Creating an extended network with another base station

I bought the new 802.11n because I wanted to extend my network into another area where it is getting a weaker signal. I set up the new one as the main one, and selected "extend the network" - then I had my old one (only a few months old) "join the network".
Is it boosting the signal in a new area? The computer there still shows just as weak of a signal as before. The remote base station is about center between the new base station and the computer.

Nevermind.. I changed it to "extend the network" and it works much better.

Similar Messages

Designing a network with 6 base stations and an Access control lists

I have 6 airport extreme (802.11n) base stations setup in my studio.
I'm a little concerned about security as they're all setup individually (wireless mode: Create a wireless network) with the same Network names (mystudio) and WPA/WPA2 personal password so my roaming users don't have to keep entering passwords / experience dropouts etc
i have lots of freelancers who are in and out of the studio and there isn't anyway for me to monitor who is currently connected to my wifi network.
i'd like to setup a wireless network that only allows you to connect to the WIFI network only if your MAC address is on the access control list.
is this possible with Apple Airport extreme base stations or would it be a better idea for me to invest in a 3rd party product?
all the base station are connected to an Ethernet point and have static IP's assigned to them.
whats the best way to deploy such a solution;should i keep the setting as they are and manually enter the mac address for 30 portable machines on each base station or is there a more pragmatic solution...
any help / input would be much appreciated.
Thank You

When employing Access Control in a roaming network configuration, the MAC addresses would be required to be entered atr each of the base stations ... as there is no means (unfortunately) to have them "automatically" migrate amongst them.
However, one important thing to note. Only wireless security, using WPA or WPA2, will actually secure the wireless network. MAC addresses can easily be spoofed. Someone, determined to do so, can still access your network ... even if secured by Access Control.

Extending a WiFi network...with another base station? P.S. - I'm an idiot

So my mother has a large house and just bought an Airport Extreme, but it is difficult to get a signal in some corners of the house. I bought one for my house, as well, which means that my old Airport Base Station is sitting idle. I want to take my older base station to her house to extend her network. I have gone to the support pages, but I am thoroughly confused with all the setups. Can someone break it down for like you would for a child? Thanks much!~

Just to be sure you get the right set of instructions, what is the exact model of the "older" AirPort base station that you have? Will you be using a Mac or a PC to setup & administer both base stations? What version of operating system will it be running?

Creating and Extended Network with 2 Airport Express Units

I had an extended network using 2 express units but one of them broke. The old network was setup with an older version of Airport Utility and I can't seem to repeat the set up a new network with the new express unit I have bought.
The simple setup procedure using Airport Utility 5.5.1 only appears to allow you to 'join' the remote Express unit to an existing network, there is no 'extend remotely' option.
I remember doing it last time by creating a WDS network which agrees with instructions I have found here - http://broadcast.oreilly.com/2009/03/taming-an-airport-express-wds.html
I set up the first Express as a base station with a network and select 'Participate in a WDS network' and 'Allow this network to be extended' under the wireless tab. Under the WDS tab I 'Allow wireless clients' and add the hardware address of the second express unit.
I then update the express unit but I get a WDS error which states, "This Airport wireless device is set up as part of a WDS network but no other AirPort wireless devices were found."
This seems to be a chicken and egg situation.
Any help would be appreciated.
Alan

Alan, welcome to the discussions!
It appears that you want to set up a WDS arrangment, correct?
But, I can't figure out whether you want to configure it with a "base" and two "remotes", or whether you want to configure it with a "base", "relay" and "remote"
Can you clarify? I'll send you a link with instructions from forum expert user Tesserax with step by step instructions. Just need to know what set of instructions to send.

Can I create an extended network with a brand new TC and 2 first gen. AE units?

I purchased a TC 2TB yesterday and replaced my non apple router with the TC. I have 2 older AE units that I suspect to be first generation. TC is in basement and I have placed AE in garage where I spend most of my time. Signal in garage is weak and lags. Air tunes off of AE in garage connected to boom box works fine. I run AirTunes from 3 iPhones, iPod touch, and 2 iPads with no problems. The options in manual setup for the AE don't offer make this an extended network, I suspect because they are too old? I don't want to create a WDS network and sacrifice the bandwidth. My main machine is an iMac 27 that is one year old, this is in the kitchen pretty much midway between the TC and the AE in the garage, if that makes any difference?
Any help is greatly appreciated.

The options in manual setup for the AE don't offer make this an extended network, I suspect because they are too old?
Please take a look at the faint print on the side of both AirPort Express (AX) devices that you have to identify the Model No.
You will need # A 1264 to do what you want. If you have # A 1084 or similar, the devices that you have are not compatible with the "extend a wireless network" setup.
What are your findings?

Wired extended network, amber on base station

Airport Time Capsule as base station, connected to cable modem.
Airport Extreme wired as extender
[Internet]
             |
         [Base]●
             |
[Extreme]
I used the network utility to set it up and all is as I expected except the base station has an amber● light.
●status: double NAT
it recommends bridge mode.
setting bridge mode no longer uses the extreme as an extension but rather a separate router.
[Internet]
     __ |________
    |                     |
[Extreme] [Base]
1) does it matter if it is set up as a separate router?
2) or in original configuration, does the double NAT matter?

it recommends bridge mode
For good reason.
setting bridge mode no longer uses the extreme as an extension but rather a separate router.
No, you have things reversed. Bridge Mode turns off the routing services, so the AirPort cannot act as a separate router.
Are you using Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, or Yosemite? Or, do you have an iPad or iPhone handy?
If yes, I suggest that start over with the setup of the AirPort Extreme and use Apple's configuration "wizard" to set things up. It will automatically extend the Time Capsule network through the Extreme, and choose the correct settings for you. So, you see a nice green light.
Post back if you want to do this.

I'm trying to create an extended network with a ZyXEL

Recently bought a cheap ZyXEL for the back bedroom so that I can use it as a bridge/access point. I have the Time Machine set up as a WDS Main, but I can't find a place for pins, push button, etc. How do I get it to connect to the Time Machine? Here's the ZyXEL's manual if it will help. And, since it can't find any other base stations, it is amber, although I can still get online, no problem. Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

Steven Richason wrote:
They are pre-n, but still n. Thanks!
Not pre-N (which is a mimo G quasi standard) rather draft N.. and draft N and full conforming N work fine together. The full acceptance of N took a while but draft products like all the wireless cards in the earlier Laptops work just fine with later airport products as earlier ones.
Ethernet over Power (EOP) adpaters are a good alternative to wireless. Any double hopping wireless causes terrible slowness (less than half the speed) and increased latency. The EOP are pretty much consumer items now and work easily in most houses.. although they usually need to be plugged directly to the power point. They cannot work on a power board due to the 10A breaker.. or whatever it has in your Country. A simple double adapter should work.

HT4259 Trying to set up airport express to extend my wireless network. Primary base station is a time capsule. Even when I plug in the airport express to mac it cannot find it.

Trying to set up airport express to extend my Wi-Fi network. Primary base station is a time capsule. Tried searching for airport express using Wi-Fi status, no luck. Even tried plugging airport express into iMac, still no luck. Airport express showing solid amber light. Thanks for any help.

Airport express showing solid amber light
Unfortunately, this can mean one of two things:
1) The Express is locked up and will need a Factory Default Reset procedure to try to return the device back to its original default settings so that it can be reconfigured again.
2) The Express is defective. If you cannot get the Express back to a slow, blinking amber light after a Factory Default Reset, the Express will need to be replaced.
Try the Factory Default Reset a few times and report back on your progress.
Resetting an AirPort Base Station or Time Capsule FAQ

Is it possible to share networks with another mac (MacBook)?

Is it possible to share networks with another mac (MacBook)?
I want to be able to create a document on my computer and save it on both my MacBook Pro and another MacBook. Also, I want to be able to open documents saved only on the MacBook on my MacBook Pro. Is that possible on the same wirelss?
Thank you!

You would not want to use ad hoc networking if you also need to access the internet. I'm not even sure it is possible.
How are you accessing the internet from these Macs now? If you have a wifi (or wired) network that you both access in your work location, you should be able to use File Sharing across that network, so you shouldn't need the ad hoc network.
Some general observations:
You'll need a plan for how to keep straight which Mac holds the most current version of a file. That should probably be to keep each file in only one place (your Mac, the other Mac, a local file server, a cloud server). Even in our home, with one person doing most of the file accessing, I find a central location works best for this; in my case, that's a desktop system that stays on all the time, but a disk attached to my AirPort Extreme base station, a Time Capsule, or a NAS would serve.
If you make use of the portability of the MacBook[Pro]s to work in different locations, you'll also need a plan that includes that working away from the main work location. If you often work with common files while away from your main work location, a cloud solution may be best even with just two of you. Depending on the size of your files, one of the free cloud solutions may suffice; most offer paid expansion as your needs grow.

Having trouble with Airport Base Station

Hello,
I am having a problem with getting a base station configured correctly. I am new with working on Apple networks. Currently, there is a communication problem between one of the base stations and the network. I cannot get an Internet connection. One question that I have is if I reset the base station, does it automaticallly go to a default IP address? I keep seeing a 10.0.1.1 address, but I believe that this address is assigned to another base station that is on another floor of the building.
I have gone into the airport setup manager and have tried to set up the base station from there without having success. Do you have any suggestions on how I can set up this base station to get Internet connection?
I see another base station listed on the server that I did not see before, but I'm not sure if this is the correct base station since it has a different IP address. I'd appreciate any help you could provide on this issue.
Thanks

One question that I have is if I reset the base station, does it automaticallly go to a default IP address? I keep seeing a 10.0.1.1 address, but I believe that this address is assigned to another base station that is on another floor of the building.
Yes, if you perform a reset on the AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBS), it will default to 10.0.1.1.
I have gone into the airport setup manager and have tried to set up the base station from there without having success. Do you have any suggestions on how I can set up this base station to get Internet connection?
Try connecting directly, using an Ethernet cable, to the AEBS you want to setup.
I see another base station listed on the server that I did not see before, but I'm not sure if this is the correct base station since it has a different IP address. I'd appreciate any help you could provide on this issue.
To set up multiple base stations, you will want to use the AirPort Management Utility, which is part of AirPort Management Tools. But, more importantly, what is the desired network that you are trying to achieve? You can connect additional AEBSs to extend the range of a wireless network, either wirelessly or via Ethernet. When done wirelessly, this is known as Wireless Distribution System (WDS); as wired, it called Roaming.
It sounds like your building has a wired network and that your are using AEBSs at multiple locations throughout the building, but all connected to the building's Ethernet network...correct? This would be a roaming configuration. If this is true, then:
- Each AEBS would have it's LAN port connected to the building's Ethernet ports on the same subnet.
- Each AEBS would have a unique Base Station Name.
- All AEBSs would have the same Network Name and Password.
- Each of the AEBSs would be set up as bridges

IMac doesn't detect the base station correctly (with new base station)

I have a brand new Airport Express. I'm trying to connect to my iMac G5. Everything works fine in the start up with getting the green light on the Express base station. But, my iMac doesn't "connect" with the base station.
I try the "Airport Setup Assistant" and get a window that says "No new Airport networks were found."
I look at the "pie" at the top of the iMac screen. It has the white and black stripes on it. I click it and find "Apple Network e3fec9" and select it. The signal level shown has all blue buttons. That window also reports "Status: Connected to 'Apple Network e3fec9'" and "Base Station ID:00:19:E3:E3:FE:C9". That's what makes me think that my problem must be in the iMac and not the base station.
I had also tried my Dell laptop (from work) and found that it found the internet network. It detected the "local host" and "Apple Network" and the signal strength was very good (~90% or so). The only problem was that the laptop thought it needed to recreate an IP address before it could connect to the internet. I didn't do that, since I saw it was detecting the network.
Please help. Why should this be so hard?
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.9) none

I'm confused. You say you're connected to "Apple Network e3fec9", and you're having trouble connecting your iMac? It sounds like you've managed to connect to your Airport Base Station.
Have you configured the Internet settings for the base station? Try this:
1. Launch Airport Admin Utility (in /Applications/Utilities/) select "Apple Network e3fec9" and click Configure.
2. Under the Airport tab, give the base station a name, click the Base Station Options… button, and make sure Enable Ethernet Port is checked.
3. Select Create a Wireless Network (Home Router) if it isn't already selected, give your network a name, and check Create a closed network
4.Click the Wireless Security button and set it to WPA Personal, and enter a password.
5. Under the Internet tab, set Connect Using: to Ethernet, and in the Configure dropdown, select Using DHCP
6. Click the Access Control tab and click the plus button on the right side of the window. In the panel that pops up, click the This Computer button.
7. Click Update
I'm hoping it's something simple, like Enable Ethernet Port wasn't checked or something, and not something more serious.
Hope it helps.
Rob
17 iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.2)
17 iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.2)
17 iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.2)
17 iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.2)

I have an Airport Extreme Base Station and have recently upgraded to Mountain Lion. Now airport utility won't work with my base station so I bought a Time Capsule. For the life of me I can't make the substitution work and only see a blinking amber light.

I have an Airport Extreme Base Station and have recently upgraded to Mountain Lion. Now airport utility won't work with my base station so I bought a Time Capsule. For the life of me I can't make the substitution work and only see a blinking amber light. Can anyone who has made this change offer some advice?

apikoros wrote:
The Utility transferred all of the AE's settings, so I still have to change the password, which leaves me with only 2 other questions, I think:
1) I assume it's just a matter of using the Utility, entering a stronger password and checking for it to be remembered in Keychain Access. But do I have to change the password for each individual unit-- the TC, the Extreme and both Expresses-- or will changing it just for the TC alone work for the entire network?
Resetting the password you will need to do for each device... the utility cannot even see those old units.
So you will have to do it for each one.. think it through.. because as you change passwords the others will lose connection.. so start from the express which are wireless extending .. change those first.. and go back up the chain.. as each one changes it will drop off the network.. until you reach extreme and change that. Then you might need to reboot the whole network to get everything talking again. If something goes wrong.. just pluck that one out of the mix and plug in ethernet.. reset and redo the setup. That is my preferred method anyway.. do everything in isolation one by one. By ethernet and then nothing goes wrong.
2) Who's the treasonous SOB who spilled the beans to you about the ICBM in my back yard?!?
N.Korean hackers.
[Edit] Whoops-- one more question: I want to partition the TC's disk, but Disk Utility doesn't see it. What do I need to do?
You cannot partition a network disk. And apple provided no tools for it in the TC itself. You can pull the disk out and partition it but that voids your warranty. (although done with care who is to know).
Look at Q3 here.
http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html
Mixing TM and data on the TC is worth planning carefully. They don't necessarily sit happily together.

MacBook problems with Snow base station - other laptops work fine

Hi,
I just purchased a new MacBook to replace an iBook G4 800.
My snow base station works fine with the old iBook G4 (which has an extreme card) and with a borrowed PowerBook G4 Aluminum 1.5 GHz (also extreme card) but will not work with my new Mac Book. Every time I try to connect - I receive an error "There has been an error accessing "my name" 's network. Sometimes it will connect, other times (most of the time), it will not.
My MacBook connects fine to my neighbors Linksys access points and our work Lucent access points (which are b also - snow is b).
I did a search and am reading other people having similiar problems. I was wondering if anyone has resolved their problems. I spent 2 plus hours on the phone with Apple yesterday. They are placing the blame on the older base station (snow) but it is obvious that snow is working fine for other computers.
Theresa

I am still a little confused. I can be 2 feet from my base station and will keep hitting "try again" when trying to access my network and will get "an error has occurred" many times and eventually it will connect and I will have an incredibly strong signal. My MacBook will continue to have a great strong signal until it goes to sleep and then I will have a difficult time connecting again. My neighbors base station is a weak signal and I can easily join their network. Every time I connect, I have problems but once connected, it is great.
I guess it can be interference but I am now wondering if it is related to the snow/graphite base station only. This laptop has no problems joining other b base stations.
I spent hours on the phone with an Apple wireless support specialist the other night. He wants me to try an Extreme base station. He didn't indicate that he was aware of any MacBook problems (and he mentioned interference and we setup my laptop to only join my network and it didn't make a difference).
More to come.... IF anyone switched to a Extreme Base Station and that worked fine - please let me know. Though I sort of resent having a functional b base station that works with every other laptop and have to spend $200 towards another base station because of a new laptop.

Extending Network with Airport Expresses?

I'm drawing in wifi signal from the shipyard and want to broadcast(extend) it throughout the lower sections of a boat.
Currently I have 1 airport express drawing in the signal with ethernet connecting to the computer. However I want to extend the current network. Can I do this by buying another Airport Express and connecting through ethernet cable to the one I currently have. Would this work? What options would I need to select with the new AE(extend network, create network, etc)? Would this work with an airport extremeas well.
Any help much appreciated.
Ash

Tessarax,
Are you saying I would need three AXn to create the extended network? or would it just work with 2?
ie
AXn(Recieving)-----Ethernetcable-----AXn extending network
Will this not work?
Sorry just want to know how much I'm in for and if it will work before i go out and spend it.
Thanks for the reply
Ash

I cannot operate TC as a wi-fi repeater/extender while my primary base station is a Zyxel P2812 DSL Wi-Fi modem. Is there a way to do it? And how?

i cannot operate TC as a wi-fi repeater/extender while my primary base station is a Zyxel P2812 DSL Wi-Fi modem. Is there a way to do it? And how?

You would not be able to substitute the AirPort Express for the Zyxel gateway that you have now, since the Express does not have a modem built in.....if that is what you are asking.
If you are using Snow Leopard or Lion, it might be possible to add the AirPort Express and connect it to the Zyxel gateway using an Ethernet connection. Then, the Express could be configured to provide a wireless network, which the Time Capsule could extend if it is located where it can receive a very strong wireless signal from the Express.
Sorry, I have not worked with the Zyxel product that you have in this type of setup with an AirPort Express, and cannot offer any guarantee that this would work the way you want.

Creating an extended network with another base station

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