Data rate slows over time: Using Time Capsule (4th) and AirPort Express (1st)

Time Capsule using Airport Express to extend network.
Over 3-4 days my data rate gradually gets slower and slower until I have to reboot both TC and AE.
Fresh reboot gets me 10Mbs or better for a while and then slows over time to 2Mbs or less.
I can cable directly to the ISP modem, taking TC and AE out of the equation, and its smokin fast
No hair left to pull out, so any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Time Capsule (4th gen) - Model A1409
Version - 7.6.4
Wireless Mode: Create a wireless network
Wireless Security: WPA2
Channel: 149 (Automatic), 11 (Automatic)
Allow this network to be extended is checked
Radio Mode: Automatic
Multicast Rate: Low
Transmit Power: 100%
Use wide channels is checked
Guest Network is NOT enabled
Mac Address Access Control: Not Enabled
Connection Sharing: Share a public address
Using DHCP
One printer attached to Time Capsule
Airport Express (1st gen) - Model A1143
Version 7.6.4
Wireless Mode: Extend a wireless network
Wireless Security: WPA2
Channel: 11 (Automatic)
Mac Address Access Control: Not Enabled
Using DHCP

You have your wireless channels on auto.. it is usually better to control it.
You will notice I have different names for 2.4ghz and 5ghz.. then I can force the link to either band.
After you set Radio Channel selection to Manual,, click edit. You can then set the channels.
Lock the channels.. ie you take control and you set what the wireless channels will be.. when you extend wireless this works far better. The auto channel system has to run on the Extender.. but since the main base is fixed on the 2.4ghz so it will be also.. the only channel that can flap around is 5ghz (extender) since that is not under my control. Of course it is up to you to determine which channel works best.. I strongly recommend the upper channels for 2.4ghz and the lower channels for 5ghz.
So.. I have set 5ghz to 48 on the main base.. and the auto channel sets it to 149 in the extender.
One strange thing results from my setup .. (amongst many!!)
You cannot name the wireless for 5ghz in the extender.. so in my case the upstairs wireless extender has both 2.4ghz and 5ghz named TC24ghz.. nought that I can do about it. But it is not a big deal.
You can see the result in the wireless diagnostics. The last wireless I have put in the box.. it is named TC24ghz but is in fact running on 5ghz. That is just how the over automated system of the apple routers work.. If I could I would fix it.. and maybe shall via serial console at a later date.

Similar Messages

Extending Network With Skh HD, Time Capsule 1TB and Airport Express

Hi,
I'm struggling to achieve what I thought to be an easy setup process.
*What I want to achieve?:*
* Ground Floor - Sky HD Router with Sky Wireless Network & Time Capsule 1 TB(choice to connect Time Capsule by either WAN Ethernet or over wi-fi?)
* First Floor - IMac and MacMini connected wirelessly, along with Airport Express to extend wireless network
* Loft - Apple TV connected to Cinema setup, with need to be able to connect to Sky HD Wireless network
Note/Problenms: It doesn't appear to be possible to extend the Sky HD Wireless Network via Time Capsule using the wireless option? Error reads "not able to extend wireless network etc...". Secondly, as a result the WiFi signal in the Loft for the Apple TV HD is 50% approx. The download speeds for movies etc is also sufficiently slow that repeat buffering is required. Not ideal.
*Current Setup:*
* Ground Floor - TC connected to Sky HD Router via WAN Ethernet cable. Creating New Network, named exactly the same as the original Sky HD Wireless Network e.g. "SKY08323"
* First Floor - IMac and MacMini connected wirelessly to SKY08323 network. Airport Express connected wirelessly to same network.
*Possible Enhancement?*
I've tried a couple of times to extend the range of the Wireless network. I First tried to do this as explained by extending the Sky HD Router network wirelessly (not possible it seems). I then connected via Wan Ethernet and setup TC and AirPort Express to interact over a WDS. TC = Main Base Station and AirPort Express = Relay Station. This seemed to setup ok but once both were restarted both TC and AE were flashing Amber and AE was no longer visible in Airport Utility.
If someone would be kind enough just to outline a step by step approach for setting up my Sky Network and being able to extend it via TC and AE, then I would be really grateful.
Many thanks and Happy New Year!
Eugene

If someone would be kind enough just to outline a step by step approach for setting up my Sky Network and being able to extend it via TC and AE, then I would be really grateful.
As you have surmised, you will NOT be able to extend the wireless range of your Sky HD Router with the Time Capsule (TC) ... at least not wirelessly.
You basically have two options: 1) Run Ethernet between the ground floor and the loft, or 2) Consider deploying Powerline adapters. These adapters take advantage of your home's electrical circuit to create a pseudo Ethernet one.
In either case, the two routers would be interconnected by Ethernet and the TC could be place in the loft. You would then reconfigure the TC as a bridge to allow the Sky router to continue to provide both the NAT & DHCP services for all network clients regardless of which router they are connected to. In addition, you would configure the TC to use the same Network Name & wireless security type so that, for example, you could roam with a wireless laptop between floors and still be on the "same" network.

Time Capsule (Tower) and Airport Express

I have a new Time Capsule (Tower) and want to extend the range in my house using an Airport Express. However, I cannot get the A/E to connect, and I cannot see the A/E when I open the Airport Utility. What am I doing wrong. Thanks.

Unfortunately, extending using wireless is going to result in a significant speed reduction on the network.
Power off both AirPort Express devices
Wait a minute
Power up the A1264 for a minute or two
Hold in the reset button on the Express for 8-10 seconds and release
Allow a full minute for the Express to restart to a slow, blinking amber light
On your Mac, click on the AirPort icon at the top of the screen
Click on AirPort Express under the setting of New AirPort Base Station
The setup utility will open up. Follow the prompts
Set up the other Express the same way.

TIme Capsule 2TB and Airport Express Base Station

Hi,
just received a new mac book pro, time capsule and airport express. I already had a older imac (Early 2008).
my goal is to connect everything in a wifi at the highest possible speed. The airport express servers also as a itunes connection to my stereo.
I followed basic instruction, all is working except that I can't have the speed a 5GHz (I verify the speed by holding the alt key and clicking on the wireless icon in the menubar) I have n but at 2.4GHz.
what are the correct settings for this. I noticed that if I do not have the possibility to set radio modus to n 5GHz only. the version of airport configuration program that came with the time capsule is 5.5 and the time capsule is on 7.5 the airport express on 7.4.2.
thanks for helping on this.
Message was edited by: dannykite
Message was edited by: dannykite

This looks like you held down the "option" key while you clicked on the Airport icon at the top of your screen.
You were asking about different Radio Modes for the Time Capsule
Open AirPort Utility - Click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab located just below the row of icons
Now you will see the wireless settings.
Hold down the option key when you click on the Radio Mode selection box to see more choices.

Time capsule printing and airport express

Just set up a TC and am having a couple of problems:
1) Cannot print. At first I got a message that the printer could not be found. Went back and reinstalled the printer with correct driver (would not accept auto setup)...now get a message that printing is complete but nothing prints.
2) Airport Express. On setup, Airport Utility detects both TC and AE. I set up TC and then reconfigure AE to join the wireless network. AE either disappears from Airport Utility or looks as if it is OK, but won't work with iTunes. AE did work with iTunes before I got the TC.
Any suggestions?

Iann wrote:
First off - I'm not overly knowledgeable about networking. I have relied on the simplicity of everything for years and it has just worked - until today!
I had a perfectly good dlink router, four or more computers all hooked up to the internet as well as a wireless printer and via Airport Express a color laser, and my iTunes could, via Airport Express, pump music into two spots as well as through my Apple TV. Fantastic!
Sadly - as soon as I plugged in a Time Capsule directly to the cable modem, I could not print from any computer - (although early on I could print on both printers from mine) Now -nada . The Airport Expresses are flashing amber and I am lost. I unplugged my old dlink figuring they would all see the new Time Capsule and automatically do whatever they needed to do. One of the printers is wireless on its own ( no Airport Express) and it doesn't work either on any computer.
It sounds like the first thing you need to do is to reconfigure your AirPort Express units to work with the Time Capsule. The first thing I'd do is to connect to each one with AirPort Utility and do a File/"Save a Copy As" operation to save the configuration details in case you need to restore them. The next step depends on the model(s) of the AirPort Express units. If they are all model A1264 units, then things will be a lot simpler. If any of them are A1084 or A1088 models, then things will be a little more complicated, requiring you to configure things as a "WDS" network.

Time Capsule green and Airport Express blinking amber

I replaced my AEBX with a Time Capsule and now the AEX configured as an extender blinks amber continuously. Bringing up AirPort Utility and following the AU help instructions to find out why the blinking amber, shows that the AEX is operating normally. In fact, the little faux LED to the left of the AEX icon shows green while the real LED is blinking amber.
The AEX was solid green before installing the TC.
Anyone else seen this? Anyone know what's going on?

I cannot get Airport Utility to see both my Time Capsule and my Airport Express at the same time. When I disconnected from the Time Capsule network it saw the AEx but repeatedly said there was a problem configuring the device. So I am stuck.

Time Capsule vs. Airport Express via Ethernet

Air;ort Express is connected to a DSL modem with an Ethernet cable. Time Machine is in turn connected directly to my MacBook Pro, again by Ethernet. Obviously something here is wrong, since the Time Machine persist in showing a blinking yellow light.
I think that this used to work but no longer. How did I sdrew up?

Does that in turn suggest that I should connect the Time Capsule directly to Airport Express?
when possible always run ethernet.. it is fast and reliable.. only when there is no other choice use wireless to link routers.. it is always poor.
You can use wireless from laptop to the Express or the TC.. that is fine.. but keep the wireless usage to something close and just once.. no double hop over wireless.
If you have ethernet there, use it.
Simply put the TC in bridge mode.. that is router bridge.
And make sure you are creating a wireless network on the TC.. same name and same security setting and password as the Express.. then the laptop can connect to whichever it is nearest to.
If you need complete diagrams or screenshots just ask.
life is a lot more complicated than it was when I bought my first 128K Mac in 1984.
Not always.. networking with modems and telephone wires was not always fun.. !!
You forget what it was like 30years ago.. !!
I started about that time but could never afford Macs. When I think of all the money I spent on computer gear over the years it is frightening.
Instructions here for roaming network since Apple has none up to date.
Setting Up Roaming - New AirPort Extremes and Utility

Force 802.11ac Connection To Time Capsule Rather Than Airport Express

I have a new Time Capsule and a new retina Macbook Pro, both with 802.11ac.
The Time Capsule is in my main room and my rMBP is in my offce. In between my office is the kitchen which has an Airport Express. The reason I have the Airport Express in the kitchen is because some devices such as iPads and iPhones have a hard time connecting to the Time Capsule, so the Airport Express extends the network.
The rMBP has no such problems. However, because the AE is closer, it stays connected to the AE rather than the TC. This of course means I don't get any 802.11ac advantages.
How can I force the rMBP to connect to the TC and ignore the AE?

LaPastenague had good advice for you. All that you need to do is use AirPort Utility to enable the option to assign a different name to the 5 GHz band on the Time Capsule.
Then, move your MBP close to the Time Capsule and "point" your MBP to that network. Then, check to insure that you have the MBP configured to connect to the 5 GHz network first in the connection priority list.
Open System Preferences (gear icon on the dock)
Open Network
Click on WiFi on the left
Click Advanced at the lower right
Make sure that the 5 GHz network name is at the top of the connection order list. If it's not, drag it there
Make sure that there is a check mark in the box next to "Remember networks this computer has joined"
No other boxes should be checked
Click OK
Click Apply
Close the windows
Note.....As you know, 5 GHz signals are much weaker than 2.4 GHz signals, so 5 GHz works best when wireless devices are in the same room, close proximity, or have line of sight with each other. If there are several walls or other obstructions in the signal path between the Time Capsule and MBP, the Mac may not connect at high speeds.

Time Capsule with (2) AirPort Express connection problem

I have (1) Airport Time Capsule with (1) AirPort Express connected. I'm trying to connect another Airport Express but only get a yellow light on the 2nd Express. If I connect it with a ethernet cable I get a green light. How do I connect a 2nd Express?

The 2nd Express needs to be about the same distance from the Time Capsule as the 1st Express....and....it cannot be closer to the 2nd Express than it is to the Time Capsule.
The reason for this is that the Express will pick up the strongest signal and you want the Express to pick up the Time Capsule signal to be able to extend it.
Then, start over as LaPastenague instructs on the 2nd Express and configure it again.

Can I link up one time capsule with two airport express, Can I link up one time capsule with two airport express

Hi, I would like to know whether I can link up one time capsule with two airport express. The result why is that I would like to put one time capsule at first floor, two airport express at 2nd floor and 3rd floor. All these three share one network. Please advise. Thanks.

There are several ways to conenct them. We need to know what it is you want to accomplish first. Do you want better Wi-Fi coverage on the second and third floors or do you want to stream music to the xpresses?

I've extended my Time Capsule wifi via Airport Express and the download speed is still super slow

I get an average of 80Mbps download speed when close to the Time Capsule. When I got upstairs in the house the download speed drastically drops. So I decided to extend the wifi range using an Airport Express. See image below. I've placed the Express router upstairs in the house and when I stand close to the Express I get a very slow download speed. About 7Mbps. Even slower than when I hadn't "extended" the range. What's going on...?

I've placed the Express router upstairs in the house and when I stand close to the Express I get a very slow download speed. About 7Mbps. Even slower than when I hadn't "extended" the range. What's going on...?
Well, the first rule that you need to remember is that when you "extend" using wireless.....you will have a drop in the potential speed on the network. So, while you might have more "range" for the network, the network speed will drop. Nothing that you can really do about that other than connect the Time Capsule and AirPort Express using a wired Ethernet connection. There will be no speed loss over the Ethernet cable, so the Express should deliver approximately the same speed as the Time Capsule.
The next rule is that when a device "extends" using wireless, it can only extend the quality and speed of the signal that it receives. A speed "boost" will not appear.
Try locating the Express about half way between the Time Capsule and the area that needs more wireless coverage. Anything that you can do to minimize obstructions between the Time Capsule and Express and on to the other area will help.....but you will never get close to the performance of connecting the AirPorts using an wired Ethernet cable.
Unfortunately, Apple really doesn't tell you very clearly, if at all, about important things like the two rules above.

Time Capsule not recognizing Airport Express Base

I'm trying to use AE base an extender in my TC network. I'm running 7.5.2 on the TC and have the wireless mode set as 'Participate in a WDS Network'. I did a factory reset on the AE and was finally able to have it come up and be recognized by the TC. I went through set up and added it to my network. Then it said it needed to restart but it never came back up as recognized by the TC and just flashes amber. It's like the AE doesn't like the TC network I have set up or is not able to join it and disappears. What am I doing wrong?

Jason,
Yes, extending the network with the older b/g Express isn't as easy as the newer "n" version.
You would need to use the WDS on that older AX...
Here is the Apple doc on how to setup a WDS network.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4262
The above document was just updated on January 25, 2011
I found this statement on their document very interesting:
WDS is designed for 802.11g, and shouldn’t be used for 802.11n devices. Wi-Fi base stations may include AirPort Extreme (802.11g) and AirPort Express (802.11g).
I got rid of all my older Airport Express units and went with the newer "n" version.
It is very simple to "Extend" the network with the newer AX and doesn't cut your network speed in half like the WDS setup does.
With the Time Capsule and a newer "n" version of the Express, all that is needed is to put a couple of checkmarks in the boxes and you have extended your network without loosing any noticeable speed.
The WDS can be difficult to setup and the local network speeds are cut in half.
Hope the above article helps.

Unusual Senario: Use Time Capsule to extend Airport Express network

I have an less common senaria here. I'd like to keep the TC on my desk and hide away the ugly cable modem. This is what I want to accomplish:
- Connect my airport express (802.11n model) to the cable modem and use it as the base station, in b/g/n mode.
- Wirelessly extend the above network to my TC.
- The TC will only be connected via ethernet and N equipped computer, so I want to run it in N (5GHz) only mode.
After some research, it seems to be not feasible, can anybody please confirm? Thanks for help.

If you are asking about extending using wireless only......Yes, if your existing network is being created by another Apple wireless router.
In this case, the Time Capsule would need to be located where it can receive a strong wireless signal in order to extend it correctly.

Can I extend the range of my Time Capsule with an Airport Express?

I have read on Apple's description of the Airport Express that it is possible to extend the range of an existing network. I have the OLDER version of the Time Capsule (it is still wireless-N but it can only broadcast EITHER 2.4 or 5 gHZ at a given time) that does not have the simultaneous broadcasting. Can I still use the Airport Express to extend the range of my Time Capsule network?

i think you have the same concern as mine....
would the express extend the n or g networks? i am pretty sure it cant dual broadcast.....
my guess is that it would extend the n network by default, but if an iphone hooks up to the part of the network that the express is covering, it will probably slow down to a g speed.
i am one of those that suffer from my existing airport extreme and express slowing down when i turn on my ipod touch or iphone! the whole network slows down to the lowest common denominator.
by getting the new time capsule (or the new airport extreme), i will be fine in the part of the house that is being served by the new machines, but i am expecting the network to slow down where the express is in incharge!
this is all in preparation to buy a new TC...... is my understanding correct?

Time Capsule, MacBook Air, Airport Express, and my stereo: where the twain shall meet?

The MBA is wonderful, but, as we all know, not very capacious. My compromise is to store my iTunes media folder on an external hard drive, meaning that I can't play music unless the external is plugged in. When I want to play music on my stereo, I plug the stereo into my MBA, which is itself plugged into the external. Not very elegant!
I've thought of a potential solution, but not sure whether it's feasible.
Would I be able to use the Time Capsule as an external HDD—leave all my whole iTunes library on there and stream it wirelessly to my MBA without incident?
If so, could I then "re-stream" the music to an Airport Express, which would be plugged into the stereo?
I actually have the Express already, but it's plugged into the modem, which is not in the same room as the stereo. So, in theory, all I'd have to do is buy a Time Capsule, transfer my music to it, point iTunes to the new media library, plug the TC into my modem, set the Express to extend the TC's network, plug the TC into my stereo, and. . . voila, I can bring my MBA anywhere and still play any of my music through my stereo. And I'd also have a nifty 2 TB wireless external, certain to last me a very long time.
That's the theory anyway! Would it actually work? Is there a better solution? Thanks!

Yes you could use your TC HD for doing this however if you are already using the drive as a backup for Time Machine then doing so would be pretty foolish. All HD's eventually fail, so if you store any data on the TC's HD and also using it for Time Machine and the drive crashes then you will have lost not only your data but it's backup which totally defeats the idea of backing up. IMHO store your music (photo & movie) libraries on another physical EHD and yes a wireless one would be fine.

Data rate slows over time: Using Time Capsule (4th) and AirPort Express (1st)

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for