Setting up an Airport Express with a Time Capsule

Merry Christmas! I received a new Airport Express for Christmas. My intention is to use it to stream music to my stereo. I have to admit that setting the AE up was not as simple as I had hoped it would be. I do have it working but I would like someone with more experience in this area to validate what I have done.
My wife and I each have MacBooks and we have a Time Capsule as our base station in the den. I would like to use the AE to stream music to my stereo which is in the living room. I would also like the AE to act as a "booster" to my TC, which I think is called "Extending a wireless network".
Here are my questions concerning the settings I have used in Airport Utility:
In TC, under AirPort, and the Wireless tab, I have checked the box for "Allow this network to be extended". Is that necessary?
In AE, under Airport, and the Wireless tab, there are a number of choices in the pulldown for Wireless Mode. I know I do not want to "create a wireless network" since that is what my TC is for. But all three other choices seem valid for what I want to accomplish -- Participate in a WDS network, Join a wireless network, or Extend a wireless network. I chose Extend a wireless network. I also checked the box under Network Name that says, "Allow wireless clients". Are these settings correct?
Here's the problem I'm having with things set up as I described above. AirTunes works fine. But if we close either of the MacBooks (put them to sleep) and open them in the living room which is closer to the AE, we seem to lose internet connectivity. When we open a browser or click on a link, it starts to load but then freezes. If I then walk the MacBook into the den, closer to the TC and restart the Airport or put it to sleep and wake it, its fine. Also, if we work long enough in the living room closer to the AE, it will also loose connectivity. I can sit in the den near the TC without any dropping.
Any suggestions on what the proper Airport Utility settings should be for my TC and AE would be greatly appreciated.

Your biggest mistake is confusing signal strength with signal quality. The signal indicator indicates strength and nothing else. You need to be using iStumblr to look at SNR (Signal to noise ratio).

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Replacing an Airport Express with a Time Capsule but it won't connect to the internet.

Hello, I hope somebody can help.
I am trying to replace an Airport Express with a 2TB Time Capsule but it won't connect to the internet, via an ADSL modem.
I have tried everything I can think of, powering down all devices, re-setting all devices, but nothing seems to solve the problem.
When I first tried to set up the Time Capsule, there was an option to replace the Airport Express using the same settings.
But there were repeated error messages of 'No DNS Servers' and 'PPPoE server couldn't be found'.
I also had messages that the password for PPPoE wasn't correct, but when I plug the Airport Express back in again, everything works fine.
What could the problem be?

99% of issues with authentication are wrong password or wrong username.. eg it can be strange like the user name is missing the domain.. whereas the Airport Express works fine without it.
Ring your ISP and make doubly sure you have exactly the correct username and password.
If it still doesn't work, put the adsl modem back into router mode and try it again directly on the modem.. if it works ok on the modem but fails on the TC that is possible and can be caused by pppoe client using incorrect authentication type, CHAP or PAP which the TC does not allow you to select AFAIK.. some ISP do not give enough time to get the router to switch on auto to the correct authentication method.
In the end run the modem as router and bridge the TC. It will work just as well for most installations in bridge as the modem in bridge.

How can I Connecticut two Airport Express with One Time Capsula?

Only by Wifi or by LAN in a row?

What are you trying to accomplish with the AirPort Express devices?
Where will the Express devices be located in relation to the Time Capsule?
If you are planning to use the Express devices to "extend" the wireless range of your network, Ethernet LAN will always provide far better performance than trying to connect the Express devices using wireless only.
You have the option of connecting both AirPort Express devices directly back to two LAN <-> ports on the Time Capsule....or....connecting one Express back to the Time Capsule and then connecting the second Express to the first Express using Ethernet. This assumes that you have a "new" Express with both WAN and LAN ports.
If you choose wireless only, both Express devices will connect back directly to the Time Capsule, so both of them should be located where they can receive a strong signal from the Time Capsule wireless.
A "hybrid" approach can also work. Connect one Express to the Time Capsule using an Ethernet cable and then setup the second Express to connect to the first Express using wireless only.

How do I extend my wifi using Airport express with my time capsul?

I want to extend my wifi from my time capsul. Can I do this with airport express? I have my wifi with cable so would I need to get another modem and hook the express to that? Would that help? I want to keep the same network and not add another.

You need to pay attention to something, while extending your network with the latest AirPort Express upgrade, your devices will be connected to it except your iPhone, you'll see your iPhone always connected to the capsule instead, even if you're at 1 foot from the AirPort Express.
You need to change the radio settings from automatic to 802.11a - 802.11b/g on your capsule, then I put it back to the default settings...
Now in the AirPort utility you should see your iPhone connected to the AirPort

Should I buy airport express, extreme or time capsule? I have my new Mac Pro. 2 iPhones, 2 iPads , and grandchildren who come with their devices. I live in a two-level house.

Should I buy airport express, extreme or time capsule? I have my new Mac Pro. 2 iPhones, 2 iPads , and grandchildren who come with their devices. I live in a two-level house.

A Time Capsule is an AirPort Extreme with a built in hard drive to allow your Mac(s) to back up automatically, so it's a logical choice if you need a wireless router and back up capabilities for your Macs
The AIrPort Extreme has a bit better antenna arrangement than an AirPort Express, so it would be a good choice for a two level house.
Depending on the location of the "main" wireless router, you may find that you still need to add an extender or two in other parts of the house for full, fast wireless coverage. The AirPort Express is a good choice for this duty.
To compare the 3 Apple devices, see this Apple support document:
Compare Apple Wi-Fi base stations AirPort Express AirPort Extreme Time Capsule

How do i set up apple airport express with my wi fi

how do i set up apple airport express with my wi fi

What is the make & model of the wireless router that is currently providing your Wi-Fi network? What is your goal for the AirPort Express base station? To extend this Wi-Fi network or for streaming iTunes/sharing a USB printer ... or both? Finally which model of Express do you have?

AirPort Extreme with 3T time capsule file security question

Right now I am using a MacMini with an external HD as a file server. I'm thinking g of using the new AirPort Extreme with 3T time capsule to do the same tho g (while also extended my wifi reach).
With the Mac mini I have fine control over who gets to see and do what to which folders and files. It seems that with the AirPort Extreme thee is no notion of permissions or access control -- if you can get on the wireless you can access the files. That is extremely insecure.
Is my understanding correct? Is there no way to secure files hosted on an AirPort Extreme so only certain users can access them??
- john

Are there any instructions for how to format and set HFS+ user permissions on the AP Extreme's HDD?
For the formatting part, you will need to temporarily connect the drive to your Mac, and then, use the Disk Utility (a part of the OS X operating system) to partition and format the drive. You should find this utility in the \Applications\Utilities folder. For HFS+, choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" for the Format option.
For assigning user permissions using accounts, you will need to use the AirPort Utility.
Run the AirPort Utility
Select the Extreme, and then, click on Edit.
Select the Disks tab.
Select the HDD in the Partitions window.
Choose "With accounts" as the Secure Shared Disks option.
Click on the "+" button to add user accounts.
For each account desired, enter the Account Name, Password, and File Sharing Access type.
Click Save.
Click Update to write the new configuration information to the base station and wait for the station to restart.

What is the best way to hookup my airport extreme with my time capsule ?

what is the best way to hookup my airport extreme with my time capsule ?

It sounds like you have the AirPort Extreme configured as the "main" router on your network.
If that is the case, connect an Ethernet cable from one of the LAN <-> ports on the AirPort Extreme to the WAN "O" port on the Time Capsule
Power up the Time Capsule
Connect another spare Ethernet cable from your Mac to one of the LAN <-> ports on the Time Capsule
Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
Click on the Time Capsule, then click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab below the row of icons and make sure that the setting for Wireless Mode = Off
Click the Internet icon, the click the Internet tab
Insure that the setting for Connect Using = Ethernet
Insure that the setting for Connection Sharing = Off (Bridge Mode)
Click the Update button at the lower right of the window and wait a full minute for the Time Capsule to restart
Then power cycle the entire network by powering everything off....order of power down does not matter
Wait a minute
Power up the modem first, and let it run a few minutes by itself
Power up the AirPort Extreme next and let it run a full minute
Power up the Time Capsule next and let it run a full minute
Keep starting devices one at a time about a minute apart until the entire network is back up
You will need to reset the backup path from your Mac to the Time Capsule to get backups going again
Open System Preference (gear icon on the dock)
Open Time Machine
Click Select Disk
Click the Time Capsule to highlight it
Click Use for Backups or Use Disk and backups should begin again in a few minutes
If you do not want to leave the Mac connected to the Time Capsule by Ethernet, remove the Ethernet cable from the Mac to the Time Capsule, then log on to the AirPort Extreme wireless network

How do I set up OpenDNS to work with my Time Capsule running 7.7.3 in Bridge Mode?

How do I set up OpenDNS to work with my Time Capsule running 7.7.3 in Bridge Mode?

Set up your "main" router to use the OpenDNS servers, and the Time Capsule will automatically pick up those settings. No configuration is needed on the Time Capsule.

How to set up the airport express with a linksys wireless-g broadband router

I need to know if and how to set up an airport express to use to extend a home wi-fi network. I have AT&T service with a 2WIRE modem. I am using a Linksys wireless-G broadband router. I also have the new Macbook Air notebook. The airport express keeps giving me a blinking amber light even when the ethernet cable (from the modem) connected. Please let me know how to set up an extended wifi network using this system. Any help would be appreciated.

If that is all that is done, the Express would not provide more wireless coverage. Instead, it would duplicate the coverage provided by the Linksys and there would be two WiFi systems covering approximately the same area. As per my above comment, one Express connects via Ethernet to the Linksys. The second Express provides the extension.
You must have misunderstood what I was saying.
Linksys is providing a wireless network.
The Express is connected to one of the LAN ports on the Linksys router using a long Ethernet cable (or Ethernet powerline adapters)
The Express is located on the other side of the house, for example.
The Express is configured to create a wireless network using the same wireless network name, security and password as the Linksys router
The Express is configured in Bridge Mode
This has worked quite well for me for years. Computers "switch" from one wireless access point to another smoothly and automatically while they move around the house.
Although this is an "extended" network, it is technically known as a "roaming" network.
This is what I was suggesting as a possible alternative without having to buy more hardware.

Unable to get Airport Express to extend Time Capsule via WDS

Hi all,
I have a Time Capsule that's a couple years old, and recently decided to try to extend its network given that we recently did a lot of re-arranging things in our home. I followed the instructions posted here for using version 5.5.2 of the Airport Utility but I'm not having any luck... I've triple-checked that the SSID, security settings, etc. are identical between the two devices. I set the Time Capsule as the main WDS device and entered the airport ID of the Airport Express into it, and set the Airport Express as the remote WDS device and put the airport ID of the Time Capsule there. As far as I can tell I've got all the settings correct.
What really confuses me is that I can get the two devices so that the Time Capsules status light is green but the Airport Extreme's status light is yellow. The Time Capsule reports that WDS is functioning properly but the Airport Extreme is unable to connect to the WDS network. I have the two devices only about 5 feet from each other so signal strength certainly shouldn't be an issue.
Any ideas what's going on?
Thanks,
-Bruce

I would not use WDS unless your AEX is so old that is all it supports. Much easier to configure the TC to allow the network to be extended under the Wireless tab. Then configure the AEX's Wireless Mode to Extend Existing Network from the dropdown menu.

Airport express, guest wifi, time capsule all muddled up - Looking for Bob Timmons!

My operatign system is OS X 10.9.1
Airport Express Time capsule 1 TB
I have had my airport express time capsule for 2 years (1 TB)and it worked pretty near flawlessly since then. It started with the time capsule being too full and that got me messsing with it.
I could not fugure out how to delete files from the time capsule and it was not writing over old ones. I have seen the same problem on here already. (In the end I bought an external drive and now that seems to have solved it and is scurrently bqcking up to the exteranl, even though I deleted a bunch of old files and my computer is now hovering around 830 MB it still won't back up to time capsule a stime capsule states it is hovering around 965 MB . If you can help me on this part that is great. )
Then I tried to reset my AE device. WIth that I had to reset my network. this is where the problems began.
Previously my AE had a steady green light and hosted two wifi names (mine and for guests).
Now if I click not bridged (?) then I can not get Internet access on the guest network, i get the signal and it is there just no internet connection. If I click DHC and Nat it constantly blinks amber but the guest network is there and i have internet. I have gone back and forth with this and it is consistently behaving like I described above.
I have done a reset. I have done a reset and unplugged the machine (though I admit I did not wait two minutes, closer to 45 seconds)
I want to go back to the steady green light and the two wifis established as before.
Also one more thing to add. My Server name has disappeared too. I get an error message that says
There was a problem connecting to the server "name"
The server may not exist or it is unavailable at this time. Check the server name or IP address, check your network connection, then try again.
Seems I did a great job messing with this today.
Can you please help me?

In its default state, the 802.11n AirPort Express Base Station (AXn) will broadcast an unsecured wireless network. It does not need to be connected to another network or the Internet to operate this way. Wireless clients can then connect to this wireless network, but as you know, none will have access to the Internet. Both your Mac and iPhone should have no issues connecting to this network.

Airport express / wireless speakers / time capsule

I use Time Capsule for my home network and backups. I'd like to be able to have wireless speakers I can move around the inside and outside of my house.
Is AirPort express the way to go?
Will using it create conflicts with my Time Capsule?
Any recommendations on wireless speakers to use? The speakers need to be battery powered also.

Is AirPort express the way to go?
Yes, the AirPort Express Base Station (AX) would be one way to provide wireless capability to self-powered speakers that is portable.
Will using it create conflicts with my Time Capsule?
The primary issue will be with sharing bandwidth. Streaming audio and performing backups simultaneously will affect the overall bandwidth available. This can show up as either "slower" backups or skips in audio playback.
Any recommendations on wireless speakers to use? The speakers need to be battery powered also.
Sorry, don't actually have any myself. Here appears one source to check out: BatteryPowered Speakers.com

Replacing Airport Express '08 w Time Capsule 11?

How much stronger and faster a signal would the 2011 Time Caspule be over an Airport Express purchased in late 2008? The time capsule clearly offers the convenience of daily data back up. However I fear having to reconnect all my wireless devices to the new network. Some of them are very tempermental and might cause hours of pain before cooperating.
Can anyone provide an opinion based on their own upgrade experience? And I live in a small NYC apartment, so there really is no need for more than one to be connected to wi-fi.
Thanks.

Unless you are also updating all of your wireless clients, just upgrading from the older Express to the Time Capsule may not necessarily show a lot of improvement.
However, the overall bandwidth should be better as the TC uses a 3-stream antenna design over that used in the Express which would provide a higher maximum bandwidth for your wireless clients that can take advantage of it.

Setting up an Airport Express with an additional profile.

I have recently re-set a password on one of two wireless networks I have using all expresses. This necessitates my reprogramming my "portable" or traveling express. I can manage to set up this third express as a client using the airport setup assistant at one location/network. I have it extending the range so I get a bigger wireless area for internet and to use airtunes in another room. My problem is my inability to "see" the third express to set it up as a client at home (the other location) using a new profile. Is there an action I should take prior to taking this "portable" express offline, toting it home and attempting to "see" it there to make the new profile configuration?

I just updated my settings to reflect my up-to-date OS.

Setting up an Airport Express with a Time Capsule

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