Cannot add AirPort TC to existing wifi network

Tried severla times to add APTC 3 TB (newest release) into existing wifi network using either iPhone or MacBook Air AirPort Utility. It does not work, as I receive an error message "An unexpected error occured. Try again"

It is difficult if you try and do setups Apple does not support.
Connecting to existing wifi network is not supported. You can do it but it is the worst possible setup and definitely to be avoided.
Is it not possible for you to connect to ethernet on a modem or router?
If you must here are instructions to setup "Join a wireless network"
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5719954?tstart=0
If you run into trouble .. take some screenshots and post them.
Be fully aware of what you are doing.. you are taking an expensive unit.. and making it a dumb client.. you lose all advantages of the new Gen5 TC.. you may as well have got a cheap Gen4 from the refurbished store.
No wireless AP and no ethernet ports.. and slow slow wireless double hop backups on whatever your existing wifi is.

Similar Messages

Airport Extreme with Airport Express for extending WiFi Network...

I have had an iMac for quite a few years now and never needed WiFi until this week. I purchased a Macbook Air, an Airport Extreme and an Airport Express over the last 24 hrs. I opened the Airport Extreme first and followed the somewhat easy installation procedures. My iMac is wired via Ethernet cable to my Airport Extreme. The Airport Extreme is connected to a Motorola Cable Modem using Time-Warner. I also happen to have a Verizon Network Extender connected via Ethernet cable to the Airport Extreme. The spot where I most frequently would be using the Macbook Air, is about as far away from my iMac and Airport Extreme Base Network Router as you could be. The WiFi works, shows only one bar on the Airport icon. Consequently I want to plug my Airport Express in near this location to give me a better WiFi signal (and thus perhaps faster performance). I have read both the Airport Express Manual and the Airport Extreme Manual but neither talks all that much about the network extension function with the exception of connecting a stereo to an existing WiFi network. I am wondering what the specific steps are to add the Airport Express as a Network Extender. I also wonder if my Macbook Air will be able to access my iMac as the iMac is connected via Ethernet to the Airport Extreme vs. using the Airport Network. Any help will be most appreciated.

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.

Extend existing wifi network?

Can the airport express extend an existing wifi network?
I am looking for a portable wifi router that I can use while traveling. I would like to be able to provide acces for my IPad to wired networks and extend a wireless network in the event of a poor hotel signal.
I have found many travel routers with these capabilities but most cannot be configured using only an iPad!
Any suggestions appreciated.
Willie

Can the airport express extend an existing wifi network?
The AirPort Express can only "extend" a WiFi network that is produced by another Apple router....an AirPort Extreme, Time Capsule or another AirPort Express.
So, the chances of an AirPort Express extending any given network while you are traveling would be just about zero.
If the hotel has an Ethernet port, it is possible to connect the Express that way and have it produce your own private network in the room.

TC to extend existing wifi network

Hi there,
how can I use my TC to extend my existing wifi network (provided from a wireless N VDSL-2 router? I tried to put TC in bridge mode (extend wireless network) but got the reply "The network you selected can not be extended"...
Help please ! ;-)
Chris

Hi Bob,
My router is near the entrance door as it needs to be plugged in the telephone master socket there.
Initially, I placed a short ethernet cable between the router and the TC which was placed right next to the router. I set up the TC to create a seperate wifi network. The signal strength in the rooms furthest away was similarly weak/insufficient in the two wifi's.
Now, I plan to place a second unit half way. Unfortunately, due to local circumstances, this will need to be slightly nearer to the entrance hall than to the rooms furthest away. Hence the question which unit (Airport express or extreme base station) will provide the strongest signal?
In the new configuration I would plan to no longer use my old router; instead I would use the TC and a new unit...
Should I leave the TC near the entrance or place the TC in the middle of the house...
Many thanks for your help.
c

HT201945 How do I use my time capsule on an existing WIFI network?

How do I use my Time Capsule on an existing WIFI network?

Use an Ethernet cable to connect from one of the LAN <--> ports on your existing wireless router to the WAN "O" port on the Time Capsule and then use the setup "wizard" on your Mac to configure the Time Capsule.
It will suggest that you set up the Time Capsule to create a new wireless network. If you don't want or need another wireless network, you can turn off the wireless function of the Time Capsule and use it as wired hard drive only.
Leave the Ethernet cable connected at all times. If you need to locate the Time Capsule in a different area, you can put it anywhere that the Ethernet cable will reach up to about 330 feet or 100 meters.
The only exception to using an Ethernet cable would be if your existing wireless network is provided by another Apple router. Then.....you would have the option to have the Time Capsule connect using wireless and extend the network, although using a wired connection would still be the better way to go in terms of performance.

How to set up TimeCapsule (4th) to create own private (wired) network behind Airport Express (5th) that is set up to join existing wifi-network of fritz adsl modem/router?

I work in an office building with free Wifi to connect to the Internet. I want to be able to use this internetconnection, but at the same time I want to shield of my own wired network.
I've made the following configuration:
- fritz adsl modem / router
- Airport Extreme (5th gen) set up to join existing wireless network (green light, works)
- Lan-cable from lan-port AE to wan-port TC (4th gen)
- Lan-cable from TC to Mac
- Lan-cable from TC to Printer
When I set my TC (network-settings) in bridge-mode everything works fine, but my Mac and Printer get an IP-address from the fritz modem / router and are visible to others.
I tried to set TC in NAT/DHCP-mode, but then I get the error message that I should set a static IP-adress for TC. When I set TC in DHCP-mode, it looses connection to the AE. I'm not sure what to do now. Does anyone know how to set up my TC and create my own private network and still be able to get on the internet?

Hajenius wrote:
Is there a better alternative? I'd rather not want to reset my TC every day.
You are using free internet.. so there is a price to pay.. that is convenience and non-ideal network setup.
The better alternative is to pay for your own connection. Then you are completely free of the possibility of others in the bullding seeing your connection. (as long as you secure the wireless).
But I think you are probably over worrying about public wifi.. if it is setup right.. ask the building admins.. it should be setup so each user cannot see another users connection. This is typical for most wifi setup and simply means you can see internet connection but nobody else on the connection. ie other wireless users.
Having a router with NAT makes it then more secure again and allows clients on your own network to interact with each other. But you can setup wireless to the free wifi for every client.. (depending on how many IP you are allowed).. and run a secondary network without internet access. This is easy for desktop etc where you have a wireless and a wired connection but less convenient for mobile devices.. unless you use a cloud connection and each client can link and share via that.
Have I made the explanation worse??
Think of it this way.. if you had 3 laptops.. all 3 could connect to the internet from the building wifi.. but they cannot talk to each other or share resources in local office. You can put resources out in the cloud, that can be shared.. but that adds traffic and most free services are not fast.
Now you can also plug all three into Time Capsule by ethernet.. and share local resources. Files, printers backup etc. This network is not connected to the internet at all. Each laptop has internet via free wifi and local connection.
For devices like iphones that have no ethernet or other method.. you could use local wireless and public wireless.. but in turns.. still the only advantage is less issues with double NAT.. if that causes problems.. then this is an alternative.

Using airport time capsule to create an internet connected network from pre existing wifi network

i bought an airport time capsule for college. I bought it to create a network for my dorm room so that I could take the pre existing wifi from the school and make my own mini network that I can hook my other stuff up to. Problem is that I don't have an ethernet hook up in my room so the network would have to be created from a wifi network rather that a ethernet hook up. Is this still possible? Alternate suggestions? I am afraid of either the college network blocking users from communication with other devices via the wifi, or the fact that my printer would be on a huge network for all to screw with.

Is this still possible?
NO, it won't work. Apple only works with apple.
Alternate suggestions?
I am sure your college has rules about not running your own wifi networks.. but anyway.. that is up to you.. the Apple TC cannot turn off 2.4ghz which would be handy.. so the only way to do this following the rules is ethernet. You can run a full network standalone on ethernet. And still use wireless for internet.
If you want to use wireless standalone this is also possible but you need to connect a second wifi USB dongle your Mac so you can have two networks at once.. You can use an express to connect to the college wireless and bridge that to the TC by ethernet.. then use the TC to create your own network.. since you cannot turn off 2.4ghz I guess how long the College IT people take to track you down should be hours. If you could just use 5ghz it would probably be ok.

How do I connect my existing wifi network to a new Airport network?

Right now I have two wifi networks. The one that connects to the Internet and one that's for AirPlay and has no Internet connection. How do I connect the two? The desired outcome would be to have one network that connected to the Internet and also could connect to my Airport. Please help! Thanks!

Is the wireless network for Internet access provided by another AirPort (Express, Extreme, or Time Capsule) router?

Using Airport Express as separate wifi network vs extender with Time Capsule?

Hello all. I recently converted my home computer network from Windows/PC based to an iMac with Time Capsule. On my previous setup, I had a Cisco/Linksys router with wifi, and I also had two Airport Expresses in separate areas of the house where the Linksys had a weak signal. Obviously, I had the Airport Expresses set up as "separate" wifi networks, as they could not be used as network extenders with the Linksys. This setup seemed to work really good, as the 3 wifi networks provided good blanket coverage in all parts of the house. Each network also seemed to "hand-off" to the other pretty well, meaning that Airport Express 1 would show as the active network when you moved far enough away from the Linksys (or insert any of the network names here, even though I'm pretty sure that the device accessing the network has more to do with this than the networks themselves). In particular, the speeds that I got from the Airport Expresses actually eclipsed the speeds that I would get from the Linksys wifi.
My issue is that after I converted everything, I left the Airport Expresses as "separate networks" and essentially removed the Linksys/Cisco router and replaced it with the Time Capsule. So I still have 3 separate wifi networks, just like before, with the Time Capsule network taking the place of the Linksys wifi network. While the Linksys and the Airport Expresses seemed to co-exist together nicely, I get the feeling that the TC and the AEs are somehow working against each other or at least competing with each other for bandwidth. For example, if I have my iPhone right beside my iMac and TC, and I run a speed test on the iPhone using the TC wifi network, I get download and upload speeds in the range that I am expecting (30-40 mbps download). However, when I walk down the hallway to the other end of the house, the TC tends to remain the dominant wifi network, even when I am in the same room with one of the AEs (this is where they used to "hand off" nicely between networks). When you run a speed test in this location still on the TC wifi, the speed drops down to 5-7 mbps, and worse, I believe the signal becomes inconsistent because webpages and data often seem to be freezing in the middle of downloading. I understand that the distance from the TC is causing this, because my solution has been to manually switch from the TC to the closest AE, and that fixes the issue. Run a speed test after I manually switch to the closest AE when I am in the same room as an AE, and the speeds pop back up to 30-40 mbps.
My question is this: would switching the AEs to "extenders" of the TC wifi network help this issue? Honestly, my laziness was one reason that I did not do this when I setup the TC initially, because I have several devices that access the AE wifi networks that I'd have to update with the new network name and password. Everything was working great before, and I just didn't want to upset the apple cart. But if I have created an unfriendly environment between the TC and the two AEs, I certainly have no problem making the change now. I just wasn't sure if making this change would fix my problem or not. I know it's a mundane thing, but I'd like to be able to roam the house without continuously having to manually switch between wifi networks to get a consistent signal.
Sorry if this is a simple issue. I am admittedly a newbie with the TC and its interaction with the AEs.
Thanks in advance!!

It is not a simple issue.
Exactly which method works best is going to take some experimentation.
The way you are trying to set it up as a roaming network is generally considered the best.. but the devices like iphones do not hand off neatly.
It is interesting that they in fact used to hand off better using the Linksys.. which could be due to its poorer range. The new TC having so much better range is causing the phones to not swap "towers" to the local express.
Test it with a Mac laptop.. as generally they do hand off better.
I cannot quite figure out if you are using roaming correctly. All the wireless should have identical names, with identical security setting and passwords.
The only thing that should be different is wireless channels on each item. And you are likely just using auto anyway.
So each device is creating a wireless network. And for 2.4ghz one should be channel 1, then another channel 6 and another channel 11. For 5ghz it will be same idea but there are more channels available.
When you extend wireless, everything runs the same channel. But the wireless speed is reduced. You must disconnect ethernet to each of the expresses.. and the problem is your 30-40mbps will reduce permanently to 15-20mbps for all clients. So take your choice.. 15-20mbps for all clients forced to double hop is better than 5-7mbps which you experience now when you walk around.. although I am not sure how much browsing you do whilst walking. You may need to compromise which is the better out of several not great alternatives.
I would have a test.. which is wrong btw.. but I have heard that it works.
In your roaming network at the present time. Try setting each router to a manual wireless channel.. and fix all of them the same. So for instance, set 2.4ghz to channel 11. Try fixing the 5ghz as well, say the TC is defaulting to 149, it might not actually respond to manual wireless channels.. you will need to test this.. say set to 36 or 40 and see if the TC is actually changed.. if not just set all the expresses to 149 as well. What you are doing is trying to reinforce the wireless in each area.. but this is actually wrong. So all will have same wireless name and same security wpa2 personal is the only valid one.. and all the same password.
Test with a few clients and see if the results give you decent local speeds as well as better roaming.. once you decide which to do, then you will need to change all the clients.

Connect Time Capsule to existing wifi network

Hi,
I've just moved into an apartment which supplies a wifi connection. I have several devices and want to create my own internal network but using the supplied wifi. There isn't a router to connect the TC to so is it possible to connect the TC to the existing WiFi and then create a network which my other devices can connect to?

is it possible to connect the TC to the existing WiFi and then create a network which my other devices can connect to?
No, not unless you add another hardware device like an AirPort Express that will first "join" the existing wireless network and then provide an Ethernet connection to the Time Capsule, which will create the wireless network.
This is an "iffy" type of setup in that it may work in some installations and not others. The bottom line unfortunately is that you will not know if it will work in your home until you try it out in your home, so you might want to understand the store's return policies before you buy.

I'm trying to extend my wifi network with time capsule but it can't find the existing wifi network

I'm trying to extend my wifi network with time capsule but it can't find the existing BT wifi network even though it is there with a good signal strength. The Time Capsule is connected to a Netgear router via ethernet.

You will need to start over on the setup of the Time Capsule as follows:
Disconnect any Ethernet cables that might be connected to the Time Capsule, but leave it powered on
Hold in the reset button on the back of the Time Capsule for 8-10 seconds and release. The reset button is located next to the AC power socket.
Allow a full minute for the Time Capsule to restart to a slow, blinking amber light
Connect the Ethernet cable from a LAN <--> port on the Netgear to the WAN "O" port on the Time Capsule. The Ethernet cable must remain connected at all times.
Click the WiFi icon at the top of the Mac's screen
Look for a setting of New AirPort Base Station
Click on Time Capsule
The example below shows an AirPort Express. You will see Time Capsule on your screen.
That will get the setup wizard going. It will take a minute to analyze the settings, then display a screen that looks like this, except you will see a picture of the Time Capsule
Network Name..........Type in the exact name that the Netgear wireless is using
Base Station.............Type in a name that you want to call the Time Capsule. Use something short and simple. Mine is TC, for example
Password..................Type in the exact password that the Netgear wireless requires
Verify.........................Verify the Password again
Click Next
The setup wizard will configure everything for you automatically. When you see the message of Setup Complete, click Done.
That's it. Now you have one big "extended" network. Technically, this is called a "roaming" network.

MacBook wont join existing WiFi network??

My MacBook wont join an existing, working WiFi network - I keep getting "timeout" errors even though I am entering the correct WPA - can anybody please help me figure out why??
thank you

First contact your ISP. You need to confirm that the issue is not on their end.
Change your router channel. Sometimes this is all you will have to do.
Power cycling the router. Read the router's user manual or contact their tech support for instructions.
System Preferences/Internet & Network/Network
Unlock the padlock
Locations: Automatic
Highlight Airport
Click the Assist Me button
In the popup window click the Diagnostic button.
System Preferences/Network- Unlock padlock. Highlight Airport. Network Name-select your name. Click on the Advanced button. Airport/Preferred Networks-delete all that is not your network.
Place a check mark next to "Remember networks this computer has joined." Click the OK button and lock the padlock. Restart your computer.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1920 Mac OS: How to release and renew a DHCP lease
No internet connection (wireless)
Check to see if an extra entry is present in the DNS Tab for your wireless connection (System Preferences/Network/Airport/Advanced/DNS).
Delete all extra entries that you find.
Place a check mark next to "Remember networks this computer has joined."
Other resources to check into:
Troubleshooting Wi-Fi issues in OS X Lion and Mac OS X v10.6
Non-responsive DNS server or invalid DNS configuration can cause long delay before webpages load
Netspot
How to diagnose and resolve Wi-Fi slow-downs
Pv6 troubleshooting
Mac OS X 10.6 Help: Solving problems with connecting to the Internet
What Affects Wireless Internet?
Solutions for connecting to the Internet, setting up a small network, and troubleshooting
If using one of Apple's Airport routers, read its user manual or post in its forum area. If using a 3rd party router, read its user manual, contact their tech support department/website or post in its forum area. Another possible solution - read mammothsuziq response https://discussions.apple.com/message/22082360#22082360

How to Connect Airport Express to Existing Wireless Network (Client Mode)

I am posting this for everyone tearing their hair out trying to connect the Airport Express to your own existing home wireless network. After spending 2 hours last night installing this on my father-in-law's home network, I hope to be able to save someone else the agony we went through.
So here's the situation:
Say you already have your own home network set up, and all you want is to be able to use AirTunes to play music off iTunes into your speaker system. And, you don't need the printer sharing capability nor creation of another wireless network (2 of the features of Airport Express). Then this solution is for you - read on.
Unfortunately, Apple's user manual is very unclear how to connect Airport Express to your own network. When you look at the picture diagram they provide, they show Airport Express picking up its signal from another Apple-oriented base. This can make you think you need to buy another piece of hardware to make it work. DON'T If you read through the manual, the Support section here, etc., you will hear lots of talk about "Client Mode" - and that this is the only way to get it to work. Nice - but no one really tells you how to set up the Airport in client mode.
Do yourself a favor, toss that user manual aside and run these steps.
(Note: These directions assume your DSL/Cable Modem is hooked up to a wireless router or acts as its own wireless router)
1. Get a cat5 Ethernet cable (anything but an orange cable - that's a crossover cable) like you would use to connect your PC to your router to pick up the Internet.
2. Connect the Ethernet cable to the router on one end, and to the Airport Express unit on the other end.
3. Plug in your Airport Express unit to the wall (this will not necessarily become its permanent location - you will be able to move it later). The light will glow solid Amber for about 30-45 seconds while it starts up, then blink Amber. At this point, the unit is ready to operate.
4. Install the CD to the PC where your iTunes music is stored. This should be painless. Once you open the program, it should detect the Airport unit.
5. At this point, the on-screen wizard will present you with your options, and walk you through the setup. This is much like the user manual describes - and you should be good to go form here forward.
Some pointers:
- When asked if you want to create a new network, join an existing network, or connect via Ethernet, choose the middle option for joining an existing network. You will need to know the name of your network, the password to connect to the network (if present), and the type of encryption used on the network (e.g. WEP, WPA, etc.). Side note, WPA is recommended, as it is a higher level of security than WEP. You will be able to configure the Airport Express unit to automatically login to your network.
- I would recommend, when creating a password for the Airport Express unit, use the same password as your network, to avoid confusion.
6. The very last step will ask you to save the settings to the Airport Express. Here's the kicker - when you save the settings, you are TRICKING the Airport Express into no longer acting as a network broadcaster, but instead being a "slave" to your own network. What do I mean? You will lose the connection from your PC to the Airport Express - an error message will pop up telling you the unit can no longer be found. While you might think you did something wrong, you actually were successful!
7. Unplug your Airport Express, and disconnect the Ethernet cable from your router and the Airport unit. This will no longer be needed.
8. Go to your desired location where you want to plug in your Airport Express unit. Before plugging it in, connect your Audio cable from the Airport Express to your audio receiver. Once that is connected, then plug in the Airport Express unit. The light will glow solid Amber for 30-45 seconds while it loads, and then will blink Amber for a brief period of time before turning solid GREEN. When this happens, you have successfully connected the Airport Express to your home network!
9. Go back to your PC with iTunes. Open the Airport software - you should now have a listing for your Airport Express unit in the upper left. Click on this, and the wizard will guide you through connecting - you will need the password you created for the unit. You only need to go through this wizard once, and when finished, the software will tell you that can now use iTunes with your Airport unit.
10. Open iTunes. On the lower right, you will see a dropdown for Speakers, and it should be defaulted to My Computer. Click on that drop-down, and you will see the name of your Airport unit. Click on that name, and now your music will broadcast to the Airport unit!
11. Play a song in iTunes. Go to your audio receiver, and connect it to the channel for your external connection to the Airport Express unit. You should hear your music from iTunes. CONGRATULATIONS! =)
I hope these instructions were helpful - I am happy to answer any questions, so feel free to contact me, *******************@*****.**.
<Edited by Moderator>

Thanks for the detailed directions. You are absolutely correct in stating that people should toss the user manual; it's pretty worthless. I have had a problem setting up my new Airport Express as I have described in an earlier post - http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1839873&tstart=45
One quick question - does using your setup process set the AE up as part of a distributed network where the AE is acting as a wireless router where it is extending the range of your network? Or, is it simply a wireless connection to your stereo for iTunes? I am interested in having both, since my AE will be at the other end of the house from the main wireless router.
Thanks

Disks not avialable and cannot add new disks to existing pools

I have a few disks that are RAW and I want to add them to existing pools. However, only 1 disk shows up as a Primordial disk and the others do not. I cannot add these drives to a new volume and when I try to add any drive to an existing
pool, the add disk option is greyed out. I have search everywhere to resolve this but no luck.
What is interesting is one of the drives that shows available for a volume is the drive I have associated to backing up the OS on the server itself and is initialized, i.e. not RAW.

Hi,
Please try to run the following commands in PowerShell to obtain the information about disks:
Get-physicaldisk
Get-disk
In additional, the physical disk added to a storage pool must be 4GB or larger. If the space is less 4GB, the disk will not appear in the storage pool window.
For more information, please refer to the thread below:
Storage Pool in WS2012
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsserver/en-US/d230ef80-8791-4eaf-84b5-a41b8f7fef10/storage-pool-in-ws2012?forum=winserver8gen
Best Regards,
Mandy
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Dell and Windows xp cannot add Airport Extreme

I got this Dell 6400 from my last job. (would have preferred a mac)
I've got a an Airport Extreme as my wifi and have an Airport Express for my stereo. Problem: Can't choose multiple speakers in iTunes - been through the airport utility, have no security, nor firewalls, but when I go to choose to "join network"...the one I have on the airport is not seen.
The unit is working, just can't get both to join up. argh.

Welcome to the discussions forums seakerman.
Most Windows problems are due to wireless security or firewalls, but you addressed that. So, I was at a loss to explain but I'm wondering if the following (bold face) is a clue:
but when I go to choose to "join network"...*the one I have on the airport* is not seen.
The Express and Extreme need to be on the same network. Are they?

Cannot add AirPort TC to existing wifi network

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