Airport express repeater limitation

Good day,
I have an Airport Express (AE) configured as base station with two airport express units acting as repeaters. All AE's are first generation with latest software updates installed. Configuration:
Airport Express 1 creating wireless network 2.4 GHz
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AE repeater 2 configured as "extend wireless network" connects to AE 1
               |
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AE repeater 3 configured as "extend wireless network" connects to AE 2
All AE's display green light. AE number 2 does repeat and transmit the wifi signal, but it does in fact not repeat the wifi signal. If I take any mobile device near AE number 3, it does not connect to this AE.
Any ideas what could be wrong here?
Thank you,
Bart

barthofstad wrote:
... I suspected this limitation but Apple does not make mention of this in their documentation.
This is explained here: Wi-Fi base stations: Extending the range of your wireless network by adding additional Wi-Fi base stations
Important Note
If another extended Wi-Fi base station ➋ is placed between the primary Wi-Fi base station ➊ and the extended Wi-Fi base station ➌, the extended Wi-Fi base station ➌ will not allow clients to join it. All extended Wi-Fi base stations must be in direct range of the primary Wi-Fi base station
It is also untrue that "everytime you repeat a signal in my configuration, the throughput speed is cut in half. " This was true for WDS but not with an 802.11n "extended" network. The throughput is reduced but the effect is much less than 50%.
The fact that you have a lot of range to conver including concrete walls means that you will have challenges with "extending" a network wirelessly. Wireless signals will be attenuated by such structures. If you can find a way to create a "roaming network" your troubles will be over.

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I am assuming that your "main" router is also an Apple router, correct?
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Mac App Store - WiFi Explorer - iTunes - Apple
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wifiguru
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I don’t expect to get 105, but 90 would make me feel better about what I am paying for.
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http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/tools/charts/router/bar/113-5-ghz-dn-c
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Unfortunately, I can't switch ISP providers as this provider is the only one I can use in the area (so frustrating!!) so I have to try to work around the system. Please help!!
Note: my Airport Express is the new model (I bought it a few weeks ago) and I have tried connecting to it using Airport Utility version 6.3.2 with Mac OS X 10.9.4 and OS X 10.9.2

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
If your PC hasn't got a disc drive, download AirPort Utility from the Apple website to set up the AirPort Express > http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1547?viewlocale=es_ES

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Suggest that you check with the TW cable folks to see if they have a device that will do what you want.
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My iPod Touch was not connecting to my Airport Express router (which was "extending" a network as a WDS repeater) -- SOLVED!

My problem was this. I have a large apartment with concrete walls, so just one wireless router would not work. I used apple Airport routers and used one of them (an airport extreme) to create my wireless network, and a number of other ones -- airport expresses -- to "extend" the network.
That's all great, but I found that a couple of my devices -- mainly my iPod Touch -- would refuse to connect to the repeater airport express routers -- it only wanted to connect to the main Airport Extreme router, not the satellite guys.
Finally I solved the problem. It had to do with how the wireless network's configuration for "Radio" setting was set regarding 802/11 b/g, and the dual-band ability of the Extreme. Below is the description of how I fixed it.
======SOLUTION THAT I POSTED======
I've pretty much solved this problem. I do not FULLY understand why, but now I can have my iPod touch (and I am hoping my kindle) attach correctly to the satellite/repeater airport express. Here is what I did:
I did two configuration changes to my central hub airport extreme router (i.e., the one that my other routers were merely configured to "extend.") I realize now that these are both configurations that must be done at that central router, and the repeater routers then simply mimic or reflect accordingly.
-- First, I used the most recent Airport Utility (v6.0) and clicked on my main router (which, crucially, is an airport extreme that has dual band 802.11, both 2.4ghz and 5ghz.)
-- In the airport utility, I clicked on that Extreme router and then in its funky popup window, clicked Edit.
-- Clicked the tab called Wireless.
-- Clicked on Wireless Options button.
-- the first config change I made on that page was to change the Radio Mode setting to "802.11a/n - 802.11 b/g."
What nobody really tells you is that that hyphenated choice means that the 5GHz band will use the first of those two (namely, a and n, in other words the strong modern N standard will be used on this band ONLY) ... while the 2.4GHZ band will use only the second of those two, b/g, in other words, the devices that only can use that older weaker standard.
So, it's kind of a segregation. I'm telling it "No, don't let the 2.4 ghz band try to handle traffic using N. That band will just take care of the old crappy clients."
-- the second config change that I made on that page was to check the check box to make a totally separate wireless network name for the 5GHZ band. Further segregating things. When I tried my solution without this additional step, my problem did not fix itself, though I don't fully see why.
As I said, a few questions remain in my head, but the darn thing works, so I'm happy. Among many other questions... are those airport expresses dual-band too? I didn't think they were but somehow they are repeating this dual-band strategy? Whatever. it works.
BY THE WAY -- I recommend using the Apple question/answer board on StackExchange to get Apple-related answers. It is at http://apple.stackexchange.com/

To demonstrate, here's a screenshot from the Airport Utility on the iPod Touch in close proximity to the Express, still connected to the Extreme :

Is it possible to use Airport Express as a repeater and as an airplay device at the same time?

Hi,
I am using airplay with airport express stations in combination with conventional speakers for my home entertainment. Works great. Only thing is that I have a massive block of concrete in my flat. Is it possible to use one of my express stations as a repeater and at the same time as a streaming device for airplay? Thanks!

Sure it works only with apple routers? Cause than I could stop trying.
Yes, it's proprietary like everything else Apple. You could look at this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006BBYXPA/?tag=hydra0b-21&hvadid=9550946469&ref=asc_ df_B006BBYXPA
I have had great success installing these for BT Home Hubs and VM Superhubs.
@JoeMY - If it is "joined" to the FritzBox then it won't work, it only works with Apple routers connected via Ethernet or as the main router.

How do I set Airport Express to work as repeater?

How do I get my Airport Express to work as a repeater for my Apple TV, iPhones and iPad? I use a Mac Pro and a Netgear N300 Wireless N Router. The N300 sees the Airport fine and I can play music to the Airport from iTunes, but none of the other advertised features appear obvious.
All of my other Apple products sync to the N300 Router without issue and apart from some minor setting up to get it working with Apple TV, the N300 presents no compatibilty issues whatsoever.
When I purchased the Airport Express, I truly beleived that the Airport Utility Software, would allow me to choose whether I want to use it for Audio or USB or Repeating / Extending my network, by simply selecting the mode I required, when I required it. After all, isn't that the beauty of Mac computers?
Alas, there is no such drop down menu or button I can press in Airport Utilty to make such a straight forward selection. Instead, from what I can see so far in Airport Utility and various forums, there is a very long and painful process that must be carried out to use the Airport to extend my WIFI network.
I refuse to believe that it can be this hard and assume that that there is some really obvious setting I can change to make this work. It certainly wouldn't surprise me if Apple left this out of the manual, as Apple are legendary for not telling you how connect to 3rd party products, as I found with Apple TV.
As I said, I have read a million threads on this topic and all I have found so far are wanna be geeks, getting lost up there own a**es with lots of technical rubbish that has nothing to do with the problem.
If there is anyone there who actually knows what they are talking about and can explain this without Pythageros Theorem, I would be most grateful.

The AirPort Express can "Join" virtually any wireless network to provide AirTunes and remote printing capability.
But, the "Extend a wireless network" function of the Express appears to be a proprietary feature that will only work with other Apple wireless routers.
As far as we know, this feature is not compatible with routers from any other manufacturers, so there is virtually no chance that it will work with the Netgear N300 router.
I refuse to believe that it can be this hard and assume that that there is some really obvious setting I can change to make this work. It certainly wouldn't surprise me if Apple left this out of the manual,
Well, you can try either the guided setup or the Manual Setup method to configure the Express to "Extend a wireless network", but you are going to get an error message that the "network cannot be extended".
If you have the time and wish to prove this to yourself.....
Open AirPort Utility - Click Manual Setup
Click the Base Station tab below the icons to name the Express, setup a device password and adjust Time Zone settings
Click the Wireless tab and adjust as follows:
Wireless Mode = Extend a wireless network
Wireless Network Name = The name of the Netgear network that you wish to extend
Enter a check mark next to "Allow wireless clients" if not already checked
Wireless Security = Wireless security setting of the Netgear network
Wireless Password = Enter the password of the Netgear network
Confirm Password
Click Update and wait for the error message

Airport Utility can't find Airport Express after setting up as repeater station

I wanted to extend my 2Wire-based wireless network into a specific room that never seems to be able to pick up the signal, and found the following instructions on how to do so on Apple's website:
(note: these instructions were submitted by another user in response to a question as to whether or not an Airport Express could be used as a repeater station for non-Airport Extreme-based wireless networks - linked here http://store.apple.com/us/question/answers/product/MB321LL/A?pqid=QY4CAJJC7KFTTD KYH72DKPXF4CAUA9D4J).
Yes, you can do this two ways: If you can connect your airport express to your router via ethernet, then you will perform the following steps in the airport utility:
1. Select your airport express.
2. Select manual set up.
3. Under Wireless, select Participate in a WDS network
4. Enter your network name, radio mode, channel, and security
5. Under WDS, select WDS main
6. Check wireless clients
7. Add the MAC address of the router
8. Click update
That's it
Now, if you connect your airport express to your router wirelessly, all the steps are the same except for step 5. In this step, select WDS remote instead. Everything else is the same.
I followed those instructions exactly with my Airport Express and, after restarting, the amber light is flashing on and off continuously and the Airport Utility can't find the Airport Extreme base station. What the heck went wrong here?

Update:
I restarted the laptop I used to set up the AX as well as pushing the "reset" button on the AX (first time - pressed it for 1 second, Second Time - pressed and held for 15 seconds then let go). The Utility still isn't recognizing the base station.
I also upgraded the Utility's software to 5.5.3 right before I went through these steps, and now it's not recognizing the base station. ARGH.
Update #2: I plugged the AX into my laptop with an ethernet cable and the utility STILL can't detect it. This is ridiculous.
Update #3: Not 30 seconds after update #2, it FOUND the **** AX >.< I'm updating the firmware, but I still can't get it to work as a repeater station if I have to plug it into my laptop all the time JUST to get the Utility to recognize that yes, Virginia, there IS an Airport Extreme.
Message was edited by: bleedingrose19

Airport express repeater limitation

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