Extending "n" networks

Bob noted that extending WDS "g" network cuts bandwidth by 50% for each remote/relay.
How about extending "n" networks, does it reduce bandwidth for each new "n" express?
Thanks (ps appreciate any pointers to pertinent docs)
tm

From +Take Control of your AirPort Network+, which is considered one of the standard reference books on the subject....
+WDS Downside+
+The biggest downside in WDS is that on a busy network, you+
+effectively halve, quarter, or even eighth, your available band-+
+width: All the network traffic that travels among access points+
+over WDS reduces the overall throughput of the network, and+
+because all WDS base stations are on the same channel, no base+
+station can “talk” while another is “speaking.”+
I have no interest in Take Control Books other than as customer.
I noticed that there were over 50,000 results for the topic on a Google search as follows:
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=WDSbandwidthpenalty&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
We can provide more information if you need it as well.
Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

Similar Messages

AirPort Extreme extends my network and has worked well for three months. Now it can no longer extend the network and flashes Amber. I have restored to factory settings moved it closer to time capsule and rebooted the system without luck

i have a blinking Amber on my extreme now and it cannot extend the network. It was working fine and nothing has changed. I have restored to factory settings moved it to another room and rebooted the system without luck. Any suggestions

What OS are you running?
Please give me a screenshot of the current AE setup..
I strongly recommend if you have issues.. take control of all the variables. Apple routers have too much auto..
Here is a list that I use for setups when using Yosemite.. but it relates to any OS.
You will need to factory reset again to get going.
Factory reset universal
Power off the AE.. 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 AE 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.
Then redo the setup from the computer with Yosemite or whatever you are using.
1. Use very short names.. NOT APPLE RECOMMENDED names. No spaces and pure alphanumerics.
eg AEgen5 for basestation.
Use AE24ghz and AE5ghz for wireless on each band, with fixed channels as this also seems to help stop the nonsense.
2. Use all passwords that also comply but can be a bit longer. ie 8-20 characters mixed case and numbers.. no non-alphanumerics.
3. Ensure the AE always takes the same IP address.. this is not a problem for router but if the AE is bridged you can have trouble.. Try using the static IP method or control it via the main router dhcp reservations.
4. Check your share name on the computer/s is not changing.. make sure it also complies with the above.. short no spaces and pure alphanumeric..
5. Make sure IPv6 is set to link-local only in the computer. For example wireless open the network preferences, wireless and advanced / TCP/IP.. and fix the IPv6. to link-local only.
6. Set up the extend to the Express using 2.4ghz and then see how good or bad the connection is.. this is better in the old v5 utility but if you hover your mouse over where it shows connection an extra chunk of info comes up.
I have specifically used 5ghz to make the extend.. because by testing it works better.. but do not be fooled.. this good connection is poor.. the RSSI.. which is difference signal .. at -79dbm is down the bottom of the stable.. and it drops out on a daily basis.. you want to see that signal around -60dbm at min.
There is a lot more jiggery pokery you can try but the above is a good start.. if you find it still unreliable.. don't be surprised.

How do i use my time capsule and extend the network with airport express

I have a new iMac and Time Capsule, how do i extend the network with airport express. My time capsule does have a guest net work, and logins and passwords? I am no computer person. So for me it would have to be spelled out.

Use the search as this has been done to death ..
Bob Timmons is the expert on this.. look at his answers here.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4274187?start=0&tstart=0
https://discussions.apple.com/message/21856077#21856077
This has been automated in the v6 utility. I am used to doing it manually in v5 utility which is also fairly easy.
Apple doco is also good to read.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4145
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4259
Note.
You cannot extend the guest network unless everything is up to date 7.6.3 firmware. And that is only with the TC as the main router in the network.
All apple routers can be configured as the main wireless or as the extend wireless.. so don't worry if a post uses express or extreme or TC.. they are for wireless, the same thing.

Problems wirelessly extending 5Ghz network with Time Capsule

Summary:
My Time Capsule wirelessly extends a 5Ghz "n" network provided by my Airport Extreme, but the Time Capsule frequently fails and stops providing Internet access to connected computers. I'm not sure if the problem is with the Time Capsule or with the Airport Extreme it's connecting to.
Setup:
Airport Extreme (dual band) connected to cable modem. It provides a 5Ghz "n" network and a 2.5Ghz "b-g-n" network. This is in the bedroom.
Time Capsule (non-dual band) joins the 5Ghz network and extends it. This is in the office, maybe 40 feet away, line-of-sight. There is a laser printer connected to the Time Capsule via ethernet.
My MacBook is set to join the 5 Ghz network, and since it's in the office, it ends up joining via the Time Capsule. This is the desired behavior, as connecting through the Time Capsule seems to result in the fastest possible backup speed.
There are no wireless devices, such as cordless phones, in the house. The microwave is NOT in use when the problems arise.
*The Problem:*
Frequently, the MacBook loses its Internet connection, though it is still connected to the 5Ghz network through the Time Capsule. When this happens, it can only see the Time Capsule it's connected through (and other devices that are connected to it) but no other devices on the network.
When this happens, other devices that are connecting to the 5Ghz network through the Airport Extreme can no longer see the Time Capsule or any devices connected to it, such as the laser printer or my MacBook. This includes the living room computer, which has never been able to complete a backup due to this problem.
The Time Capsule's and the Airport Extreme's indicator lights both stay green.
If I change the Macbook's connection to the 2.5Ghz network, it can see the devices connected to the Airport Extreme, but can no longer reach the Time Capsule.
*Unsuccessful Solutions:*
This was happening in a previous incarnation of the network, when I had a non-dual band Airport Extreme providing the main network, the Time Capsule connected via 5Ghz, and an Airport Express connected via ethernet to the Time Capsule to provide a b-g network.
I replaced the Airport Extreme with a new dual-band unit to simplify the setup, but it did not solve the problem.
Since the Time Capsule seemed to be the weak link in the network, I reported the problem and got the unit replaced, but the problem still persists.
I've reset both the Airport Extreme and the Time Capsule to their factory settings numerous times, and set them up again from scratch (no imported settings). I've gone in and made sure that there were no WDS settings leftover from the earlier configuration, as the 5Ghz network does not need it to extend itself.
*Plea for help:*
Is anyone else experiencing a similar problem?

Update
The other day, I modified the setup so that the Time Capsule doesn't extend the wireless network wirelessly, only through Ethernet (so the attached printer will work, but the computers will connect directly to the AEBS. The Time Capsule stayed connected long enough for me to do a full backup (125GB) from the downstairs computer.
I thought I had it "solved" (though extending the 5Ghz network would be preferable so the office computers can have faster backup speeds.)
But yesterday, I went to print to the Ethernet-attached printer, and it got only one page out before it disappeared off the network again, and the print job failed. I noticed it did it again, today.
So the problem is not tied to wirelessly extending the network.

Time Capsule won't show when trying to extend my network

I am not too bright at networking, but I will try my best to explain my problem. I have an existing wireless network with a non-Apple router. I use both a PC and a MacBook on this network. I am trying to use my Time Capsule to extend my network into another room. I start by resetting my Time Capsule. I then open the Airport utility, and my Time Capsule shows. I then go through and set all the new settings. While doing this, the utility also lets me select my existing network, and enter my password for that. It then accepts my settings, and beings to set my Time Capsule. It is at this point it can't seem to find the Time Capsule anymore??? I tried a few times and got the same thing. Help! Thanks.

The Time Capsule creates both a 5 GHz band and 2.4 GHz band on the Main network using the same wireless network name (SSID). The 5 GHz band offers faster communication between devices.
But, there's always a trade off. To get the higher speeds, this band must give up distance and penetration power, so it's pretty much a "line-of-sight" deal between your computer and Time Capsule.
The 2.4 GHz band penetrates walls, ceilings and other obstructions much more effectively. So, if your computer is in the same room as the Time Capsule or a close adjacent room, it will probably connect to the 5 GHz band. Down the hall and around the corner, or upstairs, it will probably connect to the 2.4 GHz band.
Your computer(s) will automatically connect to the best quality signal, not necessarily the fastest signal, (which could be much weaker).
If you enable the Guest network, your "guests" (or kids, perhaps) will be able to access the internet, but they will not be able to see any of your drives, computers, etc on the Main network. Nice feature.
Here's the downside. When you enable the Guest network, you are taking some bandwidth away from the Main network. So, it makes sense to enable the Guest network only when you have "guests".

I have an Airport Extreme as my router and am using time capsule to extend the network in my new house. My ISP is only providing me 4-5 ip addresses and wants me to set up my router to issue out new ip addresses for all my devices.How do I fix this?Help

I have an Airport Extreme as my router and am using time capsule to extend the network in my new house. My ISP is only providing me 4-5 ip addresses and wants me to set up my router to issue out new ip addresses for all my devices.How do I fix this?Help.
They said I need to change my settings to NAT settings. I haven't been able to figure out or find anything. I have also spoken to Apple Support on the phone for hours without being able to figure out how to do this ( i don't think he knew much either lol.) Please help me because I've got about 15-20 devices in my house that require to be connected to the internet and this is just making things ridiculously slow and painful for me.
Thanks!

It is on DHCP & NAT under router mode yet my isp is still the one issuing ip addresses to my devices instead of the router issuing them

I have an airport extreme for my main internet connection, an express to listen to music on my home theatre, another express to extend the network upstairs, and one more express for my wireless printer. whats the best way to setup the express stations?

So basically I would like to know if its best to have them setup on "join a wireless network" or "extend a wireless network"
Obviously the one I use to extend the network is setup that way, the other 2 are set on "join a network"
is this the optimal configuration? or should I have them all on "extend a wireless network" ?

There is really no "best" setting here for the AirPort Express devices. If you need more wireless coverage in the area where an Express is located, then it makes sense to configure the Express to "extend" a wireless network.
If you already have good coverage in an area where an Express is located, then the "join" configuration makes sense.
I've yet to meet the first user who felt that he/she had too much wireless signal coverage in their home, but you never know.

How do I extend a network with an AirPort Extreme from an Arris TG862?

I'm using Comcast as my ISP, and after some issues with a previous Motorola modem, they supplied me with an Arris TG862 Router/Modem combo tower. I have two AirPort Extremes, one of which was previously connected to the old Motorola modem to send wireless into the house, but it only reached halfway, so I had the other AirPort Extreme in the middle of the house to "catch" the signal and then broadcast it out to the rest of the house. This worked fine for a while.
But with the new TG862, it doesn't seem to be an option. From what I've read, if I have the TG862 in one room (connected to the cable), AirPort Extreme #1 in the middle of the house, trying to join the existing network (or extend it?), and AirPort Extreme #2 in the far end of the house (to extend from AirPort #1), it won't work. Apple's "extension" technology isn't compatible with all other modems or routers, and even if it was, I'd have to somehow configure the TG862 to "allow to be extended."
So my question is, IF there is a desktop utilizing the TG862 as a direct connection (because it has no built-in Wi-Fi), is it possible to put the TG862 into bridge mode, connect one of the AirPort Extremes and have it act as the router so I can use AirPort Extreme #2 to extend that network out to the rest of the house? I want to ensure the desktop still has a connection, but there's Wi-Fi that actually goes out through the whole house.
The connected-to-the-cable-desktop is a PC; we have multiple iPhones, iPads, and anywhere from 1 Mac laptop to 1 iMac in the house at any given time.

pcbjr wrote:
Topic title pretty well sums up the question.
I have a TimeCapsule Base Station with two Expresses for extending the network through the house.
We're doing a 3 room addition, and there is not a convenient place to put an Express in a wall outlet in the middle room of the addition, but there's a perfect place to put an Extreme on top of a piece of furniture.
So, can the Extreme act as an "extender" only, in lieu of using an Express?
Hiya.
You can absolutely extend a network with an Extreme. I've got a 5th gen. Extreme extending a network created with a 3rd gen. Time Capsule. On the Extreme, you'll have the option to allow (or not) WiFi clients. I recommend having all units updated to the current firmware (7.6.1 as of this writing). Note that extending doesn't work in daisy-chain fashion, meaning that your Expresses or Extremes will each connect to and extend from the TC. As such, you'll want the TC to be in as central a location as possible to offer the best coverage.

How do I know "Roaming Network" is working with Airport Express and Airport Extreme and should I use extended wireless network for third Express?

Attempting to eliminate a dead spot in Wifi coverage [and implement AirPlay] have one Airport Extreme 802.11n and two Airport Express 802.11n's.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4145
The Airport Extreme is of course connected to cable modem and Ethernet switch, and one Airport Express is connected to the Ethernet network. As per instructions for creating a "Roaming Network", Airport Express is set to same SSID, security type, and Password.
Questions:
1. How does the client device know which Airport to connect to? In other words, will it switch to the closer WiFi transmitter automatically? The WiFi reception problem is intermittent in the fringe areas so what I do not want it for it to stick with the more distant Airport Extreme in the basement when the Airport Express which is closer will work better.
2. How can I tell which of the Airports the attached client device is using?
The third Airport Express will be in a third location - I was planning on using it also for expanding coverage but after reading the warnings about performance suffering when purely using WiFi for the expansion in this location ("Wireless Extended Network" without an ethernet connection) I have figured that the single wired Airport Express will be adequate and will use the third Express to do Airplay only.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4259
Question: Can I use this second Airport Express to extend the wireless network via "Extended Wireless Network" while the other two are in "Roaming Netowrk" configuration? Without bogging down??
Mitch

1. How does the client device know which Airport to connect to?
The Mac computer will automatically connect to the wireless access point with the strongest signal...which is probably the closest AirPort. An iPhone or iPad may not do this and will tend to stay connected to one AirPort.
2. How can I tell which of the Airports the attached client device is using?
On a Mac, open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility. Click on one of AirPorts. In the area to the right, locate the AirPort ID and jot that down. Then do the same for your other AirPort.
Move your Mac near one of the AirPorts and log on to the wireless. Hold down the option key on the Mac while you click the fan shaped AirPort icon at the top of the screen. Look for the BSSID. That is the AirPort ID of the device to which you are connected.
If you are close to the "remote" AirPort, and you see the AIrPort ID of the "main" router when you are testing, then you know that the network is not configured correctly.
Can I use this second Airport Express to extend the wireless network via "Extended Wireless Network" while the other two are in "Roaming Netowrk" configuration? Without bogging down??
There will be a modest 10-15% bandwidth loss with the "extend" setup, assuming that the Express is located where it can receive a strong wireless signal from the AirPort to which it is associated. You can avoid the bandwidth loss if the Express is also connected via Ethernet as part of the roaming configuration.

My iPod Touch was not connecting to my Airport Express router (which was "extending" a network as a WDS repeater) -- SOLVED!

My problem was this. I have a large apartment with concrete walls, so just one wireless router would not work. I used apple Airport routers and used one of them (an airport extreme) to create my wireless network, and a number of other ones -- airport expresses -- to "extend" the network.
That's all great, but I found that a couple of my devices -- mainly my iPod Touch -- would refuse to connect to the repeater airport express routers -- it only wanted to connect to the main Airport Extreme router, not the satellite guys.
Finally I solved the problem. It had to do with how the wireless network's configuration for "Radio" setting was set regarding 802/11 b/g, and the dual-band ability of the Extreme. Below is the description of how I fixed it.
======SOLUTION THAT I POSTED======
I've pretty much solved this problem. I do not FULLY understand why, but now I can have my iPod touch (and I am hoping my kindle) attach correctly to the satellite/repeater airport express. Here is what I did:
I did two configuration changes to my central hub airport extreme router (i.e., the one that my other routers were merely configured to "extend.") I realize now that these are both configurations that must be done at that central router, and the repeater routers then simply mimic or reflect accordingly.
-- First, I used the most recent Airport Utility (v6.0) and clicked on my main router (which, crucially, is an airport extreme that has dual band 802.11, both 2.4ghz and 5ghz.)
-- In the airport utility, I clicked on that Extreme router and then in its funky popup window, clicked Edit.
-- Clicked the tab called Wireless.
-- Clicked on Wireless Options button.
-- the first config change I made on that page was to change the Radio Mode setting to "802.11a/n - 802.11 b/g."
What nobody really tells you is that that hyphenated choice means that the 5GHz band will use the first of those two (namely, a and n, in other words the strong modern N standard will be used on this band ONLY) ... while the 2.4GHZ band will use only the second of those two, b/g, in other words, the devices that only can use that older weaker standard.
So, it's kind of a segregation. I'm telling it "No, don't let the 2.4 ghz band try to handle traffic using N. That band will just take care of the old crappy clients."
-- the second config change that I made on that page was to check the check box to make a totally separate wireless network name for the 5GHZ band. Further segregating things. When I tried my solution without this additional step, my problem did not fix itself, though I don't fully see why.
As I said, a few questions remain in my head, but the darn thing works, so I'm happy. Among many other questions... are those airport expresses dual-band too? I didn't think they were but somehow they are repeating this dual-band strategy? Whatever. it works.
BY THE WAY -- I recommend using the Apple question/answer board on StackExchange to get Apple-related answers. It is at http://apple.stackexchange.com/

To demonstrate, here's a screenshot from the Airport Utility on the iPod Touch in close proximity to the Express, still connected to the Extreme :

Multipmultiple Airport Extreme Base Stations: WDS Or "Extend Wireless Network" To Have Wired -- Wireless Bridge?

Hello there!
I've been looking for this info, but have as yet been unable to find it. Here's my scenario:
I have two Airport Extreme Base Stations (both are dual band) and 3 airport expresses. The main internet connection in my house is in one room, where I have an AEBS as the main wireless router. In another room, I have a bunch of ethernet-only devices. I'd like to use the 2nd AEBS in this room, plug the ethernet devices into it and have the 2nd AEBS act as a wired <--> wireless bridge (connected to the same wireless network as the 1st AEBS). I've attempted this via "extend a wireless network," but the ethernet devices don't get past the AEBS they're plugged into. Should I instead be implementing WDS?
I mention the airport expresses as I'd like to have airtunes & wireless signal in other areas, but would like to keep the set-up as simple as possible (i.e., not config the AXes for WDS unless it's required).
Thanks in advance for any help!

Unlike the 802.11n AirPort Express Base Station (AXn), the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn) cannot be configured as a wireless Ethernet bridge.
However, there are at least two ways to configure it to provide wired clients access:
Connect the second AEBSn back to the first by Ethernet; reconfigure the second AEBSn as a bridge and disable its wireless radios, or
Reconfigure both AEBSns into an extended wireless network. For 802.11n AirPorts, this would be called a dynamic WDS. The AEBSn, connected to the Internet would be the "main" base station and it would only require that you enable the "Allow this network to be extended" option in the AirPort Utility. The extending AEBSn would need to be configured with the option, Wireless Mode = Extend a wireless network, enabled.
In both configurations, the second AEBSn's Ethernet ports would be enabled for wired clients.

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

No matter what i do i cant extend my network??

Okay so i brought an Apple Express basestation brandnew from Apple about 4 months ago that I am using as my basestation. I have been able to acess my internet etc all without an issue via various devices in the house such as my 10.6.8 iMac, 10.5.? Mac Mini, and my iPad, as well as other devices like the PS3, my Acer phone and an Asus Vista desktop (the latter with a wireless card)
I brought another express second hand but only about a year old to extend the range of the network and no matter what setting I use it will not extend the range. I have ensured that the express I am using as the main gateway have the extend this network box checked. I have also tried setting up the secondary express to "join my existing network" (which does everything you would expect this setting to do) and also "extend my current network" which is where issues arise such as it slipping in and out of visibility on the Airport Utility.
I even tried setting it up using the WDS system and that yeilded no results at all, this was the only time that none of the computers/devices would connect.
The only reasons that I can think of that would make it not work are these questions:
Does the gateway to the modem have to be an airport extreme/time capsule, or is the express fine for this?
Does the secondary express have to have to be hardwired to the gateway express? Which obvioulsy isnt going to happen
Do you have any other ideas? Would swapping the two expresses around so the one that i want to be the secondary is actually the primary gateway and viseversa or is that a wasted exercise? I am familiar with all of those posters that comment here a lot and thank you for your tips. Have tried all of the stuff you have mentioned time and time again! I spent about 3 hours trying and retrying various configurations last night and again this morning after switching off every device in the household over night.
the original express runs seamlessly, and if i bring the devices closer to the original they work perfectly. the secondary one is just like a washed out bridge, its there and does part of what you need, but not completely usefull without all of it!
Thanks!

Ok, here's another set of step-by-step instructions for configuring an extended network. Please give them a try to be sure you didn't miss anything.
Dynamic WDS - Extending a Wireless Network Setup
If practical, place the base stations in near proximity to each other during the setup phase. Once done, move them to their desired locations.
Open AirPort Utility, and then, select the base station that will connect to the Internet.
Choose Manual Setup from the Base Station menu, or double-click the base station to open the configuration in a separate window. Enter the base station password if necessary.
Click AirPort in the toolbar, and then, click Wireless.
Choose “Create a wireless network” from the Wireless Mode pop-up menu, and then, select the “Allow this network to be extended” checkbox.
Next, select the base station that will extend this network, and then, choose Manual Setup from the Base Station menu, or double-click the base station to open its configuration in a separate window. Enter the base station password if necessary.
Choose “Extend a wireless network” from the Wireless Mode pop-up menu, and then, choose the network you want to extend from the Network Name pop-up menu.
Enter the base station network and base station password if necessary.
Click Update to update the base station with new network settings.

Airport Extreme no longer extending my network

I have 3 Airport Extremes and one Airport Express set up in my house (all 5th generation). One is hooked up directly to the modem and I use it to create a network, the other three I use to extend the network. The Airport Extreme closest to the main one works fine. The other two, as of a few weeks ago, have the blinking orange light and they both have the "Extended Network" error. The 3rd Airport Extreme is in the next room, it used to feed off of the main AExtreme without a problem. Sometimes it says "Connection: Good" sometimes "Excellent". I connected it next to the main AExtreme and it worked (green light), but once I took it back to its original place the orange light started blinking again. The 4th Airport (Express) feeds off of the 3rd one, so I understand why that one's not working. But I don't understand why the 3rd one stopped working all of a sudden. I've reset it to factory settings several times and nothing. I have made no changes in the configuration and there have been no infrastructure changes in the house (and no furniture has been moved). Is there any reason why the reach of an Airport would change all of a sudden? I really need help with this. I have no internet connection in two big areas of the house because of this one AExtreme.

Weirdly enough, I had a 1st generation Time Capsule lying around and connected it in the exact same place the AExtreme giving me problems is, and it works fine, but for some reason it's feeding off of the AExtreme that's right outside where the main one is and not directly from the main one. I've never had any problems with an Airport connecting to another one that is not the main one. I live in a two-story house, the Airport Express is the only one downstairs, it has always fed off of another Airport that is not the main one. Right now it's not being detected because there are closed window shutters that prevent it from getting the signal, but once I open them it's all good. When the AExpress downstairs is not working, there's no internet at all downstairs, but there is when I open the shutters and the AExtreme from which it feeds is also working.
Right this minute, after writing the first paragraph and taking a break, I restored the problematic AExtreme (Rosangela's AirPort Extreme) to factory settings and now it's working again all of a sudden. That one and the Time Capsule are literally right next to each other, yet one is feeding off of the main AExtreme and the other one is feeding off of the one right outside where the main one is.
I guess I'll have to restore the Express as well and put the previously-abandoned Time Capsule downstairs to cover more space.
John, how do I connect a base station in "roaming"? Everytime I restore a base station or add a new one it simply asks me if I want to extend my network or create a network. I ask it to extend my network, Airport Utility does its thing and it usually works. What's the difference between that and using "roaming" configuration?

I would like to extend my network with time capsule

I have and airport extreme. I just bought a time capsule. I would like to keep the airport connected to the modem and use the time capsule to extend my network range and backup. The reason I want to set up my network this way is so I can "hide" the time capsule in another area of the house. Just in case of theft. I would rather have my back-up not located on my desk with all of my other equipment.
When I was setting up the time capsule, it looked like it was doing exactly what I wanted it to do. Then it got to the last step, restarting. The device restarted, the green light came on, but it never showed up in the airport utility dock again. I had to reset it and start over. I ended up setting it up off network and connecting my computer with an ethernet wire and doing my back-up. Now, I have to get it set up wirelessly today. Otherwise, I just bought a very expensive hard drive and would not get the benefit of the wireless back-up.
The guy at the store said this should be easy and it appeared like it was easy, but, something just isn't right.
Any suggestions? Thank you

In order for the Time Capsule to "extend a wireless network", the AirPort Extreme must first be configured to "Allow this network to be extended".
Did you remember to enable that option on the AirPort Extreme before you tried to configure the Time Capsule to "extend"?
Check your settings on the AirPort Extreme as follows:
Open AirPort Utility, select the AirPort Extreme and click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab just below the row of icons
Make sure that you have a check mark entered in the box next to "Allow this network to be extended"
Update to save settings on the AirPort Extreme
Then, configure the Time Capsule to "extend a wireless network"
Post back if you need more tips on this.

Troubling extending wireless network with Time Capsule and Airport Extreme

I am trying to set up and extend a wireless network in my house, but it’s not working right. I have two Airport/Capsule units in the house:
2TB Time Capsule (Dual-Band II)
1 Airport Extreme (Dual Band)
I have the Verizon Fios router as my gateway to the internet, and also as my DHCP server. I have also tested the ethernet ports in my house to verify that they work, and that I can get a DHCP-issued IP address.
Now, my Verizon router has WiFI, and it’s still on. I am not using it though except to troubleshoot. So far as I understand, this should not cause a problem.
Base station setup
So I setup the TC to Create A New Wireless Network, on the ethernet network it’s on (Dlink switch plugged into Verizon router). I set it up in Bridge Mode (as opposed to having it dole out IPs, since the Verizon router does this already). The TC gets a valid IP, and my wireless device connect to it without a problem. I have checked “Allow this network to be expanded” under Wireless settings.
Extended station setup
The AE Dual-Band is plugged into the Ethernet, and is reset to Factory Settings. I name it “Airport Extreme 2” and I chose “I want Airport Extreme to join my current network.” The other two options are: “I want to create a new wireless network” and “I want to replace and existing base station or wireless router with Airport Extreme.”
I chose to “join,” I select “I want to connect Airport Extreme to my network using Ethernet to extend my existing wireless network.” The other options are to disable wireless entirely, or to “wirelessly join my current network.” On the next page it asks me to select the device or network that the Airport Extreme will connect to using the Ethernet. I set it to the Time Capsule.
Results:
Access near the Airport Extreme 2 is incredibly slow. Speedtest shows I am getting less than 1Mbps. Worse yet, my mail client won’t connect. It just times out.
What I had hoped was that the AE would connect via Ethernet to the network, and just bring the wireless network to the other side of the house. Instead it almost seems as though it is just re-amplifying the TC’s signal. Otherwise, why is performance so bad?
Thanks to anyone with some insight here!

Hello Kennuff. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
Since you have the ability to connect all of the routers by Ethernet, there is no need to configure the Time Capsule (TC) & 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn) for a dynamic WDS (aka, extending a network). This option is only when the routers do NOT have an Ethernet connection between them.
Instead, you want to configure the TC & AEBSn in a "roaming" network. I suggest starting by performing either a "hard" or "factory default" reset on both.
Next be sure that both the TC & AEBSn are on the same Ethernet subnet coming from the Verizon-supplied router.
Configure the TC & AEBSn as follows:
AirPort Utility > Select the TC or AEBSn > Manual Setup > AirPort > Wireless
o Wireless Mode = Create a wireless network
o Allow this network to be extended: <not checked>
o Radio Mode: <leave the default or if you require a specific mode make sure both routers are configured the same>
o Wireless Security: <configure both routers the same>
AirPort Utility > Select the TC or AEBSn > Manual Setup > Internet > Internet Connection
o Connection Sharing = Off (Bridge Mode)

Extending "n" networks

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