Optimizing Time Capsule + Airport Express configuration for best reception?

Hi --
I've been trying to set up a 1st generation Time Capsule with an Airport Express to extend the range of our wifi network in our new house (see http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2722259 for background).
As I understand it, the primary drivers for connectivity are:
1. Technical specs of the wifi hardware.
2. Physical positioning of the devices (base station or AE).
3. Configuration of the network (e.g. channels)
We don't have many options of where to place the base station, so I've been working with placement of the AE, which doesn't do much good. The issue seems to be the raw distance between the two devices, and possibly interference from other household items (e.g. wireless baby monitor, etc).
Is the a straighforward way to cycle through any of the configuration options to see whether that will make an impact? For example, I started cycling through the channel settings by hand, but that is very time-consuming as I have to wait for both the TC and AE to update, plus run back and forth between the base station and the laptop sitting at the other end of the house to trigger a speedtest.net run. Are there any tools or utilities that would help me with either the positioning or optimal configuration settings?
Thanks,
Ramon

The general rules of thumb for "extending" is that the AirPort Express should be positioned about 1/2 the distance from the Time Capsule to the area that needs more wireless coverage. This assumes there are no major obstructions in the signal path.
A typical sheetrock and 2x4 wall will absorb about 15-20% of the signal, on average. A ceiling will absorb proportionately more since it will be thicker.
Frankly, it's more art than a science to get an extended network working well. A quick test would be to power down the Express and take your laptop to the proposed area where the Express will be located and see if you can get a good, solid internet connection at that point. If you can, the Express may work at that position.
Users tend to place the Express much too far away from the main wireless router when they try to setup an extended configuration. When this occurs, the Express has very little to work with because.....this is very important to remember.....
+The Express can only extend the quality of signal that it receives.+ It does not "boost" the signal, it takes the signal that it receives and makes it go further.
If you want to download a utility like iStumbler, this can be useful to figure out a good location for the Express by "looking at the numbers"
But, there are never any guarantees with wireless. I wish that it were different, but unfortunately, no one can predict wireless performance in advance for any given situation. Post back if you want a few more pointers, or if you want to take a look at the Inspector feature in iStumbler.
Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

Similar Messages

Best configuration to extend wifi with Time Capsule & Airport Express

In my house I have a Fritzbox wifi router on the ground floor as my primary internet access. I have an ethernet cable going to the 3rd floor study where the Fritzbox signal is relatively weak. I purchased a Time Capsule as a backup device, but also wanted to extend the Fritzbox wifi network by plugging the ethernet cable in to the TC. I was not successful in extending the network, so I had to create a new network. When moving from downstairs to upstairs, my iphone keeps the connection to the (now weak) wifi network and I have to manually change to the (stronger) TC wifi network.
Additionally, I used to be able to successfully extend the downstairs wifi using my Airport Express (and also managed to have my speakers plugged into this for wireless usage), but do not want to additionally complicate my set-up.
So, what is the best way to connect the following equipment, ideally with the same network name, to ensure I always use the strongrst signal automatically:
Third floor:          iMac,    Macbook,   Time Capsule, Airport Express
          Ethernet cable from ground floor to 3rd floor
Ground floor:     Fritzbox wifi connected to internet

You must configure the Bridge Mode setting as the very last step before you Update the settings, otherwise the setting will change automatically.
In other words, you can change the setting to Bridge Mode, but if you make any other changes before you click Update, the Bridge Mode setting will not take effect.
Or, if you see any error messages about DHCP conflicts or Double NAT....the AirPort is not in Bridge Mode...even though you might think it is. Check the settings again.
will I still be able to set up an additional 5GHz network in parallel?
Yes

Time Capsule-AirPort Express-WDS not working together

According to everything I've read here, I've configured this properly, but it doesn't seem to be working. If anyone can help me troubleshoot this I would greatly appreciate it.
I have a new Time Capsule acting as my main wireless base station; it has a manually-configured static IP address, is plugged into my Verizon FIOS router, and is set to distribute IP addresses over wireless using DHCP. I have it set to run a 5 GHz network in addition to the regular 2.4 GHz network. I have an older AirPort Express that I want to use to extend the range of the 2.4 GHz network (the Express can only do 802.11b/g, not 802.11n), in part because we have some older devices in the house that I don't want to slow down the 802.11n network, and in part because the 802.11b/g signal doesn't reach all parts of the house very strongly. So I told the Time Capsule to make its network extendable, told the AirPort Express to participate in a WDS network as a WDS relay, and entered the MAC address of the Time Capsule's 2.4GHz network as the WDS main. Result: flashing amber light on the AirPort Express, which no longer shows up in the AirPort Utility; I had to do a hard reset in order to get the Express back (and then it had to be reconfigured again, of course). At the moment I have it just joining my wireless network, and that works -- green light -- but of course doesn't allow the Express to extend the range of the wireless network.
What am I doing wrong here?

Before there was dual band, we always told users that if they used WDS, the entire network would revert to "g", even if the Time Capsule, AirPort Express, etc were capable of "n" performance.
Your findings seem to confirm that this happens with a dual band as well.
I think it's well worth it to get the AirPort Express 802.11n. Then you can reconfigure the Time Capsule back to "Create a wireless network" and check the box to "Allow this network to be extended"
The Express"n" would then be configured to "Extend a wireless network". I use this setup and would highly recommend it. There may be a slight bandwidth loss due to overhead, but the performance is light years ahead of WDS.
If you are using the same network name for both bands on the Time Capsule, then I believe by default the Express will extend the 2.4 GHz "n", "g" and "b" band. This makes sense for most users since 5 GHz signals do not travel well over distance or penetrate obstructions well.
IF...you want to extend the 5 GHz band, the only way that I know how to do this is click Wireless Network Options on the wireless setup page for the Time Capsule and enable the option to assign a different name for the 5 GHz network.
Then you will have to configure the Express to extend this specific 5 GHz network. I never had much luck extending 5 GHz, and I wanted my iPhone to be able to use the network across the house, so I went with the simpler one network name for both bands and extended the 2.4 GHz network.
If you have a "g" device joining the extended network, it may tend to slow the "n" devices down slightly...when the "g" device is active, but it won't drag everything down to "g" levels. When the "g" device is not active, "n" devices will run at "n" speeds.
BTW, the ethernet port on the AirPort Express is active when you configure it to "extend a wireless network". This can come in handy for hooking up DVD players, etc that need an internet connection for firmware updates and extra features.
Follow up....I tried a very quick reconfiguration of my dual band AirPort Extreme (same router that the Time Capsule users) and AirPort Express using the WDS arrangement and everything did indeed drop way down in speed and performance.
Post back if you have questions. Happy to help.
Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

Hi I've recenty purchased a new imac time capsule airport express. I've set up a new network, rather than extended the current one. How do I change my new network to an extended one or create an extended network?

Hi I've recenty purchased a new imac + time capsule + airport express.
I've set up a new network, rather than extended the current one. How do I change my new network to an extended one or create an extended network?
Michael

detailed in terms of what focus?
here is a video guide about using the airport utility
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65Jv6m43eIE

A Time Capsule, Airport Express and AT&T 2Wire walk into a bar...

Alas, I'm sure this question has been asked before, but my reserach keeps turning up separate answers. So I thought I'd turn to this forum for some advice. Ultimately I'm seeks suggestions on various ways to configure my network to allow easy backups, connection two rooms, and wirelessly print from anywhere.
I have a:
Time Capsule (dual band) - used for Time Machine backups
Airport Express (older)
and new 2Wire 3800HGV-B wireless modem/router from AT&T (for U-verse internet/TV)
My room configuration is:
Living room with TV, internet connected DVD player, and new AT&T 2Wire Wireless U-verse modem
Home office with 2 desktop comptuers (no wireless cards) and a USB printer.
Two roaming laptops which move around the rest of the house
The livingroom and the office can't be connected with a physical wire.
What I was hoping to do was setup my office with the Time Capsule in the office as a wired hub, and then use it as a wirelessly bridge to the 2Wire network. But as I understand it, a Time Capsule can't be used as a bridge to a non-Apple product. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Alternately I could always get wireless cards for the desktop computers, but this leaves the printer.
I've read suggesitons of people who have used their TC as the primary router, disabling wireless on their AT&T 2Wire, and hooking the two together with ethernet. Others who just join the TC to the 2Wireness network. But really what I'm seeking is a way to join the two rooms.
Any thoughts? Am I asking the right questions or providing the right information?
Much thanks,
dana.

So I figured I'd go with an initial suggestion and attached my TC via ethernet to the 2Wire modem/router in my living room, and make the TC my primary wireless router.
Good plan
since both will be in the same room, I assume I need to disable wireless on the 2Wire
Correct
What kind of configuration do I need to do on the TC, or do I just following the wizard and select 'Extend existing network'?
You can follow the guided setup or I can give you a step by step manual setup. In either case, you will configure the TC to "Create a wireless network".
("Extend" is only used if the TC connects using wireless only....you will be using Ethernet from one of the LAN <-> ports on the 2-Wire to the WAN port (world icon) on the TC.
The guided setup will normally sense that the TC is connected to another router and suggest that the TC be configured in Bridge Mode, which is the correct setting. Otherwise, select the Bridge Mode option when it is presented.
Note....If you have a newer dual band TC, the Guest Network option cannot be enabled when the TC is configured in Bridge Mode. So, if you want a "Guest" network, maybe the 2-Wire could provide that service.
Should I attach this (via ethernet) to the TC or the 2Wire?
Pick a LAN <-> port on either one, your choice, whichever is easier
What should the AT&T DVR be connected to?
I'm not familiar with an AT&T DVR, but if it connects via Ethernet, you can connect to a LAN <-> port on either the 2-Wire or the TC
For printing, my plan is to attach the printer through USB to the Airport Express and then connect that wirelessly to the TC network (though my first attempt at this failed to connect).
Suggest that you get the TC up and working smoothly. Then tackle the Express.

Time Capsule + Airport Express N

Hi
my new TC runs fine when acting as the sole player of my home network - file transfer rates are as expected both on the 2.5 and 5ghz band, peaking up to 15Mbyte sec.
on the contrary, when extending the range of my TC through Airport Express N, transfer rates drop to 3-4 Mbytes tops, on both 2.5 / 5ghz bands.
any clues?
thanks
Message was edited by: Lupez

Lupez wrote:
I did some comparison of wired vs. wireless connection to the relay station and the performance drops by 50% at least when going wireless, even at very close proximity to it and with all strength parameters topping on the whole network (260 or so)
I think that some of what you're seeing can be explained very simply.
Mac wireless-> Time Capsule 15MBps
In this case the data is being sent wirelessly once.
Mac wired -> Express wireless-> Time Capsule 9 MBps
This case has a similar amount of data being sent wirelessly, but there's an extra unit involved.
Mac wireless -> Express wireless -> Time Capsule 4 MBps
In this case the data is being sent wirelessly twice, so I'm not surprised that it's half the speed of the prior case.
downloading a file from the TC is slightly slower on any configuration, so this means in the third scenario the transfer rate drops to a sad 3 MBps.
Time Capsules aren't know for high performance as file servers.

Time capsule + airport express NO WDS?

I am trying to configure my time capsule and airport express to talk to each other and I dont see WDS as an option on my time capsule? I do see it on the airport express.
I am trying to hook up a sling catcher to the express (through ethernet) so that it can talk to my sling box hooked up to the time capsule.
Am I missing something?

ok - so i am having similar issues and can't find an answer. if i've missed it, please forgive me (new to MAC stuff) and point me to the right area and i'll read it out.
i have the following: an internet router, to which i have connected via ethernet cable my time capsule. On the time capsule, I have configured a wifi (wifi1) which i have enabled to be "allow this network to be extended". this wifi network works great. I have an airport express. this one i have configured to join a WDS network. things seem to be OK, except the airport express is not managing to pick up an IP address from the Time Capsule and therefore ends up with an APIPA. They are both configure in bridge mode. i have tried the airport express in relay and remote mode, to no avail.
all i want to do is to enable the airport express to be an extender for my wifi network to allow my laptop to also be able to connect from the other side of the house. is this too much to ask? i thought i had understood that you could do this with these pieces of equipment.
i have tried all sorts of configurations and this is not working.
nyone have a solution for this?
thanks,
D.

Time Capsule + Airport Express N How to extend

Have been trying to extend my wireless network but have been unsussessful. Here is my setup. Cable modem connected to Time Capsule and Express N connected via ethernet cable. I try to do it with the setup but it will eventually revert to picking up the cable modem IP address 169.etc so I think I might need to manually input the addresses. Will some walk me through this including the ip addresses I should use? The Time capsule is NOT in bridge mode and works perfectly with the internet and other expresses used only for music streaming. Thanks

Mitchell, welcome to the discussions!
You may find it easier to use Manual Setup in AirPort Utility for the device.
The key setting would be under the Internet icon. Look at the bottom of the pane for Connection Sharing, this would be set to Off (Bridge Mode). Under the Wireless tab, you would set the Wireless Mode for "extend a wireless network" and make sure there is a check mark next to "allow wireless clients"
On the setup of the Time Capsule in AirPort Utility - Manual Setup - Wireless tab, make sure there is a check mark next to "allow the network to be extended"
If you have a good wireless signal in the area where the Express will be located, you also might want to try extending your network without using the ethernet cable. Normally, a good starting point for positioning the Express is at a point that is approximately half the distance from the Time Capsule and the area that you want to cover with the Express.
You may also need to reset your cable modem by powering it down for 10-15 minutes and then restarting.
Please post back on your progress.

Time Capsule Airport Express Best Configuration for Backups & Internet

I have Time Capsule as a main router connected to a cable modem downstairs, plus Airport Express (new with firmware upgrade 7.3.2) in my office upstairs to extend the network. Two things keep happening:
1. Backups work sometimes and sometimes not although I am connected to my WPS secured network
2. Frequently lose internet connection, as in every hour or so; alternately nice and fast, then none at all. Most of the time I have a SNR of about 37.
Is there some optimal configuration settings for TC and Airport Express that could reduce these occurrences? Is there, for example, something I need to do with the Access settings on one or both?
Thanks for any help.

Since it still looks like you will need to support 802.11g wireless clients (your iPhone), the best radio mode for the Time Capsule (TC) will be the default "802.11n (b/g compatible." Since this is running in the 2.4 GHz radio band, you can use iStumbler (or similar utility) to determine if there are other Wi-Fis in the area; find out what channels they are operating on; and try changing channels on your wireless network to see if this will help provide the best SNR.
1. Backups work sometimes and sometimes not although I am connected to my WPS secured network
Are you actually using a WPS, or did you mean WPA?
2. Frequently lose internet connection, as in every hour or so; alternately nice and fast, then none at all. Most of the time I have a SNR of about 37.
If directly connected to the TC by Ethernet do you still lose the Internet connection periodically? If so, how about when connected directly to the cable modem?

How best to use TWO Time Capsules, Airport Express and Apple TV?

Hello
I have the following Apple equipment and am wondering how best to plug it all together. At the moment I am not using some items at all because I do not know how to best use!
1. MacBook Pro (2012 model) 'Mac1'
2. MacBook Pro (2009 model) 'Mac2'
3. MacBook Air (2011 model) 'Mac3'
4. Time Capsule 1TB (model A1355) 'TC1'
5. (another!) Time Capsule 1TB (model A1355) 'TC2'
6. Airport Express (2008 model)
7. Apple TV (2013 model)
8. LaCie 1TB USB Hard Drive
9. Apple iPhone
10. Sonos system
CURRENTLY
TC1 is plugged into the Virgin Media modem to provide a WiFi network called 'Amer's Apple Network' around the house. The Virgin Media wifi has been switched off to reduce interference.
TC2 is not being used. The Airport Express is plugged in upstairs (or sometimes near garden) to extend the 'Amer's Apple Network' and this seems to work fine.
Apple TV is plugged into main TV and is plugged into 'Amer's Apple Network' directly using Ethernet to TC1 but often runs slowly and does not work if Mac1 is not awake (or iTunes is not running on Mac1).
LaCie is plugged directly into TC1 and currently has a old copy of my iTunes library stored on it which my Sonos system access. However, there seems to be a problem in that iTunes randomly uses that LaCie library and/or local Mac library. Often we get a pop up message on Mac1 saying "Library cannot be found" and we have to manually navigate to the LaCie drive (via the TC1 folder) to open iTunes. Also connecting iPhone to Mac1 seems to work very slowly as it appears to be trying to back up to LaCie drive.
QUESTION
What would be the best, most efficient way of using all (or if some is redundant equipement then which), to set up the following:
1. A shared home network which enables all three computers (and any future Macs and/or iPads etc) to access one master shared iTunes library, which is the one that is updated with any new music, films etc added via any of those machines
2. A shared home network that enables a shared files folder but also allows each user to keep their own personal hard drive (eg locally on whichever machine they are using).
3. A fast (as possible) iTunes back up process when connecting iPhone to computer
4. Usage of both TC1 and TC2 (and Airport Express) to extend network around the house (several weak spots exist) and also to maximise storage using the 1TB of each TC1 and TC2.
5. Would it then also be possible to attach the LaCie USB drive for an additional 1TB storage? If so how and would it be very slow? From existing usage it appears to be very slow when used as a regular access drive, so perhaps better as a 'slow' drive that is just occassionaly used for back up and nothing else
Main question is (to the networking experts!), how would you personally set up all above to give best wifi coverage, fastest back ups, access to Sonos for iTune library, access to Apple TV, and shared folders etc etc. I basically seem to have lots of kit (albeit some quite old) and nothing seems to be working together particularly well.
Happy also to ditch any bottlenecks in the above equipment list (eg LaCie USB drive?) and add something which would better bring together the other components?
Any thoughts much appreciated!
Best
Amer

So ... FINALLY ... I found some time to implement this!
Steps taken and results:
1. Moved my entire music library to Mac1. Used the opportunity to also share my other Mac2 onto HomeShare and copy across any music files from Mac2 onto Mac1 that were not already there.
Result: Mac1 now holds my whole music library locally. Works incredibly fast whenever playing a track, adding a new track or updating info on existing track. Good!
2. LaPastenague's instructions for bridging TC1 with TC2 worked a dream. Only thing is they are basically next to each other as I don't have the energy (or cabling expertise) to install (cleanly) long runs of ethernet cable.
Result: Got a clear Wifi signal, not sure if any faster than before but I assume two TCs next to each other both sending out the same network signal can't be any worse than one. Main thing is that I have an extra 1Tb network drive (i.e. TC2) connected to TC1 which I can access from all my Macs now.
3. Copied the entire Mac1 Music library over to TC2 drive into the Data folder. This happened relatively quickly (I think!) ... but would welcome any comments on whether slower than expected, to highlight if I might be able to improve the connection. 12,000 songs in 2 hours, with Mac1 sending the files to TC2 wirelessly. I know I could probably have connected Mac1 to TC2 by ethernet cable to speed up, but I had run out of Ethernet cables by now!
Result: All my music (as of today anyway) now on Mac1 AND on TC2 in normal readable format (i.e. by Sonos and as a simple back-up that can just be carried around and copied anywhere in the event of loss of Mac1 drive
4. Set up TC2 Music Library in Data folder to be the networked music folder for Sonos using "\\TC2\Data" (ps. why doesn't Sonos allow a simple click and select option for choosing drive and instead force us to go back to the 80s and type in drive path which isn't always clear, especially on a Mac!)
Result: Sonos can access all my music (as of today anyway) on TC2 and no need for Mac1 or any other Mac to be open.
BUT: As you may have guessed, the issue with the above set up is that as soon as I buy a new song, it will get added to my Mac1 quickly and smoothly ... but the area where I really use my music (i.e. Sonos via TC2) will have the older music library.
QUESTION: Is there any way in which I can adjust the above set up, so that whenever I add new music to my Mac1 it also copies across to TC2? Don't mind if this is done slowly and later (eg in middle of night) but of course don't want to have to copy across manually each time. Would prefer it to just update newly added tracks regularly.

Best use Time Capsule & Airport Express together?

I've used the Express for several years and really enjoy using the ouput to play my iTunes wirelessly thru my stereo speakers. Then we moved, but my wife moved ahead of me and took the Express. I then bought a Time Capsule which doesn't have audio outs. I noticed that when I set it up it used the same name for the wireless network as my old Express. Now I've moved and joined my wife, and for the 1st time have both devices together. What is the most effective way to configue them? How do I maintain use of the Express for the iTunes wireless playing? Do I need to rename the network?

Hi Brian,
Set up your TC to be the Main network provider. It will work the best as it has the more powerful antennas. Then add the Express to extend the network of the TC. The Express will still play all music wireless and print wireless to printers attached. If you have both a APE g and n as i do its no problem at all couse the TC has got dual band.
For your last question, its best to reset the APE prior of doing the new settings. Just press the small reset button on the bottom of the device by pressing it for 10sec with a pen or pin (while attached to power). the light will start blinking very fast after 10sec. Then just plug out power and back in and your mac will see it popup in the airport utility.
Setup:
*First attach all cables to the TC and power it up, leave the APE off power.
*setup the TC as you pleaseand check if its works as you wish
*plug in the APE, airport utility will see it and ask you what to so
*set the APE to extend your existing network (that of the TC)
*APE will reboot and your off :-)

Time Capsule + Airport Express (no password for extended guest network)

Hi guys,
I´m using at home an Time Capsule combined with an Airport Express for extended range.
I´ve activated the Guest Network on the Time Capsule, using an WPA2 Password for it.
Problem is, the Airport Express is extending both the regular network and the guest network, but there´s no password set for the extended guest network.
So basically there are 4 networks, 3 are properly secured (TC regular and guest and AE regular) but I can´t set a password for the Guest Network that´s being extended by the Airport Express.
I have looked everywhere on the AirPort Utility with no luck whatsoever.
I appreciate any help on this.
Kainan-Maki.

Time Capsule and Airport Express, Windows 7
So you don't have a Mac or even iOS device to setup the TC and express?
This addition of extending guest is new in later firmware.. but you need the 6.2 utility to control it.. AFAIK.

Bt Home Hub (fibre optic) can it work with my Time Capsule & Airport Express?

I have just moved house after having no problems for years with my virgin cable I have now had to switch to Bt because cable is not available at my new address therefore I would like first and foremost to have my Time Capsule available to use as a hard drive, I am not too bothered about wi-fi as that comes from the bt hub, only thing is I am at a loss how the Time Capsule hard drive is not working. Also is there anyway the Bt Hub can connect/link to Time Capsule or even Airport Express.

Your TC can be used bridged to the BTHub.. and plugged in by Ethernet.
It is best to still use the TC wireless for the express to extend and you will find access easier.
Always best to start with a factory reset when you do this.. The TC remembers too much from its last configuration.

Fios Time Capsule Airport Express 101 Help Needed

I am trying to configure my network for the thirty-billionth time. I will start with my set-up, my goals and then my assumptions. If anyone has any thoughts, I am deeply appreciative.
Set-up
MI424WR-GEN2 router (802.11B/G/N; firmware: 20.10.7.5; henceforth "FR")
Time Capsule (First Generation 802.11N)
Two Airport Express (802.11N)
One Airport Express (802.11G)
All Airport Expresses are running 7.5.2
Right now here's how I have my network configured:
The TC and AEs are in bridge mode. The TC is connected to the FR by ethernet. Physically, the TC and FR are right next to each other. I have two wireless networks set up. One created by the FR which I have the radio set in "Compatibility Mode" , i.e., accepting 802.11B/G/N. The second wireless network generated by the TC, is set to 802.11N Only (5Gz).
Optimally, I'd like to have one wireless network, instead of two. I'm willing to ratchet down the 802.11N only to a more compatible setting to get down to one network.
Assumptions:
I cannot use my FR in bridging mode -- meaning it simply sends traffic to my TC which handles IP addressing, NAT, etc.
I cannot use my TC or AEs to extend my FR wireless network. And by "extend" I mean, use the boxes as signal boosters back to the FR. Physically, I have the ability, for instance, to move the TC from it current location to the master bedroom and connect it back to the FR via ethernet. In this case, I would like to be able to use the ethernet ports on the TC for some devices as well as use the wireless (single network preferablly) to boost the signal for some box-to-box applications I'm running as well as bandwidth intensive applications like Apple TV.
It is my understanding that it is impossible to extend a network with a TC or AE unless it is Airport network. It is possible to join a non-Airport network but I'm not sure what that buys you.
I am also under the assumption that the dual network configuration is impeding my ability to remotely connect to my iMac if it is running on the TC network which feeds back to the FR network.
I have read blogs that argue for simply shutting down the Fios radio and set the Fios router to bridge mode in essence and use the TC for all wireless. I have read blogs that suggest a plethora of different approaches.
I'm eager to figure this out and and promise to be responsive to questions and suggestions!
Thanks in advance,
JB

you're suggesting using both radios so both the FR and TC are broadcasting. if both devices are physically next to each other, is there any benefit in terms of range?
I must have misunderstood your earlier explantion about your desire to "extend" and thought that you were going to try to configure the TC to provide more wireless coverage for the FR network by locating the TC some distance from the FR router and connecting to it using a long Ethernet cable.
If you plan to leave the TC sitting next to the FR router, then there is obviously no benefit, range wise, and a probable wireless interference issue if both routers are broadcasting the same signals in close proximity.
The exception here would be if you plan to configure the TC as a 5 GHz band only while the FR provides that 2.4 GHz band. That type of setup is OK since both routers are broadcasting on different bands.
I remember reading somewhere that ActionTec doesn't play well with AE in WPA so I'll stick to WEP.
If you want to configure the TC to provide a 5 GHz band, you cannot use WEP security.....only WPA2 Personal or WPA/WPA2 Personal....will work with 5 GHz.
That means that the FR router must also be configured to use the same security settings. If it's not, then you will have two separate wireless networks with the same name and password, but different secuirty. That is bound to cause connection issues.
If you cannot match up the FR security to the TC, then it would be better to assign a different name to the 5 GHz network to keep things straight.
The other issue that you may face is if the TC is configured to provide 5 GHz, then that is what the AX"n" devices will try to extend. It's not easy to extend 5 GHz since the signals are quite a bit weaker than 2.4 GHz signals. You almost have to thave a line of sight relationship between the TC and AX devices for 5 GHz to be extended.
If you don't really need a dual band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network, then things would be a whole lot simpler if you turn off the wireless function on the FR router and setup the TC to provide a compatible "n/g/b" network, which the AX"n" devices will be able to extend.

Time Capsule & Airport Express Extended Network loses connection!

OK, so I am an Apple virgin of 2 months experience, after many many years with Windows based PCs, so please be patient and gentle with me. Sorry about the long explanation.....
My set-up comprises of a Time Capsule, which is connected to the Internet via a NetGear ASDL modem. Both pieces of equipment are situated in my wife's office on the first floor of our house. My office is on the ground floor, where I have a 27" iMac and an Airport Express which is connected to a printer via the USB port. The Airport Express is sited about 10 feet from the iMac.
All software and firmware are lastest versions - TC v7.5, AX v7.4.2 & Airport Utility v5.5.
For the past 2 months, I have only been using the AX to print wirelessly and the set-up has worked faultlessly.
Earlier this week, I decided change the configuration to extend the network to allow me to use my laptop & iPhone in areas of the ground floor where I had no signal. I followed the online instructions and first changed the TC to check the box to 'allow this network to be extended', after updating the configuration successfully I moved to the AX. Here I changed the wireless mode to 'Extend a wireless network', selected the network name and checked the 'Allow wireless clients' box. This also updated successfully.
Everything ran correctly and the range of the network was greatly increased.......great, job done...not!
After about 3 hours the iMac lost the connection and the TC disappeared from the Airport Utility pane and refused to reappear. I checked but also couldn't connect or see any network on the laptop or iPhone, so have dismissed a fault with the iMac. I finally got things back up after doing a power reset of the TC, but after a few hours same problem occurred, and occurred and occurred. By clicking the Airport Utility icon on the top right of the screen and following the prompts from 'no Internet connection', I can at least get things up and working without a power reset of the TC, but the connection still drops after 2-5 hours each time.
My first call to Apple Support led to a full reset and re-config of both the TC and AX, setting the extended network up as I had done originally. The only difference was an iMac reset (alt/cmd P&R on power up) and changing the 2.4Ghz channel from 1 to 11. This had no affect and the connection drop-out problem continued.
My second call to Apple Support led to me being passed to a Level 2 Techie, who first suggested that I tried disabling the Guest Network - tried it, and it made no difference. I was then told to try a WDS network, which whilst not losing connection, is slower and has less range than the original extended network and frankly sounds a cop-out.
Has anyone had a similar problem, anyone solved the problems, can anyone offer any help or advice please.. I'd appreciate any input....thanks.

Similar problem here. Cable Modem (Moto SB6120)->AEBS (802.11n dual-band)>AX (802.11n) for wireless connection to MacBook Pro running Mac OS X 10.6.2. AEBS configured as dual-band: 801.11a/n at 5GHZ and 801.11b/g/n at 2.4 GHZ. AX configured to wirelessly extend the AEBS 5GHz 802.11a/n network. I am able to run on the extended 5GHz network (via AX) for varying lengths of time, until the internet connection dies. When this occurs, I am able to switch over to the 2.4GHz network to get back online. Solution up until now has been to unplug the AX, then plug it back in. After the AX restarts, I am able to hop back onto its 5GHz signal and get to the internet. However, the internet connection on this band will drop again after some time.
I was on the phone with Apple Support twice in the past week to get this resolved, but no joy. Senior Advisor seemed to think that my AX was working properly, and that that the problem could be with my AEBS -- perhaps the 5GHz antenna might be bad in my AEBS? Seems odd to me, since both my AEBS and AX are less than 2 months old...
I just read the post from LocoDoc and decided to see if I could replicate the problem. Sure enough, when I am connected to the internet via my AX extended 5GHz network signal and a Time Machine backup starts, the internet connection quits. Only recourse is to restart the AX. Note that I do not experience this problem with Time Machine while connected wirelessly straight to the AEBS 5GHz signal. Only when I am connected to the "extended" signal via the AX.

Optimizing Time Capsule + Airport Express configuration for best reception?

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