Airport Express go around

Question for you:
Unfortunately, I own a 17 inch iMac with the Intel Duo Core1.83 GHz processor which is one of the only two Intel chipped models that does NOT have 802.11n capability. Go figure. As I understand it, 802.11g devices will slow down my Aiport Extreme Base 802.11n that I am about to purchase. So if I utilize the Aiport Card in the iMac, it will slow the network to 'g' capability. I understand that if a device is plugged directly into the Airport Extreme Base, that it does NOT affect the wireless speeds. That makes sense. Unfortunately, the iMac is physically too far away to plug in. So tell me if my strategy is correct here.
I purchase an Airport Express (which has 802.11n speed), and plug the iMac INTO IT with Ethernet cable after turning off Airport card. Then, have the Airport Express configured as an extension of the Airport Extreme Base. Haven't I then effectively done a 'go around' on the slower capability of my iMac? The Airport Express communicates with the Base at 'n' speed, and the iMac is simply then 'wired' into the whole network, right?

Hello gk911. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
I purchase an Airport Express (which has 802.11n speed), and plug the iMac INTO IT with Ethernet cable after turning off Airport card. Then, have the Airport Express configured as an extension of the Airport Extreme Base. Haven't I then effectively done a 'go around' on the slower capability of my iMac? The Airport Express communicates with the Base at 'n' speed, and the iMac is simply then 'wired' into the whole network, right?
Yes, that is correct.

Similar Messages

Airport Express works, but MacBook doesn't when connected directly to Modem

I have an interesting problem. I have Verizon DSL. Airport Express works, but Linksys and Netgear wifi routers don't work. Further more, if I disconnect the wifi router and directly connect a MacBook or a Windows notebook they don't work. These devices work if I enter a static IP address though. It is DHCP that doesn't work.
I have been using Verizon DSL for several years, and most recently I was using a Netgear wifi router. A few days ago it lost internet connection. Thinking that the Netgear broke, I bought a new Linksys WRT54GL to replace it. But it didn't work either. I happened to have an Airport Express lying around, so I connected that and surprisingly it worked! Then I wrote down the IP address shown by Airport Utility and typed that IP into Netgear as a static IP address and it worked too. If I remove all wifi equipment and connect a Windows PC or a MacBook directly to the DSL modem then neither works. (Note: my DSL modem doesn't use PPPoE it uses DHCP.)
So it seems that something changed with Verizon's DHCP such that only Airport Express can work. Contacting Verizon support was useless. What is so magical about Airport Express? I can't use Airport Express permanently because I have 3 wired computers to connect also, and Airport Express have ethernet ports. Airport Extreme does, so I am wondering if I should get one of those. Will the magic of Airport Express work in Extreme also?
Does anyone know what is going on? How is Airport Express work with Verizon DHCP when nothing else can?

Hello petilon. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
Does anyone know what is going on? How is Airport Express work with Verizon DHCP when nothing else can?
It sounds like Verizon is keying on the MAC address of the device connected to its modem ... so either they require that you register a MAC address with them or there is a problem with the modem in that it is retaining it even though you change the device connected.
If you haven't already, be sure to perform a complete power recycle when changing out network equipment. The following should be done each time:
o Power-down, the modem, router, and computer(s); wait at least 10-15 minutes. Order is not critical. If the modem has a backup battery, it should be removed and replaced to make sure that any stored configuration information is erased.
o Power-up the modem; wait at least 10-15 minutes.
o Power-up the router; wait at least 5-10 minutes.
o Power-up the computer(s).

Airport express ethernet troubleshooting with Belkin Powerline HD

Dear All,
Equipment:
x3 Airport Express stations (G generation not N)
x3 Belkin Powerline HD (up to 1000mbit)
x1 iMac plugged (connected via ethernet)
I have three airport express devices around my house in order to play music in those rooms from itunes.
The Expresses never worked well wirelessly so I decided to buy Belkin Powerline hd devices that create ethernet bridges between my router and the three Airport express devices through the mains supply.
i. The lights go green when I plug in the ethernet cable on the Airport Expresses
ii. The Belkin Powerline hd boxes have the solid blue light indicating excellent connection
iii. The Airport expresses are set on "ethernet"
but the *airport express devices do not come up on my itunes and not in Airport Utility* on my iMac.
I have tried the following:
i. Unplugging one of the airport express devices from the Belkin Powerline hd and plugging my laptop in to the ethernet - and the internet works - so there is a connection between the Belkin Powerline hd devices.
ii. I have tried resetting the Airport expresses, giving them fixed ip addresses.
iii. I have used a regular ethernet between the airport express and my laptop and it registers perfectly.
iv. Tried putting all three Belkin Powerline hd mains devices in mains sockets in the same room.. but still doesn't pick up the airport expresses.
So it's highly confusing... internet works across the Belkin Powerline hd mains devices, the airport express lights come up green - but the airport expresses do not register in itunes or Airport utility. (for accuracy - it does come up for a few minutes when plugged in then disappears).
Please help... Belkin are just as perplexed as I am on this.
Thanks

Running into the same exact problem with the belkin hd power adapters.
I have an apple tv connected via wired LAN direct to the router that is at the modem. (all in the tv cabinet).
The PC with iTunes is in the office across the house. Previously i was using wireless t connect the PC back to the router.
In an effort to improve the performance, I got the Belkin hd power line adapter starter kit earlier today because of the 1Gbps throughput.
The units connected quickly, and I was able to notice a significant difference on web browsing immediately. However, I could not get the apple tv to see the computer any longer.
After a couple of hours of checking firewall settings on my PC, checking itunes settings and ports, turning off home sharing and restarting it, as well as PC reboots, I was still unable to connect to the PC from the apple tv. I could ping the router from the PC and even ping the apple tv from the PC, but the apple tv and iTunes were still not seeing each other. yes - iTunes was open on the PC when I was trying to connect from the apple tv.
With everything still the same, I disabled the LAN and stuck the USB wireless dongle back in the PC. Once it connected, and I closed and reopened iTunes once more (for good measure) and immediately the apple tv was detected.
So.....there is something blocked on the belkin power line adapter.
Now I am hunting to see if there is a web interface for the belkin adapters that I could tweak in order to resolve this. If not, they are going back to best buy.

Max airport express to be connected?

How many Airport express I can connect in one network? as a maximum.

My question was not clear enough, sorry. I want to know how many airport express devices I can connect and still get all of them in airtunes, all of them togather. Example, if I connect 12 airport express devices around the house all connected to speakers, and then I press that button in the down right corner, would I get all the speakers? and will I be able to stream and broadcast to all of them?
Thanks anyway.

Best Connection with Airport Express for gaming

Can anyone help me with how I can get the strongest connection from my Airport Express to my PS3 for gaming.
I recently upgraded my old Airport Extreme to an Airport express and everything is great. My internet speeds from the wall are around 90mbps and ruining my laptop and devices from my Airport Express are around 70mbps which I can live with.
When my PS3 is connected it only received around 10mbps which is a massive decrease.
Can anyone help with the best settings for the PS3 to speed it up. My old Airport Extreme used to connected at around 45mbps which was great.
Anyone????????????????

Julie Kruyne wrote:
I am trying to do the exact same thing and am having some difficulties.
It was easier for "WiseJD" because he was using two Apple base stations, instead of your AT&T router.
I select Manual Setup, it just sits there thinking - I can't get into the actual set up.
So you see the Express in AirPort Utility, but when you select it and select "Manual Setup", nothing happens?
When setting up the Express to extend my existing wireless network (AT&T 2WIRE modem and Airport Extreme), do I initially connect the Express, via Ethernet cable, to the modem or the Extreme?
I'll guess that the AT&T device is connected to your broadband connection. Is the 2WIRE device either without Wi-Fi support or is that turned off? How is the Extreme configured, in particular in the AirPort/Wireless panel "Wireless Mode" setting and in the Internet/Internet Connection panel, "Connection Sharing" setting?
If anyone could provide a step by step process on exactly how to set up the Express to extend my existing network, I would be grateful.
I have very little experience with mixed-vendor home networking, but someone should be able to help.

AIRPORT EXPRESS THAT CANNOT BE DETECTED

I HAVE A TIME CAPSULE, AND TWO AIRPORT EXPRESSES SPRINKLED AROUND THE HOUSE THAT ALL WORK PERFECTLY. I HAVE JUST PURCHASED A THIRD AIRPORT EXPRESS WHICH MY COMPUTER REFUSES TO DETECT IN AIPORT UTILITY. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT THE AIRPORT EXPRESS #3 MIGHT BE DEFECTIVE, SO I TOOK IT BACK TO THE APPLE STORE. THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY, SO RETURNED HOME AND AGAIN NO LUCK. I HAVE RE SET IT NUMEROUS TIMES, AND AS I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SET UP TWO OTHER AIRPORT EXPRESSES I DON'T THINK THAT I AM DOING ANYTHING WRONG? IS THERE A CHANCE THAT TWO IS THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF EXPRESSES ALLOWED TO BE PART OF THE SAME NETWORK?

Try connecting your Airport Express to your computer using an Ethernet cable and then manually overriding the default setting of "Create a new wireless network" to "Join a wireless network." After this, do the usual setup (passwords, network name, etc), and then disconnect the Ethernet cable. Your Wi-Fi should then detect it
This is what I had to do -- got it working in 5 minutes.
Kevin

Airport Express Won't Extend my Network

I've had my AirPort Express for around 3 months now and it was working fine and extending my network with my base station as the Apple Extreme just fine, until 2 weeks ago. Suddenly, it started flashing amber instead of green, and even though I reset it, disconnected it and re plugged it in, and placed it in another room, it didn't work, so I called Apple. Keep in mind that the whole time this is happening, the light for the Apple Extreme was working, and so was the wi-fi, just the Express which I use as an extender wasn't. I was on the phone for 2 hours with them and eventually they got it to work by resetting the Apple Extreme and setting it up as a completely new network, which was tedious and annoying, but it worked. Now, I have the same problem again, and I have tried the same steps I used before, and it still isn't working. Is there any way I can get it to work without having to reset the Apple Extreme?

yes, you can first do it with a short eth cable so you're still next to your extreme and then run the longer cable when you're ready to put it where you want it
before you connect the eth cord to the express, fully reset it
unplug express
hold in reset and keep holding it down while plugging power back in - only release reset when amber light flashes after 10-20s
now plug in the eth cable
your airport utility should auto see that you're trying to extend your extreme via your express on a wired connection

Multiple Airport Expresses- Individual volume control??

I have 5 Airport Express units around my house connected through a central Airport Extreme. I want to control the volume on different Express units independently (my front porch can't be as loud at night).
I know I can change the volume on the stereo unit, but I'm lazy.
I also know that I can just use AirFoil, which I have, but it seems that Apple should have a solution, especially since I would imagine they would want people to purchase multiple units.
Am I missing something? Is there an upgrade in the works?
Thanks!

Hi,
The network restructure you are planning to do is exactly what you should do.
As you know you need to reconfigure the Extreme and Express Airports.
this has been covered here:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4372870?start=0&tstart=0
You seem to know what you are doing so the only trap is that you will not be "extending the network" but roaming so the Airports Express will work as a cluster.
Let me know if you need more specific answers.
TZ

HT201335 I want to watch an iTunes rental video on my MacBook Pro but stream the sound to my Airport Express linked speakers. However re Airplay icon doesn't show up in iTunes when playing the rental video. Is there a way around that?

I want to watch an iTunes rental video on my MacBook Pro but AirPlay the audio to my AirPort Express linked speakers. However the AirPlay icon isn't available when arching the rental video in iTunes. Is there another way? Do I need to but an AppleTV? I don't own a TV, hence why I want to watch on my MacBook Pro.

Welcome to the Apple Community.
With or without an Apple TV you can't send video to one device and audio to another using AirPlay.

Airport Express will not talk to my router

I have 2 airport express stations that are 6.3 and they have always been able to connect to my qwest wireless router no prob. I've recently updated to Leopard and was surprised to see the new airport utility instead of the airport admin and airport setup tools. I like the new utility and interface as it seems less confusing than the old but now I'm having issues.
1. I can get the new utility to recognize my airport express ONLY when I do a hard reset to the airport express.
2. As I've done many times in the past, I go through the following setup protocol to join my current wireless network. I simply want to join my current network so I can talk to my stereo and printer wirelessly.
3. When I finish the setup and hit update, the airport utility updates the express successfully and then attempts to restart the express in order to join my network. This is where the problem lies.
*Here's the error message I get:*
AirPort Utility was unable to find your Apple wireless device after restarting.
The settings for this Apple wireless device have been successfully updated, but there was a problem re-joining the wireless network or finding the Apple wireless device. You may need to select your network from the AirPort menu and try again.
Now, I've tried repeating this process 10 times with both airport express stations and the same result happens? Remember, the only way for the utility to find the express is to hard reset the express. What gives? I bought both of these express stations over a year ago and they've been working fine til now. Because they are older and updated to 6.3, I shouldn't update them to the 802.11n7.3.1 update or should I? Is there something different about this new airport utility in Leopard that is causing the problem?
Like I said, I've done this exact same thing many times and its pretty straight forward but I'm stumped.
Anyone? Thanks in advance

I've got the solution! It took me some fair hours, though...
It seems the Airport Express can not handle the WEP-encryption properly, nor the 64 or the 128 bit versions. Here's how to work around it:
1) change your routers encryption to WPA2 with passkey (WPA-2-PSK). You may use the 10-digit code supplied with most routers or any of your own choice.
2) Change all wireless cards in your network to WPA2-PSK. It can take some time to figure it all out, but in the end you'll fix it. I had to download a new driver for my D-Link card DWL-G650 for instance.
3) Do the usual config thing with the Airport Express. Choose to connect to an existing network, apply the 10-digit passkey (be sure to choose the WPA2-PSK-option in the drop down-menu).
4) Off you go! Itunes will find the remote speakers, green lights all over and everybody turns happy...
/W

How do I use my airport express as my default audio for a laptop?

I can stream music from iTunes to our airport exoress no problem, but I'd like to be able to use the speakers connected to our Airport Express as the default audio output for my MacBook Pro - i.e for all sounds, aps, etc. This would allow me to wirelessly stream music or any other audio (not just iTunes) and then have it played through the speakers. I've googled and looked here, but cannot seem to find a clear cut answer that isn't two plus years old in all the clutter.
Thank you in advance.
(PS - I'm working on a MacBook Pro with the latest and currently up to date OS X 10.7.2)
Message was edited by: kldietch - ANSWER FOUND - USE AN IPAD/IPHONE TO STREAM THE AUDIO TO AIRPORT EXPRESS OR BUY AIRFOIL FOR MY LAPTOP TO CIRCUMVENT APPLE'S DECISION TO WALL OFF AUDIO OUTPUT FROM LAPTOPS TO THE AIPORT EXPRESS.

The bottom line is that you will need an application like Airfoil for Mac to be able to stream any audio source on your Mac to the AirPort Express.
Rogue Amoeba | Airfoil for Mac: Wireless Audio Around Your House

XP with AirPort Express and WDS ... works brilliant!!! Read how to ...

I have worked out an interesting setup which uses max. power of AE with my 3Com Router, Dell and Denon AVR-4306.
It took some hours of testing and finding the right configs, which was a pain in my brain. But now: YEEEHAAA!
My home setup is:
- AirPort Express 6.3
- 3Com OfficeConnect Model 3CRWDR100B-72
IMPORTANT: IT SUPPORTS WDS!!!
- Dell Inspiron 9300 with WLAN
- Epson Stylus Color 740
- DENON AVR-4306 [Receiver with Ethernet connection]
Till yesterday I used AE as a client which turns off the ethernet port. And I had a router without WDS support. AND: I had those audio drop outs which made no fun.
The new configuration at the end is not such complicated.
AE is connected by WDS to my router, by Toslink and ethernet cable to my receiver. A printer by USB of course.
Now I am able to:
- WLAN stream AAC by Dell with AirTunes through AE to my receiver
- WLAN printing
- WLAN config of my receiver and internet radio streaming
- write that posting by WLAN and DSL ... STRIKE!
AND THE BEST: NO AUDIO DROP OUTS ANYMORE!!!
The configuration:
I will not discribe the WLAN setup between my Dell and 3Com in all details because this should be a basic knowledge.
First I configure router and Dell with WEP. I didn't test WPA with WDS yet. I set the router to my ISP settings to get connection to DSL. The router config by webbrowser is not complex. This is done by the shipped manual. DHCP turned on etc..
Next step I will setup my DELL for WLAN connection to the router. My router eg. just uses WEP HEX. I can use a ASCII passphrase but this will be converted to HEX. What's now important: I had to use HEX also for DELL WLAN config and AE WITHOUT "$" before the key what's often discribed in the web. Otherwise AE config will give an error message and ASCII will prevent connection by WEP. I set my DELL to IP by DHCP. I use the same ISSD of the router and set WEP. The first setup was done by ethernet cable which is discribed in my manual. After all steps I turned off LAN and am able to connect to WLAN DSL.
Now the important part:
I configured the router after config and restart of AE again. The router MUST SUPPORT WDS!!! Otherwise my config will not work. In my 3Com config I turn on WDS and scan for AE when it is set up right. This will grab the right MAC address automatically. But it's also possible to set the AE MAC manually and then:
I will do a AE reset by holding down the reset button till the yellow light flashes fast. This will set the AE to basic settings. After a while you will recognize the AE's factory name in your WLAN network list on your PC where you also see your router WLAN connection.
Now drop the router connection by connecting to AE which is unprotected.
Open the AirPort Admin Utility.
Choose the factory AE name.
Open the config.
Change the password of your AE which is basic "public" to the SAME of your router.
Choose „AirPort“ and set „Wireless Mode“ to „Create a Wireless Network“.
Eg. I use for „Network Name“: „DELL9300“ which matches with the SSID of the router.
Set „Channel“ to „1“ [it seems most robust here].
Set „Wireless Security“ with WEP. In my case I have to use the router's HEX key.
On page „Internet“ set „Connect using“ to „AirPort (WDS)“.
The „MAC Address“ MUST be the MAC address of the WLAN router, BUT THE WLAN ADDRESS ... NOT LAN ADDRESS!!!
[this was one trap and time killer because I just tried to use the printed MAC address on my routers label which is WRONG because there's a WLAN MAC ADDRESS I found by accident in my router's config overview]
Activate „Also allow wireless client computers“.
I use a static IP:
IP 192.168.1.200
Subnet 255.255.255.0
Router 192.168.1.1
DNS 192.168.1.1
On page “Network” activate “Distribute IP addresses”.
On page „WDS“ set to „remote base station“.
Activate „Allow wireless client computers“.
You will recognize here that the WLAN MAC address was copied automatically.
On page "Music" activate AirTunes and define a name. In my case "DENON".
Save the config to harddrive and then save it to AE.
AE will restart automatically.
NOW PRAY! If everything is done right you will reconnect your PC to the router [automatically because AE is dropped or try manually] and after a while the AE lamp shows "green".
The full power of AE is unlocked and ... actually ... AirTunes still plays without drop outs. GREAT! This could also be router related or WDS works generally better than client mode.
president

The 802.11n AirPort Express Base Station (AXn) can be configured in a number of ways when the topic is around extending.
If you just want to support wired clients, you can configure the AXn as a wireless Ethernet bridge. In this configuration, the AXn would "join" an existing wireless network and share that connection via its Ethernet port.
The other option is to configure the AXn to extend another AirPort. In this configuration, the AXn would both extend the other AirPort's wireless range, but it would also have its Ethernet port enabled for wired clients.

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.byrd

I'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.

How best to use TWO Time Capsules, Airport Express and Apple TV?

Hello
I have the following Apple equipment and am wondering how best to plug it all together. At the moment I am not using some items at all because I do not know how to best use!
1. MacBook Pro (2012 model) 'Mac1'
2. MacBook Pro (2009 model) 'Mac2'
3. MacBook Air (2011 model) 'Mac3'
4. Time Capsule 1TB (model A1355) 'TC1'
5. (another!) Time Capsule 1TB (model A1355) 'TC2'
6. Airport Express (2008 model)
7. Apple TV (2013 model)
8. LaCie 1TB USB Hard Drive
9. Apple iPhone
10. Sonos system
CURRENTLY
TC1 is plugged into the Virgin Media modem to provide a WiFi network called 'Amer's Apple Network' around the house. The Virgin Media wifi has been switched off to reduce interference.
TC2 is not being used. The Airport Express is plugged in upstairs (or sometimes near garden) to extend the 'Amer's Apple Network' and this seems to work fine.
Apple TV is plugged into main TV and is plugged into 'Amer's Apple Network' directly using Ethernet to TC1 but often runs slowly and does not work if Mac1 is not awake (or iTunes is not running on Mac1).
LaCie is plugged directly into TC1 and currently has a old copy of my iTunes library stored on it which my Sonos system access. However, there seems to be a problem in that iTunes randomly uses that LaCie library and/or local Mac library. Often we get a pop up message on Mac1 saying "Library cannot be found" and we have to manually navigate to the LaCie drive (via the TC1 folder) to open iTunes. Also connecting iPhone to Mac1 seems to work very slowly as it appears to be trying to back up to LaCie drive.
QUESTION
What would be the best, most efficient way of using all (or if some is redundant equipement then which), to set up the following:
1. A shared home network which enables all three computers (and any future Macs and/or iPads etc) to access one master shared iTunes library, which is the one that is updated with any new music, films etc added via any of those machines
2. A shared home network that enables a shared files folder but also allows each user to keep their own personal hard drive (eg locally on whichever machine they are using).
3. A fast (as possible) iTunes back up process when connecting iPhone to computer
4. Usage of both TC1 and TC2 (and Airport Express) to extend network around the house (several weak spots exist) and also to maximise storage using the 1TB of each TC1 and TC2.
5. Would it then also be possible to attach the LaCie USB drive for an additional 1TB storage? If so how and would it be very slow? From existing usage it appears to be very slow when used as a regular access drive, so perhaps better as a 'slow' drive that is just occassionaly used for back up and nothing else
Main question is (to the networking experts!), how would you personally set up all above to give best wifi coverage, fastest back ups, access to Sonos for iTune library, access to Apple TV, and shared folders etc etc. I basically seem to have lots of kit (albeit some quite old) and nothing seems to be working together particularly well.
Happy also to ditch any bottlenecks in the above equipment list (eg LaCie USB drive?) and add something which would better bring together the other components?
Any thoughts much appreciated!
Best
Amer

So ... FINALLY ... I found some time to implement this!
Steps taken and results:
1. Moved my entire music library to Mac1. Used the opportunity to also share my other Mac2 onto HomeShare and copy across any music files from Mac2 onto Mac1 that were not already there.
Result: Mac1 now holds my whole music library locally. Works incredibly fast whenever playing a track, adding a new track or updating info on existing track. Good!
2. LaPastenague's instructions for bridging TC1 with TC2 worked a dream. Only thing is they are basically next to each other as I don't have the energy (or cabling expertise) to install (cleanly) long runs of ethernet cable.
Result: Got a clear Wifi signal, not sure if any faster than before but I assume two TCs next to each other both sending out the same network signal can't be any worse than one. Main thing is that I have an extra 1Tb network drive (i.e. TC2) connected to TC1 which I can access from all my Macs now.
3. Copied the entire Mac1 Music library over to TC2 drive into the Data folder. This happened relatively quickly (I think!) ... but would welcome any comments on whether slower than expected, to highlight if I might be able to improve the connection. 12,000 songs in 2 hours, with Mac1 sending the files to TC2 wirelessly. I know I could probably have connected Mac1 to TC2 by ethernet cable to speed up, but I had run out of Ethernet cables by now!
Result: All my music (as of today anyway) now on Mac1 AND on TC2 in normal readable format (i.e. by Sonos and as a simple back-up that can just be carried around and copied anywhere in the event of loss of Mac1 drive
4. Set up TC2 Music Library in Data folder to be the networked music folder for Sonos using "\\TC2\Data" (ps. why doesn't Sonos allow a simple click and select option for choosing drive and instead force us to go back to the 80s and type in drive path which isn't always clear, especially on a Mac!)
Result: Sonos can access all my music (as of today anyway) on TC2 and no need for Mac1 or any other Mac to be open.
BUT: As you may have guessed, the issue with the above set up is that as soon as I buy a new song, it will get added to my Mac1 quickly and smoothly ... but the area where I really use my music (i.e. Sonos via TC2) will have the older music library.
QUESTION: Is there any way in which I can adjust the above set up, so that whenever I add new music to my Mac1 it also copies across to TC2? Don't mind if this is done slowly and later (eg in middle of night) but of course don't want to have to copy across manually each time. Would prefer it to just update newly added tracks regularly.

How can I connect my Apple TV and Airport Express to the rest of the network for the least lag?

Hey guys,
I have an Airport network here in the office. All new Airport Extremes. The internet comes into one, which then connects to our switches, which then connects to other Airport Extremes over ethernet. Everything is setup to create its own network with the same SSID, and only the leader is the DHCP server.
I recently added an Apple TV to the network, only it was too laggy for video chat. I bought an Airport Express (for the audio), and ran ethernet to connect it to the network and the Apple TV, but things were still slow.
Now, I set the Airport Express up as a DHCP server (with NAT) itself, with a separate SSID, and it's working great. The only problem is that people would rather not have to switch wifi networks. Is there any way around this? BTW, the AirEx is complaining about Double NAT, which I understand is happening, but it's still working fine... it's really just the having to switch networks that's a problem for us.
Thanks!

Hi - as you probably know, double NAT is not recommended - you might have problems with some websites and updating - but if it is working that is great - as far as the Wi-Fi issue is concerned, you should still be able to create a wireless network with the same name an password as the rest of your network so no one has to switch.

Airport Express go around

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