Extending a time capsule with airport express twice

Hi,
I have been trying to extend my existing wireless network recently but it never ended up how I wished...
I have one 4th generation Time Capsule (A1409) and two Airport Express 802.11n (1st generation A1264).
All currently have MAC Address base authentication and no security in place for was of testing (security not relevant at this point in time).
When I extend my Time Capsule with either Airport Express this works like a charm, the LEDs are all green and connection works for client devices.
When I extend my Time Capsule with both Airport Express the same applies, everything works.
However what I have found not to works it extending my Time Capsule with one Airport Express and then extending this Airport Express with the second Airport Express. While all LEDs are green and the second Airport is seen in the Airport Utility, I find no client are ever able to connect to it and alway either connect to the first Airport Express or to the Time Capsule. This is an issue I the area I want to cover is pretty big and I need the second Airport Express for the additional reach.
I haven't found anything against this setup, it however appears you can't connect to the second Airport. The Airport Utility would even accurately depict the situation with Airport Express one dotted line to Time Capsule, and Airport Express two dotted line to Airport Express one.
However no connection seam possible to Airport Express two.
I have swapped Airport Express one and two, and in this case Airport Express gets the clients and Airport Express one now extending Airport Express two gets none.
Is this an expected behavior, i.e. should I give up or is there anything I can do about this ?

However what I have found not to works it extending my Time Capsule with one Airport Express and then extending this Airport Express with the second Airport Express.
Apple's "extend a wireless network" feature will only allow you to extend the signal one level, not two. It's possible to have more than one device extending the signal, but each extender must connect directly to the main base station.....not to another device that is already extending the signal.
The Airport Utility would even accurately depict the situation with Airport Express one dotted line to Time Capsule, and Airport Express two dotted line to Airport Express one.
This is an illusion. AirPort Express is "joining" the wireless network.....not extending it. When the Express "joins" a network, it can be used for AirPlay, or a remote printer could be connected to the USB port, but the Express will not provide any additional wireless signal coverage when it joins a network.
Is this an expected behavior
Yes. I can try to look up Apple's support document that explains this if you want more information, but you may likely already have all the information that you need. Let us know.

Similar Messages

Time Capsule with Airport Express how does it know 802.11 b g or n?

Here is my setup:
Time Capsule 1 TB 802.11 b, g or n
Airport Express 802.11b or g
MacBook Pro 802.11 g
Powerbook G4 802.11 g
My question is: I have the Airport Express acting as a bridge to pass or repeat the signal to the upper floor of my home. If I use my MacBook Pro this is capable of achieving 802.11 g access will it either try and just connect directly to the TC and maintain that (N) connection or will it be forced to go where the signal is the strongest and go to the AE and automatically default to the max rate of 802.11 (g) of the airport express.
My Probook actually as no issue with full signal access to the TC which is on the first floor but for some reason the older PB G4 only can achieve at most three bars out of 4 but typically just two bars, thus the need for the bridge use of the Airport Express.
Thanks for the help.

Most of us are still trying to figure out how to add our Expresses and Airports as WDS bridges to TC, so consider yourself lucky. I think that adding a "g" device to an "n" network typically brings the whole network down to g speeds.

Time Capsule with Airport Express, AirExp won't go to solid green

My Time Capsule is working fine, solid green light. My Airport express will not sync to Time Capsule, blinking amber light. Airport Express worked fine with Linksys router; but, can't get it to work, green light, with Time Capsule. The Air Express is a couple of years old. Is that the reason? Any suggestions?
Thanks,

Then the version of your TC and your Express will show up on the Airport Utility menu....
Just click on the Express and it will show you the version of the software for the Express.
If not, I can't help you anymore than this.
Sorry...
Joseph Kriz

Do I need a cable connecting my Time Capsule to Airport Express if I want to use the AE to extend my wifi network range?

I'm a bit confused by conflicting advice given by my local Apple shop and my internet provider.
My cable modem is plugged into a Time Capsule which I use to access the net wirelessly almost all over the house. The one spot the wireless doesn't quite reach is (of course) where I now need my office and iMac to be.
I thought I could just plug in an Airport Express somewhere in the middle to extend the network's range but the guy at my local Apple shop said the Airport Express would need to be connected not just to power but to the Time Capsule, via a cable. That's fiddly and would involve cables running under the floor or along walls and ceilings, not something I can or really want to do. It's not really practical to try and move the cable connection point either.
My internet provider suggested a netgear wireless extender and said that would only need to be plugged into power. The reviews of the netgear product I found comparing it to Airport Express suggest that the Express doesn't need to be connected to anything other than power either to extend a network range (which was what I originally thought).
So I'm wondering which advice is correct? I've also read that the netgear product isn't all that easy to set up so I'd rather stick with. Apple if it will do what I want.
Thanks for any help out there

I thought I could just plug in an Airport Express somewhere in the middle to extend the network's range but the guy at my local Apple shop said the Airport Express would need to be connected not just to power but to the Time Capsule, via a cable.
I'm sure that the guy at the Apple shop means well, but he is not correct.
While it would be preferable to connect the Time Capsule and AirPort Express using a wired Ethernet connection, the Express can connect wirelessly and extend the wireless signal the same way....IF...it is located where it can receive a good wireless signal.

Apple TV Inference with Time Capsule and Airport express?

I have recently bought an Apple TV 2, which seem to be working fine, however since installing it on my wireless network both my Time Capsule and Airport Express can't be found. Following some fault finding it seems that when I unplug the Apple TV I can reconfingure the TC and AE.
The TC and AE are configured to join my existing network....and have happy sat there for a few years.
I would really welcome any ideas.
Thanks
R

Welcome to the discussions!
It sounds like you have the basic configuration covered correctly.
You might want to check some settings on the TC:
Wireless Mode would be create a wireless network
"Allow this network to be extended" should be checked
The AX should be set to "extend a wireless network"
The "allow wireless clients" box should be checked
In this configuration, the ethernet port on the AX is active so things should work.
A minor point...Although the TC is a dual band device, the AirPort Express is not. Can you make sure that that the Express is connecting to the "main" network on your TC? The "guest" network cannot be "extended".
If you place your laptop close to the Express and hold down the option key while you click on the AirPort icon, some connection information will be displayed. The MAC address of the device that the laptop is connecting to will be indicated. Make sure that that this is the MAC address of the AX, and not the TC.
Another note...If you have not changed the default "main" network, the radio mode is broadcasting 802.11n only at 5 GHz. These higher frequencies are absorbed by walls, ceilings and any obstructions much more quickly than 2.4 GHz signals. So, if you AX is some distance away, you may not be receiving a strong signal for the device at that location.
If you have a signal strength utility on your laptop (the "bars" at the top of the screen are not a very good indicator of actual signal strength), turn off the AX and take a reading to see what kind of signal the Express is receiving where it is located.
Please post back with your results.

How can I set up a guest WiFi network using Time Capsule and Airport Express extension?

How can I set up a guest WiFi network using Time Capsule and Airport Express extension?

Sorry, but it is not possible to "extend" the Guest Network using either wireless or an Ethernet connection.

Will Time Capsule or Airport Express resolve my WiFi problem?

Hi
I have a regular 2.4 GHz WiFi router which i am using currently. The problem is there are too many WiFi users around me and it seems my WiFi keeps turning off due to interference. I have tried chaning channels but all in vain. Initially I thought it was a router issue but now I have turned off WiFi completely and using internet on ethernet cable and it has been working fine without any disconnection. So definitely it is the WiFi interference problem. I really want to use WiFi as i want the mobility. Do you think using a time capsule or Airport Express resolve this problem?

It is troublesome. Use ethernet instead of wireless.
Reset the whole network to factory and start again.
Yosemite can see nothing that it does not setup itself it seems.
Factory reset universal
Power off the TC.. ie pull the power cord or power off at the wall.. wait 10sec.. hold in the reset button.. be gentle.. power on again still holding in reset.. and keep holding it in for another 10sec. You may need some help as it is hard to both hold in reset and apply power. It will show success by rapidly blinking the front led. Release the reset.. and wait a couple of min for the TC to reset and come back with factory settings. If the front LED doesn’t blink rapidly you missed it and simply try again. The reset is fairly fragile in these.. press it so you feel it just click and no more.. I have seen people bend the lever or even break it. I use a toothpick as tool.
N.B. None of your files on the hard disk of the TC are deleted.. this simply clears out the router settings of the TC.

Question about Time Capsule and Airport Express co-existence

I have a new 3TB ME182LL/A Time Capsule attached to my wired home LAN, in bridge mode. It works fine both as an access point on the upper floors of my home and as a Time Machine device. I also have an Airport Express, whose function in my network is solely to control my whole-house audio system from ITunes. I don't need, want, or use the wireless networking features of the Airport Express. I just have an audio cable running from it to my stereo, and an Ethernet patch cable connects it to my wired LAN. The network mode in the Airport Express is set to "off". Historically, the Airport Express has worked fine in this wired lan mode. However, I unplugged it at some point while having some initial trouble deploying the new Time Capsule and only turned it back on today. After turning it back on I observed something strange. My speedy wireless connection upstairs via the Time Capsule became slow. And when I launched Airport Utility, it drew a network diagram which showed my Time Capsule as a CLIENT of the Airport Express. In other words, the network diagram showed Internet at the top, then a vertical line down the the Airport Express, then the Time Capsule below that. The correct / desired diagram would be the Time Capsule and Airport express as peers. I connected to the Airport Express and verified that network mode was set to "off" but the incorrect network diagram persisted (as did poor wireless performance) until I unplugged the Airport Express. After I did that, the Airport Utility drew the network correctly, although of course it showed a yellow caution sign next to the Airport Express, since it was down. And my wireless speed / reliability returned to normal. What is going on here?

The automatic setup in the airport utility has changed something.
Is the line down to the TC from the express dotted.. in other words is wireless??
Funny stuff happens.
Please post the screenshots of the 3 pages from the airport utility setup for both airport express and TC..
Make sure wireless is set to off in the express.
Both should be set to dhcp on the internet tab and both set to off bridge mode on the network tab.
So for example the bridge on the network tab.
The summary page can also be a help.
There is a half summary page when you click the item in the airport utility.
There is also a fully summary page, when you hold option key and double click the TC icon for example.

Time Capsule to Airport Express extension

I have recently set up a Time Capsule and Airport Express, the latter as an extension, without trouble. Needed further extension and purchased another AE. Although I get a green light on the second AE there is no extension of the WiFi to the area where the second AE is placed. I have re-set up all the components multiple times without success. Using Airport Utility 5.5.1 on a 27" late 2009 IMac, system 10.6.4. In advance thank you for any help.

Ok, here is the basic steps to configure your base stations into a static WDS:
(Note: To facilitate the WDS set up, temporarily connect the remote & relay base stations to the TC by Ethernet during the set up phase, and then, relocate them to the desired locations when complete. Also, jot down the AirPort IDs (wireless MAC addresses) for each of the base stations to be used in the WDS. The AirPort ID and is printed on the label on the bottom/side of the base station.)
Main Base Station Setup - TC
o Click the AirPort status menu in the menu bar and choose the wireless network created by the base station you want to set up as the main base station.
o Open AirPort Utility (located in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder on a Macintosh computer, or in Start > All Programs > AirPort on a computer using Windows).
o Select the main base station, and then, choose Manual Setup from the Base
Station menu.
o Enter the base station password if necessary. If the base station is using the default password of public, you will not be prompted for a password.
o Click Wireless in the toolbar, and then, choose “Participate in a WDS network” from the Wireless Mode pop-up menu. Note: You will need to hold down the Option key in order to get this option on the AEBSn, 802.11n AirPort Express Base Station (AXn), or Time Capsule (TC).
o Click WDS and then, choose “WDS main” from the WDS Mode pop-up menu.
o Select the “Allow wireless clients” checkbox if you want client computer to connect to this base station.
o Click the Add "+" button and enter the AirPort ID of the base station you want to connect to this base station.
o Click Update to send the new settings to the base stations in the WDS.
Remote Base Station Setup - AX#2
o Open AirPort Utility; select the remote base station, and then, choose Manual Setup from the Base Station menu.
o Enter the base station password, if necessary.
o Enter the same network password as the main base station, if necessary.
o Click AirPort in the toolbar, and then, click Wireless. Choose “Participate in a WDS network” from the Wireless Mode pop-up menu, and then, choose the same channel as the main base station from the Channel pop-up menu.
o Click WDS and choose “WDS remote” from the pop-up menu.
o Enter the AirPort ID of the main base station in the WDS Main field.
o Click Update to transfer the settings to the base station.
Relay Base Station Setup - AX#1
o Open AirPort Utility; select the relay base station, and then, choose Manual Setup from the Base Station menu.
o Enter the same network password as the main base station, if necessary.
o Click AirPort in the toolbar, and then, click Wireless. Choose “Participate in a WDS network” from the Wireless Mode pop-up menu, and then, choose the same channel as the main base station from the Channel pop-up menu.
o Click WDS and choose “WDS relay” from the WDS Mode pop-up menu.
o Enter the AirPort ID of the main base station in the Main AirPort ID field.
o Click the Add "+" button and enter the AirPort ID of the remote base station this relay base station will connect to.
o Click Update to transfer the new WDS settings to the relay and remote base stations.
(ref: Pages 42-46 of "Designing AirPort Networks.)

Extending g wireless from Time Capsule using Airport Express...

Hi,
My Time Machine is working well and I have two old Airport Express units that I'd like to use as wireless extenders.
The Airport Expresses are the older type (i.e. only do 'g' wireless) and, according to the AirPort utility, they can't see the Time Capsule. My iPhone can connect OK so the 'g' network must be working.
Am I doing something wrong? Can I use my Airport Expresses to do this?
Thanks!

Thanks for the info. Your iPhone is connecting to the Time Capsule, not either of the AirPort Express devices.
In order to configure the AirPort Express devices to extend the wireless network, your Time Capsule Wireless Mode would need to be set to "Participate in a WDS network". You probably did not see this choice because it is "hidden". Hold down the "option" key on your computer while you click on the selection box to see if it appears.
I'm not necessarily suggesting that you try the WDS setup. It's an older technology that places a heavy bandwidth penalty on your wireless network in return for greater wireless coverage. The first Airport Express that you configure will cut the bandwidth of your network in half. The second will cut the bandwidth in half again. In other words, you are down to 50% of the original bandwidth with the first Express and down to only 25% with the second.
If you are getting acceptable wireless performance with the Time Capsule now, I would be tempted to leave well enough alone until you could add an AirPort Express "n" version, which would allow you to use the "extend a wireless network" setting. This is a much better performing arrangement and much easier to configure.
The WDS configuration is quite complex and frankly difficult for many users. To get an idea of the process, read over pages 42-44 in the Designing AirPort Networks Guide.
If you want to try this anyway, you will need reconfigure your Time Capsule and both Express devices to work in the WDS setup.

Time Capsule vs Airport Express & Sky Broadband

Hi,
I currently have a MacBook Pro 13'' 4GB i5. I also have a wifi 16GB iPad 3rd Gen, an iPhone 6, and an iPhone 5S and 5 in my household.
I have never back up my MacBook which I am concerned about as a friend of mine just lost their entire hard drive to a malfunction, I know this is rare but I don't want to take the chance of losing everything.
Also my Internet with Sky, more the router, is having trouble giving a a good signal to my flat, mainly the living room. It is a basement flat with very thick walls, which I guess is the problem. My Sky router is currently in the office, the other end of the flat, going through 2 brick walls and a partition wall. I was wondering whether a Time Capsule (2GB) would help me with signal issues, or would I have to get an Airport Express and place this closer to the living room?
Also do I have to use the ethernet cable to connect the Time Capsule? Or can I set it up wirelessly, negating the need for an Airport Express as I can place the Time Capsule closer to the living room?
Cheers
Huw118

If possible, I would recommend that you connect the Time Capsule directly to the Sky router using an Ethernet connection, then use an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express to extend the Time Capsule wireless signal.
Performance wise, it is much better to "extend" by connecting the AirPort Extreme or Express to the Time Capsule using a wired Ethernet connection if at all possible, since wireless extension will always result in a drop of about half of the potential speed on the entire network.
Try to keep the Time Capsule at least 6-8 feet or a few meters away from the Sky router to help minimize the chances of wireless interference occurring between the two devices. Later on, if you discover that having two wireless access points is creating interference issues, you will need to look at turning off the wireless function on either the Sky router or Time Capsule.

Trying to set up time capsule with airport exteme. Apple advises to use manuel setup and click on Advanced. Then enter mobileme ID. I did this but Time Machine doesn't display anything on the capsule window.

Can't set up my time capsule on Airport Extreme (updated). Apple instructions are to use manual set up. Click on Advanced tab. Click on Mobileme and enter Mobileme ID and password. I did this. But Time Machine window is blank. Tryed to click on update window after entering Mobileme ID but Airport does not respond (turn of then on)

mickair wrote:
I have been experiencing some networking problems
Welcome to Apple's discussion groups.
I have the latest Time Capsule ("TC"), an old Airport Extreme Base Station ("AEBS") bought in 2007 and 2 Airport Expresses, one bought in 3 months ago ("AE-Alpha") and the other bought back in 2007 ("AE-Beta"). All of them have been updated with the latest firmware.
Based on those dates, the AirPort Extreme is probably flat (as opposed to dome-shaped), making it 802.11n-capable. The Newer AirPort Express is probably an 802.11n-capable model A1264, while the older one is probably a model A1084 or A1088.
I use {the TC's} DHCP function ... to avoid unauthorized use.
This a discussion for another thread, but that's not what DHCP is for.
The wireless setting for it is to participate as WDS Main, but after reading various posts, it seems WDS is a bad idea
With that older AirPort Express you're stuck with WDS unless you decide to replace it with a newer model.
The AEBS is currently setup as being a WDS Relay at the moment
Why a relay? That's only needed if there's another base station "beyond" it that is configured to depend on it.
Since the AEBS is connected to the TC via Ethernet, you should probably configure it as a "roaming network":
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2273124
{The AE-Alpha} connects fine as WDS remote at the moment
I don't have any experience with mixed WDS and non-WDS networks, but since it's 802.11n-capable, you may be able to configure it to "extend" the network of the TC rather than as WDS. Look for a setting on the TC to "Allow this network to be extended".
Physical location:
AEBS in one end, TC and AE-Alpha in the middle while AE-Beta on the other end.
A device such as "AE-Beta" that's supposed to extend a network shouldn't be "at the end" but should be half way between the central base station and the clients that need an extended network.

What kind of range extender can I use with airport express

WHat kind of range extender can I use with an airport express?

WHat kind of range extender can I use with an airport express?
Use any router that you want if you will be connecting the extender/router back to the AirPort Express using a permanent, wired Ethernet cable connection.
If you are planning to use a wireless connection to extend the range of the network.....then another AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule will be required.

Time Capsule and Airport Express

I buy the Airport Express to extend the range of the wireless network, with my Airpot Time Capsule, with the result that causes conflicts with the internet connection, drops continuosly. Which settings i must choose in the Airport Utility? I have the idea that exists conflicts between ip addresses. The ip address in airport utility is the same as the DNS address. I changed it but the system change it automatically. Why? Which options are the best? Airport Utility have not the option of DHCP AND NAT... It is the same as DHCP and manual ? Please help! Thanks...
Message was edited by: Lourdes E

It depends on how you are extending the wireless..
If you are using the wireless extend.. ie no wires, then the setup is automatic via the Airport Utility in the computer.. it should be selected automatically and the IP address will be changed automatically to dhcp and not router mode, ie dhcp and nat.
Here is my setup using TC and an extreme in wireless extend.
In the setup of the extreme.. the wireless is set to extend.
The internet is set to dhcp.
And the network set to bridge.
If you run extend by wireless the above screens are going to be the only ones that will work.
If you have ethernet to the express and are using roaming network it is different in one respect.. you will create a wireless network.. of the same name and same security settings as the TC.
Internet tab, same as above.. network tab.. same as above.
Only the wireless tab is different.

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

Extending a time capsule with airport express twice

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