Advice on which to use as base station: Airport Express or Time Capsule
I recently purchased a Time Capsule primarily for its backup feature. I currently have a network running off an Airport Extreme Base Station. I was originally thinking of replacing the AEBS with the TC as network hub and use the AEBS to extend my network. But, since my network is running smoothly, I was wondering whether it might be advisable just to add the TC to the existing network and not tempt fate. Is there any advantage to using the TC instead of the AEBS to create the network, or am I just asking for trouble. Both AEBS and TC are n capable, so there shouldn't be a difference (or?). If I just add the TC to the existing network, I can use it for backup (my primary interest in it) and additionally extend the existing network. Opinions?
Well, I guess there aren't any opinions out there, and maybe it's a moot point. In any event, last night I added the TC to my existing network, and it seems to be working fine. One small misstep in the setup was perhaps occasioned by my incorrectly guessing the standard of security encryption my AEBS was using (I was to lazy to check). When the network couldn't initially discover the TC, I did a hard reset of the TC and powered off and on the AEBS. Then I ran the setup again, this time with the correct security standard and voila the TC was added to the network. I was originally planning to run a Time Machine backup to the TC via usb cable, but, again lazy about searching for a spare one, I started a wireless backup knowing it would take awhile but figured I would let it run overnight and today while I was away at work. When I left home this morning, the backup had progressed to 17GB of about 68GB, so it will probably still be running tonight when I get home.
Similar Messages
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How can I tell if my computer (2x2.26 Quad Core Xeon
c Pro) and my Airport Base station(Airport Extreme 1Tb Time Capsule) are Gigabit compatible? I want to add a Cisco switch to the network.
Thansk
Tony BreuerAll Mac Pro's ever made have shipped with gigabit ethernet. The last non-gigabit tower desktop Apple made was the very first generation PowerMac G4's back in 1999.
Similarly, all Time Capsules have been gigabit ethernet as well - never been one that was not. -
Solution to Airport Extreme Base Station + Airport Express networking probs
I've been investigating this for 3 straight days after inadvertently destabilizing my network. There are tons of posts discussing a variety of issues, all of which seem related. My goal here is to provide links to other relevant posts and explain what I ended up doing to get things to work.
First, the background. You can skip below to SOLUTION if you don't really care... However, I highly recommend you take the time to read everything, as you'll get other useful information in the BACKGROUND section. I'm guessing many of you have similar, related problems so BACKGROUND might help provide context (and solutions) to some things you are seeing...
MY SETUP:
AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBS) of type b/g (round one, not square one), connects to the cable modem, and creates a WDS network that is then shared across two standard AirPort Express (AEX) units (100megabit, not the gigabit ones). One AEX serves as a relay unit that accepts clients, the other serves as a remote unit that also accepts clients. The intent is to show a single network throughout the house and let users log on to one network and move between networking units without having to switch from network to network.
I have a variety of networked devices throughout the house all running on the same network (2 Mac Pros, a Powerbook G4, a Mac Mini, an Apple TV, a Windows XP laptop, two iPhones, two wifi printers, and a 5-unit Sonos system, plus the AEBS and two AEXs). Yeah, I'm a geek.
The Mac Pros are both running 10.4.11, and the Powerbook is running 10.5.2.
AEBS is running firmware 5.7
AEXs are running firmware 6.3
All Macs were initially accessing configs via the recently released AirPort Utility 5.3.1. More on that later.
BACKGROUND:
I've had this network setup working for about a year now. Recently, I've been having poor network performance problems and came to the conclusion it was a LAN problem (ie. problem with my home network, as opposed to with my ISP). Upon initial investigation, I began by looking at my networking logs (via AirPort Utility 5.3.1). You get to those by selecting the unit in question, choosing "Manual Configuration", the selecting the "Advanced" tab up top with the "Logging and SNMP" sub-tab. Click the "Logs and Statistics" button therein for log details from that unit.
The first thing I noticed was "Administrative access denied to ff80::xxxxxxxxx" messages - a lot of them. I didn't recognize the ff80:: address in question, and so became concerned it was someone outside the network trying to hack one (or all) of the AEBS/AEX units. You can see threads discussing that investigation here:
"Hack or panic?" - http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1438486
"Administrative access denied" - http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1438865
Long and short of it is that the recent AirPort Utility 5.3.1 release (current as of March 13) seems to have problems (keychain) when attempting to access the AEBS and AEX units. The "Administrative access denied" logs actually refer to the client machine you are using when you try to read the logs. The ff80::xxxxxx address is simply the IPv6 address for the machine you are using; if you turn off IPv6 on your client machine, that address should switch over to begin showing a regular IP address instead (something like 10.0.1.xxx), which makes it easier to associate the IP to the machine. I explain how to deactivate IPv6 on both Tiger (10.4.x) and Leopard (1.5.x) here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6814978#6814978
Anyway, in the process of investigating the "Administrative access denied" problem, I began tinkering with my AEX settings. Specifically, I ended up performing a hard factory reset (unplug unit, plug back in while holding down the little button with paper click/pen for ~10-15 seconds until light flashes green 4x then reverts to amber/yellow/orange). I began reconfiguring my entire WDS network using the newly updated AirPort Utility 5.3.1, and that's when the trouble started.
(If you are having problems seeing either your AirPort Extreme Base Station or AirPort Express, read this:)
In short, each time I thought I had properly configured things and then confirmed settings (kicking off a reboot on the AEX unit) the unit would restart with new settings but not properly join the WDS and not show up in the AirPort Utility list of units. More specifically, I would start with a "wiped" AEX and see both the AEBS and the AEX in my AirPort Utility list, but upon confirm/reboot the AEX would disappear and the AEBS would remain. However, that's not 100% correct. It seems that sometimes I would end up with the AEX and NOT the AEBS. Because both the AEX and AEBS were theoretically "hosting" the same network name (remember, WDS shares the network name across units) my auto-login feature for my client computer's wifi seemed to "jump on" whichever unit it first saw hosting the default network name for my house. In other words, it seems what was really happening was that I was ending up with two separate networks in my house, both with the same name but not talking to each other (as opposed to two units sharing the same network name and internet connection). The AEX would continue to blink orange/amber/yellow (whichever color it is to your eyes ) because it could not grab an internet connection -- and if I was on the network through that AEX unit I would not get internet. But if i was connected through the AEBS I would continue to have internet access. As far as my client computer (my Mac Pro) was concerned, I was on the home wifi network even if I was on the AEX rather than the AEBS -- it would show the home wifi network name as the name of the network it had connected to. But when I opened the AirPort Utility 5.3.1 I would see only the AEX (if I was connected through it) or the AEBS (if connected through it) -- a clear indication that the units were not truly sharing the same network.
I tried rebooting and reconfiguring the AEBS and AEX about 50 times (literally). I even tracked down an older version of the AirPort Utility 5.2.1 via this thread (see Tesserax post):
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1067565
One interesting thing re: 5.2.1 is that the "Administrative access denied" errors summarized above disappeared. As explained in a post reference above, the going theory is that this a permissions/keychain problem new and unique to AirPort Utility 5.3.1. However, even though 5.2.1 does have a slightly different interface with different settings, I still couldn't get the WDS to work.
EVENTUALLY, I came across this post:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1422527
MuaddibOfArrakis walks through setting up a WDS from scratch, and the workflow is different than what is possible with either AirPort Utility 5.3.1 or 5.2.1. He's doing it with the old version of AirPort Admin Utility, which I fortunately saved a copy of many moons ago when I had somewhat-related problems with my WDS (since forgotten). In fact, it's a lot easier. What's nice about this older app is that it literally does the heavy lifting of "connecting" the AEBS and AEX units during the configuration -- it reboots both at the same time as the config is happening, and lets you choose from a list of available units to "add" to your WDS network. In short, it's a FAR SUPERIOR workflow even though some of the GUI isn't as intuitive as the newer AirPort Utilities that were designed to replace it.
SOLUTION:
If still have a copy of the AirPort Admin Utility follow the instructions from MuaddibOfArrakis here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1422527
If not, try setting up your WDS network using AirPort Utility (hereafter AU), with these configs (take from my now-working network), as viewed through AirPort Utility 5.3.1.
I. Configure your AEBS.
Select the AEBS from AU, and choose "Manual Setup"
1. Under the AirPort tab up top:
a. Under "Base Station" sub-tab:
i.) assign a name for that specific unit, so you can later identify the specific unit from the list of units -- this is the name that will show up beside the unit in the AU list of configurable units. You can name it something like "kitchen", or "office". I have mine numbered, so XXXXXv1, XXXXXv2 etc where the XXXXX is the name of the shared network and the numbers help me tell the units apart. Just be sure you name each uniquely, and if you have several you might write the name on the unit itself.
ii.) pick a password for logging into that unit. This is different from the network password, its a security check to get in and change the configs on this unit later. Be sure to remember it in your keychain for the sake of simplicity, and write it down somewhere secure.
iii.) if you choose to set time automatically, pick a location that you will use consistently across all your units. I use time.apple.com.
iv.) uncheck "Allow configuration over Ethernet WAN port" unless you want to be able to remotely mess with settings -- which you almost certainly do not need to do.
v.) I left the "Options" button alone - no settings there.
b. Under the "Wireless" sub-tab:
i.) Wireless Mode: "Participate in a WDS network"
ii.) Network Name: this will be the name of your wifi network shared by all units, so be sure to remember what you pick. If you are already connected to this AEBS via wifi while you are making these changes, then you can use the same wifi name you already have set up -- you don't have to change it. Note that if you DO change it, after reboot your will LOSE connection to the network and have to reset your wifi settings on your client machine to match the new network/password in order to be able to access the network.
iii.) pick a Radio Mode. I'm using b/g compatible. You'll want to do the same, unless you are on the new gigabit AEX. I'm pretty sure about this, but not 100% -- others post if I'm wrong.
iv.) choose a Channel. This can be a more complicated procedure, but for now just pick something consistent across all your units. If you get everything working and find that you're having intermittent network problems, you could later try changing your Channel -- it can pick up interference from phones, microwaves, etc and changing it can help.
v.) I have wireless security set to WPA/WPA2 Personal.
vi.) Wireless Password is the password for access to your wifi network (not your unit itself). If you are connecting to your AEBS via wifi while doing this config, then you can use the same password you have already set up. Pick a good one unless you want other folks jumping on your wifi and stealing your bandwidth and/or credit card numbers . Remember it in your keychain and write it down someplace secure, because you'll need it for the other units too. As noted above, note that if you DO change it, after reboot your will LOSE connection to the network and have to reset your wifi settings on your client machine to match the new network/password in order to be able to access the network.
vii.) Click the "Wireless Options" button. I have my multicast rate set to 2mbps, transmit at 100%, timeout at 1 hour, and i have checked the "Create a closed network". This last step keeps your network from advertising itself to the outside world. Users can only find it by explicitly typing the network name into their wifi settings (e.g. AirPort -> Other... then enter Network Name, Security and Password). I leave interference robustness unchecked.
c. Under the "WDS" sub-tab:
i.) the AEBS should have it's WDS Mode set to "WDS main".
ii.) Check the "allow wireless clients" box on the AEBS; this lets you connect client machines to it directly too.
iii.) hit the plus button to add the Remote system (AEX). There are two types of configs for the AEX's - "remote" and "relay". Assuming you have 3 units like me (2 AEX and 1 AEBS) the key question is whether you will place each AEX within direct reach of the AEBS (remotes), or if you will have one AEX in the middle connecting to an AEBS on one side and an AEX on the other -- where the furthest AEX is out of reach from the AEBS (remote) and connects only to the AEX in the middle (relay). I'm using a relay setup. If you are using relay, you can still set up the AEX relay to serve client computers too -- it doesnt have to JUST relay. More on that later. For now, you want to add only AEX units that will talk DIRECTLY to the AEBS. So if you have a setup like mine, just add one (the one in the middle - the relay). If you have two remotes connecting directly to the AEBS, you will add them both here. When you hit the '+' button it will ask for both an ID and description. For description I use the name I'm assigning to each unique unit (as above, "kitchen" or XXXXXv1 or whatever you use). For AirPort ID, use the number listed on the AEX unit itself (not the number for "Ethernet", also on the AEX unit).
d. Under the "Access" sub-tab:
i.) I have it set to "Not Enabled". I'd suggest you start that way too, and you can go change it later if you get everything working correctly.
2. Under the "Internet" tab up top:
a. Under the "Internet Connection" sub-tab:
i.) Connect Using: Ethernet
ii.) Configure IPv4: Using DHCP
iii.) Ethernet WAN Port: Automatic (Default)
iv.) Connection Sharing: Share a public IP address
b. Under the "DHCP" sub-tab:
i.) DHCP Beginning Address: 10.0 . 1 . 2
ii.) DHCP Ending Address: 10.0.1.200
DHCP Lease: 4 hours
c. Under the "NAT" sub-tab:
i.) nothing should be checked;
ii.) nothing under Port Mappings either
3. Under the "Printers and Advanced" tabs up top:
Nothing special needs to be configured there.
THAT'S IT.
=============
I. Configure your AEX(s)
Select the AEX from AU, and choose "Manual Setup"
1. Under the "AirPort" tab up top:
a. Under "Base Station" sub-tab:
i.) pick a unique name for this unit, same logic as for AEBS
ii.) pick a password specific for accessing this unit, same logic as for AEBS
iii.) Set time automatically: be sure to use the same settings used on your AEBS
iv.) Options: no need to set any
b. Under "Wireless" sub-tab:
i.) Wireless Mode: Participate in a WDS network
ii.) Network Name: same name used for AEBS, this is the name of your wifi network
iii.) Channel: same as AEBS
iv.) All settings here (those above, plus Security and Password & in Options button) should be the same as for AEBS settings on this tab
c. Under the "WDS" sub-tab:
...if AEX is "in the middle" (as described above):
i.) WDS Mode: WDS relay
ii.) Allow wireless clients: check (unless you only want to bridge between the edges without letting folks connect on this AEX in the middle)
iii.) WDS Main: set to the AirPort ID (aka MAC address) for the AEBS. You can find it on the bottom of the AEBS, either labeled as such or at the bottom beside the logo of a wireless signal (square logo, with semi-circles mimicing a radio signal).
iv.) WDS Remotes: click the '+' to add any AEX's that will connect to this relay rather than directly to the AEBS. Same deal as above, use the name in the description and use the AirPort ID from the side of the AEX (not the Ethernet ID).
.....if AEX is connecting to a relay ("on the end", as above) or if there is no relay and AEX connects directly to the AEBS:
i.) WDS Model: WDS remote
ii.) Allow wireless clients: checked
iii.) WDS Main: if connected to a relay, use the AirPort ID of the relay AEX. If connected to the AEBS directly, use the AirPort ID of the AEBS
d. Under the "Access" sub-tab:
i.) MAC Address Access Control: Not Enabled (for now, you can change later)
2. Under the "Internet" tab up top:
a. Under the "Internet Connection" sub-tab:
i.) Connect Using: AirPort (WDS) -- should be selected and gray'ed out.
ii.) Configure IPv4: Using DHCP
iii.) Ethernet WAN Port: Automatic (Default)
iv.) Connection Sharing: Off (Bridge Mode)
3. Under the Music, Printers and Advanced tabs up top:
Nothing special needs to be configured there. You can worry about AirTunes settings later...
That should be it. I'd recommend setting up the AEBS first, then the relay (if applicable), then the remotes. Initially, you can bring each unit in the same room with you for configuring. After configured and restarted the AEX should blink then turn solid green. If it turns green you should be good to go.
HOPE THIS HELPS. As noted above, I did not config through AirPort Utility 5.3.1 so I haven't tested this procedure through that app. However, after getting my network to work I went back and transposed all settings into this post to help others. Please provide feedback on whether or not this is working, so we can collectively try to move towards a setup procedure that works for everyone....
Good luck!
Message was edited by: b.byrdI'm not convinced that the problem lies in Airport Utility. This same thing was happening to me, nearly exactly as you describe it. The thing is that with me, the problems clearly started when I updated the firmware in my Airport Express (n). That's when all the wacky stuff started happening. Sometimes it would show up in AU, sometimes it didn't and even if it didn't, I could still access the internet through it.
But as you said, the problems got really bad when another Express (b/g) was put on the network with it. Even when it did work, the (b/g) would make it impossibly slow.
You know more about this than me, and clearly have more patience if you've restarted the network fifty times. I gave up at about ten.
In any case, your solution is more of a work around and if you're still having that slow connection problem, I'm not sure you've got it. But thanks for your reporting of this. At least I know I'm not crazy. -
AirPort, older AirPort Extreme Base Station, AirPort Express, Newer AirPort Extreme Base Station
This may sound like a fairly dumb question, but here goes anyway:
I have a 27" iMac with the following AirPort Extreme card:
Card Type: AirPort Extreme (0x168C, 0x8F)
Firmware Version: Atheros 9280: 2.1.14.6
For a Base Station, I'm currently using a pretty long-in-the-tooth M8799LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station (with modem and antenna port)
I recently bought an Airport Express:
AirPort Express MB321LL/A (A1264) to
A. Use AirTunes to send iTunes from my Man Cave on the first floor at one end of the house to the family room on the first floor at the other, where it will connect to an A/V setup, and, probably, one of my USB printers
B. Act as a repeater for the AirPort Extreme Base Station, which is physically closer to the Man Cave than to the family room. My wife and I use our ancient-but-hangin'-in-there iBook G4s in the family room (and upstairs) to check email, eBay, etc. Both in the family room and especially upstairs, we sometimes get only 2-3 bars on the AirPort signal strength indicator in the menu bar.
I see that I can get, from a well-known third-party retailer, an AirPort Extreme 802.11n A1143 (1st Generation), for an exceptionally reasonable price.
My question is, what would getting the AirPort Extreme 802.11n A1143 do for me, if anything? I know it would give me one more signal source in the repeater chain, and I could probably put the Auld Nyle M8799LL/A in the stairway or upstairs to boost the signal upstairs, and I could use the USB port in the AirPort Extreme A1143 for connecting another USB printer or USB external hard drive (would this drive be available to any Mac on the AirPort network?)
Any other configuration possibilities and suggestions greatly appreciated!
Peace & Love
Bart BrownThank you for the prompt reply and the very helpful links. I'm going through all the support docs right now, but from your explanation and what I've seen in the support docs so far, it would appear that the maximum bandwidth is achieved by a physically-connected "Roaming Network."
I'm so out of it, I'm afraid I'd never heard of "Powerline adapters," but I looked them up, and I guess this is the system that uses "Romex" - style standard house wiring to carry signal, which cuts down on each individual Base Station's power overhead (does it also affect bandwidth?).
I see a lot of names selling these adapters -- Western, D-Link, NETGEAR, ZyXEL, Monster, Sling Media, PowerNet, Cisco-Linksys, Actiontec, Medialink, Rosewill, TRENDnet -- and a lot of different configurations: 1 port, 2 ports, 4 ports. Basically I have one 27" iMac that doesn't go anywhere (it's not too portable!), a couple iBook G4s, and a point where I want to run 1/8" mini-jack-to-RCA L/R audio cable from the AirPort Express to an A/V receiver. I doubt this configuration is going to change, as I'm 63, and too lazy to lug stuff around if I don't have to. What do you think would be the best solution for me, considering I just ordered the AEBSn and I already have a brand-new AXn. Should the 27" iMac, since it ain't movin', be connected by ethernet/"Powerline adapter", rather than relying on the internal Airport Extreme card? I guess what I'm asking is, given what I want to do, how many of these Powerline adapters, what kind (do you recommend), with how many ethernet ports do I need?
Thank you again for your prompt and informed help.
Bart Brown -
Extending network with Airport Express from Time Capsule Base Station
I have a working Time Capsule wireless base station that's setup and working successfully. I want to extend my network and connect to my stereo for playing via iTunes. I've spent hours trying to get the Airport Express to connect.
What's the correct basic approach? Time Capsule base and adding the AE to the network? Setting up WDS? If anyone has the proper settings for both the TC and the AE I would be very appreciative.I still say this needs to be addressed by Apple on why there isn't 2 different forums for the old Express or the new Express.... Just like the Extreme Base Station. A lot of time is wasted on the forum on which Express a person has.....
1. Old Express with "g" ????
2. New Express with "n" ????
If you have the old Express, you need to set it up using WDS along with the TC.
If you have a new Express, then you can just check the TC settings for "allow this network to be extended" and set the Express to extend the network. This is much easier than setting up a WDS.
Good Luck
Joseph Kriz -
How shall i do it ? Complex question about how to use the airport express or time capsule ?
Hello All,
Right now i have an access point:
1/ A mercury router (cheap and old)
2/ Airport Express
Do you advice me to use it to replace my cheap old router (mercury) or to pair it with this main old router ? (however i tried to without any success)
3/ Time Capsule
Can i use it to relay the signal from the Airport Express to extend the range of the wifi?
Can i use it to stream music to my B/W M1 speakers directly ? (I will connect by USB the BW M1 to the time capsule) and would like to be able to play music this way. Is this in anyway possible ?
Many thanks for your reply !ok, i might be wrong but here goes:
you should attach your modem to your time capsule: your time capsule will act as not only your time machine but also your main wireless transmitter.
you set it up using "Airport Utility" which is inside the "utilites" folder, which is inside your applications folder.
this connects your mac wirelessly to the internet.
to stream music to your speakers you then set up the airport plug to (a) join the existing network (which you set up on the time capsule) and then (b) set it up to stream music to your speakers. again, this is done using "airport utility". do it AFTER you have set up the time capsule.
you will then be able to use itunes to stream music to your speakers. from itunes on your computer you will be able to chose from the bottom right hand side of the window whether you play the music on your computer or wirelessly into your B+W speakers...
some notes:
1. you won't be able to connect the airport plug by USB to your speakers as the airport plug doesn't have a USB output. It has only analogue and optical.
2. although your time capsule has USB you cannot stream music into it or through it. there's some basic guidance here:
http://www.apple.com/wifi/
3. you may find that the sound quality [if you are playing apple lossless files or wav files) isn't as good as if the speakers were connected directly to your mac via USB. this should be especially noticable because your speakers are so good!
if the music you play is only mp3 or the stuff purchased from itunes then it shouldn't make too much of a difference.
4. keep an eye out on the B+W website: there may come a time when you won't even have to use the airport plug, and you will be able to stream music straight to the speakers. i know that B+W have just done that with the new Zepellin speaker that they make.
hope this helps... -
Airport Express and Time capsule - using to stream music
I just bought Time Capsule to replace my Airport Express. The wireless connection and internet hook-up work seamlessly. I was told, and read, that I can use my Airport Express to connect to my stereo and stream music from Itunes. I have followed the directions (which say you do not need a hook-up to the modem) and I get nothing but a flashing amber light. I've opened Airport Utility and it does not see the Airport Express. I cannot figure out how to make this connection and get it to work. Has anyone done this and if so how.
Thanks in advance for the help.
PS. The stereo equipment and the Airport Express are located about 20 feet from the Time Capsule. I get reception thru the house and my IPhone picks up the network without a problem. I've moved the Airport Express adjacent to the Time Capsule and still nothing but a blinking amber light. The Apple literature says this is possible, but I'm doubting it right now.Have you performed a Factory Default Reset so that the Express can be reconfigured?
If not, pull the Express from power
Hold in the reset button and keep holding it in as you plug the Express back in to power
Release the reset button after 8-10 seconds
If AirPort Utility is having trouble finding the Express, temporarily connect an ethernet cable from your computer to the Express. Open AirPort Utility again to see if that helps.
For AirTunes, you will configure the Express to "Join" your wireless network. The guided setup should help with this.
Please post back on your progress. -
How do I use my airport express or time capsule to increase the signal strength of my comcast router
How do I use my airport express and/ or time capsule to increase the range of my newly installed comcast modem/router.
Neophite50 wrote:
Thanks.
A question. Do I plug the TC into the Comcast modeum Router or the iMac?
Both is good.. but at least one of your routers.. TC or express must be plugged into the router.. the imac can get internet connection by wireless. -
Use Airport Express as Time Capsule
Dear All, I am currently using the 13 inches MacBook Air, and I am planning to get a wireless backup device, I am thinking that can I just use an AirPort Express and use the USB port at the back of the AirPort to plug with my Western Digital External HDD? I mean like can I use it like a Airport Time Capsule, becasue I am Just a student I dont want spend too much on a Time Capsule, Thanks Guys
An Extreme is possible although Apple only considered the newest AC model suitable for Time Machine.
An Express does not support a hard disk. It is underpowered and uses 100mbit ports anyway so it is too slow.
Even with the new Extreme people sometimes find the old problem of corrupted backups keep happening.
See http://pondini.org/TM/Airport.html
The disk should be plugged directly into the Air.. the backup will be faster and more reliable direct to the disk. -
Using Airport Express with Time Capsule
Simple question. We use Time Capsule primarily for WIFI. I have an express and want to use it only for playing my itunes music through our stereo. My Time Capsule works beautifully, but the express flashes amber when I connect it to a power source and our stereo. How do I get the two to work together simply. I don't care about extending our network or anything fancy. I just want to listen to good music.
You'll need to "hard reset" the AirPort Express by holding in the reset button until you see the amber light start to blink more quickly. Release the reset button when you see this occur.
Temporarily, position the AirPort Express near the Time Capsule and connect an ethernet cable from your Mac to the AirPort Express. Then open AirPort Utility and click Configure to follow the guided setup process. When asked how you want to configure the Express, you will choose the "Join a wireless network" option.
After you have completed the setup and updated the Express to save your new settings, you can disconnect the ethernet cable and move the AirPort Express to the desired location. -
Setup for extending Sky wireless network using Airport Express or Time Cap
Hi,
Hi,
I have three Mac computers/laptops (iMac, MacBook Air and G4 PowerBook), all currently functioning via airport on a sky wireless network (Sky HD Sagem router) all backing up wirelessly to a Time Capsule 1TB which is also connected to the same wireless Sky network. At the top of my house signal strength is weak as you would expect. I would like to be able to extend the range of the sky routers signal which is on the ground floor (3 storey house). My original idea had been to setup a AirPort Express on the 2nd floor to extend the network, but I am unsure what steps I have to follow and whether I need to create a WDS network or not? I've seen some comments that say Sky & Apple hardware are not compatible and it's not possible to extend a Sky router/wireless network using a Apple Airport Express or Time Capsule. Can someone provide me with a step by step set of instructions on what I need to do to set this up? If a work around is required, again any advice would be very much appreciated!
Many thanks,
EugeneWelcome to the discussions!
Sky and Apple products are not compatible for the purpose of extending your network using wireless only.
If you could connect an ethernet cable from your Sky router to the AirPort Express, or if it's not possible to run an ethernet cable...take a look at a pair of ethernet powerline adapters to accomplish the same task by using the AC wiring in your home to transmit the ethernet signal.
If you configure the AirPort Express to "create a wireless network", this would in effect, extend your network by adding an AirPort Express that would be configured with the exactly the same wireless network name, security settings and password as your Sky router. The AirPort Express would also need to be configured as a "bridge".
Post back if you need more details about something like this. -
I'm confussed about which would suit me better and was looking for a comparison chart to quickly see the differences of each. Is there a site I can quickly compare the Airport Express, the Airport Extreme and the Time Capsule? The Time Capsual is a little more obvious seeing as it lets one back up one's hard drive, but I'd still like to see it's other features in comparison.
There is. Look at the AirPort Express page....Mac > Accessories > AirPort Express.... or look here:
Compare Apple Wi-Fi base stations AirPort Express AirPort Extreme Time Capsule -
I am using an older AirPort Extreme as my base station and I want to extend the range by using a recently purchased AirPort Express. When I try to find either device using the AirPort Utilities function on either my new IPad 4 or my older MacBook Pro neither device is detected. However the utility is seeing that we are connected to the Internet which is through the Extreme. What am I doing wrong?
For now, leave the AirPort Express powered off.
Power off the entire network....all devices.....in any order that you want
Wait a few minutes
Power up the modem first, and let it run 2-3 minutes by itself
Power up the AirPort Extreme next, and let it run a full minute
Keep powering up devices one at a time about a minute apart until everything is powered up (leave the Express off for now)
Open AirPort Utility and check to see if the AirPort Extreme is visible.
If it's not, click the AirPort Utility menu at the upper left of the screen, then click About AirPort Utility. Post back with the version number of AirPort Utility that you see there....which should be AirPort Utility 5.6.1.
Post back on your progress. -
Using a Base Station (Graphite) to receive signal
I have a Graphite Base Station and was wondering if anyone knew of a way to use it to connect to a wireless network, essentially using it as an Airport card. We have wireless access in our community but I have a bit of trouble connecting inside our house sometimes and would like to connect the Base Station to our computer using Ethernet and then use the Base Station to receive the signal in a better location. Any help would be appreciated.
Power Mac G4(MD) Mac OS X (10.4.6)Warmace, Welcome to the discussion area!
I have a Graphite Base Station and was wondering if anyone knew of a way to use it to connect to a wireless network, essentially using it as an Airport card.
Sorry but that is not possible.
The graphite AirPort base station (ABS) will not operate as a wireless client in any way. -
My home network has an Airport Extreme w/Time Capsule as the base and then an Airport Express and a second Airport Extreme to reach different areas of the house. Is there a way to use the second Airport Extreme for file storage on this network? Network is administered through an iMac running OS X Yosemite 10.10.2. Ideally, would like for the second Airport Extreme hard drive to appear on the list of devices in the Finder window.
Ok.. gottcha
The problem is network wise.. Yosemite is about equal to tin cans and string.. pathetic.
Here is my usual set of instructions to get anything working on Yosemite.
The best way to fix problems is a full factory reset of all the AE in the network.
Factory reset universal
Power off the AE.. ie pull the power cord or power off at the wall.. wait 10sec.. hold in the reset button.. be gentle.. power on again still holding in reset.. and keep holding it in for another 10sec. You may need some help as it is hard to both hold in reset and apply power. It will show success by rapidly blinking the front led. Release the reset.. and wait a couple of min for the AE to reset and come back with factory settings. If the front LED doesn’t blink rapidly you missed it and simply try again. The reset is fairly fragile in these.. press it so you feel it just click and no more.. I have seen people bend the lever or even break it. I use a toothpick as tool.
Then redo the setup from the computer with Yosemite.
1. Use very short names.. NOT APPLE RECOMMENDED names. No spaces and pure alphanumerics.
eg AEgen5 and AEwifi for basestation and wireless respectively.
Even better if the issue is more wireless use AE24ghz and AE5ghz with fixed channels as this also seems to help stop the nonsense.
2. Use all passwords that also comply but can be a bit longer. ie 8-20 characters mixed case and numbers.. no non-alphanumerics.
3. Ensure the AE always takes the same IP address.. this is not a problem for AE which is router.. it is a problem for AE which is bridged.. you will need to set static IP in the main router by dhcp reservations or use static IP in the AE which is tricky.
4. Check your share name on the computer is not changing.. make sure it also complies with the above.. short no spaces and pure alphanumeric..
5. Make sure IPv6 is set to link-local only in the computer. For example wireless open the network preferences, wireless and advanced / TCP/IP.. and fix the IPv6. to link-local only.
6. Now mount the disk of the second AE in finder... manually.
Use Go, Connect to Server and type in the AE ip address.
SMB://10.0.1.2
Where you will replace that address with the actual address. The network resource should be discovered and then it will request the password.. type that in and make sure you tick to save it in your keychain.
There is a lot more jiggery pokery you can try but the above is a good start.. if you find it still unreliable.. don't be surprised.
Do as much as you want of the above... not all of it is necessary.. only if you want it reliable.. or as reliable as Yosemite in its current incarnation can manage.
The most important thing is point 6.. mount the disk using direct IP address and not names.. dns in Yosemite is fatally flawed.
See http://arstechnica.com/apple/2015/01/why-dns-in-os-x-10-10-is-broken-and-what-yo u-can-do-to-fix-it/
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