Is this setup correctly ?

Question

I have a Netopia dsl wireless modem/router, an airport extreme n type (not the dual zone)upstairs and an airport express n type downstairs.
I set the ip of the router to 192.168.0.1 and let it do the dhcp business, assigning ip addresses after 192.168.0.15
I disabled wireless on the dsl router and connected a cable between it, and the airport extreme wan port.
On the extreme I set a fixed ip address of 192.168.0.2, set internet to off bridge mode and got it to "create a wireless network",I ticked "allow wireless to be extended then disabled dhcp on it.
On the express, I gave it a ip address of 192.168.0.3, disabled dhcp, again internet in off/bridge mode and selected extend wireless, chose my wireless network from the drop down box, rebooted all, and have green lights on both extreme and express, and all seems ok.
Was wondering if the above is the best, most efficient way to connect my equipment ?
I could connect the extreme and the express by cable, would that be any better ?
And is there a "change over zone" between express and extreme coverage, if I move around the house.

Answer 1

Concrete and block are excellent construction materials. Unfortunately they have a deleterious effect on wireless network performance. Apple's KB article says concrete has a "high" potential for interference. Anything other than lightweight wood frame construction presents a challenge for any wireless network. Wireless signals can pass through several light frame walls and floors, but one concrete floor may be enough to block it entirely. Concrete floors are likely to have metal lath or may be reinforced with steel which makes things worse.
If you don't want to make a lot of noise and dust drilling holes through your nice concrete floors and walls, yes, powerline adapters may be what you want. I have no personal experience with powerline adapters, but I understand they work well. If you have a sufficient number of them you can build a wired network that is for all intents and purposes identical to one using only Ethernet cable. The idea is to connect an upstairs Airport to a downstairs one. While both require an Ethernet connection, whatever magic connections occur in between doesn't matter to an Airport. One caveat is that powerline adapters may not be able to support Gigabit Ethernet.
If your "RJ45 cable" bears correct markings for Category 5e network cable, is properly wired and terminated, then by all means use it. Gigabit Ethernet needs all eight conductors so check that. If you can read its markings post here and I'll verify what it is. If it's not properly terminated you can do that too.
WDS is a poor compromise; it's kind of a pain to set up, and results in decreasing bandwidth by 50% for each of the WDS base stations. It should be used only when there is no alternative. I suspect you would be very disappointed with its performance.
Also would the range of an express be less than that of an extreme?
No. They have identical transmitter power. Placement and orientation both affect range, so experiment to determine what works best.
Would the new dual zone AEB or time capsules help.
You would benefit from the dual band Extreme in that your iPhone, your windows "g" laptop and any other non - "n" device could use the 802.11g network without forcing everything else to that slower protocol. Also, if you can get an "extended" 802.11n network to function despite your substantial walls and floors, this method of wirelessly linking base stations does not suffer the bandwidth penalty of an 802.11g WDS network.