How can I get my time capsule and airport express (as a network extension) working properly together?

Hi,
I bought a time capsule a while back and connected it to my modem, and it seems to be backing up my hard drives but I can't tell if I'm getting my wireless signal from my time capsule or from the modem itself, which used to before I bought the time capsule.
It's bugging me because I'm trying to get my airport express to work as an extension to my network, and airport utility half the time can't pick up the express. I heard that it will only work of the time capsule is working as the base station,and I'm not 100% sure this is the case.
Also, how far can the airport express be from my time capsule for it to be picked up? I tried resetting it which helped to start with, but when I was setting it up to extend my network it just told me that there was an error and to try again, which I did with the same result.
Any advice would be much appreciated!
Cheers

Always do setups with ethernet.. setting up wireless via wireless is like cutting off the branch you are sitting on.
You do not need the TC in the network to do the setup.
Plug it by itself into the computer. Same with AE. But do each separately.
Give the TC a different wireless name.. like TC.. then you will know the TC wireless is separate and different to the main modem router. Simply allow it to be extended.
Plug it back into the main modem.
Now do the AE.. set it to extend the wireless of the TC.
When you do this check the signal level. The airport utility v5 has a full diagnostic of wireless client levels.. do not use v6 utility.. it is useless. The AE is placed somewhere in between the TC and the clients you want to connect.. it has to get decent signal itself to extend wireless. And there is no way we can tell you how far apart.. pick the half way point.. around about and suck and see. If it doesn't work move closer to the TC.
Count the walls the signal is going through.. about 15% signal loss for each one.. if angle is acute 20%.. floors are worse.. they might be 20-25%..

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Time Capsule and Airport Express as separate network on route acting slow

Wonder if anyone has any thoughts on this...
I have a Time Capsule (current gen) with an Airport Express N (last gen) which I would like to connect to my current router and create a network that is separate from the router's own wireless network. Currently, I've set the TC to work in Bridge Mode (connected to the router - ethernet) and have connected the Airport Express to 'extend the network' - this is also in Bridge Mode as well. However, when I'm away from the TC and in the Airport Express's range, the connection is very slow. Is there something I'm not doing right with the 2 Apple products or is it something with the router? When I'm closer to the TC it works fine, it's just when I'm far away there seems to be an issue!
Thanks in advance!

Wirelessly extending your network will improve your range, but decrease your bandwidth. You should create a roaming network via Ethernet if you can.

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When you click on the Time Capsule icon, a folder......named "Data", unless you have changed the name of the drive.....will appear to the right.
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I have recently bought an Apple TV 2, which seem to be working fine, however since installing it on my wireless network both my Time Capsule and Airport Express can't be found. Following some fault finding it seems that when I unplug the Apple TV I can reconfingure the TC and AE.
The TC and AE are configured to join my existing network....and have happy sat there for a few years.
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Welcome to the discussions!
It sounds like you have the basic configuration covered correctly.
You might want to check some settings on the TC:
Wireless Mode would be create a wireless network
"Allow this network to be extended" should be checked
The AX should be set to "extend a wireless network"
The "allow wireless clients" box should be checked
In this configuration, the ethernet port on the AX is active so things should work.
A minor point...Although the TC is a dual band device, the AirPort Express is not. Can you make sure that that the Express is connecting to the "main" network on your TC? The "guest" network cannot be "extended".
If you place your laptop close to the Express and hold down the option key while you click on the AirPort icon, some connection information will be displayed. The MAC address of the device that the laptop is connecting to will be indicated. Make sure that that this is the MAC address of the AX, and not the TC.
Another note...If you have not changed the default "main" network, the radio mode is broadcasting 802.11n only at 5 GHz. These higher frequencies are absorbed by walls, ceilings and any obstructions much more quickly than 2.4 GHz signals. So, if you AX is some distance away, you may not be receiving a strong signal for the device at that location.
If you have a signal strength utility on your laptop (the "bars" at the top of the screen are not a very good indicator of actual signal strength), turn off the AX and take a reading to see what kind of signal the Express is receiving where it is located.
Please post back with your results.

Question about Time Capsule and Airport Express co-existence

I have a new 3TB ME182LL/A Time Capsule attached to my wired home LAN, in bridge mode. It works fine both as an access point on the upper floors of my home and as a Time Machine device. I also have an Airport Express, whose function in my network is solely to control my whole-house audio system from ITunes. I don't need, want, or use the wireless networking features of the Airport Express. I just have an audio cable running from it to my stereo, and an Ethernet patch cable connects it to my wired LAN. The network mode in the Airport Express is set to "off". Historically, the Airport Express has worked fine in this wired lan mode. However, I unplugged it at some point while having some initial trouble deploying the new Time Capsule and only turned it back on today. After turning it back on I observed something strange. My speedy wireless connection upstairs via the Time Capsule became slow. And when I launched Airport Utility, it drew a network diagram which showed my Time Capsule as a CLIENT of the Airport Express. In other words, the network diagram showed Internet at the top, then a vertical line down the the Airport Express, then the Time Capsule below that. The correct / desired diagram would be the Time Capsule and Airport express as peers. I connected to the Airport Express and verified that network mode was set to "off" but the incorrect network diagram persisted (as did poor wireless performance) until I unplugged the Airport Express. After I did that, the Airport Utility drew the network correctly, although of course it showed a yellow caution sign next to the Airport Express, since it was down. And my wireless speed / reliability returned to normal. What is going on here?

The automatic setup in the airport utility has changed something.
Is the line down to the TC from the express dotted.. in other words is wireless??
Funny stuff happens.
Please post the screenshots of the 3 pages from the airport utility setup for both airport express and TC..
Make sure wireless is set to off in the express.
Both should be set to dhcp on the internet tab and both set to off bridge mode on the network tab.
So for example the bridge on the network tab.
The summary page can also be a help.
There is a half summary page when you click the item in the airport utility.
There is also a fully summary page, when you hold option key and double click the TC icon for example.

Verizon FIOS, Time Capsule, and Airport Express - How to Extend Network

OK, I just got Verizon FIOS (TV, Internet, and phone). Don't care for the wireless router that is required to be used with it (want 802.11n and Time Capsule). I turned of the wireless on the Verizon FIOS router and installed a Time Capsule in Bridge Mode, which is how the Verizon rep told me to install it. As I understand it, the Verizon FIOS router is still handling DHCP, NAT, etc. I would like to extend the wireless network to reach some dead spots in my house. I have read that the Airport Express can be used to extend a wireless network from an Airport Extreme or Time Capsule, but it appears that I need to set up a WDS with the Time Capsule as the base station, which is apparently not possible on the Time Capsule in Bridge Mode. I am desperately seeking any advice on how to use Verizon FIOS, my Time Capsule, and extend the wireless network to reach the farther corners of the house. I am using a Macbook and a Thinkpad as well as an iPhone on the wireless network with a Dell desktop connected to the Time Capsule via Ethernet. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Before I switched, I had Cox Cable with a Buffalo wireless router and it had great range. Now I seem to be in a worse situation from a wireless perspective with higher TV and Internet quality. Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the discussions!
+I would like to extend the wireless network to reach some dead spots in my house. I have read that the Airport Express can be used to extend a wireless network from an Airport Extreme or Time Capsule, but it appears that I need to set up a WDS with the Time Capsule as the base station, which is apparently not possible on the Time Capsule in Bridge Mode+
If you have an AirPort Express(n), you can configure it to "extend a wireless network". This is a more efficient way to add additional wireless coverage (and much easier to configure than a WDS arrangement).
However, if you have an older "b/g" AirPort Express, you must use the WDS configuration method with this device and the Time Capsule if you want to increase your wireless coverage.

Please i need some help time capsule and airport express wireless extender

hello everyone and thank you for looking at my post. i do need some help. i am not very good at the computer programing so i might not use the right terms. i have a time capsule that i just replaced an old pc type router with. i have a fairly large house and can not get wireless signal to the one end of my house. so i went to the apple store and bought an airport express after being told how its just plug and play and itll setup with my time capsule and waala iv just extended my wireless signal. well it did not seam to work that well for me. i have done all the setting up that was told me to in the book to do and i still have get to get a wireless signal out of the express i then hooked up an ethernet wire from the express to my girlfriends macbook. and what do you know now im seeing the express in my airport utility. but then i unplug the ethernet and im back to not seeing the express. what am i doing wrong and what do i need to do. please help me if you can. thanks alot.

Hello fastuca. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
Let's double-check your base stations' settings ...
o If practical, place the base stations in near proximity to each other during the setup phase. Once done, move them to their desired locations.
o Open AirPort Utility and select the Time Capsule (TC).
o Choose Manual Setup from the Base Station menu, or double-click the base station to open the configuration in a separate window. Enter the base station password if necessary.
o Click AirPort in the toolbar, and then click Wireless.
o Choose “Create a wireless network” from the Wireless Mode pop-up menu, and then select the “Allow this network to be extended” checkbox.
o Next, select the 802.11n AirPort Express Base Station (AXn) that will extend this network, and choose Manual Setup from the Base Station menu, or double-click the base station to open its configuration in a separate window. Enter the base station password if necessary.
o Choose “Extend a wireless network” from the Wireless Mode pop-up menu, and then choose the network you want to extend from the Network Name pop-up menu.
o Enter the base station network and base station password is necessary.
o Click Update to update the base station with new network settings.
(ref: Page 46 of "Designing AirPort Networks Using AirPort Utility)

BT HomeHub, Time Capsule and Airport Express

I've just got the BT Broadband.
I have 3 Macs - 2 with 802.11n and 1 with 802.11g (which I'm getting rid of). I have a 500gb Time Capsule and a 802.11g Airport Express (which I really only use for AirTunes so can be off most of the time).
I've set up the BT HomeHub (which is 802.11g by the way). I can see the Time Capsule as a separate network but when I use AirPort Utility to try to join the HomeHub network the Time Capsule reboots and then can't be seen at all and I have to reset it.
Can anyone give me any pointers on how to extend the BT network using the Time Capsule?
The AirPort Express can't be seen at all either - I think this is a separate issue and I'm going to try resetting it.
It seems a shame to have invested in all this kit, only to be limited by the HomeHub. Is it possible to use the Time Capsule instead of the HomeHub or does the HomeHub have some kind of built in modem?
Is there a better broadband supplier than BT for Mac users?
Any help appreciated, thanks.

Like the other users, I don't know if this is of any help to you but.....
I also have a BT Homehub (with Hub Phone) which is banging away as a WLAN to which the Hub Phone connects. I've also just bought a Time Capsule to use mainly as a Network back-up device.
However I'm trying out the WLAN from the TC to see if it's any improvement over the BT Homehub. I'm therefore effectively running two WLAN's which you could use to extend coverage. For example set your Wireless devices to be able to connect to both WLANs and place the BT Homehub and the TC in different locations to give the broader coverage.
I've connected my TC by ethernet (WAN port) to the BT Homehub and currently have my iMac connected to the TC via Ethernet also (to help speed up the initial back-up as they're both Gigabit devices). I'll change this eventually, connecting the iMac via a switched ethernet (100MBs or 100BaseT) connection.
My Macbook is backing up to TC via WLAN and is connecting to the internet by WLAN to the TC and in-turn to the BT Homehub via the ethernet connection (between TC and BT Homehub). Sounds confusing, but everything seems to be working OK.
I'm keen to know if any other BT Homehub users have had any success with Back To My Mac - as I've not yet been able to get it to work (but my BT Homehub is one of the earliest types).
I don't think the Broadband supplier has any bearing on the devices used - with the exception of the router supplied or used to connect to the web.
Any use to anyone?
I am interested however in how you're using BT Broadband and a BT Homehub if you're based in the USA!?

Network set up using airport extreme, time capsule and airport express

I have searched for relevant answers but can only find different bits here and there.
My set up is as follows:
I have a Linksys wireless router running a stable wireless network for the other computer users in the house and wish to create an extended, additional network using airport extreme connected to the Linksys by ethernet to create the network and then time capsule close to my Mac Mini on my desktop and airport express at the other end of the house to try and extend the range of the network.
I have been trying for 4 days to set this up but without success. I have tried all of the options mentioned in different posts, using WDS, extending a new network etc. I can get connection between the three devices but monitoring on iStumbler there appears to be little improvement in the strength of the signal, iStumbler also shows the time capsule dropping it's signal totally every 10 or so seconds for a few seconds and then I get a positive signal strength for another ten seconds or so.
Can anyone help, it is driving me insane. I am a recent convert to apple computing and have been hugely impressed with all products until now. The claim that the set up of these wireless products is simple seems to be very exaggerated.
I am happy to provide any relevant system or hardware information.
Thanks in anticipation.

I have an AirPort Extreme acting as a wireless base station, connected to a BT router by ethernet.
Then the correct setting for Connection Sharing on the AirPort Extreme would be "Off (Bridge Mode)".
If I set Connection Sharing to "Share a public IP address", I'm told that: "The DCHP range you have entered conflicts with the WAN IP address of your Apple Wi-Fi base station"
Exactly. You have two routers....The BT device and the AirPort Extreme in series with both of them trying to act as the "main" router when you configure the AirPort this way. That won't work.
Only one can be the main router, and it must be the BT device in your setup. So, the AirPort Extreme....and any other AirPorts on your network must be setup to work in Bridge Mode to allow the network to operate correctly.

WPA security with both time capsule and airport express not working together

I want to set WPA security on my time capsule so that my teenager can not access wireless with out permission but when I add a security key my airport express disappears from list.
I have tried setting a password then the time capsule restarts and when it does the aiport express is gone from list and can not be found when rescanned.
Do I need to set time capsule and then reset airport express by pluggin it directly into desktop and resetting its software?
Thanks

I would suggest, reconnecting the Express to the TC again. Use the AirPort Utility to make ALL configuration changes including the network extending settings. Then restart both base stations and check that the settings are still good. Then disconnect the Express and give it a few minutes to initialize. It should connect. If not, then the issue may be either the distance or obstructions (like walls, ceilings, floors, etc.) that is preventing the Express from getting a signal from the TC that is adequate enough to extend.

Installation issues with Time Capsule and Airport express

I hope I'm not over sharing, but I want to get as much info out as possible.
I just purchased a 4th generation Time Capsule and have two 1st gen Airport Expresses, which have always worked flawlessly. The TC is about 6 feet from the cable modem, the first Express is about an additonal 15' away pluged into the power strip with the entertainment equipment. The second AE is an additional 20' further. When "trying" to use the internet via wi-fi in my office, even though the icon on the top of the screen & airport utility shows full connectivity, but in reality I have very slow or no wi-fi.
The TC wireless mode is Create a wireless network, internet connection sharing - share a public IP addressand. Both the AE's wireless mode is Extend a wireless network. The internet correction - connection sharing is off.

Your TC replaced what?
Are you extending on 2.4ghz?
There is a chance the TC is lower than the router it replaced.. you may need to get the second Express closer to get a good signal so it can extend properly.. the idea is to have the express in about the centre of signal strength not distance.. use your laptop if you have one with a wireless analysis program like istumbler to find the signal at the TC from say 3M.. at the express 1 and at the express 2. Work out if the signal is too low and move them as appropiate.
Or.. think the arrangement and use something like EOP adapters direct to your office.. they can work hugely better than wireless. (or just as badly.. depending on the house wiring).

ITunes, Time Capsule and AirPort Express?

Hi,
I'm planning on getting a Time Capsule to store all my CDs and my digital music one location.
Does anyone have any experience with these things?
I have a MacBook Pro with "only" a 100GB drive.
I want to "rip" all my CDs to iTunes, store them in a secondary library on the Time Capsule, then stream the music back to iTunes on my MacBook Pro and through the AirPort Express at my audio system. I'd prefer to store the music as aiff. Is the Time Capsule/AirPort-technology fast enough for this?
Another question; if a song is stored in iTunes as aiff and then sent to a iPod (3rd gen. nano), is it automatically converted to mp4 or is still aiff on the iPod?
Best regards,
Martin Markvoll

Hi Martin,
what a co-incidence - i just bought an IMAC and also have the thought of archiving all my CD's (about 1000) on some kind of harddisc-server, and then be able to access this archive via my Imac (wirelessly), and stream the music to my Hifi system and feed it into my Digital/Analog Converter. Do you think the time capsule wld be ideal for the function of storing/archiving and streaming to the hifi system..? I guess I also need a seperate "Airport Express", as it has an optical- digital output into my Digital/Analog converter...
Thanks for your thoughts and kind regards from Singapore !
Thomas

Time capsule and Airport Express for music and internet

Hello! I have a time capsule and an airport express. I use the time capsule for back up, extra space (music) and internet connection. Then I use the airport express to play my music wirelessly (it is attached to my speakers via an amp). This set-up used to work fine but not any more... I can play music via the
Airport Express but then I won't have internet, or I have an internet connection via my Time Capsule but then the Airport Express has to be removed. It seems like the Airport Express overrules the Time Capsule when it comes to internet connection, and obviously (as there is no ethernet cable connected to it) that doesn't work. But somehow I can't select the Time Capsule network any more. What am I doing wrong, what happened? I have spent hours searching the internet to find the solution but so far no good. Please help! Thanking you very much!

just leave the TC on it is designed for that.

I have a time capsule and airport express one floor lower, the signal keeps dropping. Would an airport extreme give me a longer range for wifi?

I have several computers. My equipment is upstairs in a house, apple time capsule and downstairs airport express. Lately the downstairs computer keeps disconnecting from the internet. Would replacing the airport express with and airport extreme give me a greater range for my wifi connections?

Yes. Question is... would the difference be enough.
The extreme has a bigger & more powerful antena array. But if that alone still doesn't suffice, you also have the option to use the express to EXTEND from the Extreme.

How can I get my time capsule and airport express (as a network extension) working properly together?

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