create more than 2 networks on mac

i want to be able to create 5 or more networks from 1 router on my imac. Why ?

i have 3 kids and guests and i'm tired of yelling after them (my kids not my guests) to get of the online game they can't stay away from unless i cut of the internet...
yeah, i know; call me big brother but maturity takes time.

anyway, i want to create a separate network for each wireless device so i can manage it from a single source and it'll be even better if i could do it from my iphone.
i have a time capsule with 2 networks (main and guest) but that just doesn't cut it.

i've tried for hours to find something in forums but nothing really popped up.

idea, question, suggestion anybody ? and please refrain from giving any other advice than a technical one...
thanks

G'day and welcome to the forums.

A number of different 'Locations' under Network in System Preferences sounds like your answer. You can edit the locations. Have a read of this:-

Using network locations (Mac OS X v10.6 and later)

I have not had to use this personally since there are no kids in the house but in addition to Guest Network access the Airport utility used to configure the Time Capsule also allows you to configure timed access to restrict access to certain times of day. Airport Utility: Setting Wireless Time Limits - The Mac Observer.

Since every networkable device has a unique network hardware ID (MAC ID ), different machines can have different amounts of access time. There is an iPhone/iPad app that can be used to manage and control the settings. Search for Airport Utility in the iPone app store.

^^^ That would be the way to do it... and pretty good tutorial at that link on setting it up also.

You'll need to be up to date with Airport Utility 6.x for that to be an accurate walk through.
Can be done if you're still using 5.6, you'll just find the setup in a little different place.

Once set up, not really anything to monitor, except smiling when they holler because their game stopped working.

it's a nice simple way of doing it but not quite what i'm looking for and i'm sure other parents are like me.

What I'm looking for is a network tool that is able to create, change and manage subnetworks of one main network (my time capsule or a new router if necessary ) on the fly, without shutting everybody out at each change due to time capsule update.

Practically, I want to create a main network for my wife and I, one for each household wifi device and a guest access, all with a simple interface capable of switching each network on and off at will (like the wifi sharing in the pref. pane) and only affect that particular network.
when you have 3 kids with friends, the bandwidth management has to be very flexible.

Have not tried it personally but I think the Time Capsule would only update once - when the initial setup is complete. If I am not mistaken once that is done it stops access for that device. Don't think a reset is needed each time.x

@bobtomy thanks for catching that issue with the version of Airport Utility. Meant to include that and forgot

Slydude said:

Have not tried it personally but I think the Time Capsule would only update once - when the initial setup is complete. If I am not mistaken once that is done it stops access for that device. Don't think a reset is needed each time.x

@bobtomy thanks for catching that issue with the version of Airport Utility. Meant to include that and forgot

Click to expand...

actually, each time you change values in the airport utilities, the time capsule reboots in order to update the settings

That's right but perhaps I misunderstood what you were shooting for. Here's a basic example of what I thought you were going for:

User 1 (adult) unlimited access so no need to enter the MAC for their device.
User 2 Same - second adult.
User 3 first child younger 1 hour per night by entering the Mac for their device

Similar entries could be made for other users. One problem with this situation of course is that the restrictions are based on the device ID. In theory, someone with limited access could simply move to one of the devices with unlimited access.

I am living with my new partner, and she has 3 kids, and me 1. So when we are all at home, i have 1TV, 1Xbox, MBP, MBA, MB, iPad Mini, iPad 3G, 2iPods, 5iPhones, ATV2, Printer, 2 Airport Express (To extend network), 2x Windows PC's and had them all on my TC and always had drama's. I went out and bought myself a great Modem/Router the NetGear DGND4000 (being Fibre Optic ready for when the NBN gets rolled out in Aust) , and have not looked back. This beauty gives me 2 bands 2.4GHz & 5GHz. Within that, i have options to set up 4 Guest Networks in each of the 2 bands, giving me basically 10 different networks.
I can also monitor each and every network from my iPhone/iPad Mini with Netgears Genie App (Even though it has a long way to go for full control) and i can turn OFF the Kids Wireless networks at a certain time so they sleep and don't play . . . . . hehe "the hand of God" and they're pissed that they can't access the router to change it lol
I have my own network for my iPhone, iPad Mini, MBP all coupled to the TimeCapsule for backups. My Girl has her own too . . . . We live in bliss when the other networks are turned off by the scheduling i have set up for each of them.

Out of this, i have my TC for my TimeMachine Backups, via Ethernet and i got awesome speeds, having my first 70+GB Backup done in just over 1 ½ Hrs.
Not sure if this is what your looking for, but i found when doing research, is that Apple still have a considerably closed system with the TC and Networks.
I just tried playing around then, and it just stuffed my whole wireless network out and i spent the next ½ hr trying to get back online to post this, and that was because i missed 1 symbol in the network name . . . Doh
Anyways hope this helps, because now with 18 odd devices on various wireless networks from 1 Router/Modem, I'm happy with multiple people able to watch Youtube at same time and download different things with minimal slow down.

So yea this works for me, as i found the TimeCapsule too limiting

HTH some

Cheers

Wow you need your own network admin just to handle that alone. I see that you are doing what I was talking about but having the additional router in the system gives you more options as far as the number of networks etc.

I can't think of a way to lock down the system so that the kids don't just switch devices once one device has lost its net time. Even if each user has his / her own device password nothing keeps them from sharing the passwords among themselves.

That's one heck of a setup there. Gave me a headache just thinking about it.

Slydude said:

Wow you need your own network admin just to handle that alone.

That's one heck of a setup there. Gave me a headache just thinking about it.

Click to expand...

Haha . . .That i am mate, but try being this end with it though lol. Im positive the D/Link gave up because of what was on the network.
I then did my research, because the 2 oldest went to bed FBing, downloading and all sorts, and the NetGear seemed like the perfect router.
Me and my girl are on the 5GHz network with all the peripherals, and the 2.4GHz is all for the kids, so i can lock down the 2.4GHz at a certain time, and bring it back on in the morning ½ hr before school starts. I have them on their own guest network so it makes them feel special lol but they don't realise it is so i can control everything. one child plays up and tap of the keyboard and they don't have WiFi anymore lol

We can both be working on our Macs, the 2 big kids on their iPhones, 1 playing Halo4 Xbox online another playing MineCraft online with the MB while i have a movie streaming to ATV2 and no-one seems to get any lag. Im on 15mb/s Down through speedtest.net, but still I'm impressed with the setup.

The other good thing with this NetGear is on the setup page, all i put in was my ISP username and password, and in 2 minutes i was online, and that was done without being hardwired into my MBP
Ill always buy Netgear now, as their CSR was only 3rd to Apple and OWC support IMHO . . .
Just hope it is what the OP is looking for

I have a Netgear as well. Don't remember which one thought. Also have a Time Capsule. Both are dual band so I could do something similar though with just the wife and I here there's no real need for that.

In my case I use the 2.4 GHz band for a few devices that do not support 5 GHz. I knew these older devices slowed down the 5 GHz network so I split them off into something separate.Never could get a straight answer whether they slowed things down all the time or just when they needed to access the network.

Slydude said:

I have a Netgear as well. Don't remember which one thought. Also have a Time Capsule. Both are dual band so I could do something similar though with just the wife and I here there's no real need for that.

In my case I use the 2.4 GHz band for a few devices that do not support 5 GHz. I knew these older devices slowed down the 5 GHz network so I split them off into something separate.Never could get a straight answer whether they slowed things down all the time or just when they needed to access the network.

Click to expand...

I must admit, the TV even though its last years LG 3D, didn't give me the option to get on the 5GHz from memory, so i just thought if other devices are like the TV and are not compatible with 5GHz, they as well wouldn't show up ?!?!? so I'm guessing if the 2 networks don't show in the "Available Networks" then thats when they are not compatible with the 5GHz. . . Im stabbing here mind you, no fact what so ever, but it works for me :touchwood:

well, that seems to cover it pretty much and I guess I will go with another router although I would've liked to stay just with my TC.

I'm not versed into networking but from what I can read, it seems that the limitations are more software than hardware.
Too bad APL never really invested in anything like that though it would be simple for them to implement.
It's a company with many contradictions: their networking solutions have been fast and easy way before windows, pretty much plug and play (already in the 90's, early 2000) but the TC doesn't offer anything like that;
they're prudish and family oriented (don't they try to put a device or more in each kid's hands ?!) but don't offer much flexibility in parental control. Although it's gotten better, it's far from what it could and should be and of course let's not talk about the remote device locking in case of theft, to which they're opposed.

Anyway, to any developer out there, you could and would make money by putting out an app that does what I was talking about in my original post:

a network tool that is able to create, change and manage subnetworks of one main network (a time capsule to stay within APL ) on the fly, without shutting everybody out at each change due to time capsule update restart.
A hybrid between airport utility and netgear's app allowing for remote monitoring and managing of your networks. The application can go beyond shutting down kids from games, it could be used for work as well.

With the increasing "wirelessness" of the world we leave in, I'm quite baffled that I had to go through many hours of searches and forums to find a hybrid solution for something that obviously many parents and more could and would use.
I'm somewhat versed into tech and mostly have good commun sense but most parents out there are lost when it comes to computers and their kids outsmart them tenfold !!

Subnets on a main network is well beyond a software tool. You could use a proxy to do most of this btw.

frederf said:

well, that seems to cover it pretty much and I guess I will go with another router although I would've liked to stay just with my TC.

I'm not versed into networking but from what I can read, it seems that the limitations are more software than hardware.
Too bad APL never really invested in anything like that though it would be simple for them to implement.
It's a company with many contradictions: their networking solutions have been fast and easy way before windows, pretty much plug and play (already in the 90's, early 2000) but the TC doesn't offer anything like that;
they're prudish and family oriented (don't they try to put a device or more in each kid's hands ?!) but don't offer much flexibility in parental control. Although it's gotten better, it's far from what it could and should be and of course let's not talk about the remote device locking in case of theft, to which they're opposed.

Anyway, to any developer out there, you could and would make money by putting out an app that does what I was talking about in my original post:

a network tool that is able to create, change and manage subnetworks of one main network (a time capsule to stay within APL ) on the fly, without shutting everybody out at each change due to time capsule update restart.
A hybrid between airport utility and netgear's app allowing for remote monitoring and managing of your networks. The application can go beyond shutting down kids from games, it could be used for work as well.

With the increasing "wirelessness" of the world we leave in, I'm quite baffled that I had to go through many hours of searches and forums to find a hybrid solution for something that obviously many parents and more could and would use.
I'm somewhat versed into tech and mostly have good commun sense but most parents out there are lost when it comes to computers and their kids outsmart them tenfold !!

Click to expand...

like this ?

That's one pretty impressive package for those that need that type of control.

bobtomay said:

That's one pretty impressive package for those that need that type of control.

Click to expand...

maybe but to me nothing more than what any other commercial app would provide these days although i don't know much about networks.

I'd pay $5 for that and amongst other reasons here's why: i have 3 kids and like many of us several mobile devices. To top it, my kid's friends come over with their laptops and play online so they need access.
Since i had to cut off their internet so many times, change the password cause the little one is sneaky and always managed to see it, I finally came to forget it; so when my wife calls and asks for it, I can't remember anymore... sad.
if i do something that needs large bandwidth and the kids are hogging it all, i cut it of (after fair warning though). They're more reasons but that'll do for now.

Wouldn't it be easier to be able to connect directly to your router and manage networks on the fly like you do with any other app ?

like it said before, i don't much about networks, proxys etc... so i don't know how complicated it would be to do but i'm sure it will be done soon.
just going through a bunch of forums and looking at the number of parents out there with the same issues it seems a must.

^^^^ Did you read my post #9 ?? I can do exactly what your wanting with the NetGear Router and their Genie App . . . .

frederf said:

maybe but to me nothing more than what any other commercial app would provide these days although i don't know much about networks.

I'd pay $5 for that and amongst other reasons here's why: i have 3 kids and like many of us several mobile devices. To top it, my kid's friends come over with their laptops and play online so they need access.
Since i had to cut off their internet so many times, change the password cause the little one is sneaky and always managed to see it, I finally came to forget it; so when my wife calls and asks for it, I can't remember anymore... sad.
if i do something that needs large bandwidth and the kids are hogging it all, i cut it of (after fair warning though). They're more reasons but that'll do for now.

Wouldn't it be easier to be able to connect directly to your router and manage networks on the fly like you do with any other app ?

like it said before, i don't much about networks, proxys etc... so i don't know how complicated it would be to do but i'm sure it will be done soon.
just going through a bunch of forums and looking at the number of parents out there with the same issues it seems a must.

Click to expand...

I'm a bit confused, that does do exactly what you want.

As does choosing a router than has QoS controls, MAC filtering, timed usage and blacklist/whitelist features. All things you can administer from a web browser locally and remotely.

The benefit of that router/app package is that it presents it in an easy to use package.