Airport Express: Extend vs. Join

I have a 1TB TC as my base station and an older Airport Extreme (.n) upstairs to extend the network coverage throughout the house. I just bought a new Airport Express (.n) to add to my living room for streaming music. The Express has the option of extend or join existing network. Both will work to stream music, but I was wondering if there will be a degradation of overall system performance if I select the "Extend" option. Thoughts?

As Tesserax mentions, the "extend" configuration will tax the bandwidth of the system a bit, but I think it's fair to say that most users find the improved wireless coverage more than compensates for the slight bandwidth loss.
There are no hard and fast rules here with "extending" although I will mention that in general, most users tend to position the Express too far away from the main base station for it work at its maximum capability. If you configure your Express to "extend", try experimenting with an initial placement position of 1/2 to 2/3 of the distance from the main base station to the area you want to extend to.

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AIRPORT EXPRESS EXTEND OR JOIN !

Dear All,
I have a doubt in my mind. I have a Airport express latest model and an Airport Time capsule 2 Gb (latest tower type), I also have a Bose lifestyle 135 series to which is connected a apple TV 3.
Now my motive is to connect the airport express in such a way that the sound is played through my bose systems, for that should i connect my airport express to my bose lifetsyle 135 or should i connect it to my apple tv 3 ?
secondly my primary rounter is apple time capsule 2 gb, which make my house wifi and as we all klnow it is WIFI 801.11 AC , now if i use my airport express to extend the network on wifi then will the wifi speed reduce as the airport express is not WIFI 801.11 AC and it is WIFI 801.11 n !!!
I am confused for these would appriciate if any one could help me out with the same.
Regards
Vinay Kittur
00971501701356

Now my motive is to connect the airport express in such a way that the sound is played through my bose systems, for that should i connect my airport express to my bose lifetsyle 135 or should i connect it to my apple tv 3 ?
If the Apple TV is working well now, there is no reason to change to an AirPort Express for this purpose.
if i use my airport express to extend the network on wifi then will the wifi speed reduce as the airport express is not WIFI 801.11 AC and it is WIFI 801.11 n !!!
You already know the answer to this. The AirPort Express cannot extend an 802.11ac signal, so the signal will slow down to 802.11n if you use the AirPort Express.
If you want to extend 802.11ac, then you need a new AirPort Extreme for that purpose.

Airport Express extends 5 Ghz and 2.4 Ghz or just one at a time?

I recently switched my dual band Time Capsule to use different names for the 5 Ghz and 2.4 Ghz networks.
Will the Airport Express extend both or just one at a time, if so, which one will it extend?
I have two Airport Express modules, bought a long time apart, is there any difference in functionality and how do I tell them apart if this is the case?
All are running the most recent firmware version.

Welcome to the discussion area, Mike!
Will the Airport Express extend both or just one at a time, if so, which one will it extend?
The AirPort Express is a single band device, so it can extend either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band, +but not both at the same time+. Since you have different names for the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands, the Express will extend the 2.4 GHz band by default. Using AirPort Utility, the setup application for the AirPorts, it is possible to configure the AirPort Express to extend either band.
If you are perhaps thinking of extending the 5 GHz band, this can be a bit tricky because 5 GHZ signals do not travel effectively over distance or penetrate obstructions as well as 2.4 GHz signals. You almost have to have a line-of-sight relationship between the Time Capsule and the AirPort Express to be able to extend the 5 GHz band.
I have two Airport Express modules, bought a long time apart, is there any difference in functionality and how do I tell them apart if this is the case?
Look on the side of the AirPort Express for the model number in the small print. You'll need Model No A 1264 to be able to "extend". If you have the older Model No A 1084, that version will not be able to "extend" a wireless network, but you could use it to "join" the wireless network and stream AirTunes to the device.
All are running the most recent firmware version.
That would be 7.5.2. If you have the older version of the AirPort Express, the latest firmware version for that device would be 6.3.
Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

Airport Express Extends 5GHz at 2.4GHz?

My second generation(802.11n) Airport Express extends my 5GHz network, Net5, at 2.4 GHz. The express is about 20
feet from its "target," an iPad 3 serving as an internet radio. I know this because a scan turned up the 5GHz network on the same
channel as the 2.4GHz one and identified as "Net5."
As far as I can tell, all my settings are correct, etc. I'd be grateful for any ideas, comments, etc.

Ok, thanks for clarifying that for me. By default, the 2nd generation Express should extend both radios of your 5th generation Extreme. The key is placement. As you are already aware the range of the 2.4 Ghz band is greater than that of the 5 GHz one.
Even if you have the Express within 20 feet of the Extreme there may be some form of Wi-Fi interference (like walls) that may be preventing the 5 GHz band to be extended properly.
To rule out a possible placement issue, please check out the following AirPort User Tip for details on how to best place your base stations.

Do I have to use airport extreme to be a main network if I want to use Airport express extend my wifi range

Do I have to use airport extreme to be a main network if I want to use Airport express extend my wifi range.

You cannot extend wifi from a different brand router..
Only apple to apple.
But the apple router does not have to be the main router.. it can be in bridge.. as long as it is creating a wireless network it will work fine.

Airport express extending - n AND g

I have an airport express extending a dual band airport extreme network. The extreme has one band on n (for laptops) and one band on a/g (for iphones and an older laptop). The airport express extends the network, connecting wirelessly to the extreme in another room, and sharing its connection with an iphone and an old laptop.
My question is this: will the airport express connect with the airport extreme (receiving its internet connection) at n speeds, but then connect with my iphone and old laptop (sharing its internet) at a/g speeds? I know the express is not dual band and thus cannot share its connection on different bands, but can it connect on a different band than it shares?
Thanks!

From what I've tried the Airport Express will only extend as it connects to. I've tried and it doesn't seem to "auto-convert" from one to another.
Also, you might want to look at the 802.11n 5ghz and 802.11n b/g/n 2.4ghz. Set this in your Airport Extreme accordingly (which you already might have), and let Airport Express automatically extend the 802.11n b/g/n 2.4ghz. This way, the iPhone will connect as fast as it can and the older laptop can connect.
BTW here is my "poor man's dual band" setup if anyone's interested:
DSL modem is connected to Netcomm 802.11b/g/n wireless router. This supplies the 802.11b/g/ 2.4ghz N signal for iPhone, Xbox360, and anything else.
Then, I connect via ethernet from Netcomm wireless router to my existing Airport Express. Airport Express supplies a pure 802.11 5ghz N signal for my Mac, iPad2, new iPad and AppleTV.
This way, the Mac, iPads and AppleTV always "see" only the Airport Express network, hence WiFi iTunes syncing as well as AirPlay streaming is great, and the 5ghz network with maximum N speed doesn't suffer interference and/or dropouts such as when my microwave is running.
As for the iPhone, I'll just use a cable when I need to, but this way my iPhone and Xbox360 can access the Internet as needed without degrading the connectivity of the Mac, iPads and AppleTV. I don't play online games, I only need connectivity to update or download stuff on Xbox360.
Yes, the disadvantage is double-NAT, but I haven't encountered issues yet.

Problem with airport express extending wifi from extreme

My setup is an airport extreme wired to the internet with two iMacs connected by wire and an airport express to extend wifi from the extreme to the further parts of my house. When originally installed about a year ago this arrangement worked perfectly, but I noticed a few weeks ago that neither my iphone, ipad, nor my MBP 13" is connecting to the aitport express anymore and the network extension is not working as intended.
Last night I investigated the isue and found that the express is connected wirelessly to my extreme because when I wired my MBP to the express and turned off the wireless connection it could still reach the internet. But, even with the express sitting plugged in next to my iPhone I could not get it to connect to the express - it always uses the extreme and while I'm in range there is no problem. The problem is that my house is old and the wals tend to cause problems with reception and I can't get wifi in the garden and some parts of the house.
I have the express and the extreme configured to allow access only by the client macs that I have provided and it looks like the two devices share this information when they are in extend mode (but not sure about that). When I set up the system I added the aitports mac addresses to the approved list in the access control screen, which seemed to be necessary then though I removed them (the airport mac addresses) fromt he list last night to see what effect this had and biefly the airport did connect to my MBP. But after returning it to its location where it usually is I have not been able to reconnect to it.
In brief; I have an airport express extending an airport extreme wifi, it used to work, but now all wifi clients will only connect to the master. I have a suspicion that a recent airport update has caused this (both airports are up-to-date) but can't be sure. I have the express correctly configured to extend the wifi of the extreme as it was originally working.
One thing I have noticed - I had the express set to use a fixed IP by setting 'static' in the internet screen - this is not the current setting (it's reverted to DHCP) and I cannot force it to update to and remain set to static.
Does anyone know how I can restore the correct functioning of the express as an extension of the wifi network?
Thanks
Damon

Perform the Factory Default Reset one more time. Hold the reset button until the amber light has been blinking rapidly for 8-10 seconds before you release the reset button
Run the setup wizard, and wait for screen similar to this to appear, then click on Other Options:
Select the Add to an existing network option, then click Next and follow the prompts.
If you are still having difficulty, try running the setup utility on an iPhone or iPad, since Yosemite has a number of bugs in the setup process.

Iphone will not connect to airport express extended network - macbook and ipad will - Help

Iphone will not connect to airport express extended network - macbook and ipad will without problems.
iphone will connect to base station no problems, I've restored settings and started again but still the same, the iphone picked up the network for the last couple of months, but not now ?

I'm having the same issue. My AExpress used to give a good signal strength on the far side of the house extending he network created by my Extreme. However, I've noticed lately that my iPhone does not receive the same strong signal it once did. AE has a green light, I've rebooted it, and my Extreme but there is no change in signal strength. Other than the green light, how can I tell if the Express is working if I don't get a good network signal?

Airport express extending wifi extremely slow

Hello,
I have a time capsule creating a wireless network and a airport express extending the wireless network.
When I'm connected to the time capsule I have around 12mbp of speed but when I am connected to the airport express I have around 0.2mbp
In the airport utility it says the connection is good she connected to the airport express.
Everything was working fine a few days ago.
I was reading the the forum that it may be interference from a neighbour and to change the channel but I can fine where to change the channel.
Is changing the channel the solution? How can I access where to change the channel?
Or is there another solution?
Anyone knows how to fix this speed problem in airport express?
Cheers
Francisco

What is the distance between the Time Capsule (TC) and the AirPort Express Base Station (AX)? Are they in the same room, different room, different floor from each other? If in different rooms/floors, what is the basic building material used in the walls/floors/ceilings?
It is important to understand that the AX can only extend the TC's wireless network at the same bandwidth that it receives it. If you are only getting around .2 Mbps at the AX, then either there is too much distance between routers or there is some form of Wi-Fi interference (other Wi-Fis or the builiding material) between them that is preventing the AX from getting a strong enough signal to extend.
Changing channels is one possible solution. You would do so using the AirPort Utility. If you are using version 5.x of that utility, you would change channels as follows: AirPort Utility > Select the AX > Manual Setup > AirPort > Wireless tab > Channel. By default Channel is set to "Automatic." Click on the up/down arrow to the right of the Channel window to get the other channel options.
If this doesn't resolve the problem, please check out the following AirPort User Tip for details on how to best place each base station for maximum bandwidth in an extended network.

With my Airport Express, I can join the network but not extend it.

I just bought a new Airport Express to extend the network I have setup with my Airport Extreme. At first, it seemed the Express was unable to get a correct IP address, I think because I had my DHCP server running from the cable modem, and the Extreme was just acting as a bridge. I switched the Extreme to run a DHCP server and now the Express correctly receives an IP address. However, it still tells me that it cannot extend the network, but gives no details why. It just tells me to make sure I have the correct password and to be sure I am in range.
Clearly I am in range and have the correct password, because when I switch to "join network", all works fine. Though when I do switch, I still get an amber blinking light and Airport Utility still thinks the Express is in Extend mode. When I unplug and replug the Express, then it comes up with a green light and Airport Utility shows it in Join mode and all works fine.
I am thinking there might be something wrong with my Express and am considering exchanging it. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas as to why this may be happening?
Thanks.

However, it still tells me that it cannot extend the network, but gives no details why.
Suggest that you check your AirPort Extreme to make sure that you have enabled the wireless network to be extended.
Open AirPort Utility, select the AirPort Extreme, and click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab below the row of icons
Just under the setting for Wireless Network name......make sure that there is a check mark next to "Allow this network to be exended".
Update to save changes
Now, try the configuration with the AirPort Express set to "Extend a wireless network"

Airport express - extend a network or join a network?

I have a Time Capsule as my base station and a number of Airport Expresses installed ( one with a USB printer). All the Express are connected wirelessly. When setting up you are allowed to configure the Express to join a network or to Extend a Network. What is the best choice. My goal is to make sure my printer works, but also ensure the signal is decent throughout the house.
Apple tech when I called gave two conflicting answers. One said it should be Extend the Network. When I called back the next tech said that that was in fact incorrect. He said it should be Connect. He told me that Extend only works where you are hooking up the extra Expresses to an Ethernet cable which is not the case. Who is right?

Hi Bob,
After searching all over the internet, I found your answers to be the most informative
Would appreciate if you can comment on my situation:
Room Outlay:
I have a single-story 3,000 square-foot house with the Study on one end of the house and two other key areas of the house, the Family Room and the Master Bedroom, at the other ends of a "triangle" (Note: the Master Bedroom is a little closer to the Study than the Family Room is to the Study).
Original Environment:
1. in the Study: Cable Modem (Comcast)
2. in the Study: Time Capsule (MB276LL/A 500GB) ethernet connection to Cable Modem
3. in the Study: iMac ethernet connection to Time Capsule
4. in the Family Room: iPhone, iPad, and Laptop wireless usage
5. in the Master Bedroom: iPhone, iPad, and Laptop wireless usage
Original Issues:
Particularly in the Family Room (the most important of my remote areas), the devices (iPhone, etc.) seemed to drop in and out of the wireless network connection. I measured the wireless signal strength to be between 30-40% (Note: it was 45-50% in the Master Bedroom).
New Environment (additions)
6. in the Family Room: AirPort Express (MB321LL/A) Unit 1
7. in the Master Bedroom: AirPort Express (MB321LL/A) Unit 2
Impulsively reacting to various internet posts regarding extending wireless range with the AirPort Express, I went out and bought 2 units with the hope of improving the wireless signal strength in the Family Room and the Master Bedroom. I followed the instructions to have them "extend" the existing wireless network, and I now measure the wireless signal strength to be between 55-70% (vs. 30-40%) in the Family Room and 60-65% (vs. 45-50%) in the Master Bedroom.
Concerns/questions:
Further research turned up a bunch of posts that claim "extending" a wireless network the way I have significantly reduces the overall wireless network performance (cuts the throughput in half for each extender?).
Q1. Is this true? How does this relate to the improved signal strengths I measured.
Q2. If so, if I scrap the unit in the Master Bedroom, will I get better throughput in the Family Room?
Q3. In general, is there a better way to configure my network (e.g., not using "extend", etc.) to get better coverage in the Family Room (and ideally the Master Bedroom) without compromising throughput?
Q4. Although it appears the Time Capsule does not easily support a booster antenna, I did see some convoluted "do-it-yourself" kits that seem to have positive results for people. Is this something I should consider?
Thanks in advance,
Steve

Airport Express no longer joins network

Greetings, I have a cable modem internet connection; I use an older Airport Extreme (802.11n, without Time Capsule) to make a local wifi network with WPA2 Personal security, and an older Airport Express (802.11 b/g, firmware 6.3) to connect a laser printer in a different room.
All was working well until two days ago when access to the internet disappeared. I reset the modem, confirmed that the cable connection was working by plugging a laptop directly into the modem by ethernet, determining that the problem was the Airport Extreme. I discovered the 7.5.2 firmware update which I uploaded, and all seemed well.
However, the 27" iMac upstairs only connected to Airport intermittently; it appeared to have been duplicated in name, as well as only recognized the Airport Express. I've since been able to correct that problem, however, now the Airport Express no longer connects to the Airport Extreme network.
I've tried soft resets (unplugging then plugging back in) and hard resets (pressing the reset button with a paperclip until the amber light flashes, then reconfiguring the device). I've tried setting the Airport Express both just to join the network (printer sharing) as well as extend the network; I also reverted the Airport Extreme's firmware to 7.4.2 which works perfectly well. However, now after each successive attempt to reconfigure the Airport Express to join the network, Airport Utility says that the Airport Express has been successfully updated and will restart, which it never does - it simply flashes an amber light, and Airport Utility eventually times out and says that it was unable to find the Airport Express after restarting, noting that the settings have been successfully updated, but that there is a problem re-joining the wireless network/finding the device. Notably, the Airport Express no longer appears in the left hand list of wireless devices in Airport Utility.
Help!!

Hi pslebow,
You make it sound like there was no change, then suddenly the Airport Express 802.11g lost connection to the wireless network and you can't get it back.
What network security is your wireless network using?
From the specification sheet, "…When joining an existing wireless network, AirPort Express only supports WPA-Personal."
AirPort Express - Technical Specifications
Please make sure your router security is set to match.
iOS and OS X: Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points - Apple Support
If you have older Wi-Fi devices on your network that don't support WPA2 Personal (AES), a good second choice is WPA/WPA2 Mode (often referred to as WPA Mixed Mode). This mode will allow newer devices to use the stronger WPA2 AES encryption, while still allowing older devices to connect with older WPA TKIP-level encryption. If your Wi-Fi router doesn't support WPA/WPA2 Mode, WPA Personal (TKIP) mode is the next best choice.
Best,
Nubz

Airport Express extending network needs to be restarted daily

I'm having a really annoying problem with my Airport network. Here's the configuration:
Den: Latest generation simultaneous Dual-Band Airport Extreme
Living Room: older 802.11g Airport Express used only for AirPlay
Office: older 802.11n Airport Express wired to the Airport Extreme via ethernet, extending network
Hallway: 802.11n Airport Express wirelessly joining and extending network
Bedroom: Latest generation simultaneous Dual-Band Airport Express wirelessly joining and extending network
I have an older house which is not terribly big but the radio-opaque walls make it difficult to propogate wireless, thus the need for so many units.
It all works pretty well except for my bedroom Airport Express (simultaneous Dual-Band). On a daily basis it will lose connection with the network or go so painfull slowly that it's pointless. The only solution is to do a reboot of the unit which works temporarily (good connection / good speeds) My son likes to watch Roku in our bedroom and that Roku uses the WiFi that the Airport Express should provide. Needless to say troubleshooting wifi when your 3 year old is crying because he can't get 30 seconds of streaming before the signal craps out is not fun. Anybody have any suggestions???

"Hard reset" the bedroom Extreme to preclude the possibility that some corrupted internal parameter is limiting its performance. Consider doing that with all of them. They will subsequently need to be reconfigured.
Configure the den Extreme to provide a unique name for its 5 GHz network, and ensure all the devices capable of using it are using it, and not 2.4 GHz. Find out what your Roku is capable of using.
The key to solving problems, if your challenging requirements are solvable, is to start with as simple an installation as possible, then progressively add to it. Find out the maximum usable range of your den's Extreme in both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, then position any devices used to "wirelessly extend" its signal roughly half the distance to that Extreme - not a different base station. The ideal location for the Roku's Express may not necessarily be in the bedroom.
Run speed tests each time and make sure you are not trying to "extend" a weak signal. "Extending" a weak signal makes it stronger, but no faster that what it receives.
That's all you can do.
... I thought "N" networks minimized that problem.
You're right about that.
The thing is I get decent wireless reception in the bedroom WITHOUT the express plugged in.
I wonder if those devices are really using the Express you think they are. That's the problem with multiple base stations. There are ways of addressing this question but not with the current AirPort Utility version.

HT1731 "AirPort Express: How to join an existing Wi-Fi network in client mode" = 'Add to an existing network' will not result in pure client mode

Choosing that option will always end-up in extending my wireless network.
What I want to achieve is to just add my AE to the existing WIFI network and to use it for local access like AirPlay or Printing.
No other client e.g. iPhone, iPad etc. should be able to connect to that AE wireless.
So it seems that there's one step missing in that description.
As a last step you need to manually change the set-up so that Network Mode shows 'connect to wireless network'.
Afterwards your AE will be finally in 'Cient Mode'.
I_am_Andy

Thanks you! Apple's documentation is either contradictory or incomplete. To configure a factory default AE to "join" a network with
Airport Utility 6, you must first select "Add to an existing network". That results in the AE extending a network. Then later, edit the configuration (wireless tab) to specify "join" rather than "extend".
You can "join" a network which has already been extended; this improves the wireless reach, since you can not extend a network which has already been extended. So you can have:
Apple Extreme <----> Apple Express (extending) <------> Apple Express (joining) <-----> ethernet-device

I am trying to stop my Xbox from connecting to my Airport extreme base station and only connect to my airport express extender. Anyone have any ideas?

I have an aiport extreme base station in my living room and an airport express in my bedroom extending the network. For some reason my xbox along with some other devices always connects to the extreme base station in the living room which has a very low signal. Is there a way to setup a seperate network for my express extender so that I can connect only certain devices? HELP

You would probably want your Express to join the network if an extender isn't required. Reset to factory settings and join the network.
If you do want your Express as an extender run an Ethernet cable between the Express and the Verizon router and set the Express up to be in bridge mode, with the same WiFi network name and password as your Verizon router.

Airport Express: Extend vs. Join

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