Roaming Network setup

Hello all-
I've read most of the posts on setting up a roaming network and I'm still struggling with my setup. Here's my scenario- any help is appreciated:
-I have a wireless-N Primary AEBS connected to COX cable modem in the house
-I have 100 ft cat5e cable coming out to my garage/studio that I plug directly into my MB pro from the Primary AEBS
-I am attempting to setup a roaming network in my garage/studio by plugging the ethernet cable from the primary AEBS to a wireless-N Airport Express A1264 in order to maintain a wireless network out in the garage
-I have followed Apple's Airport Networks manual and tried a combination of things in Airport Utility, but no luck
-Since I don't get a wireless signal from my primary AEBS to my MB pro on my network (when I am in the garage), I assume it is to distant for the Airport Express in my garage to get the signal. So would my configuration actually be a roaming network?
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks

Bob, I'd like to thank you for some of the most helpful advice on the topic I've seen on the boards. I greatly appreciate this thread and a couple others you've provided guidance on. Much appreciated.
Sorry to trouble you with more but I would be grateful for the thoughts and response. I'll list out the configuration I've pulled together based on my understanding on a few of your posts. The reason for my post is that in spite of my efforts the throughput on the network seems spotty and off.
Gear:
Motorola SB6120 (DOCSIS 3)
Airport Extreme - Simultaneous Dual Band II (7.5.2)
Time Capsule - Simultaneous Dual Band (7.5.2)
Airport Express - 802.11n (7.5.2)
Mac Mini (x2)
MacBook Air
MacBook Pro
iPhone 4 (x2)
Sony PS3
Area - Connection:
I'm in a 2 story place that's unfortunately concrete but I doubt this is the cause of the issue. Cable enters downstairs and is connected to a brand new SB6120. The 6120 ethernets to the Extreme. There is a Mini hung off the Extreme using ethernet. Also off the Extreme is Cat5 running upstairs to the 2nd story connected into the Wan Port of the Time Capsule. The second Mini is connected to the TC with ethernet. The PS3 hangs off the Extreme using ethernet but this is not used often. The Express is located outside on the patio on the 1st floor level.
Configuration:
AEBS: Create Wireless Network (2.4 & 5Ghz), No Guest Network. Separate network names created for 2.4 and 5Ghz. WPA2 in place. Manual Channels 149 & 6, Share Public IP, DHCP is on and a range has been set. Enable NAT Port Mapping Protocol is selected. So is Allow this Network to be extended. Create closed Network is on and Use Wide Channels are both on. I've reserved IPs for all machines (including the TC & Express) using MAC IDs and have set all machines to DHCP and confirmed they are using the corresponding IPs. I've also included the 2.4Ghz network for all the Airport clients.
TC: Bridge Mode selected. Create Wireless Network (2.4 & 5Ghz), the exact same network name & device passwords are used. Same with WPA2. DHCP on. Allow this Network to be extended is NOT checked. Manual Channels at 161 & 13. Create closed Network is on and Use Wide Channels are both on.
Express: Extend Wireless Network. Allow Wireless Clients is checked. It's using the same network name (the 2.4Ghz), device password, and WPA2 as well. Channel is set to automatic and seems to like Channel 4. Connect using Wireless Network & Bridge Mode selected.
Wow. What a long list of it. Sorry about it. Ultimately, I was hoping to create a Roaming Network but when configuring the Express the option was only to Create or Extend a network. I can't seem to find a lot of information about the pros & cons but I was hoping to achieve Roaming.
Issue: I seem to be having quite a bit of socket issues and connection closed issues. When moving about the house I'm almost forced into a restart in order to secure a better connection. Once I do get a device connected it seems to burst up and down a lot. Meaning, I'll have great up/down and then suddenly I'm down to 30B/s down. It is highly possible I've got lousy cable access. I am paying for 100MBs but I do know they suffer from noise on the line quite a bit.
Is there anything you can think of to help optimize this configuration? Again, sorry for the long note and thanks for your earlier guidance to get me this far. It is working well but I still feel I have missed something to make it better. Let me know please. Happy to respond and clarify as needed.

Similar Messages

Number of supported users(clients) in Roaming network setup

Hi,
We are planning to configure Roaming Network with 10 units of Aiport Expresses in our office. I just want know how many number of clients can connect to this network.

In theory 50.. https://www.apple.com/au/airport-express/specs/
In reality.. about 10 per unit.. but you might stretch it to 20 if you use both bands carefully. Remember you only have 100mbit ethernet connection.. at absolute max you are going to reduce 10 clients down to 10mbit.. and 20 clients to 5mbit.. that is very slow when you start moving files. And wireless just ain't that efficient.. so much less is better.
You might also find running 10 units harder than you might think unless they are 100M apart.. wireless provides 3 non-overlapping channels at 2.4ghz and about 3 times that number at 5ghz depending on location in the world.
If they are too close to each other.. you will have chaos.
Airport Express is a home unit.. for office you should buy pro grade gear.

In a Roaming Network, Does the Primary Base Station have to be the only hub, or can spokes come out of an Extended Base Station?

I live in the basement of an old, brick building, in one of 5 apartments, for the building's staff. I have an older Airport Extreme and Express setup that's working for me in my unit, connect to a Comcast Ubee cable modem. The rest of the basement shares a DSL connection through a wired network that includes three routers. I've been asked to build a network that the rest of the staff can share, using my cable connection and any new hardware required. Since ethernet cable is already in place for the legacy DSL network, I'd like to re-use it with new base stations and Airport Expresses, just swapping out the old gear. But the Roaming Network setup instructions show all spokes coming out of the Primary Base Station. This does not match my situation, where my cable modem is in a different apartment from the hub of the old network.
My thought was to get two new Airport Extremes and wire one to my modem, replacing my old AE, and then place the other in my neighbor's apartment, connected by a new ethernet cable. His Extended Base Station would be where all the legacy ethernet cables terminate. I would plug them into the new, Extended Base Station on his end, and put Airport Expresses on the other ends, so each apartment (and the staff room) would have its own wired router.
Will this configuration work? If not, can anyone suggest a better way? I'm an Apple products user but some of the other guys use Windows. My understanding is that this shouldn't be a problem.

What I mean is that ethernet can be wired through switches.. (or bridged routers which are switches).
So you have
Router----Switch--Client
.      .      .   |
.      .      .Switch--Client
.      .      . |
.      .      . Switch--Client
The correct way to do this is
Router----Client
.      |
.    Client
.      |
.     Client
etc.. all clients are ethernet connected back to the router.. no switches. That means loads of ethernet.. one for every client run all the way back to a central area.
What you are proposing is to run switches (bridged routers).. so you are using each ethernet link to connect more than one computer. This is wrong from a purists point of view.
Sorry for the ASCII art work.. but I hope it makes sense.
You do not need fancy gear to make this all work.. what you do need is a main controlling router.
You cannot have two routers.. so you cannot put a switch between the cable modem and use two router. You have cable modem---ROUTER.
That single router must therefore do all the work... part of that work is to provide some way to control usage.. so everyone gets a fair share.. and keep an eye on quotas.. sadly you cannot do both with any cheap routers I know of.. what I propose you do is WNDR3800 flashed to gargoyle firmware.. this is key.. this firmware will be able to track usage and allow each user a fixed amount of your bandwidth.. upload in particular.. as even with high speed on your download you still do not have upload of the same capacity.
As far as end users are concerned they do not need fancy equipment.. they just need a wireless router. So they can get connection by ethernet or wireless.
Talk to me directly if you need more help..email is here.
https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modem s
my email is also in the profile. But I use the gmail more.

Can't Connect to "Roaming" Network

I have set up a new Airport "roaming"network. I have an Airport Extreme as the primary wireless router attached to the Internet. The Extreme is attached via ethernet cable to an Airport Express. I believe everything is set up according to Apple's instructions.
When I have both devices on, their status lights are green. However, if a device (iPhone, PC) is near the Express, it is asked to join the network and I have to re-enter the password. It will never connect.
If I take that same device and get near to the Extreme, it will connect, no problem.
Also, if I unplug, the Express, everything is OK (except my wireless coverage is not good enough in the house).
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Let's double-check your roaming network configuration just to be sure nothing was missed.
Roaming Network Setup
Ref: See page 42 of the Apple AirPort Networks guide.
Setup the AirPort connected to the Internet to "Share a public IP address." Internet > Internet Connection > Connection Sharing: Share a public IP address
Setup the remaining AirPorts, as bridges. Internet > Internet Connection > Connection Sharing: Off (Bridge Mode) For each AEBSn in the roaming network:
For each base station:
Connect to the same subnet of the Ethernet network.
Provide a unique Base Station Name.
The Network Name (SSID) should be identical.
If using security, use the same security type (WEP, WPA, etc.) and password. Note: It is highly recommended that you use WPA2 Personal for best bandwidth performance.
Make sure that the channel is set at least three channels apart from the next base station to prevent Wi-Fi interference.

Roaming Network with Powerline Adapter

Hello,
I have read numerous posts on this, but I am still having a small issue. My setup is as follows:
Arris router set on bridge connected to
latest gen. time capsule (set to DHCP, create network), connected to a powerline adapter that then runs upstairs. The other powerline adapter is upstairs and connected to latest generation airport express (bridge mode, create network with same ID and pwd as the time capsule).
Previously, I had the time capsule and the airport express (via the powerline adapter) each connected to the arris router, but this was causing some issues.
Nevertheless, with the new roaming network setup, the powerline adapter seems to be getting slower speeds or the upstairs airport express is slow. I can get close to 30 down from the time capsule, but half that on the airport express.
Any suggestions?

Powerline is always "iffy". The system can work OK when the powerline adapters are on the same electrical circuit, but things really slow down.....dramatically, in some cases.....when the adapters are on different electrical circuits, since there is a significant signal loss when one tries to "jump"' circuits.....no matter what the advertising or sales guy might say.
The signal will also slow down quite rapidly over distance.
Not much that you can do about that, unfortunately, other than experiment a bit with different AC sockets in different locations to see if one might be better than another. Like wireless, powerline is half science and half voodoo, so there are never any clear cut rules about what will and will not work.
Some users can get by with powerline, but the folks who are looking for the best performance almost always come to realize that there is nothing better than an Ethernet cable with no loss up to 300+ feet or 100 meters. Yes, I know that the running the cable might not be easy, but a good electrician or wire guy can do some amazing things.

Do I need a Roaming Network or a Wireless Distribution System?

Hello - as the title says, I am confused about which type of network I should create.
My specs: Macbook Pro
Windows XP Toshiba Laptop
White UFO-shaped Airport Extreme Base Station
New White Square-shaped Airport Extreme Base Station
1 USB HP Deskjet printer
1 Ministack USB hub/external hard drive
1 LaCie USB external hard drive
I am in the process of finishing my basement and will finally have an "office" to place all of my stuff. I want to be able to hook up the USB printer and USB external hard drives at the same time for wireless availability, so I bought the new AEBS. I am concerned about placing the AEBS in the basement and its impact on wireless signal strength to the upper floors of the house, so I thought I would connect the older UFO-shaped AEBS into the system to extend the wireless range.
I am confused, however, about whether to set up a "roaming network" or a "Wireless Distribution System". I am not sure of the particular benefits of either system given my situation so any help someone could provide would be greatly appreciated.
My house is fairly new, and has a data line system to each room, and I have a cable modem and router in the basement and can share the internet connection to the whole house in this manner. My UFO-shaped AEBS was hooked up to the internet connection via this method with an ethernet cable into the back of the AEBS on the main floor of the house. The USB printer was plugged into the UFO-shaped AEBS. This worked well. Again, now that the new AEBS will be in the basement, I am concerned about signal strength, and would like to use my old AEBS to help out.
I have looked at the Designing Airport Extreme 802.11n Networks pdf document and while it is very detailed about how to set up each of these networks, it does not seem to adequately (in my opinion) address why I would choose one setup over another. For example, should I continue to connect the old AEBS to the ethernet wall connection to get internet connectivity, or should the old AEBS receive its connection wirelessly?
Thanks in advance.

I am confused, however, about whether to set up a "roaming network" or a "Wireless Distribution System".
A roaming network uses Ethernet to connect the base stations. Therefore they all transmit good quality wireless data signals. Physically adjacent base stations should be configured to use channels 3 or more apart to reduce interference with each other. Everything gets full bandwidth.
A WDS network connects the base stations via wireless. Therefore the remote and relay base stations can only transmit data with the same quality as they receive it wirelessly. So if a remote station receives a lousy wireless signal from the main base, all of the clients of that remote station will get a lousy data rate. Also each WDS link cuts the available bandwidth in half.
Since your house is already wired for Ethernet, I would use the "roaming network".

Adding 802.11b/g AX(s) to multi-Airport Extreme 802.11n roaming network

First, a thanks to folks like Tesserax and Bob for the great ideas on this forum -- the questions & answers I've read have helped me to date, though I still have a question!
My home wireless network today consists of:
One fifth-generation AEBS running in 802.11n only (5 GHz) / 802.11n only (2.4 GHz) mode, on channels 149 (automatic)/11 (automatic) -- provides DHCP services
One second-generation AEBS running in 802.11n only (5 GHz) mode, on channel 157 (automatic) -- bridge mode
There is a wired home network with Cat5e and a gigabit switch in the basement. 30 down/5 up DOCSIS 3.0 service through Time Warner Cable, upstream from the fifth-gen AEBS. The AEBS units are connected in roaming mode via Ethernet.
Using the Airport Utility on my iOS devices, I'm getting "excellent" (59-65 Mb/s) connectivity when I am near either of the AEBS units. It is a large brick house built in the 1920s, and while there are now no dead zones in the house, there are areas where I drop down to 10-15 Mb/s per the Airport Utility. Unfortunately, the two AEBSs are at opposite ends of the house near external walls, one on first floor and one on second -- and the first floor rear AEBS needs to be where it is to serve a breakfast room and sunroom, while the home office AEBS needs to be where I have two Ethernet drops as the cable modem and switch are in the basement.
Before I added the fifth-gen AEBS, I had the older AEBS and two 802.11b/g Airport Express (AX) devices, also in roaming mode. I wasn't thrilled with performance, and while performance is much better with the two AEBS model, I'm wondering about the benefits of redeploying my AX devices elsewhere in the house on the roaming network -- on the theory that I should be getting better 802.11g performance from a device close enough to get max speeds than I am from a farther-away 802.11n AEBS.
However, I am concerned about whether adding back in 802.11b/g devices on 2.4 GHz would restrict the performance of my 802.11n network? I am assuming that might happen because I have 802.11n running on both frequencies... if I stepped back on the fifth-gen AEBS to 802.11n only (5 GHz) / 802.11b/g [or a similar setting] on that device, will that help? Or, am I running the risk of other cross-talk or interference -- or simply of my home network devices being befuddled by multiple access points in a single house?
Alternatively, I could try to replace my 802.11b/g AX units with 802.11n ones -- howeever, having just bought a new AEBS this week, that would encounter cross-talk with my Spousal Budgetary Compliance Unit (SBCU) and I could end up crashing the entire household....
Thoughts and ideas appreciated!

If you use the "b/g" AirPort Express devices in a roaming setup, any computers, iPads, etc in close proximity will connect at maximum "g" wireless speeds.
It's really not possible to predict the actual results in advance. The increased wireless coverage might tend to compensate for the lower speeds that would naturally occur due to signal drop off if you did not use the AirPort Express devices at all.
As long as the wireless access points are in a separate room, or separated by 25-30 feet or so from other access points, there should be no confusion that occurs with your laptop trying to connect. It will pick the strongest signal as it moves through the house.
I think the bottom line here is that this is one of those things where you just will not know unless you try. If the Ethernet cabling is already in place, it should not take long for you to find out how things are working.

Can you use a roaming network and wireless extender at same time?

Greetings community - I've been struggling with an attempt to extend my wireless network for some time now. Please forgive my ignorance on the topic - I realize how 'simple' this is for many of you. Let me summarize:
What I have functioning:
1. Comcast telephony modem
2. 5th gen Airport Extreme as main wireless router connected to modem via Ethernet (corner of floor 3)
3. 2nd gen Airport Express as wireless extender (hooked to a stereo on floor 2)
What I want to accomplish:
1. I have poor wireless signal on my sun porch (corner of floor 1 opposite side of building as modem)
Extra equipment I have:
1. Another 5th gen Airport Extreme
2. Another 2nd gen Airport Express
What I have tried (and failed at):
1. Initially I set up the second Airport Extreme as a second wireless extender and placed it at a further point away than my first wireless extender. I quickly realized that set up does not function appropriately and one cannot connect to the further extender (I read about that on the apple forums).
2. I tried placing the second Airport Extreme in a different part of the house at equal distance from the main router as the first wireless extender. It's capability to extend was minimal if any.
3. I tried connecting the Airport Extreme to the main router via an Ethernet cable with the hopes of creating a roaming network (which I read about on the apple forums). I would have to come up with a way to run the Ethernet through the house but I'm willing to cross that bridge later. Once I got that set up, the 2nd gen Airport Express which was previously set up as a wireless extender is no longer recognized. Argh!!
Questions/Theories/Suggestions:
1. Is it possible to have a wired extender (via Ethernet) function at the same time as a separate wireless extender all connected to the same router? If so how do I do it?
2. I thought about keeping Airport Extreme #1 wireless connected to Airport Express #1 and call that Network 1. Then plug Airport Extreme #2 directly into the modem to create Network #2 and use Airport Express #2 as wireless extender. When I tried plugging both Airport Extremes into the modem, they both stopped functioning.
3. Do I get a second modem to put somewhere else in the house and use Airport Extreme #2 and Airport Express #2 in that fashion? My guess is Comcast will try to charge me a separate internet access fee to do that (boo!!).
I know there are a lot of brilliant folks out there. I'm sure someone can read this and see the 'obvious errors' in my ideas and attempts. I'm certainly open to new suggestions as well.
Thank you in advance for your time and advice.
- The New Guy

Is is possible to rename the AEx 2 a different network name from the AEx1 and AE 1 (even though they are all connected to each other)? And say it is possible, would that potentially preventing the jumping?
No, in extend wireless the names must be the same..
However since you are creating a network on AE2 which is extended by AEx2 then you can indeed use a different name.. but it must be both,, AE2 and AEx2.
2. Even more crazy - if I did (could) give the AEx 2 a different network name, could I use my AE 2 as a wireless extension to that second network? Or is this just getting out of hand now?
You have lost me now.. there are ways and means.. but let me recommend a better solution.
Use EOP (homeplug in US) adapters if you cannot run ethernet. Multi-storey houses where you have heavy concrete construction are never going to work well with wireless alone. You are much better getting ethernet properly installed (which is the only 100% guaranteed method).. or buy a set of EOP adapters and give them a try.. they work in some cases and not others.. but better than wireless when they do work.
Otherwise I think you need higher power wireless routers.. but I can suggest you do the setup in a more controlled manner.
In other words do not use auto as per the airport utility.. use very short wireless names, different for both bands.. and fixed wireless channels.. then test which band works better.. Then you can do a link.. which will be slow but might give you better performance.
So..
Link1 Main AE1---- AEx1 This is wireless extend.
Link2 AEx1--ethernet--AE2. AE2 is in bridge mode and is also set to create a wireless network. (Use different wireless name here to prevent confusion).
Link3 AE2-----AEx2 Second wireless extend.
This overcomes the Apple limitation on multiple extends. It is not great setup but might get wireless to where you need it.. And better speed than you can get now.
NOTE>. I would personally never do this.. I will run ethernet forevermore.. having tried and tried in various places and using all kinds of equipment.. my conclusion is.. wireless is not suitable.. unless you can get enough signal in from one AP.. everything behind it must be ethernet.
It is much more expensive in some cases.. but ethernet works.. nothing else can be guaranteed to work.

How can I set up an AirPort wirelessly in client mode on a roaming network?

I recently set up a roaming network within my office using a RADIUS server for access control. I have multiple airports connected to our broadband via ethernetcable providing a seamless network over a large space. It works great.
However, now that I've done this, I can't get one of my airort expresses to work as a wireless music box with speakers plugged in. This airport is in a location that has no ethernet nearby, which is fine because I just want to use it to play music, not extend the network. It's MAC address is configured in the RADIUS server as an authorized device.
I've tried this "client mode" setup, and a variety of other combinations of settings like making it part of the roaming network as an extender, with no avail:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1731
Everything I've tried gives me the "AirPort Utility was unable to find your AirPort wireless device after restarting" message, and my AirPort has only a yellow light.
It seems the AirPort Express is totally incompatible with a roaming network. Is there any way to make this work?
Thanks,
Rob

Before we get into details here, do you understand that the Express will not be be able to "extend" the Xfinity wireless network wirelessly?
The Express can only extend a network wirelessly from another Apple AirPort router. Another way of saying the same thing is that if you want to "extend" wirelessly, you will need two Apple AirPort routers.
The Express will need to be permanently connected to the modem/router using an Ethernet cable if you want it to extend the Xfinity network.

How to set up roaming networks in both 2.4 an 5 Ghz.

I have two Airport Extreme base stations, both separately ethernet-connected to our wired LAN. They are configured as a roaming network (both have the same SSID and security credentials). The roaming works pretty well.
However, when I flip the 5 Ghz option on on both stations, I get two different network names for the 5 Ghz WLAN.
Our regular (2.4 Ghz) network name is "Apple Network" -- and we only see one instance of this in the airport menu of any computer in range of both.
However, we see two different 5 Ghz network names show up: "Apple Network (5 Ghz)" and "Apple Network(5Ghz)" (note the missing space between the "k" and the opening parenthesis in the 2nd one).
When I look in Airport Utility, the 5 Ghz network names are identical (both network names have the space between the "k" and the opening parenthesis). So, the base station seems to be changing one of the names on purpose, I am guessing because they need to be unique?
However, this isn't the case for the 2.4 Ghz WLAN name (the 2 stations have identical SSID's, and the SSID only shows up once).
This is annoying and confusing for our users, since there are three networks, as follows:
"Apple Network"
"Apple Network (5Ghz)"
"Apple Network(5Ghz)"
My question is: is there a way to make the two 5Ghz network names the same (which they already appear to be in the Airport Util config), and also only appear once in the airport menu of the WLAN clients?
Thank very much.

Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
Click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab located just below the row of icons
Click the Wireless Network Options button
Enter a check mark in the box next to 5 GHz Network Name
When you do this, "5 GHz" will be added to the SSID
Click Update and allow 25-30 seconds for the AirPort Extreme to restart

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.

Is there a known conflict between an extreme g base station and express n in a roaming network?

I have an extreme g base station connected to a cable modem, an express g connected to a linksys switch via ethernet, and an express n connected to the same switch via Ethernet. The switch is connected to the extreme g base station by Ethernet as well. They are all set up to be a roaming network with 128 bit WEP security. I made two changes to the network recently. I went from a WDS setup with the extreme g and express g, which was generally stable but slow, to the roaming setup above, and I added the express n. Now something is causing the network to loose connectivity at least once a day, requiring a restart of the extreme g. My hunch is the express n is causing problems for the older g units.
Does anyone know if this is a known problem and if there is a solution?
Thanks.

For what its worth.....
I have mixed older "b/g" and newer "n" devices in "extended" and "roaming" networks for years, and have never experienced any issues with this type of setup.
As a Community Support "regular", I can say that I cannot recall having seen the type of issue that you have described, but other users may comment with different opinions.

Airport Extreme + Time Capsule Roaming Network

Ok, I'm completely lost here and haven't found any solutions specific to my situation. I currently have two ethernet jacks in my condo, both have fiber optic internet connection which provide access when connected to a computer and no router. I'm assuming there is a router somewhere in the building but alas it's not in my unit.
My home office is in the den where I have one ethernet jack. Connected to the jack is my airport extreme (dual band, 7.5.1 software). The second jack is located in the living room where I have my Time Capsule connected. I have it set this way because the wireless signal from the den does not extend well into the living room.
Basically I have two jacks, a TC and an AE and I'd like to create a roaming network. Both of them are set to bridge mode with the same SSID, WPA2 security, same password, etc. When I open airport utility on my main computer I can see both the AE and TC which is good because I have files I need to access for work on the TC. The problem I have is some of the wireless devices will not get an internet connection but instead get the self assigned IP address. My iPhone and iPad work all the time as well as the xbox and PS3 that are hardwired into the TC. Macbook laptop only connects about 1 out of every 4 times and other guests with iPhones have been getting the self assigned IP too. It's confusing because sometimes the devices connect flawlessly and sometimes they don't.
Sorry for the long-winded post but this situation has been very irritating for a couple months so I thought I'd finally seek answers here. I guess my basic question is what is the proper setup for an AE and a TC roaming network using two different ethernet jacks with no modem in my unit?

Welcome to the discussion area, Junkcanoe!
I don't have a setup like yours, but might be able to offer some assistance.
Basically I have two jacks, a TC and an AE and I'd like to create a roaming network. Both of them are set to bridge mode with the same SSID, WPA2 security, same password, etc.
This would be the normal way to set up a roaming network, but the wild card here is that we don't know anything about how the main router that supplies the ethernet connections (valid IP addresses) to the condos might be configured.
For example, most apartments, hotels, etc that provide ethernet jacks usually limit the number of devices that can connect to each jack. Hotels tend to limit this to one or two devices. I counted six devices that you say will work properly plus a few more. Since you have two separate ethernet jacks, you may be looking at a situation where each jack is allocated a total of 4 devices, or valid IP addresses.
The bottom line here is that we won't be able to make much progress until we know more how the main router there has been configured. Is it possible for you to ask the complex manager (who will probably need to ask the IT guy) how many devices are allowed to connect per ethernet jack? Another way to ask the same question is how may valid IP addresses will each ethernet jack allow?
If you can, could I ask you to perform an experiment? Rather than have both the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule each connect to a separate ethernet jack, can you temporarily move one device near the other and connect them together using an ethernet cable? (Or, use a long ethernet cable if you don't want to move either device) LAN <-> port on one to LAN <-> port on the other. In other words, you'll only be using one of the ethernet ports in the condo for this experiment.
Any difference in performance or number of devices allowed to connect?
Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

How do I configure a roaming network?

I presently have a network configured as follows: Three airport extremes, one connected to the internet, the other two set to "extend" the wireless network created by the first airport etreme. This has predictably not given the speeds needed. I have since connected the two airport extremes to the first vie cat 5 wire. I think I want to configure a roaming network from reading other posts here.
1) How does one accomplish this within the airport utility?
2) Can an Airport Extreme work as both a wired and wireless router at the same time?
3) I have several devices to connect to each airport extreme via ethernet, while at the same time providing wireless access.
Any assistance would be appreciated.

Following this advice, generally:
Bob Timmons wrote:
1) How does one accomplish this within the airport utility?
Configure both devices that are now configured to "extend" the network (using wireless) to "extend" (using Ethernet) as follows:
Power off one of the devices for the time being
Perform a Factory Default Reset on the other device using the information in this Apple support document:
Resetting an AirPort Base Station or Time Capsule FAQ
Then connect the Ethernet cable from the main router to the device and wait a full minute
Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
Click on the tab in the upper left corner of the window that reads Other AirPort Base Stations (1)
Click on the AirPort name in the next window
Wait a minute while AirPort Utility analyzes the connection and then announces that the device will be setup to "Extend" the network (using Ethernet)
Enter a name for the device and click Next
Wait another minute while AirPort Utility configured the device to connect using Ethernet and "extend" the network
When you see the message of Setup Complete, click Done
Then, perform a Factory Default Reset on the other device and configure it exactly the same as above
You now have a roaming network
2) Can an Airport Extreme work as both a wired and wireless router at the same time?
Yes
3) I have several devices to connect to each airport extreme via ethernet, while at the same time providing wireless access.
See answer to 2)
I have an Extreme as the main unit with one Express connected via ethernet and another Express wirelessly connected. The roaming network now works well. But could be a bit faster (I'm getting 130 from the Expresses and as high as 450 from the Extreme). The Extreme is set to "Create a wireless network" and the Expresses are set to "Extend a wireless network". Should all be set to "Create"? Would the network run faster that way?
Thanks, Steve

AirPort Network Setup Help

I'm pretty good with hardward, but admittedly, I'm kind of a n00b when it comes to wireless networks. So I purchased an AirPort Extreme Base Station in 2010 and set it up to run my wireless network as well as a 5GHz version of the network as well. Unfortunately, my modem is on the opposite side of the house as most of my wireless devices, i.e. PlayStation 3, MacBook Pro, etc... I was noticing a weak signal, so I purcahsed an AirPort Express to extend the range of the existing network (not the 5GHz network, the regular one). This was perfect, everything was running great. Through my ISP I signed up for 10Mbps, I was getting high 9's in the room the modem was in, as well as accross the house on the extended network.
Fast forward two years later, Apple has released new Extreme and Express base stations, I'm not sure each update consisted of, and maybe the newer versions will work, so that's why I'm asking. I got the new AT&T LTE iPad and I'm getting 38Mbps on my LTE network, yes, you read that right, a whopping 38Mbps! Needless to say, I was preferring this over my home Wi-Fi Network, so I called up my ISP and requested 25Mbps, still slower, but at least I'm not eating up my data. The network is set-up exactly the same way, I didn't change it. Problem is, when I bring my iPad into the room with modem, I get 25Mbps, but when I'm back in my living area, on the extended network, I still only get 9 to 10Mbps Considering I'm rarely in the room with the modem, it's as of I'm paying extra money for no additional bandwidth, which makes me a sad panda... So, the question is, does my current Express not support 25Mbps or am I 'Doing it wrong.' If I need to pay the $99 for another Express, I'd be happy too, but considering I bought the Extreme and Express at the same time, and the Extreme handles the 25 fine, I'm thinking I have it set-up incorrectly. As I understand it, the only differences between Extreme and Express are that one is duel band, guest network is possible, more USB's and ethernet ports, etc...

The Extreme is in the other end of the house wirelessly extending.
I have it set up as a roaming network.
A roaming network is one in which the Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme would be connected using a wired Ethernet connection.
Your setup cannot be a roaming network if.....The Extreme is in the other end of the house wirelessly extending.
Can your clarify on your setup?
Do you think this is the best set up, or would you suggest doing it differently?
A roaming network, with a wired Ethernet connection between wireless routers would be the best way to set up virtually any network, since there is no signal loss in a wire.....and a great deal of signal loss (and speed) in a wireless connection.
I have an old Airport express A1088, can anything be done with it?!?!
The old Express could be configured to create a wireless network if it were wired back to the Time Capsule.
It could also "join" the wireless network wirelessly for use with AirTunes....but it would not extend the wireless signal, since it does not have that capability.
In order to administer the older Express, you would need a Mac running Leopard, Snow Leopard, or a PC.
Sorry, cannot help on the Smart TV - Media Centre question since I don't have that type of setup.

Roaming Network setup

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