Joining existing 820.11g network with AirPort Express

Hello all!
I'm hoping someone can answer this, as I'm about to tear what's left of my hair out - or throw the new Airport Express out the window!
I have an existing D-link 2100 AP (802.11g 2.4ghz) access point. It connects to my wired LAN and serves a few wireless units (wife's PC, iPad, iPhone4, AppleTV2) flawlessly. Yesterday I bought a Airport Express with the intention of hooking it up to the stereo in the kitchen and use it for AirPlay.
Whatever I do I can't seem to get it to find and connect to my WLAN!
I can find it in the AirPort utility and configure it, but when it restarts after config it never connects to the WLAN. If I hook it up over ethernet with my switch I get access to it again, and it complains it can't find my WLAN.
When I configure it to "join existing network" I can sometimes see my SSID in the dropdown box, sometimes not. I have the correct encryption settings and password, and all other Apple devices connects right away.
The DLINK log doesn't show any entries with the AirPort Express MAC adress
Tried turning off the "G" mode, doesn't help.
Tried changing channels, doesn't help (but the AE seems to notice the changed channel, weirdly enough)
Tried setting it as completly open network, WPA, WPA2, Personal/Enterprise doesn't help.
Only thing I've not tried is to extend the existing network with WSD, as my understanding is it doesn't really work with non-Apple products - maybe I'm wrong?
I suppose getting a Apple Extreme base station would sort all this out, but does someone have any thoughts on this problems before I give up the D-link that's worked flawlessly for several years?
Thanks!
Patrik

Hi,
I had a similar problem setting up the Airport Express through by existing router. The problem in the end was the encryption. I had to do a manual setup (in the airport utility). My router has a 10 digit hex key, and uses WEP; this requires the express to use WEP 40bit. Once I'd done that it was ok. I can stream to the express via my router from my iPhone4
Also, when it had the wrong settings I had to do a factory reset to get the apple network to appear again. The instructions for this are wrong in the manual. You have to turn the express off, hold in the reset button and turn on. Keep the button pressed and the light starts flashing amber quickly. Keep held in until this stops flashing, and release the reset button. Then you need to wait for around a minute before you see the device in the airport utility. If it's still not there, manually change you network to the apple one, if it's in the list of available networks in whatever OS you're using.

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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
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Ok, am almost to the point of throwing my AX across the room
AM trying to join an existing wireless network, its from a 2Wire gateway
one of three things happen
it won't find the AX in the first place
it recognizes it, but i can't connect to it
it goes through the configuration and when it restarts the AX, it can't reconnect to either the router or the AX and it fails. if this happens i can't reconnect to my wireless network without deleting it and re-adding.
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protected via WEP, and i have tried using all the security options.

The directions are in KB 302153, AirPort Express: How to join an existing wireless network in client mode.
Are you using MAC address access control in addition to WEP?
Turn off WEP and see if that makes a difference?
One of the problems with WEP is that the actual standard relies on a 10 character HEX key for 40bit WEP and a 26 character HEX key for 128bit WEP.
In order to make things easier for people, vendors use certain algorithms to convert simple alphanumeric passwords (or passphrases) into HEX keys, thus enabling people to use simple memorable WEP password rather than lengthy HEX keys.
The problem is that different vendors use different algorithms to generate the HEX key and therefore a ASCII password on an AEBS will be hashed differently on a Netgear client and vice versa.
One thing is a 13 character 128 bit WEP password will be hashed by all vendors in the same way (if you use 40bit WEP then a 5 character password is required).
Though sometimes not even that works and the HEX key must be used regardless.
Choosing a password for networks that use Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108058
WEP is now considered not to be secure and therefore it is advised you use WPA.
"WPA Personal" on the Mac corresponds to plain WPA, with a pre-shared key (PSK) and TKIP encryption, on non-Apple wireless routers. The same alphanumeric password should work on both.
iFelix

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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?
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Hello,
I'm having some difficulty that's driving me bananas!
I've recently moved house and got Sky Broadband. They sent me their Sagemcom router and the setup was easy. I thought I'd do what I always do. I'll connect my Time Machine to it via ethernet, and connect via Time Machine's network. Then I have two Airport Expresses in the house to extend the network and use Airplay etc.
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OK so I've been tying it out but unfortunately to no success. Everything looks fine and all lights are green but the network isn't getting extended - just as before.
Click the Wireless tab
Wireless Mode = Extend a wireless network
Wireless Network Name = Same name as the Time Capsule network
Check Mark next to Allow Wireless Clients
I don't have an option to extend a network, only to join: http://flic.kr/p/a222kR
I do get the option though if I use the guided setup, even though it doesn't work: http://flic.kr/p/a24TQQ
I did try one other thing though. I set up the Time Capsule and it works great. Then I tried instead, to use my Airport Extreme to extend the network. The Extreme did give me an option to extend the network in the drop down menu and a checkbox to Allow Wireless Clients, unlike the Express. I do believe that this is now working. I now need to find the best place to put it to extend the range.
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Sorry if this message is rather long and garbled and again, thanks for your interest and advice.

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Welcome to the discussions!
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If so, then move it back another 10-15 feet, etc.
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Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

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I wanted to add this.. I followed the guide here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4260 to extend using ethernet, and the above is the result.
I just tried re configuring in OS X Mavericks and got the same, odd, result.

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David Lovell, "Airtunes for XP with a Wired/Wireless network" #1, 09:05pm Jan 8, 2005 CDT
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Extending a network with airport express

I have been using a Be Box modem for my wireless internet connection but it is a fair way from my downstairs area - where I use a laptop and my upstairs area where I use my computer (Imac).
I thought I would be able to extend my be box signal by creating a network. I extended the network and when doing so gave my airport express the same address as my bebox.
I can now connect to my bebox modem (by chosing it from wireless drop down) but cannot use airport express for itunes - the airport express blinks orange.The bebox has WPA security (which is a recent change and has caused issues between modem and express in the past)
Or, I can chose the airport express from wireless drop down box and play through my imac airtunes (light is green) but I cannot use it for internet browsing on my pc laptop or the imac.
Any, any ideas on this ???

Paul - you have essentially two similar discussions going on here, and I suggest you continue further discussion in the thread you titled "Client mode and WDS" found at:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1341580&tstart=0
To answer your last question and "wrap up" this discussion - you asked:
"It would seem the two are not linked properly ?? Is there a way to do so effectively ?"
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Problems extending network with Airport Express

After messing with the settings on my new Airport Express((802.11n), I finally managed to set up a WDS network that sort of works. I've been struggling for a day and a half trying to use it to extend my regular network set up on my Airport Extreme(802.11g). I used multiple configurations, different securities, channels, etc, and got nothing but flashing amber. Somehow I've got it working with AirTunes, but no internet. Here is the current WDS setup:
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v 5.7
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*AX(n)-WDS REMOTE*
v 7.3.2
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The AX works as a music streamer only. In order to access the internet I have to switch to the main network (AEBSg). For some reason the AE is not sharing internet connection with the AX. Could it be my internet settings on the AE? Or maybe it's not possible to extend a "g" network with an "n" AX? Any suggestions would be great...

Price difference between an express vs an extreme makes moving to an extreme very attractive. using extremes and the extend a network feature automates a lot of settings. I tried the express route and was never happy with the results.

Joining existing 820.11g network with AirPort Express

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