFi as there would no longer be any router components running on the device to allow it - the WiFi would be managed by upstream devices such as your "main router".

Just checked and it functions as a WiFi access point but addresses are being allocated by DHCP on the main router.

Whilst the Apple Airports offer a router function there is no firewall as such. If there is it must be pretty basic as they appear to rely on NAT. Useful as an access point but that's about it as routers have come on considerably since Apple stopped the Airport range.

Not sure but I think the team that designed them moved on to Eero.

In reply to a post by Tacitus:

I think it might be time to look at another router. This setup has served me well for quite a while now so probably time for a change. The Synology range look quite attractive and seem reasonably priced. Not checked recently but I imagine they would support a guest function.

I'm assuming in all this that the Guest function isolates anyone connecting to that from the main LAN.

That's what Guest does on the free routers from ISPs and on third party such as ASUS. I'm not familiar with the Synology routers.

It works by having a different SSID and a different DHCP scope that the router allows internet access to, but no access to the LAN (the main WiFi SSID or the Ethernet connected devices). Sometimes useful to have a different encryption type for older hardware, e.g. WPA2 versus WPA3.

I have a TPLink Archer AX5000 and a TPLink Wifi Extender, these support TPLinks OneMesh functionality (same SSID for all APs in range). These also allow you to segregate your IoT or Guest devices throughout the Mesh Network, so may be worth looking into those

Mine cost about £130 + £50 or so (prices may vary now as mine's a year or so old).

I've found the performance very good (and better than my previous ASUS kit).