Extending a simultaneous dual-band network using an Airport Extreme

I have a new Time Capsule that can operate in simultaneous dual-band mode. I have a single SSID for both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, and all of my devices correctly connect using the appropriate frequency.
I also have an older square Airport Extreme that's dual-band capable (but not simultaneous dual-band). I have this Airport Extreme set up to extend the network from the Time Capsule, but it's extending the 5 GHz network rather than the 2.4 GHz network. I'd rather have it extend the 2.4 GHz network because our iPhones move around the house much more often than our other wireless clients.
I know that I could go back to having different SSIDs for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, and then telling the Airport Extreme explicitly to extend the 2.4 GHz network, but I'm really enjoying having a single SSID that any device can use to connect to my network.
Thanks,
Scott Gardner

Thanks for the replies. Right now, there's about 30 feet, two interior plaster/lathe walls and a closet between the Time Capsule and the Airport Extreme. The area of the house where I'm trying to improve the 2.4 GHz reception (an attached studio) is only about another 18 feet, one interior wall and one exterior wall further past the Airport Extreme's current location. I can't put the Airport Extreme any further from the Time Capsule because the 18 feet between its current location and the attached studio is an open area.
If there are no hidden settings that I'm missing, I guess I'll just break the network back into two discrete SSIDs and explicitly tell the Airport Extreme to extend the 2.4 GHz network.
Thanks again,
Scott Gardner

Similar Messages

Extending an extreme dual band network using an old Express (802.11g)s

Previously I had a 802.11g home network based on two Airport Express (old version) in WDS mode.
I've installed a new Airport extreme station in order to have a dual-band network to use 802.11g/n without loosing performance and hoping to cover my area with the enhanced power.
Unfortunately there are still some corners with insufficient signal so i tried to extend the 802.11g segment with the old airport, checking the extreme flag to allow the network to be expanded and manually configuring the express WDS page.
I payed attention to the channel (the same in extreme and express station) and configured the airport ID of the extreme base station in the express remote station.

When using WDS you automatically reduce the efficiency of the Airport Extreme's 802.11n extended features. WDS requires that the network drops to 802.11g instead of 802.11n which boasts the extended network range.
There isn't much more you could do for network range other than changing the channel to remove wireless interference or move the Airport Expresses closer to the areas of low signal (internet speed will be reduced the farther the Expresses are from the main base.)

Extending an extreme dual band network using an old Express (802.11g)

Previously I had a 802.11g home network based on two Airport Express (old version) in WDS mode.
I've installed a new Airport extreme station in order to have a dual-band network to use 802.11g/n without loosing performance and hoping to cover my area with the enhanced power.
Unfortunately there are still some corners with insufficient signal.
As I do not want to throw away the old Express and buy a new one I tried to extend only the 802.11g segment with the old airport, checking the Extreme base station flag to allow the network to be expanded and manually configuring the Express WDS page.
I payed attention to the channel (the same in extreme and express station) and configured the airport ID of the extreme base station in the express remote station.
Unfortunately I could not have the WDS running on the 802.11g segment.
Does anyone have experience in such matter? Is that possible?
Thanks a lot

Scatmac wrote:
As I do not want to throw away the old Express and buy a new one I tried to extend only the 802.11g segment with the old airport, checking the Extreme base station flag to allow the network to be expanded and manually configuring the Express WDS page.
I paid attention to the channel (the same in extreme and express station) and configured the airport ID of the extreme base station in the express remote station.
Unfortunately I could not have the WDS running on the 802.11g segment.
You need to configure your new unit to participate in a WDS network. You can't see that option unless you hold down an "option" key when you pull down the "Wireless Mode" list.
Depending on what other equipment you have, you might want to configure your Extreme to create a separate 5 GHz band. That's under the "Wireless Network Options" button on the same panel as the "Wireless Mode" list.

Extending an existing wireless network using an Airport Extreme (dual band 802.11n)

Hello,
I currenlty have a wireless network set up inside my apartment using a Linksys E1000 wifi router. I would like to extend the network into a second room using my airport extreme. However, I have tried to set up the airport extreme to extend a network and it tells me that it cannot extend my currently network. I have already restored my airport extreme to its factory settings (using the reset button on the back of the airport extreme) as I used to use the airport extreme as the main base station in my previous apartment.
Help please!

Unfortunately, Apple's "extend a wireless network" function was designed as a proprietary feature that only works with other Apple routers.
It would be extremely unlikely that it would work with a router from another manufacturer if you are trying to "extend" using wireless only.
Suggest that you use another Linksys "repeater" or "extender" to insure compatibility with your current router.

Time Capsule in a Dual Band Network using Airport Extreme (N) and (2) AE

I need help and step by step directions to configure my TC in a Dual Band Network. Currently, I have my TC set up in a Create Network mode using 5Mhz and my AE (n) set up to establish a WDS and my AE (2) set up as WDS.
Everything works but my AE constantly blinks amber and I can't use my TC as a backup drive on anything but my Macbook and iMac. My 2 powerbooks (G4) can't back up to the TC. I am using Leopard 10.5.2 and airport utility 5.3.1.
I use one of my AEs to connect a vista pc to my network by ethernet (it works) and the other AE in my family room to connect to my Toshiba HD DVD by ethernet (it works).
Please help I must be missing something otherwise my AE wouldn't be blinking.

double click the blinking one in the utility and see if it tells you why its amber...WDS error?

Dual band network using Mini as 11g base station to send airtunes to AX?

Here's what I'm trying to do: set up a dual band network, pretty much exactly as described in Apple's doc (with the AEn as the router, in 5ghz 11n-only mode and accessed by a CD2 MBP with 11n enabled ), but using a Mac Mini as an 11g software base station (via Internet Sharing) to connect a AX via 11g so I can stream music to my stereo via Airtunes. I've got the Mini seeing the AX, and iTunes on the Mini sees the AX for Airtunes, but the CD2 MBP does NOT see the AX, either in iTunes or with Airport Utility. I'm currently messing around with IPNetRouterX in order to get the Mini to bridge it's ethernet connection from the AEn to it's Airport port, but no succes so far. Any Ideas?

The problem is that the Mac mini is creating a different subnet for the AirPort connection. Therefore the MacBook Pro's Ethernet connection to the Mac mini can't reach the AX.

Dual band set up with Airport Extreme "2nd Generation"?

I'm running an Airport Extreme as my Wi-Fi router. When I open Airport Utility it finds the Airport Extreme and calls it "Airport Extreme 802.11n 2nd Generation." I'd like to run this in dual band, since I have some older Airport Expresses that can't go 5Ghz. Is this possible with this unit? I can't find this unit on the Apple site, to get specs. If I can't run it in dual band mode, I end up changing the config every time I want to stream music to my older Airport Expresses. I get much faster Internet performance on my MacBook Pro when the Airport Extreme is set to 5Ghz.
Can someone list out for me the settings that I should use, to at least get the best performance out of this router, and my Airport Expresses. I have the Expresses set to "join a network" so they don't slow things down. Maybe that's not the right settings? My Apple TV, 2 Airport Expresses, iPad, iPhone, MacBook Pro and wife's PC need to share this/these network(s). Any suggestions? Please be specific. Thanks.

When I open Airport Utility it finds the Airport Extreme and calls it "Airport Extreme 802.11n 2nd Generation.
This version is not a simultaneous dual band router. You can run a 5 GHz network...or...a 2.4 GHz network, but not both at the same time. A simultaneous dual band version....3rd Generation AirPorts and higher....would allow the wireless router to provide both types of signals at the same time.
I get much faster Internet performance on my MacBook Pro when the Airport Extreme is set to 5Ghz.
That would be expected, since a good 5 GHz wireless connection will run...on average.....at 2-3 times the speed of a 2.4 GHz connection.
I have the Expresses set to "join a network" so they don't slow things down. Maybe that's not the right settings?
If these are older "b/g" versions, that is all that you can do. Newer "n" versions of the Express could be configured to "extend" the network, providing more wireless coverage while running at higher "n" speeds.
Can someone list out for me the settings that I should use, to at least get the best performance out of this router
You already know that 5 GHz provides the 'best" performance for your Mac, but if you have older AirPort Express devices, they cannot connect at 5 GHz. Neither can an iPhone or iPod, and probably the PC as well.
So, the best compromise on your current Extreme would be to use the default settings for 2.4 GHz, which would provide an 802.11 "b", "g" and "n" wireless signal....compatible with all of your devices. You may already be doing this.
If you decide to purchase a newer version of the AirPort Extreme, then you will have the benefit of being able to run both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz networks simultaneously....so everything will connect to the respective 'best" signal.
Then the current AirPort Exteme that you have now could be reconfigured to "extend" the network if you need more wireless coverage in another area. But...another compromise coming.....it can only "extend" one band...either 2.4 GH or 5 GHz, but not both.
Unfortunately, you would need another simultaneous dual band AirPort to be able to "extend" both bands.

Dual band network using non-apple Wirless G router (dlink or linksys)?

I now have a pure 5GHz N network with 2 Extreme base stations, Mac Pro and Macbook on it, but want to make another 2.4GHz b/g network (to preserve the speed of 5 GHz N).
I currently have the b/g working using the Airport Express as a bridge but its range is limited compared to other g routers I have (with external boosted antennae), plus it was an additional expense.
Any clues as to how to use a 3rd party router like a dlink DI-624 or Linksys WTR54G? I tried hooking them to the Airport Extreme's LAN port to the Dlink WAN port w/ DHCP. It will share the internet connection but won't access the local network (since it is on a different subnet eg 192.168.0.1 on dlink vs 192.168.1.x on Airport).
I can't get the Dlink router to use the same subnet as the extreme. Suggestions?

Duane:
Thanks again. 2 for 2 (I have one more to ask, separate thread).
To help others, I've explicitly documented the steps I took with my Dlink DI-624. Here are the steps I did:
1. Reset to factory settings with the pin button on back.
2. Connect dLink WAN port to one of the Airport Extreme's LAN ports
3. Confirm I can connect via 802.11g using my Macbook (choosing the 'dlink' SSID)
4. Type 192.168.0.1 to get to the dlinks' admin pages
5. Change the dlink's admin password, Apply
6. Change the network SSID and set the wireless mode (b/g or g only, etc), choose the encryption level (WPA2) and set the password, Apply
7. Wait for the router to reboot. Now, on the Macbook choose the new SSID above and enter the password
8. Log in again to 192.168.0.1 - this time you'll need the password set for the router in step 5
9. Now, set the dlink's DHCP server to Disabled. Apply and let the router reboot.
10. Move the ethernet connection from the dlink WAN port to one of its LAN ports
11. Choose the new SSID and voila: full internet access and local LAN access (confirm you're now on the same subnet and can see local network resources).

Can I create a second wireless network using an Airport Extreme?

Does anybody know if the following is possible?
Cable Modem wired to Airport Extreme 5th gen -> Wireless Internet via Guest Account -> Airport Extreme 5th gen->
Create Secondary Private Network -> Internet distributed Wirelessly to clients on Secondary Network (Mac Mini, ATV 2)
Thanks for any thoughts!

Would it be possible instead to link a second Airport Extreme wirelessly to a secure network on the first,
Yes, if you link to the "main" wireless network on the first AirPort Extreme.
then create a secondary private network,
No, but you could "extend" the "main" wireless network to provide more coverage and also enable the Ethernet ports on the second AirPort Extreme.
If you connected yet another router to one of the Ethernet ports, you could configure it to create another wireless network with its own password.
But cients on the "main" network would be able to "see" devices on the other "private" network and vice versa.

Can I use the AirPort Extreme as a wireless extender to my Time Capsule ?

Can I use AirPort Extreme as a wireless extender ? I own a Time Capsule and want to extend my wireless network using the AirPort Extreme just because both have wifi AC. Also, does the AirPort Extreme need to be hook up via Ethernet if I extend

The problem with extending using a wireless connection between the Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme is this.......
The extender can only "extend" the speed of signal that it receives. The signal starts to lose speed as soon as it leaves the Time Capsule, and the signal will lose quite a bit of speed as it passes through the ceiling due to the thick construction. The ceiling presents what is known as "interference" to the wireless signal.
So, the signal has slowed somewhat by the time that it reaches an AirPort Extreme that would be installed on the main floor. That AirPort Extreme acting as an extender can make the signal that it receives go further, but it cannot make it go faster. A better term than "extender" really might be "repeater".
If you install an AirPort Extreme on the main floor, the signal upstairs will be stronger than it is now, and depending on how many obstructions there are between the AirPort Extreme and the upstairs area, the signal may be noticeably faster upstairs than it is now as well.
With wireless connections between devices, there are always so many compromises and variables involved that it is just not possible to predict what the actual performance might be in your home until you try things out in your home. For that reason, it is always a good idea to understand the store's return policy in advance in case a new item does not deliver the performance that you are hoping to achieve.
Now, let's say that you are able to pull an Ethernet cable from the Time Capsule to the main floor, and the AirPort Extreme is connected there in a nice, central location. Then, you could expect to receive about the same performance on the main floor that you receive in the basement, since the AirPort Extreme is receiving a full speed signal over the Ethernet cable from the Time Capsule. You can run an Ethernet cable about 330 feet, or about 100 meters with virtually no signal loss.
The performance upstairs will improve as well, since the AirPort Extreme has a full speed signal to broadcast....not the slower speed signal that would receive from the Time Capsule if it connects using wireless.
If you want to achieve the same type of performance upstairs that you have in the basement and main floor, then you will need to pull an additional Ethernet cable up to the upstairs floor and add another AirPort there.
That would probably be the "best" wireless network system that you could install if you are looking at all the options. Few of us are lucky enough to be able to install the "best" network, but those that are receive remarkable wireless performance in return for their investment.

I have a dell deshtop about 3 months old i want to connect it to a wireless network from an airport extreme base i am having no luck please help

i have a dell desktop computer, i am needing to set it on wireless network using an airport extreme base, i am having no luck please help

What OS is the Dell running?

New AE-Use as extender AND utilize dual-band or guest network?

I currently have a 1st Gen Time Capsule hooked into my only cable modem. However, the signal is very weak on the 2nd floor of my house. I've been thinking about getting an Airport Express to extend my network so that I have improved coverage upstairs.
Now it appears that the new Express supports the dual-band and the guest network that my original 1st gen TC does not. If I purchase it to extend my network, can I also use these features or would it have to be the first device in the network (hooked into the cable modem?

If I purchase it to extend my network, can I also use these features or would it have to be the first device in the network (hooked into the cable modem?
Unfortunately, your Time Capsule is not a simultaneous dual band model, so the "new" AirPort Express would only extend one band....just like the "old" AirPort Express would do.
Maybe Apple has a deal on refurbished or close out "old" Express devices that might help you.
Otherwise, you would need to connect the "new" AirPort Express to the cable modem to get the benefits of a "main" and "guest" network. The "guest" network cannot be extended, by the way. It is only produced by the "main" AirPort connected to the modem.

I have both a simultaneous dual band and a regular dual band airport extreme on an extended network will the 5ghz work at its full potential if its the one that is extending the network?

I have a A1143 model Airport extreme with dual band capabilities but not simultaneous, i'd like that to run on the 2.4ghz band, while i have a A1408 model airport extreme as the "extender" but i want to make sure that even though im running the 2.4 and the newer model is extendeding it, my simulataneous dual band will still work to its full potential (ie: 300mbs i think is the max for the 5ghz)..?
notes: no i can't use the newer model as the primary and the older model as the extender.

I am assuming that your simultaneously dual-band Extreme is using the same Network Name for both radios. If that is the case, and depending on the distance between AirPorts, the extending Extreme is most likely just extending the 2.4 GHz radio. That would leave the 5 GHz wireless network basically "untouched."

Can you add new AirPort Express Base Station Simultaneous dual-band 802.11n with a 1st Gen time capsule network

Hi
Has anyone tried using the AirPort Express Base Station with a first generation Time Capsule and used it to extend their network, while still being able to use the Simultaneous dual-band 802.11n on their network?
Thanks in advance

The first generation Time Capsule was not a simultaneous dual band device.
If you add the "new" AirPort Express to the network and configure it to "Extend a wireless network", it will extend the one single band signal that it is receiving from the Time Capsule.
In other words, the AirPort Express will not extend simultaneous dual bands in this type of setup...since it can only "extend" what it receives. You would need a simultaneous dual band Time Capsule if you want that type of functionality.

Setting up/extending a Dual Band network

Any recommendations regarding dual-band vs. the n/b/g blended network? Is it possible to set up a dual-band network on an AEBS-n and also boost the "n" side of the network with an AX-n? I've searched the discussions but have not found much on the topic, other than some comments regarding iMacs not liking "n" or 10.5.3 or airport utility 5.3.1 or maybe the "automatic" channel setting or possibly something else.....
A little history:
We have 3 iMacs (new 3.06 Ghz, 17" late 2006, 20" late 2006), 3 MacBook Pros, and one dual-2.5 Ghz G5 that all shared internet access through a Motorola modem/Comcast cable via an Airport Extreme Base Station b/g. The AEBS was in the basement and configured as a WDS with an Airport Express b/g that served to extend the network's reach to the second floor and remodeled kitchen (new steel beams). This setup has worked nearly flawlessly for years until recently, when both of the older iMacs started experiencing intermittent airport signal drops--supremely annoying. The modem seemed to work fine, however, and the AEBS light stayed green and the G5 and MBPs weren't having issues (some running Tiger, some Leopard).
I thought that upgrading to Leopard (erase and install) might take are of any weird settings or corrupt files and thus improve the iMacs' airport connections, so I upgraded the first one, and it seemed to fix the problem--no drops of airport or internet for several hours. I then decided it was time to upgrade the network as well--swapping out the old b/g AEBS and AX for a new AEBS-n and AX-n. (Yes, I know, not too smart to change both the OS and the network at the same time ... but here we are.) Since the G5 in the basement can't connect to an "n" network, I decided to set up a Dual Band network with the AX-n acting as the old AX b/g had to extend the network.
This is what it looked like:
cable modem ------>
AEBS-n ------> wireless to Airport Extreme-n ---> wireless to older iMacs and MBPs
AX b/g (connected via ethernet to AEBS) -----> wireless to the G5
This worked, sort of, in that all but the G5 could all pick up and join either the "n" or the b/g network. Problem was, the network was very unstable-- the airport signal would suddenly drop out for no reason then recover, or the airport icon would show a full 4 bars but have no internet connection. This was happening on all of the macs, perhaps more so on the two older iMacs, while the modem itself showed no change in status, and the AEBS-n light would remain green. When I removed the AX-N from the setup to see if that was causing a hiccup, the drops were a little less frequent but the kitchen iMac was marooned with 1, maybe 2 bars in the airport icon and the signal strength on the second floor was decreased. Oh, and the drops continued to happen. I've now reverted to a b/g-compatible network, which is better, but still hasn't prevented all of the drops.
My questions are:
1-Any ideas about why the airport is acting wonky? Are 'n' networks proving to be more problematic than the old ones?
2-Is it possible to use an AX-n to extend the range of the "n" side of a dual band network?
2-If so, any ideas for improving the network's reliability?
3-If not, will going back to a b/g-compatible network negate the supposed speed benefits of 802.11n? Would I go back to using a WDS setup then?
I've tried so many different settings, combinations, configurations trying to get this up and working, that I'm ready to pull my hair out. Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Message was edited by: wiswic

Thanks for your reply. Looking back at my sorry attempt at a diagram, I realize I wasn't clear about a couple of things. The modem is connected via ethernet to the AEBS-n. The AEBS-n is connected via ethernet to the AE-b/g, which provides wireless coverage to the G5 and others. So far, everything is in the basement.
We live in an old house--no way to set up the network via ethernet--and so rely on the airport network to provide internet access to the computers on the first and second floors. In our old network, I had an AE-b/g as a WDS remote located in the kitchen that provided the first and second floors with their internet connection.
When I upgraded our network, I set up the new AEBS-n as a 5.0 Ghz an-only network (create a network/allow network to be extended) and connected the old AE b/g to it (bridge mode/create a network) to provide wireless internet for the G5. The iMac in the kitchen could hardly pick up the "n" signal at all, and it could receive only a weak signal from the b/g network. Lots of dropped airport signals and also lots of dropped internet connections. Strangely enough, the MacBookPros on the second floor could pick up both signals pretty strongly, but they, too, had lots of drops. The 2nd floor iMac was even worse than the kitchen iMac--spotty reception at best, and lots of drops. The G5 and the iMac in the basement, meanwhile, were fine--strong signal and only intermittent drops.
Hoping to extend the reach of the "n" network and thereby eliminate the drops, I added an AE-n to it (bridge mode/extend the network) and put it where the old b/g had been. This boosted the "n" signal to the kitchen and 2nd floor, but the drops seemed to become more frequent and for longer durations. Perhaps this was merely coincidence, but it made me question whether adding the AE-n in a dual-band network was advisable. Not finding any info that specifically addressed that scenario, I turned to the discussion forum for guidance.
Further research leads me to believe that the iMacs' issues may be more due to their being iMacs in the first place, but I was still left with a very unreliable dual band network for the rest of the Macs. Reconfiguring the AEBS-n and AE-n as an n (b/g compatible) network has led to far fewer drops, but like you, I'd prefer to keep my "an" devices separated from the G5 to make use of their higher wireless speed.
So....I guess what I need to know is whether anyone else been having so many dual band dropouts? Have you had any success in eliminating them? Have you successfully extended the "n" side of their dual band without adversely affecting stability?
As long as I know this isn't a lost cause, I'll give it another go and keep tweaking settings in hopes of finding a stable setup....

Extending a simultaneous dual-band network using an Airport Extreme

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