Hardwire Airport Extreme to an Express

I need to hardwire an Extreme to an Express to get a signal to a room separated by a brick wall. Are there any special setup settings I need to make on either unit?

Connect the Ethernet cable to the WAN "O" port on the Express and power it up. Wait for the Express light to blink amber slowly
Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
Look for the tab in the upper left hand corner of the AirPort Utility window that reads Other AirPort Base Stations (1)
Click on this tab, then click on AirPort Express xxxxxx
AirPort Utility will take a minute or two to analyze the devices and settings on your network, then it will announce that the AirPort Express will setup to extend the wireless network
Edit the name of the AirPort Express device to read as you wish, then click Next
Wait another minute or two while AirPort Utility configures the AirPort Express
When you see the message that Setup is complete, click Done and close AirPort Utility
You are all set

Similar Messages

Airport Extreme and Multiple Expresses with iTunes

I have an airport extreme base station running a bgn network and six airport expresses connected (three wired and three wireless) to stereo systems throughout the house. They seem to stumble all over themselves with an IP address distribution or something that makes them cut in and out after playing for about 20 minutes. I've tried assigning IP addresses but it doesn't seem to work. I'm guessing that one of the wireless expresses loses signal for a second and that causes all the issues. Any thoughts?

So the airport extreme is setup and the wireless is going. But when I hook up the airport express, I've plugged it in and when I use airport utility through the desktop which is hardwired connected to the airport extreme, the express does not show up the devices list.
Can somebody explain to me how the airport express is used to boost the signal of the airport extreme using airport utility within windows vista? thanks!

Please Help: old Airport Extreme, new Aiport Express, want to WDS

Hi,
I'm sorry if this topic has been covered before, but I can't seem to find a post with my exact situation. I have a G4 desktop (no Airport card) connected to an Airport Extreme Base Station (about 2 years old) which is connected to a 2wire DSL model. My wife and I have been able to use the wireless network in our house for a year or two now with our laptops (PowerBook and few month old MacBook Pro). We've been able to connect to the internet and can print to our laser printer with no problem. However our living room is just out of range (one bar and usually drops out) so I thought extending the range of the Base Station with an Airport Express would allow us better access from the place we hang out in the most.
After reading the very sketchy start up manual as well as trying various combinations of steps posted here, I am still having trouble setting this thing up. Simply plugging in the AX and using Airport Set Up Assistant, I was able to create a WDS and add the AX as a remote station by entering its MAC address (it was not recognized automatically). However, when pushing "update" a message came up saying the AX needed to be set up manually.
So, I realized maybe I needed to plug the ethernet cable directly into the AX and use the Aiport Assistant. I tried that once and nothing happened. Yellow light flashing. I tried it again adjusting a setting for "Join an existing network" and named the network the same as our already established network. The light turned green! So, not knowing what to do next (Hello, Apple! Please write better instructions) I crossed my fingers and unplugged the Ethernet cable and put it back in the existing Base Station. Did that. Still green! Then I had to move the AX from the office out into the hallway toward the living room. Cross fingers, unplugged AX and ran it down hallway. Plugged it in, wait for Yellow light, hey it turned green! I took the MacBook to the living room, turned it on, 4 bars, cool! Started Safari and.... nothing. No web page loaded. No email. Nada. Great looking bars, though.
So, frustrated, I unplugged the AX and just left it a day. Last night, I moved it back to the office and tried to see if I had a setting wrong. Create new network? Join existing network? Same or different channel as Base Station? Use password security on AX? on just the Base Station? both? Why doesn't the manual mention these things? I even tried soft reset and hard reset. I could never get the green light to come on again.
Does anytone know where I find simple step-by-step instructions to help me? I thought Apple was supposed to be "easy". Am I missing something? My G4 desktop does not have an Aiport card, so I can't configure both Stations without having the Ethernet cable plugged directly into either gadget.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8) Airport Extreme, Airport Express, PowerBook, G4 Desktop

Yeah, Duane posted the link to the good directions. The directions given in the printed manual for the base station and the online help for the base station is inadequate when it comes to WDS set up.
I have an Airport Extreme and two Airport Express. When I was setting up WDS, it did take a while because certain errors did keep coming up. But eventually it worked. I now get the hang of it.
One difference that kept me really confused but now I understand is the difference between relay and remote base station.
Picture these two diagrams
A) Airport Extreme <--> Express1 <--> Express2
B) Airport Extreme <--> Express2
The <--> signs mean wireless connection.
In picture (A), the Extreme is broadcasting to Express1 which then relays the signal to Express2. In this case, Express1 is a relay base station and Express2 is a remote base station.
In picture (B), the Extreme is broadcasting to Express2. In this case, the Express2 is also a remote base station and not a relay. There is not relay base station in (B).
I don't know why that kept me so confused but once I got it, I got it. Hope this helps for your WDS set up.

Airport extrem working with expresses to create a powerful network, but how

I have one extreme base station and 3 expresses in a 3 story house with a basement. My network base is on the 3rd floor and I want the base station to link from that one to others to boost the signal. I thought I had it all set but am not getting good signal at all. If some one could give me steps to doing this and also give me tips on making the signal better. Thanks. Post here or email me at [email protected]
Oh and I have 8 total computers: 4 pcs, 1 Powerbook G4, 2 Imac Intels, 1 Macmini intel.
3 Pcs are hard wired the other wireless and all the Macs are wireless.
There is a dlink systeme set up that was implace before and used for wireless but with the new Macs im switching to Airports. Should I git rid of the Dlink wireless router?
Let me know if you need more info, thanks again.

You will need to replace the D-Link with the Airport Extreme.
Step 1
Configure the Airport Extreme so it is working as a single wireless router - do not touch the WDS tab in other words where it was before you started.
For ease use a new network name and security.
If necessary do a reset.
Wait ten minutes
Step 2
Factory reset the Airport Express.
Plug the Airport Express in.
On your Mac remain connected to the Airport Extreme wireless network.
Run the Airport Assistant say that you want to configure a new base station.
It should find the Airport Express and ask you some questions, confirm that you want to extend the network of the Extreme network, in other words extend an existing network.
Once it has configured both Airports.
Wait ten minutes.
Repeat Step 2 for each of the remaining Airport Express units.
You may want to reconfigure the middle Airport Express as a relay unit instead of a remote unit.
You are good to go.
iFelix

Help! Im trying to extend the network on my Airport Extreme with an Express

This is probably such a begginers question but it has truely boggled my mind for the last 24 Hours!
I have brought an airport express to extend my airport extreme network. My Airport extreme is the base and is hooked up to my initial Home model from my ISP which works fine.
I have been trying to connect my airport express and am having no luck. I have plugged the airport in but am having no luck locating it on my airport utility (only my actual Airport Extreme shows)
Can someone please help me Ive been here for hours reading on forums trying to sort this out and Im gettin nowhere fast!
The light on the express is flashing orange. I have tried to reset it but there still is nothing showing.
any ideal on what i could do or follow step by step?

Ok, the question is how can i extend the range with
my airport extreme base,
With an Airport Express or another Airport Extreme
I have A netgear WNP802, it
has a repeating feature.
Which won't work with your Airport Extreme
< But i am wanting to have the
netgear and the apple airport extreme talk to each
other so that i can put the net gear in a seperate
room to extend the range of signal. </div>
This is not possible.
How can i do this?
You can't.
Netgear and Apple use different chips which means they won't and can't talk to each other when it comes to extending networks.

Will an Airport Extreme outperform an Express if...

If I have a cable modem with a download speed of 6 Mbps will I see any better performance with an Airport Extreme (802.11n) over an Express? Aren't both of them way faster than the Internet speed that I'll get, anyway?

You won't see any improvement during internet access since (like you said) the AirPort Express (AX) is already much faster than your internet connection.
If you have Macs capable of 802.11n, file transfers between the Macs could occur faster.

Maximum Airport Extremes with Aitport Expresses

I have a multi-story small business (3 floors) with very poor coverage. I was thinking of installing 3 Airport Extreme's, 1 on floor, and then extending the range with 2 Airport Expresses, 2 on each of the upper floors. So the configutaiton would look something like this.
1st Floor - Airport Extreme (Base station connected to internet modem)
2nd Floor - Airport Extreme and 2 Airport Expresses
3rd Floor - Airport Extreme and 2 Airport Expresses
I know this might be overkill, but coverage in this old building is very bad.
Thoughts?

Given the proposed placement of the base stations, your approach appears to be a sound one. In this scenario the three Extremes should be configured for a roaming network which each pair of Express base stations configured to extend the Extreme on the same floor.

Airport Extreme, W/an Express as a Relay/Remote

Hi, i currently have an airport express as my main wireless base station. I just got an airport extreme which i will setup as a main with WDS enabled, and i would like to use the express to stream itunes as well as extend the range of my network. Ive read the WDS docs on the apple website and it seems like this is possible. My questions are these, 1) do i need the express setup as a relay or a remote in order to extend the range of my network? 2) other than the stereo cable does the express need to be directly wired (via ethernet) to the Extreme base station, or will it sort of act as a wireless repeater.
Oh and one more thing, I want to add my external drive to the Extreme, and im running OS 10.5. I know time machine doesn't officially support network drives, but will i still be able to use the time machine feature i.e. is there a work around or something. I have a mini, and a macbook pro that will want access.
Thank you
Eric

1) do i need the express setup as a relay or a remote in order to extend the range of my network?
A remote.
2) other than the stereo cable does the express need to be directly wired (via ethernet) to the Extreme base station, or will it sort of act as a wireless repeater.
The AirPort Express Base Station (AX) does not require an Ethernet connection to receive AirTunes, whether in a WDS configuration or not.

HT1731 Set up airport extreme, cannot connect express, help?

COnnected a new extreme, tried to connect a new express to upstairs to increase range and add devices, amber light won't go out on express. Cannot locate the device on the network.

Suggest that you unplug the Express and temporarily move it to the same room where the AirPort Extreme is located.
Power up the Express and let it run a full minute or two. Then, push in the reset button on the Express and hold it in for 7-8 seconds, then release.
Allow 40-45 seconds for the Express to restart and display a slow, blinking amber light.
I am assuming that you are using AirPort Utility for the iPad since you mention iOS 5.1 in your post. If not, download and install App Store - AirPort Utility
Tap Settings on the iPad home screen, then tap Wi-Fi
AirPort Express should appear under the heading of Set up an AirPort Base Station
Tap AirPort Express, and AirPort Utility will take a 25-30 seconds or two to examine your network and then declare that the Express will be setup to extend the AirPort Extreme.
Tap Next in the upper right hand corner of the window and allow a minute or two for AirPort Utility to configure the Express and wait for it to restart again with its new settings.
When AirPort Utility tells you that the AirPort Express is now extending the AirPort Extreme, the Express will display a green light.
Now, move the AirPort Express to a location that is about half way between the AirPort Extreme and the general area that needs more wireless coverage, plug it in and allow 40-45 seconds for it to start up and display a green light.
You should be in business.

Range of airport extreme compared with express

Can someone please tell me whether the extreme has significantly more range than the express? I know the former has three antennae versus two in the latter. Does this make much difference?
Thanks in advance.

Aholianmode, Welcome to the discussion area!
They have the same advertised range.

How to setup airport extreme vs express at WDS mode?

How to setup airport extreme(Main) vs express(Site) at WDS mode?

Please check out the following Apple Support article on how to configure a WDS.

I have got a Airport Extreme Basestation and an 3 x Airport Express Base station.

Hi
I have a netgear modem. Would like help with how to create one network with strong wireless signal all around the house and the gym outside. I basically know how I will setup the Airport Extreme and One Express ( for streaming music from Itunes ). How to use the other two Expresses to extend the wireless side of the network to have a strong signal all around the residental area.
Please help

Not knowing your exact building floorplan, I would start with the following basic setup of your AirPorts:
Connect the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn) to the Netgear router by Ethernet.
Reconfigure the AEBSn as a bridge.
Configure the AEBSn for the option "Allow this network to be extended" enabled.
Configure each of the 802.11n AirPort Express Base Stations (AXn) with the option "Wireless Mode = Extend a wireless network" enabled.
Both AXns will be connected back to the AEBSn by wireless.

Change password airport extreme+express

I have an airport extreme and two express for wideout. I wanna change my wifi-password. How to easily do that? I have tried to use Airport and changed the wifi-password in the extreme. But then the express goes away with yellow sign with !. How to do this?

Change to the password that you want to use on one AirPort Express
Click Update to store the new setting
Wait a full minute for the Express to restart with a slow, blinking amber light
Power off the Express
Change to the password that you want to use on the other AirPort Express
Click Update to store the new setting
Wait a full minute for the Express to restart with a slow, blinking amber light
Power off the Express
Change to the password that you want to use on the AirPort Extreme
Click Update to store the new setting
Wait a full minute for the AirPort Extreme to display a green light
Power up one AirPort Express and wait a minute for a green light
Power up the other AirPort Express and wait a minute for a green light

Help: Using Airport Express to extend the range of Airport Extreme

I am trying to use the Airport Express to extend the range of the network created by my Airport Extreme. The Express works in terms of streaming music from iTunes on the PC connected to th Extreme.
However, I am trying to run a short Cat-5 cable out of the Express to a nearby PC in order to have access to the internet. If the Express is recognized by the Extreme and can play music through connected stereo cables, why can I get an internet connection through the LAN port..??
Here's a real basic representation of my connections...
Cable Modem >>-- Cat5 -->> Airport Extreme >>-- Wireless -->> Airport Express >>-- Cat5 -->>PC#2

To wirelessly extend the range between two AirPorts, you need to configure them in a Wireless Distribution System (WDS).
To facilitate the WDS set up, try the following:
o Perform a "hard" reset on the AirPort Extreme Base Stations & a "factory default" reset on the AirPort Express Base Stations (AX) before setting up the WDS.
o Place the base stations within near proximity of each other during the set up phase, and then relocate them to their desired locations when complete.
o To avoid having to "switch" wireless networks during the WDS setup, attach each of the remote/relay base station, via an Ethernet cable, to the main base station. Of course, this would be dependent on the AirPort types used for the main/relays/remotes.
o Be sure to jot down the MAC addresses for each of the base stations to be used in the WDS as these will be required during the setup.
o When enabling wireless encryption, configure the relay/remote base stations first and the main base station last.

Is it best to extend a Wifi network using Airport Extreme 802.11ac or Express ?

I previously asked this question with a different emphasis here:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/24347878#24347878
so have re-worded to be more relevant to the subject.
I have a brand new Airport Extreme 802.11ac which I am now using as my network hub and I would like to extend the network wirelessly.
Is there a benefit to extending the network via another Airport Extreme 802.11ac versus a (cheaper) Airport Express ?
I do not have any 802.11ac clients yet, but likely will do within the expected lifespan of the routers and thus would rather buy another Extreme now if it meant extending the best signal strength.
Per my previous post i would ideally extend using my old Edimax BR-6675nD 450Mbps 2.4GHz/5GHz, however this has been problematic and some previous posts imply that mixing Apple and non-Apple routers is not recommended, if this is not correct please do let me know.
Thanks in advance.

Is there a benefit to extending the network via another Airport Extreme 802.11ac versus a (cheaper) Airport Express ?
Four possible benefits, which may or may not be benefits to you:
1) A second Extreme will extend the faster "ac" speeds of the main AirPort Extreme, while the Express will not.
2) A second Extreme uses Gigabit Ethernet ports....ten times faster than the Express....if you plan to connect devices using an Ethernet connection
3) The USB port on the AirPort Extreme will accept a hard drive while the Express will not
4) The AirPort Extreme has a much better antenna arrangement than the Express, which will provide greater coverage even if "ac" wireless is not used
On the other hand, if you do not need "ac" wireless to be extended, you only plan to use the Express to extend the wireless, and the Express will be located where it can receive a strong wireless signal, then you might save a bit of money going with an AirPort Express.
So, in questions about what would be "best", there are rarely simple answers that apply to all users. The question really is which is "best" for you. Adding another AirPort Extreme would be a no brainer for me, but perhaps not for you.
i would ideally extend using my old Edimax BR-6675nD 450Mbps 2.4GHz/5GHz, however this has been problematic and some previous posts imply that mixing Apple and non-Apple routers is not recommended
It is always the best idea to use products from the same manufactuer for the same purpose throughout the network. Obviously, an Apple AirPort Extreme will be compatible with another AirPort, while a third party device may or may not be.

Hardwire Airport Extreme to an Express

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