Connecting Extreme to Express to Express to extend Wireless Network

I am having trouble extending my network with the use of two Expresses connected wirelessly to the extreme. For some reason, even thought the second Express is just across the room from the frist express, it keeps dropping from the network with the error message to check to see if it is still in range etc. I am curious what I might do to prevent it from dropping and if it would help to wire together the two extenders (even though the connection to the Extreme is wireless)?

Have you swapped the two express over.. as one might have low wireless output or receive.. and swapping will show you something.. if the problem remains. the location of the poor unit is just that.. really poor.. if the problem moves with the express then the express itself is the problem.
Wireless can alter dramatically with movement of a device by a few cm.
You need to realise wireless is a 4" (10cm) pipe ( we still buy imperial size pipes!!)
Which is straight as a die from router to client.. if it happens to pass through say a mirror.. that is a sheet of metal.. no wireless gets through. Or if it passes through a very heavy piece of furniture.. much more signal is absorbed.. The 4" pipe idea can help you see what is the problem.. and give you idea to mount things up high.. where the wireless signal goes through much less material.. including the wet meat bags that insist on sitting in the signal path.

Similar Messages

Wired airport express to extend wireless network and connect network printer?

Is it possible to configure and connect an Airport Express via ethernet cable to an Airport Extreme base station in order to extend wireless network AND connect a network printer to it? Here's the deal...The Airport Extreme is directly connected to my DSL modem and the wireless network is working fine in my house, but, the signal does not reach my detached studio/office. I have a Cat5e cable (and phone line, more on this later) run between the two locations and trimmed out. I would like to have wireless access and connect my network printer (Brother HL-2170W, wireless or wired) in my studio, be able to use printer from house also, and still have wireless access in house.
So, ethernet connection from Extreme to Express, USB from Express to Printer, wireless access for all users. Can anyone talk me through how to (re)configure the Express to do this? Do I need to make changes to Extreme configuration also?
JS

Is it possible to configure and connect an Airport Express via ethernet cable to an Airport Extreme base station in order to extend wireless network AND connect a network printer to it?
Yes. Apple's instructions for this are here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4260
Instead of a second AirPort Extreme as illustrated, you will be using the AirPort Express.

I have tryed to connect an AirPort Express to my wireless network. But I alwais get the errocode -4. Can anybody help. I have reset the AirPort Express and updated the software.

I have tryed to connect an AirPort Express to my wireless network. But I alwais get the errocode -4. Can anybody help. I have reset the AirPort Express and updated the software.

The ZyXEL P-2601HN-F1, as you know, is a combination DSL modem & 802.11n wireless router (or gateway device).
For your goal you will want to take a look at this Apple Support article for details on how to configure an AX for iTunes.
If you are still having difficulties with the AX joining the ZyXEL's wireless network, you can try the following:
Temporarily disable wireless encryption.
If you are hidding the SSID, disable that feature.
Change the Mode Select setting to: 802.11g Only
Change the Channel Selection from "Auto" to a set channel, like 1, 6, or 11

Express cant extend wireless network

I have a Airport Exteme which I use as my wireless base-station. For two years I used an Express to extend the network wirelessly. It worked fine but this week it died so I gought a new one.
However I can not wirelessely extend the wireless network using this new Airport Express. It works fine using an ethernet cable but this isnt covnenent. The issue is when I get to the screen that says "Select the Apple wireless device you want to extend. If you are not sure click Identify. If your Apple wireless device is not on the list click Scan Again". The list is empty no matter how many times I hit rescan.
Am I missing something?
Thanks in advance.

Option appears but, I since the old airport is dead, nothing appears in the list.

How to configure Airport Express to Extend Wireless Network

I have an Airport Extreme (AE1) as my wireless router, with two other Airport Extremes (AE2 and AE3) connected to it via ethernet and operating in bridge mode. Together they cover the first floor of my house with wifi, but I want to use an Airport Express (AX1) situated on the second floor to connect wirelessly to AE2 and extend my wifi network to the second floor of my house.
Nothing I have tried has allowed AX1 to extend my wireless network. I'm using the latest Airport utility in Mavericks, and AX1 is the old plug-in type but it's the newer "n" version that is still configurable by Airport Utility. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I almost ALWAYS recommend against wirelessly extending your network. Obviously, I'm unfamiliar with your layout but 3 extremes on the same floor seems like overkill, too, but could make sense depending upon contruction and usage.
In any event -
Adding Wi-Fi base stations when it is unnecessary can reduce Wi-Fi throughput because the Wi-Fi network will require more data management overhead. The network configuration also becomes more complex. In the case of a wirelessly extended network, throughput may be reduced to less than 60 percent of that of a single device.
Risk free test - run some speedtests in the corners then remove an extreme and re-run the tests. Then, buy one of the new tower 'AC' extremes and set it up as your single router and test again. I call this risk free since you have 14 days to return the new 'tower' extreme if you don't want to keep it but its range is THAT much better than the prior gen. You could make this cheaper by buying it from the Apple refurbished store and selling your older extremes.

Using wired Airport Express to extend wireless network

Hello,
I am considering getting an Airport Express to extend my wireless network in a part of my house where it's really weak. The room I want to use it in actually has an Ethernet network drop and it is connected to my Airport Extreme on the other side of the house.
I've looked at the manual, and the only example it gives for extending a network is wireless. Since the network is very weak where I want to use it, I was wondering whether I could use the Ethernet port for the incoming signal. Is that possible?
I have an older AX (the b/g model) that I use in a similar way: it's on an ethernet port, but it broadcasts its own, different (slower, since it's the older model), wi-signal. So I didn't want to do that: I'd like the new unit to be practically transparent and broadcast the same wi-fi as the main signal.
Has anyone else had a similar experience and if so, could you let me know if this is possible?
Thanks!

I was wondering whether I could use the Ethernet port for the incoming signal. Is that possible?
Yes
I'd like the new unit to be practically transparent and broadcast the same wi-fi as the main signal.
Configure the new AirPort Express as follows using AirPort Utility - Manual Setup
Click the Base Station tab located below the row of icons to assign a name to the Express, a device password and adjust Time Zone settings
Click the Wireless tab and configure as follows:
Wireless Mode = Create a wireless network
Wireless Network Name = Exact same name as your AirPort Extreme network
Radio Mode = 802.11n (802.11b/g comatible) is a good general choice
Channel = Automatic
Wireless Security = Exact same setting as the AirPort Extreme network
Wireless Passwrod = Same password as the AirPort Extreme network
Confirm Password
Click the Internet icon
Click the Internet Connect tab
Connect Using = Ethernet
Connection Sharing = Off (Bridge Mode)
Update to save settings and allow the Express to restart
Very important...power down the entire network...all devices....order is not important
Wait a few minutes
Start the modem first and let it run for a few moments by itself
Start the AirPort Exreme the same way
Start the AirPort Express the same way
Start other devices one at a time about a minute apart
You now have what is known as a "roaming" network. Computers will automatically log on to the router with the strongest signal as they "roam" around the house.

Problem using Airport Express to extend wireless network.

I'm trying to extend my wireless network with an Airport Express (brand new, bought last week), but can only seem to do so by connecting it via cat5 to the router, which doesn't actually extend anything. I have a Linksys WRT54GS with DD-WRT, and want to have the Airport Express in a different room so cat5 isn't an option.
I'm using WPA2 Personal security on my network.
I've tried to follow several sets of instructions from these forums and on blogs, but the only things I've been able to do are...
1) connect via cat5, selecting "Create a new network" with the same SSID and such, but it doesn't give me any more range.
2) connect wirelessly selecting "Join an existing network", but that doesn't extend the network at all either, even if I put the AE at the edge of the network now.
Thanks in advance. All I really want to do is access my wireless from the other half of my house.
Zack

It was possible to create a WDS between the older 802.11g AirPort Express and the Linksys WRT-54GS and this (as you know) has been documented on the Internet. However, I do not know of anyone that has been successful doing so with either of the 802.11n generations.
The two methods that you have tried would not work as neither is the proper method to set up a WDS. Please check out the following Apple Support article for more details. If you are successful in setting a WDS between them, please post back your results.

Airport Express wouldn't extend wireless network

Am posting this in case it helps someone else. I have an Airport Extreme set up as a base station and couldn't get an Airport Express to "extend wireless network". I finally found a checkbox in the "Wireless" tab of the "Manually Configure" dialog box for the Extreme that says: "Allow this network to be extended". I could not find this referenced anywhere in Apple documentation, so you have to know to go and check this box. Apologies to the techies if this is a no-brainer, but I only found it by accident. Apple should include a brief paragraph in their wireless troubleshooting guide on extending your network.

When you configure the Express to "join a wireless network" it becomes part of the network so that you can stream AirTunes to the device or use a remote printer connected to the USB port, but it does not provide any additional wireless coverage in this type of configuration.
"Extend a wireless network" does the same thing as above, except the Express will also provide more wireless coverage in the area where it is located.

Extending Wireless Network and Bridging Over Ethernet

Have a TimeCapsule and Airport Basestation at home. Both are currently connected over wireless using the "Extend Wireless Network" feature.
On each of the devices have several laptops, mac minis etc. connected over Ethernet (since wireless insufficient for our high speed data transfers etc.)... Trouble we are having is the speed/connection between both the TC and the AP, so considering to connect them both over Ethernet to improve.
Question is once they are connected over Ethernet, what happens to the "Extend Wireless Network", how does the TC and AP know to either use the wireless or the Ethernet to connect with each other? Does one take precedence over the other?
We want to keep them both on Ethernet and Wireless bridge ideally, so that at opposite ends the wireless network is extended for our iPhones and iPads and all devices connected on Ethernet benefit the speed boost over Ethernet, but just not sure how it will behave, and not sure how to test this scenario....
So asking here instead
Thanks!

It sounds like you might want to configure your base stations into a "roaming network".

How do I know "Roaming Network" is working with Airport Express and Airport Extreme and should I use extended wireless network for third Express?

Attempting to eliminate a dead spot in Wifi coverage [and implement AirPlay] have one Airport Extreme 802.11n and two Airport Express 802.11n's.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4145
The Airport Extreme is of course connected to cable modem and Ethernet switch, and one Airport Express is connected to the Ethernet network. As per instructions for creating a "Roaming Network", Airport Express is set to same SSID, security type, and Password.
Questions:
1. How does the client device know which Airport to connect to? In other words, will it switch to the closer WiFi transmitter automatically? The WiFi reception problem is intermittent in the fringe areas so what I do not want it for it to stick with the more distant Airport Extreme in the basement when the Airport Express which is closer will work better.
2. How can I tell which of the Airports the attached client device is using?
The third Airport Express will be in a third location - I was planning on using it also for expanding coverage but after reading the warnings about performance suffering when purely using WiFi for the expansion in this location ("Wireless Extended Network" without an ethernet connection) I have figured that the single wired Airport Express will be adequate and will use the third Express to do Airplay only.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4259
Question: Can I use this second Airport Express to extend the wireless network via "Extended Wireless Network" while the other two are in "Roaming Netowrk" configuration? Without bogging down??
Mitch

1. How does the client device know which Airport to connect to?
The Mac computer will automatically connect to the wireless access point with the strongest signal...which is probably the closest AirPort. An iPhone or iPad may not do this and will tend to stay connected to one AirPort.
2. How can I tell which of the Airports the attached client device is using?
On a Mac, open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility. Click on one of AirPorts. In the area to the right, locate the AirPort ID and jot that down. Then do the same for your other AirPort.
Move your Mac near one of the AirPorts and log on to the wireless. Hold down the option key on the Mac while you click the fan shaped AirPort icon at the top of the screen. Look for the BSSID. That is the AirPort ID of the device to which you are connected.
If you are close to the "remote" AirPort, and you see the AIrPort ID of the "main" router when you are testing, then you know that the network is not configured correctly.
Can I use this second Airport Express to extend the wireless network via "Extended Wireless Network" while the other two are in "Roaming Netowrk" configuration? Without bogging down??
There will be a modest 10-15% bandwidth loss with the "extend" setup, assuming that the Express is located where it can receive a strong wireless signal from the AirPort to which it is associated. You can avoid the bandwidth loss if the Express is also connected via Ethernet as part of the roaming configuration.

I have installed Airport Extreme on my iMac, but want to extend the wireless network with Airport Express. Everything is fine until I try to select Extend the wireless network. I select Extend Wireless network but have no success. Ideas?

I have installed Airport Extreme on my iMac, but want to extend the wireless to rooms with a weak signal. The internet connection is fine with the basic setup. As soon as I go into Airport Utility to select Extend Wireless Network and fill in what I believe is proper information, I get an error message that Airport Extreme no longer has an IP address, the internet connection is broken, and under Wireless, that there is a wireless network in existence that can't be found. Rebooting the modem only brings the Airport Extreme back to the starting gate so that the internet is once again available. I assumed (naively) that with the All Mac All-the-Time context, adding Airport Express would truly be Plug and Play. I got the plug, but no play. I asked a Comcast technical specialist about it and he said that I needed to reset the Airport Express settings back to their default, factory status. I looked that process up online and found out that the way to do that was to hold down the reset button, then plug Airport Express into the socket and wait for the green light to flash four times. Then wait 45 seconds and the default settings will return. I did all that, only to find out that after the initial flash of green, green never appeared again. I got a fast flashing yellow light, followed by the light going off. Apparently this didn't reset it properly. So, after hours trying to get this system to work, I appeal to someone who can see through this mess and provide the key to success!
highFly376

Let's see if I can get this straight.
You have an Airport Extreme base station that is set to "Create a wireless network" and you have the box checked for "allow this network to be extended"....
Then you have an Airport Express that is set to "Extend a wireless network" which you selected the name of your network in the box...
Correct?
See this Apple document:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4259?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
The wireless unit on the right of the diagram can be either of the newer Apple base stations.
Extreme, Express, Time Capsule

Extend wireless network with Airport Extreme n and Airport Express g

I have a 4th generation Airport Exteme (n) and an older Airport Express (g) and would like to use the Airport Express to extend my network to the other end of my house, where the signal is very weak. When I tried to set it up tonight, my Airport Extreme disappeared all together and I had to do a hard reset to get it back. I am using a macbook pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo running OS X 10.7.2. Are there any current insturctions to do this?

Here's a Youtube video of how to do it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3EdbRfX1_w
I had the same set up you do. I did not have success with the Express g. And in my case I had much better success when I sold the Express g on ebay, bought an Express N from the refurb store, so it only cost around $20 get something that is much more reliable.
I quickly tried to find an Apple Support tech note for you but didn't, post back if you need more.

Airport express stopped extending the network

Hi all,
I have had working an Airport Extreme acting as a wifi base plus an Airport Express to extend the network for more than one year and could receive an excellent wifi coverage all over the appartment.
Recently, I decided to update my laptop OS version (an old Leopard) first to Snow Leopard and immediately after to Lion. After lots of software updates, at some point I begun receiving warnings to update the Extreme firmware. I did so and that same day I realized that the Express was not working as network extender any more. I further got frustrated to see that the latest Airport Utility didn't even "like" my Express and I had to downgrade to Airport Utility 5.6 in order to be able to configure the Express.
This was almost one month ago and I have spent many hours and tried all kind of combinations since then. For instance, I checked that the express was ok by creating with it a new network. This worked perfectly. I also reseted the Express to manufaturing defaults several times. I have even created a full new network from the beginning. Nothing works.
Both devices show green lights, but when I'm close to the Express, the BSSID I get is that of the Extreme, not the Express BSSID. I can see the Express in Airport Utility 6 but it is shown as connected to the Extreme with a dashed line.
I don't know what else to try. The worse thing is that even by buying a new Express I don't get any guarantee that the problem won't persist, since the network extension has worked perfectly in the past and doesn't work any more.
Any ideas are welcome.
Best,
Pedro.

I am starting to think that I have a non-functional device.
That is looking like a possibility.
Try a Factory Default Reset if you have not done so already.
Leave the Express powered off for 15-20 minutes
Hold in the reset button first, and keep holding it for an additional 9-10 seconds while you simultaneously plug the power back into the Express
Release the reset button after the hold period and allow a full minute for the Express to restart to a slow, blinking amber light
Try to configure the Express in the same room as the main router. Restart the main router before you try to configure the Express. If it works, then move it further away....but do not reset it....to see if it will connect and behave.
If you still cannot configure the Express after the Factory Default Reset, I think you have a defective Express.

I am trying to install a second airport express to extend my network. When I use the aiport utility it does not see the second airport express.

I am trying to install a second airport express to extend my network. When I use the aiport utility it does not see the second airport express.

Suggest that you perform a Factory Default Reset as follows:
Pull the Express from power
Wait a few moments
Hold in the reset button and keep holding it an additonal 8-10 seconds while you plug the Express back in to power
Release the reset button and allow 40-45 seconds for the Express to restart
Apple's instructions to do what you want are here:
It will often help to temporarily connect an Ethernet cable from your Mac to the AirPort Express for the setup. Once the Express is configured, you can disconnect the Ethernet cable and move the Express to the desired location.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4259
Although an AirPort Extreme is shown as the extending device in the example, the setup for an AirPort Express is exactly the same

Airport Express as very slow in "extend wireless network" mode

Hi!
I am using a Airport Extreme (fourth generation) as a wireless router and a Airport Express 802.11n in "extend wireless network" mode.
I've set the Airport Extreme mode to 802.11n only - and all devices connect to the Airport Extreme as 802.11n Clients properly.
But as soon as they connect to the Airport Express, they only work in 802.11b/g mode (although they are capable of n)
and the connection is very slow - around 1Mb/s:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/804/bildschirmfoto20111211u.png/
Can i force the Airport Express station to accept only "n" connections to speed up my file tranfers?
Thanks for any help!
matt

Where is the AirPort Express located in relation to the area that needs more wireless coverage?
Ideally, it would be at a point that is about half the distance between the AirPort Extreme and the area that needs more wireless coverage....and....there would be no obstructions like walls and/or ceilings in the signal path....tough to do in most homes, so do the best that you can.
Avoid placing the Express down low on the wall and use an extension cord to get it up as high as possible with a free look into the room.
The Express will normally "extend" what it receives, but you could try the following to see if it helps:
Temporarily, change the Wireless Mode setting on the AirPort Express to "Create a wireless network" and change the Radio Mode to "802.11n only".
(You may have to hold down the option key on your Mac while you click on the Radio Mode selection box to see the "802.11n only" choice). Then change the Wireless Mode back to "Extend a wireless network" and Update.

Connecting Extreme to Express to Express to extend Wireless Network

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