Extending a wireless networking with two AirPort Extremes...

Hi All,
So I have two AirPort Extremes (both are 4th generation) and I have been using one as a network extender with my DSL and all was working perfectly. I was getting about 5MB downstream with my DSL, with my iMac hardwired to my extended AirPort. Yesterday, I switched my service provider to Comcast and, of course, I rebooted all of my devices.
Now, when I use the hardwired iMac connection with my extended AirPort, I get very low throughput - like 2 MB downstream. If I wirelessly connect to the AirPort that is wired to the Comcast modem, I get crazy high speeds - like 60MB downstream. (I'm using http://speedtest.net/ to judge these speeds...)
What the heck is going on???
Here's some more info:
Both Extremes are on the latest firmware, 7.6
The extended Extreme is showing that the upstream Extreme is wirelessly connected, with a Signal of -62, Noise of -68, rate of 144, Type Wireless (of course).
I've tried allowing wireless clients on the extended Extreme and not, both ways have the same behavior.
Lastly, and I don't think it matters, but my iMac has the latest version of Lion installed, 10.7.2.
Anyone have any suggestions???
- Thanx!
- Jon

Hi Again,
I'm pretty sure that this issue is going to be pushed farther and farther down in the discussion board.
I would really like to get it solved. Would any AirPort gurus out there like to make 10 bucks? I'm happy to PayPal you if you solve my issue... If not, I remember that there was a website where you could submit an issue and make an offer of payment for solving it. Anyone know what that is?
- Jon

Similar Messages

How can I extend a wireless network with my AirPort Extreme Base Station?

Today I purchased a brand new, dual-band base station to replace my Belkin N router, as I have had a handful of firewall, coverage, and other networking problems in my house lately. First off, I really like this router and it was very easy to setup. My MacBook Pro could use both bands and established a 300 Mbit/s link very quickly. After tweaking various settings to my liking, I was also able to maximize the connections on many of my non-Apple machines and devices. I noticed that the range of its network was better than my Belkin's, but unfortunately, it failed to completely saturate the area sufficiently. Since the Belkin still works well enough, I was hoping I could bridge them together one way or the other.
The Belkin router does not support any bridge mode that I know of, but the AirPort Extreme should be able to join a wireless network and then extend that over WiFi and Ethernet, correct? I would like to place them at opposite ends of my home so I can get strong WiFi signals everywhere inside. However, when I try to get the base station to connect to my preexisting WiFi connection, it tells me that I can't extend the network and fails to join.
So is this possible? And if it is, how would I go about setting it up? I know it would probably be easier if I had a simple range booster such as an AirPort Express, but I didn't buy one while I was at Fry's since I hoped I could make use of the older Belkin. This is its product page, if needed. Thanks for any suggestions.
-MacUser

The Belkin router does not support any bridge mode that I know of, but the AirPort Extreme should be able to join a wireless network and then extend that over WiFi and Ethernet, correct?
Sorry, but no. The AirPort Extreme Base Station cannot "join" a network like the AirPort Express or Time Capsule, but you wouldn't want to do this anyway because in this configuration these devices will only perform as wireless clients ... not routers.
Instead, the AirPort Extreme can either be extended or can extend another 802.11g or 802.11n AirPort ... or a very very few non-AirPort devices.
One option for your Belkin would be to connect it to the AirPort Extreme by Ethernet but this may not meet your requirements or be a desirable situation. Otherwise, you would need to get another AirPort to extend your current one.

How do I set up a wireless network with an AirPort Extreme base station and two airport extreme but between apple devices either by ethernet

How do I set up a wireless network with an AirPort Extreme base station and two airport extreme but between apple devices either by ethernet

This Apple support document provides good general information on configuring different types of neworks using multiple AirPort routers.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4145
In particular, you would want to focus on the information regarding a "Roaming Network"

Can I use the Ethernet Port for a computer when it is also used as a wireless network with an Airport Extreme as the access point for the wireless network

Can I use the Ethernet Port of the A1264 Airport Express to connect to the Ethernet port of a computer that does not have wireless capability when the Airport Express is also used on a wireless network with an Airport Extreme 5th generation as the access point for the network?
I have AE 5th gen
looking to buy (from ebay) the AEX A1264
Various computers, printers and hubs for the network
Is this possible to do?

Bob, Thanks for the info. I have read different articles that said yes, but I wanted to make sure before I commit to buy. I have an older A1084 which I could not use the Ethernet port. I know at one point I was able to when I was on 10.4. Now that I am on an Intel processor and 10.8 I am going to have to upgrade some of my Apple wireless hardware.
Thanks Again.

Solution for Poor signal in a wireless WDS network with two Airport Extreme

I have just bought my second Airport Extreme to create a wireless network with the best possible signal. I have one Airport Extreme in my office and the second one (supposedly the remote base) in the living room, two brick walls and 7 meters away. I have follow Apple instructions for the setup, main base "Create a Wifi Network" and Extend network option selected. The remote "join an existent network" and Allow wifi clients selected. According to Apple this is a WDS network between two Airport Extreme.
The network is working and the signal from my iMac is very good in my Office. In the living room the signal with my PC laptop is also very good.
Problem is that my iPod Touch OS 3.0 (I use it as a remote control in my living room with a twonky media server) gets now a very weak wifi signal in my living room, in many cases I lose the wifi sgnal although I sit two meters away from the remote Airport Extreme in the Living Room. If I go to my office with the iPod, then I get a good signal.
I think that only the first Airport Extreme in my Office (Main Base) is emitting a wifi signal and the second Airport Extreme (remote) is only receiving the wifi signal not making a repetition of the wifi signal. (Sorry for my explanation, I am not technical on this.)
I thought that, in a WDS configuration, the remote Airport Extreme WAS suppose to also replicate the wifi signal in my living room.
I have also tried a WDS manual setup with the two airport with the same results.
Is there a solution for this?. Do I have to connect the two Airport Extreme with a wire ethernet in order to be able to have a wifi signal strong enough in my living room for my iPod Touch?.
Thank you for your time.

Thank you Bob for your time.
I understand from your words that with a DHCP reservation I can force de Airport Extreme Main Base to assign an specific IP to a particular client in the network. Is that correct?. If that is the case, I will reserve the 10.0.1.3 to the Twonky Media Server (I need this to be fixed to this IP) and I will change the configuration of the remote Airport Extreme to DHCP automatic.
I will give it a try in a few days. I have spent so many hours with this set up that I am a bit terrified to start again today, to tired from work.
Just one last question. Setting up the remote Airport was very difficult with the Airport Utility. I had to reset and start many times as I always got two errors in the set up:
1.- Internet not connected.
After a minute or so, most of the time the problem was corrected automatically as the remote found the main base that is connected to the internet. I got a confirmation message for this.
2.- Second problem was that Airport Utility said that it could no connect the remote to the specified network. Sometimes (not always) the remote light turn green both in the Airport Extreme and in the Airport Utility, BUT I never got confirmation of a successful installation. Nevertheless, the connection was established because the wifi network exist.
Do I have to "disable the WAN port" during the installation of the remote Airport to avoid the problems?.
Best Regards,
Fernando

Extend Wireless Network with Two Airports Via Ethernet?

I would like to know if you can extend a wireless network using an ethernet cable between two Airport devices.
There are a couple of reasons why Id like to do this:
Im thinking that because the additional basestation (Airport Extreme) is hardwired to the main Airport (Time Capsule, plugged directly into my cable modem), it doesnt rely on a Wi-Fi signal source, so the network speed wouldnt be degraded as it does when you normally extend a Wi-Fi network over the air. And possibly the range would be a little better? Id still be using Airport network for my iDevices.
Id like to use the Extreme as a router to hook up other devices such as a TiVo, TiVo Stream and Xbox 360. I'd prefer these devices be hardwired to the network (and actually the TiVo Stream requires that it be).
How would you set this up while keeping everything on the same network? Is this even possible?
Currently my setup looks like this: Cable Modem<ethernet>Time Capsule<ethernet>Airport Extreme:<ethernet>TiVo,<ethernet>TiVo Stream,<ethernet>Xbox 360

In addition to John Galt's suggestion, there is another very simple and quick way to verify that your AirPort Extreme is "extending" correctly.
Locate your Mac laptop near the main router first....in your case, it would be the Time Capsule and log on to the wireless.
Hold down the option key on your Mac while you click on the AirPort icon
Look for the BSSID and jot down the last few numbers. That is the AirPort ID of the Time Capsule.
Now move your laptop close to the AirPort Extreme and perform the same test. If you see the same BSSID as you did before.....the AirPort Extreme is not extending, since your laptop is still picking up the wireless signal from the Time Capsule.
If you see a different BSSID, that will confirm that the laptop is picking up a wireless signal from the extending AirPort Extreme.
Try to minimize obstructions between wireless devices and the access points to which they are connecting.

Can i use another router to extend my wireless network of my airport extreme?

i have a billion router (moddel BiPAC 7300W) I just got myself the airport extreme, i want to use the extreme as the main router and extend the network using the billion router.
steps i have followed on the extreme is as follows:
INTERNET
connection sharing: Distrobute a range of IP addresses
cofig IPv4:set to my home network range(manually) - ip,subnet,router,dns
DHCP
access control: mac address of billion router set to all day every day
steps i have followed on the billion router:
disabled NAT
disabled DHCP
ethernet address: same range as extreme ip, actual ip op extreme is xxx.xxx.xxx.254, on billion xxx.xxx.xxx.253
disabled RIP
set wireless mode to 802.11b+g+n
channel id: auto
channel width:20/40mhz
disable wps
disable vmm
Wireless Distribution System (WDS) - added the 3 mac addresses the utility displayed, 5ghz and 2.4ghz and also the ethernet.
restarted both routers, not picking up all the devices connected to the network.
can any one please help me?

i want to use the extreme as the main router and extend the network using the billion router.
Unfortunately, WDS was never adopted as an official standard in the industry, so very few routers from other manufacturers are known to be compatible with Apple's WDS settings. The known devices are as follows:
Belkin F5D7230-4 and F5D7231
BT Voyager 2091 or 2100
Buffalo WGR-G54
Linksys WRT54G or WRT54GS (through version v4)
Netgear WGR614 v6
Thompson 585v6 wireless router (40 bit WEP works but stronger encryption does not)
connection sharing: Distrobute a range of IP addresses
You would not use this setting unless your service provider has furnished you with a specific range of IP addresses to use for your devices. Is that the case?
Normally, when the AirPort Extreme is functioning as the "main" router, the setting for Connection Sharing is set to "Share a public IP address"
Wireless Distribution System (WDS) - added the 3 mac addresses the utility displayed, 5ghz and 2.4ghz and also the ethernet.
You indicated that you had configured things this way on the Billion router. But, you did not indicate whether you had set the Wireless Mode for the AirPort Extreme to "Participate in a WDS Arrangement".
If you have not already done so, this might improve your chances of establishing a connection between the AirPort Extreme and Billion router for the WDS.
To access these settings on the AirPort Extreme, you would need to open AirPort Utility and click Manual Setup. Then click the Wireless tab just below the row of icons. Change the setting for Wireless Mode to "Participate in a WDS Arrangement".
Note....you may need to hold down the option key on your Mac, (or it might be alt or control if you are using a PC) to display the WDS setting.
Once you do this, then a WDS tab will now appear next to the Wireless tab. Click on the WDS tab to set up the AirPort Extreme as the WDS Main and enter the MAC address of the Billion router.
As I mentioned previously, it is extremely unlikely that the Apple and Billion devices will be compatible for WDS, but probably worth a try....since you never know when something just might work.
Even if it does....WDS operates only at "g" wireless speeds, so you will lose any of the faster "n" speed capabilities of the AirPort Extreme in this type of setting.
Please post on your results.

Extending a wireless signal with an Airport Extreme Base Station, and an Airport Express as the "repeater".

I understand that I can extend Airport Extreme wirless "reach" with an Airport Express, but how? I've read through the posts and they say to "connect" the Airport Express. What does that mean, to an outlet, to an ethernet cable, what?

I understand that I can extend Airport Extreme wirless "reach" with an Airport Express, but how?
Enable the option on the AirPort Extreme to "Allow this network to be extended"
Then configure the AirPort Express to "Extend a wireless network"
If you do it this way, the AirPort Express connects to the AirPort Extreme using wireless only.
If you have the ability to run an Ethernet cable from the AirPort Extreme to the AirPort Express and leave it connected permanently, that will provide better performance than the "wireless only" type of connection.

Power Mac G3 Pismo with Airport wireless card in Mac OS X 10.4 won't connect to wireless network with newest Airport Extreme Base Station set at WPA Personal/WPA 2 Personal encryption.

My Power Book G3 Pismo with an Airport wireless card running Mac OS X 10.4.11 will not connect to my new Airport
Extreme Base Station using WPA Personal/WPA 2 Person encryption. The Airport firmware is version 9.52. From
posts I've read online at different places indicates the Airport card should support the WPA encryption. Perhaps the problem
is the Base Station is using a combination setting and the fault is in the base station?
Thanks for any suggestions

Perhaps an inexpensive usb wireless adapter would work as well?
This is probably the simplest way to get the G3 connected to the wireless network.
I'll have to read up on getting an express and using it as a wireless bridge as I am unfamiliar with the concept.
The new AirPort Extreme is broadcasting a wireless signal.
A new AirPort Express could be located close to the G3. The Express will pick up the wireless signal from the AirPort Extreme, then provide an Ethernet connection to the G3 though a short Ethernet cable.
This can work very well......IF.....you keep the G3 at a fixed location, since it will always be connected to the AriPort Express using an Ethernet cable.
I do have an old Linksys Wireless G router. I wonder if that would work?
In theory, yes. But it would have to use much older WEP "security", which is easily cracked in minutes using free tools available on the Internet. So, anyone who really wanted to get on the network could do so. It's an option, but not a very good one.

Extending Time Capsule wireless network with an Airport Extreme

Hello - can anyone please advise about extending a wireless Time Capsule network by adding an Airport Extreme?
I've looked at the Apple support advice - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4259?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US -
Wi-Fi base stations: Setting up and configuring an extended wireless network (802.11n) -
but I couldn't seem to make it work. I don't know if it is different as I'm using Mountain Lion, but I cannot seem to locate a '

Temporarily, move the AirPort Extreme to the same room or general area of the Time Capsule, power it up, and wait a full minute.
Then, hold in the reset button on the back of the AirPort Extreme for 9-10 seconds, then release. Allow a full minute for the AirPort Extreme to restart to a slow, blinking amber light.
Close AirPort Utility if it is open.
Click the fan shaped AirPort icon at the top of your Mac's screen. Wait a few seconds for the listing of New AirPort Base Station to appear.
Click on AirPort Extreme just below that and AirPort Utility will open automatically open and analyze your network settings. In the example above, this is shown as an AirPort Express. In another minute, you will see that it will configure the AirPort Extreme to "Extend" the network.
Enter a device name that you want to use and click Next
Wait another minute for AirPort Utility to configure the AirPort Extreme. When you see the message of Setup Complete, click Done.
Move the AirPort Extreme to a location that is approximtely half the distance from the Time Capsule to the area that needs more wireless coverage and power it up.
You are all set.

Setting up wireless network with 2x airport extreme ac

I've got a business customer with 2 new Airport Extreme 802.11 AC behind a comcast modem.
When the first extreme is set up, all is well.
When the 2nd Extreme is introduced, Airport Utility asks to automatically wirelessly extend the network, which I allow it to do.
But sometime during that setup, the 2nd extreme becomes unresponsive, and the connection to the internet becomes broken.
The only thing that restores it is to reboot the first Extreme. No matter how many times Iv'e done this, it results in the same problem. I've replaced Extreme #2 with a new one, and I get the same problem.
There are 20 some odd devices on the network; with one Extreme, it works great, and the Extreme AC's replaced 2 older version of Extreme's that were doing this just perfectly.
What is causing this problem, other than me doing something stupid, and how do I extend the network? I'd rather extend it with the wire it's connected to than wirelessly.

Power off AirPort Extreme 2 for now and test the Ethernet cable that is connected from one of the LAN <-> ports on Extreme 1 by temporarily connecting the cable to the Ethernet port on a laptop or desktop. Turn off the wireless off on the computer and see if you can get a good Internet connection that way.
If you can, then you know that the Ethernet port on the AirPort and the cable are both working correctly.
If you can't, then you need to do some troubleshooting to identify the real problem before you can attempt to configure AirPort Extreme 2.
Post back when you have verified that you have a working connection between AirPort Extreme 1 and the device that you are using to test.

Trouble extending a wifi network with 2nd Airport Extreme base station.

I have added a second Airport Extreme in order to extend a network. I connected it to the network via an ethernet cable into one of the three ethernet ports. I have configured it using these instructions (http://systemsboy.com/2009/02/extending-an-airport-network.html). I get green lights for both units.
My network works until I update the second unit. As soon as I update the second unit, my entire internet connection goes down. Even computers in the office that are connected via ethernet cannot access the internet. As soon as I unplug the second base station, the internet connection is "live" again. I don't know how to proceed. I think my brain is fried. Any advice would be helpful.
Thanks,
Rich

Based on the information in your post, the article that you referenced will not provide the correct configuration that you need for your network. In summary, the information in the article is for extending wireless network using wireless only. You are connecting your two routers together using ethernet, correct?
To confirm, your post indicates that +I have added a second Airport Extreme in order to extend a network. I connected it to the network via an ethernet cable into one of the three ethernet ports+
If this is correct, the Wireless Mode for your "main" router should be set to "Create a wireless network".
For the second AirPort Extreme, you will use exactly the same setting, "Create a wireless network". The network name, security and password should match the settings of your main network exactly. This is probably confusing to you, but these are the correct settings when you have the second AirPort Extreme connected to the first using an ethernet cable.
It is critical that the second AirPort Extreme be configured as a "bridge" in order to function correctly on your network. When you are in AirPort Utility - Manual Setup, click the Internet icon at the top of the setup page. Look for the Connection Sharing setting at the bottom of the page. This must be set to "Off (Bridge Mode)". The configuration to "bridge" should be the last step before your click the Update button at the lower right of your screen.
Post back if you need more information or details.

Can I extend my wireless network with my old Airport?

Can I extend my wireless network with my old Airport? I have the airport extreme 802.11n & my old Airport (translucent white) base station. Can I mix the two to expand my range?

No problem; ask as many questions as you need to.
How do I reconfigure the Snow as a bridge to allow the AEBSn to continue to provide both NAT & DHCP services for the entire network?
I don't have a Snow to verify this, but it should be similar to the later base stations when using the AirPort Admin Utility.
To set up the Snow base station as a bridge, either connect to the Snow's wireless network or temporarily connect your computer directly (using an Ethernet cable) to the Ethernet port of the Snow, and then, using the AirPort Admin Utility (located in the \Applications\Utilities folder), make these settings:
Network tab
o Distribute IP addresses (unchecked)
o Apply the new setting.

How to extend range of my wireless network with an Airport Express connected by ethernet with Airport Utility 6.0

Hi everyone,
I have AirPort Express 802.11n (1st Gen) firmware 7.6.1, that is connected to my main wifi base station (a TimeCapsule) by ethernet. I would like to extend the range of the Wifi Network but am not clear on how to do so using the new interface of Airport Utlity 6.0.
Does anyone have any tips on how to do this?
BR
AK

Hi Everyone!
Many thanks for the tips. I have downloaded 5.6 and have set my Airport Express in the "Extend a wireless network" mode. I was still having a few problems with the quality of the wifi connection in different parts of my apartment (by no means a very large one, but walls seem to be made of extra dense concrete here in Singapore) and went out and bought a few powerline adapters by TP Link (http://www.tp-link.sg/products/details/?categoryid=1862&model=TL-PA211#spec).
If you don't mind a slightly long post, I would be very grateful for any tips:
My setup is now as follows:
Main room
Time Capsule - connected to a Cisco DPC3925 Modem (http://www.cisco.com/web/consumer/support/modem_DPC3925.html) both connected to a TP Link adapter 1.
iMac - connected via Ethernet to TP Link adapter 2 and wifi enabled
Airport Express 1 - connected by Ethernet to TimeCapsule (and thus TP Link adapter 1) used to stream audio to a stereo that doesn't have an optical cable input. Since it is an Ethernet connection, I have wifi turned off.
Apple TV 1 - connected by Ethernet to TimeCapsule (and thus TP Link adapter 1)
Bedroom A
Airport Express 2 - connected via ethernet to TP Link adapter 3
Bedroom B -
Apple TV 2 - connected by Ethernet to a TP Link adapter 4
After following the tips on setting up the extended wifi network, I find that when I use a wireless client (e.g. iPad, Macbook air, etc) in either Bedroom B or Bedroom C (both don't have wifi in the room) the connection is very poor. Even more odd is that the connection in Bedroom A, one that does have Airport Express 2. To be clear when I mean very poor, I mean Skype/facetime skips frames and freezes... this doesn't happen when I am in the main living area.
I would be very grateful for tips on how to set up the most robust network given the configuration above. Specifically, I am wondering about:
When I select Extend a wireless network option on Airport Utility 5.6 the summary page states that it is connecting using "Wireless Network" vs what I would expect it to say "Ethernet connection".
Is there any advice on whether to enable 5Ghz network and if so, should I try to use that for the various wifi clients?
Does anyone know if I can somehow use Apple products to extend the reach of the Cisco DPC3925? Frustratingly the signal is quite strong (compared to Apple routers), but I cannot properly stream audio/video if that wifi network is used (as my iMac that hosts the content is on the Apple one... and I'd have to walk over to switch it to the Cisco one).
Any other tips would be much appreciated!
Cheers!
AK

Extend existing wireless network with airport express..impossible?

I have tried to extend my existing wireless network with an airport express, but it seemd that I always need a ethernetcable...apple support insured me it is possible but the airport utility software only allows me to extend using a cable it seems....

Couple of thoughts here.......
The AirPort Express will only extend a wireless network if you have another Apple router providing the wireless network to be extended.
Is your "main" wireless router an Apple product? If yes, what model number do you have?
It would also help if we could get the model number of the AirPort Express. Some older versions are not capable of extending a wireless network.

Extending a wireless networking with two AirPort Extremes...

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