Slow transfers in an extended network

I have two Airport Extremes (Gigabit Ethernet). One is connected to a Firewall and DSL modem and is the "master". The other ("slave") extends the network. I'm using 802.11n only 5 GHz.
There are some resources (a NAS among others) connected to the slave using gigabit ethernet.
Using a MacBook Pro connected wirelessly, I'm trying to copy files to/from the NAS. If I'm connected wirelessly to the slave it works fine, but if I'm connected to the master it is extremely slow.
I've had this setup before with 802.11g Airports. I expect slower performance when the packets have to go via two base stations, but not this slow. A file that takes 2 minutes to copy when connected to the slave, takes 30-60 minutes when connected to the master.
Is there some known problem with "extended" networks?

I'm having the same problem, I think. I just started another thread before I found yours (sorry), but here's my post:
=============
I just recently sold my old AEBS 100 units and replaced them with 2 AEBS gigabit units in hopes of having a fast wired backbone to eliminate as many bottlenecks as possible.
Both AEBSgig units are set to N only, 5 GHz, firmware 7.2.1, with the following configuration:
"Office AEBS" all wired (at Gigabit speeds) to:
- MacPro
- ReadyNAS NV
- MacMini
"Living room AEBS" wired to: Media Center PC (100 MBPS Ethernet port)
- configured to "Extend a Wireless network"
Airport Utility reports the connection between the 2 wireless AEBS is 270 MBPS.
With this setup, I get extremely poor performance from the extended part of the network, whereas I really had great performance with exactly the same configuration using the older AEBS (100MBPS) models. In fact, the configs are using the same configuration file, so nothing has changed settings wise.
Examples:
1. From the Media Center PC (wired to the extended AEBS), watching a video file streaming from the ReadyNAS (wired to the Office AEBS), I get stuttering.
2. Copying a file from the Media Center (Living room AEBS) to the MacPro (Office AEBS) has a throughtput of around 500 k per second!!! Max 1 MB/sec in burst but mostly 500-800 K.
3. Copying from the ReadyNAS (Office AEBS) to a wired MacBook attached to the living room AEBS has similar transfer rates.
Again, I recall there being NO such issues when using the same setup but the old 100 speed AEBS.
Is this a problem with the current AEBSgig units? Is it a firmware issue (I'm at 7.2.1 on both AEBSgig).
* Steve

Similar Messages

Extended network slow until I restart Airport Extreme

Here's something that I can't figure out.
I've got an extended network at home. The cable modem is plugged into an Airport Express. I use an Airport Extreme in another room (my office) to extend the network. I have to plug the modem into the Express since the modem is no where near my office and need the Extreme is being used as a NAS server.
Network runs fine for a bit, then it just stops and will load some pages but not others. I found that if I restart the Extreme (the extender base station) it resolves for a bit and then the cycle repeats.
Any insights?

hey man,
I've got the same problem here. only I'm using 2 airport extremes. I reversed them a couple of times - but no luck. I thought the extender one might have been out of reach, so I moved it closer - but after a while speeds slow down, and I reboot the extender one, and things work again. I know I have a decent signal by the airport extreme that is extending the network, because when it's off I have 3 bars on my computer.
I don't have an answer - but I do have the same problem as you.

Slow wifi on Airport Extreme Extended Network

My network is Time Warner Cable (NYC) wideband cable modem to first generation Time Capsule 80211.n (Speed of wifi is great)
Then I extend the network on the same floor wirelessly using an 80211.n Airport Extreme access point. (The speed of the wifi is still great)
When I extend the network a second time to downstairs - using an 80211.n Airport Extreme access point the speed slows down.
The wireless network remains fast upstairs at the two access points, but internet access at the downstairs access point is very very slow.
- I have all three boxes updated to the latest firmware 7.6
- I have cycled the power so the cable modem is on first and then the time capsule and then the other two Airport Extreme access points
- I have returned the devices to the factory settings and reconfigured from scratch
- I have set up the Time Capsule to only make an 80211.n network
- I have used the default channel settings and also tried individual channels to avoid any interverence. It seems like it makes no difference
- I'm connecting iPads and Mac laptops to the network
QUESTIONS:
- Why is the internet speed plumeting only on the downstairs aiprort extreme?
- The downstairs access point was configured wirelessly and is seen by the upstairs access point. It puts out a full signal, but might it be too far from the original access point to put out fast internet?
- The airport extremes are first generation. They do have 80211.n but might upgrading them speed up the internet access?

- Why is the internet speed plumeting only on the downstairs aiprort extreme?
Think of the 802.11n extended wireless network as a wheel, with the base station being extended at the hub and each of the extending base stations as spokes on that same wheel.
With the extending AirPort Extreme (downstairs) farther from the hub than the other extending AirPort Extreme, you can expect lower bandwidth to be available as the signal quality of the extended Extreme will be much weaker at the location of the downstairs Extreme.
- The downstairs access point was configured wirelessly and is seen by the upstairs access point. It puts out a full signal, but might it be too far from the original access point to put out fast internet?
Correct. However, you may still find that by just making small adjustments to where this extending base station is located, that you may get better bandwidth performance. You can do this by taking SNR measurements with a Mac laptop if you have one available by using the OS X System Profiler utility.
SNR (in dB) = Signal (in dBm) - Noise (in dBm)
ref: Click on the Apple icon on the menu bar > About This Mac > More Info... > Contents > Network > AirPort > Interfaces > en1 > Current Network Information > Find your wireless network > Signal / Noise
While your still in the System Profiler, note the value for Transmit Rate.
These values should be negative numbers. For example, mine currently read: -67 dBm / -95 dBm, with a transmit rate of 27 (Mbps). Plugging in these numbers yield: SNR = -67 - (-95) = 28. My Mac Mini is about four rooms away from my AEBS with about five walls between them. As you can see, the signal is still quite useable ... but the bandwidth is minimal, especially for streaming.
SNR Guideline
40dB+ SNR = Excellent signal
25dB to 40dB SNR = Very good signal
15dB to 25dB SNR = Low signal
10dB to 15dB SNR = Very low signal
5dB to 10dB SNR = No signal
You will want to place the downstairs extending Extreme at a location where the SNR is 25+dB.
- The airport extremes are first generation. They do have 80211.n but might upgrading them speed up the internet access?
Upgrading to the latest generation of AirPort will not affect the Internet speed provided by your ISP. However, the latest generation models do offer better WAN-to-LAN throughput over the earlier generations so theortically, if you use an Internet speed testing program, you should see better results between the test site and your computers.

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.

Airport express won't extend network via ethernet but shows GREEN (HELP!!)

I have the following routers setup up the same network and are working.
10.0.1.1 Airport Extreme (connected to hardline from IP)
10.0.1.2 Time Capsule 1 (extending network and providing internet connection to computer via ethernet)
10.0.1.3 Time Capsule 2 (extending network and providing internet connection to Xbox1)
10.0.1.4 Airport Express 1 (extending network and providing internet connection to Xbox2)
Not working correctly
10.0.1.43 Airport Express 2 (wanting to set this router up to extend network to plug into desktop)
The router seems to join the network fine and will show GREEN but doesn't show a similar IP address as the rest of the routers. It also doesn't provide any internet connection via ethernet to any computer, the network pref page says that it shows RED and that nothing is connected to the computer for internet but airport shows GREEN.
Reset the router multiple times, tried every which way of setting it up and no go. I also tried assigning it a IP and not using DHCP and gave it a 10.0.1.5 and still the same outcome.
Right now just at complete loss as to what to try next.

Sorry, the older version of the Express does not have the option to "extend a wireless network", which is the setting on the new Express that provides more wireless coverage and also enables the Ethernet port.
What you want to do can be done with a different setting..."participate in a WDS network" on both the Time Capsule and Express, but I am not recommending that you do this because WDS operates only in "g" wireless mode. Your Time Capsule would lose most of its performance in this setting and the network would slow down tremendously...defintely not what you want for gaming.
You'll have the best performance if you connect the PS3 directly to one of the Ethernet ports on the Time Capsule using an Ethernet cable. If it is not possible to run the cable, the next best performance option would be to use a pair of Ethernet powerline adapters to send the Ethernet signal over the existing AC wiring in your home.

Question about extending network

I just ordered the brand new Airport Extreme. My current Airport Extreme is about 6 years old so I upgraded to take advantage of the better WiFi speeds. What I'm wondering is what I can do with my old Airport Extreme, which still works fine. Does it make sense to set it up somewhere else in the house to extend my wireless signal further away from my new one, and if so, how do I ensure that I'm not connecting to the slower Extreme signal than the newer one if it is extending the network.

Which old model AirPort Extreme do you have?
Round shaped? Square shaped?
If it's the square version, it can be set up to "extend a wireless network", but the extending AirPort will of course not run at 802.11ac speeds.
how do I ensure that I'm not connecting to the slower Extreme signal than the newer one if it is extending the network.
Wireless devices will connect to the AirPort with the strongest signal, which is also going to be the closest AirPort at the time. No way to avoid that.
If you want to maintain 802.11ac speeds throughout an extended network, you will need two new AirPort Extremes.

Slow importing photo library from network hard drive

I have about 20GB of photos stored on a network hard drive. I'd like to import them into iPhoto but I don't want to store them locally on my macbook pro as it will take up too much space.
I followed the advice from previous posts and set up my library on the network drive - however the import process is taking way too long. Last night I was able to get about 100 photos in 3 hours. I eventually gave up and stopped the process. I realize that transferring via the wireless network is slowing things down but there has to be a way of doing this that doesn't take several days. I didn't have this problem on my PC using Adobe Photoshop Elements - it was able to import the same number of files from the network drive in less than an hour. I watched iPhoto while it imported a single (small) photo - it took about a minute just to import a file less that 1mb in size.
any sugestions or should I just stick to Windows?
Macbook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

I'll try the wired connection tonight - I do have other devices that access photos/mp3's over my wireless network (eg. xbox360) that seem to have no difficulty with speed.
Do you think it would make any difference if I imported in smaller groups (maybe one folder/50 photos at a time) rather than trying to import my entire photo album at once (3000 photos). It might take a few days, but it is a process I could run in the background while I surf. Just curious if iPhoto cares - does it take the same amount of time to import 50 photos 20 times, versus 1000 photos in one shot...?
thanks for the advice
JRP123

Cannot set Airport Extreme to Extend Network

Hi all,
So I have a Time Capsule 2013 downstairs as my main base station, two other Expresses downstairs set to extend the network, and one Airport Extreme upstairs which I can't set to extend the network. During the setup in Airport Utility, it allows me to select "Extend Network (Recommended)" and the Time Capsule as the main base station that it would be extending. But when I check it in Airport Utility after it's set up, it shows it set to "Create a Wireless Network"
I have ethernet connected to the upstairs Extreme via a wall drop going straight to my FIOS router in a distribution panel. My main Time Capsule is also ethernet connected the same way going to the FIOS router.
So my question is... is the Extreme upstairs changing back to "Create a Wireless Network" because it is ethernet connected, unlike my two Express units downstairs? And secondly, is this the preferred method to set up my network? (basically, a Time Capsule and Airport Extreme each connected to a LAN port on my FIOS router, plus two Express units on wireless.). I've read where the optimal way is to interconnect the Airport devices over ethernet, but my distances are too great to do that.
Any feedback or advise would be much appreciated.
Thanks

is the Extreme upstairs changing back to "Create a Wireless Network" because it is ethernet connected
Yes. This is the correct setting.
It can be confusing, but when you "extend" using an Ethernet connection, the AirPort will use the "Create a wireless network" setting.
When you "extend" wirelessly, the AirPort will use the "Extend a wireless network" setting.
If you try to connect using Ethernet, and use the "Extend a wireless network" setting, the "extended" network will crash.
is this the preferred method to set up my network?
A wired Ethernet connection is always preferred over a wireless connection when you are extending the network. The main reason for this is that there is no bandwidth loss in a wire.
When you "extend" wirelessly, the extending device can only extend or repeat the bandwidth that it receives. By the time that the wireless signal reaches the extending device, it has slowed down considerably. So, a slower signal gets repeated.

Extending Network and Gaming Consoles

I have a airport extreme set up in my office. Downstairs I have 4 gaming consoles, which require fast internet speeds other wise it effects game play. The signal where 2 of my consoles are do not get great reception. So I know I can use an airport express, plug it in where I get reception downstairs and have it extend the range of my network.
However, I have 2 questions about this:
1) I have my extreme set up for N and my gaming consoles are G. The extreme is backwards compatible, but will the same hold true if I add an Express to the network? Will my G consoles still work?
2) In my head I think this would slow down the speed. I would think my console would have to go through an express, then the express sends up to my extreme, then finally out to the internet. Would adding an express slow the connection at all because now it has one extra point it travels through?
Thanks,
Andrew

1) I have my extreme set up for N and my gaming consoles are G. The extreme is backwards compatible, but will the same hold true if I add an Express to the network? Will my G consoles still work?
The 802.11n AirPort Express Base Station (AXn) can be added to your network configuration to extend the wireless range of the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn). If you configure the overall extended network for the "802.11n (802.11b/g compatible)" radio mode, your "g" game consoles should be able to connect.
2) In my head I think this would slow down the speed. I would think my console would have to go through an express, then the express sends up to my extreme, then finally out to the internet. Would adding an express slow the connection at all because now it has one extra point it travels through?
The bottom line ... yes, extending the network and support for "g" clients will reduce the overall bandwidth available for the wireless network. If bandwidth performance is critical, you may want to consider switching to an all Ethernet-based solution.

WDS or Extend Network?

From what I have read on here, using "extend network" and WDS all cut bandwidth in half - which has also been my experience.
My problem is I have cable internet, and the "strongest signal" comes in on the basement - where I have my modem and a 1TB Time Capsule. That is my "WDS main".
In the next room I have an Airport Express in the entertainment center set up as a WDS remote.
There is another AX on the main floor (one floor up) set up in the same way.
On the next floor up, hard-wired to an iMac is an Airport Extreme (fast ethernet) which is set up as a WDS Relay to the Time Capsule. It has one client, the last Airport Express on the third floor.
I am getting just horribly slow connection on the iMac on the second floor. I'm sure this is because of the WDS setup.
Would "extend wireless network" work better?
Would changing the TC and the AEBS to 5GHz help the iMac surf a little more tolerably?
How does that affect the other Express base stations?
Ideally - the internet signal would originate somewhere more in the middle of the house. But unfortunately, that is not the case.
Does anyone have any other ideas I haven't thought of as far as getting signal everywhere?
A major factor in this as well is that I would like to stream to the Express' using AirTunes.
Thank you!

My current setup has turned out to be both fast and reliable. My TC is connected to a cable modem with Ethernet. The TC is also connected via Ethernet to a Belkin Pre-N wireless router. The TC is set in bridge mode, 802.11n (5 GHz only). The Belkin handles routing and is set for 802.11b/g only. The TC has handled backups of my MB Pro just as fast in this setup as it did when I had it serving as the router on a separate 802.11n only network. The MB Pro and an Apple TV are my only n clients. The other network clients, an old PB G4 and a network printer, are both g.
Although having separate g and n networks worked, it was inconvenient because when I wanted to print from my MB Pro, I would have to get into Airport and shift from the n to the g network, and them back to n when I wanted to do backups, which I soon grew tired of doing.

Difference between a roaming network and a extended network?

I am looking to set up 5 new Airport Extremes at the office. Looking online for the best setup, I came across two network types; roaming and extended. Which one will be faster. I have a feeling that a roaming network would be, but I am unsure. The office is rather large, so I also had a feeling that this would slow down an extended network. Any thoughts?
Also the network will have around 40 PCs, 20 Macs, and possibly 4 Apple Tvs.

A "roaming" network is one in which all of the wireless access points are connected to a common Ethernet "backbone".
Since there is virtually no bandwidth loss in a wire, the overall performance of this type of network is superior to any other type of extended networks.
In an "extended" network, the wireless access points are connected together wirelessly. Since a wireless signal loses strength and speed quickly through the air, or any obstructions in the signal path, this type of network is far less desireable than a "roaming" network.
In addition, an "extended" network is much more likely to pick up wireless interference, which will further degrade the operation of the network.
Check with any networking pro and they will quickly confirm that an "extended" network using wireless to connect access points would not be suitable for a business or any other application where there will be a number of users on the network simultaneously.
Speaking of a network pro, a modest investment that you might make to have an IT specialist come to your site, take some measurements and discuss your requirements with you.....then present you with a written proposal specifying what the network can and cannot do would be a wise thing to consider.
This will undoubtedly save you more money in the long run than trial by error, not to mention the numerous headaches that will occur along the way. Unless you have done this type of thing in the past with success, it might be best to put egos aside and let the pros tackle a job for a pro.
One final thought.....Apple wireless routers are designed for home use.....not commercial applications. There just might be a reason that you will not find Apple routers in the control room of an Apple store.

Time Capsule and extend network

Hello,
my connection between Time Capsule and router is nearly working, but not perfect. Router an Time Capsule are connect via WLAN. Setup an possition of the router can not be changed. The router is far away from my laptop , so there is a very poor connection. Thats why I wanted to extend the network. Extending with WDS is not possible because of the router configuration. I have choosen " extend network" in the Time Capsule setup, picked the network from the list and entered the key ( 128 bit WEP ). Time Capsule tells me it could not extend the network, although I can access the Time Capsule and have a working internet connection. I am accessing the Time Casule via Router and all wireless, so the router an Time Capsule have to be connected, somehow. Can someone help me to get this setup really working? Or is it possible to access the router via Time Capsule? Because the Time Capsule is close to my laptop an I would have ab better connection like this.

This is not the actual problem. The connection is working, but very slow, because the router ( with dd-wrt software on it ) is too far away. So i wanted the Time Capsule to support the network. Connecting router and Time Capsule with WDS is not possible, because the setup of the router hast to be NAT. There is a another option in the Time Capsule setup to extend a network without WDS, which I wanted to use. The Time Capsule connect to this network via WLAN ( otherwise I could not access it ) but it does not extend the existing network. This is problem with Time Capsule an router. I wanted to know what I have to change in setting so that the Time Capsule extends the network. Is there somthing special with password or IP adress ( at the moment it is set to DHCP ), .... ?

HT4259 With extended network, which device do I connect to?

I set up my Time Capsule as my base station and extended the network using an Airport Express. My question is, when I am logged onto the base station, will my computer automatically select whichever signal is stronger, the time capsule or the airport express... OR do I need to manually select whichever one is stronger?
I am guessing it will automatically select but I have not read this anywhere and would like to confirm.
THANKS!

will my computer automatically select whichever signal is stronger, the time capsule or the airport express...
Yes, that's the whole idea behind having an extended network.

Time Capsule Access Control and Extended Network Question

I have a Time Capsule where I have set up a wireless network access list…and extended the network using an Airport Express unit. The Airport Express unit also has settings for an Access Control list. Do these need to be the same as the those for the network from TC that it is extending…or does that happen automatically…and if not what on earth are they for?
Thanks for any help…this doesn't seem clear from what I've read/seen.
James

I have a Time Capsule where I have set up a wireless network access list…and extended the network using an Airport Express unit. The Airport Express unit also has settings for an Access Control list. Do these need to be the same as the those for the network from TC that it is extending…or does that happen automatically…and if not what on earth are they for?
Unfortunately, they are not automatically applied to each base station in an extended network. You would have to manually enter the exact same list in each base station.

Packet Loss When Extending Network?

Hi there, everyone.
I just purchased the Airport Extreme AC after upgrading to 802.11AC devices in the home. On its own, the Extreme AC performs flawlessly - consistent connections, max speed my ISP provides, no-lag, no studdering, no packet loss. I was dissapointed with the range of the device at the far ends of my home, so I set up my previous generation Airport Extreme to extend the network.
It extends the network fine, speeds are about half of what I get at the source, but the issue is that when it is part of the network, I experience packet loss, anywhere from 3% to 8%. I've tested this multiple times, unplugging, testing, replugging, testing. It happens both wirelessly and through ethernet. The issue is no question caused by the previous gen Airport extending the network.
Any help here would be great!
Setup:
- Motorla Surfboard SB6141
- WAN into Airport Extreme AC
- Previous generation Airport Extreme to extend the network, no special settings.
Don't be afraid to use techincal terminology to help me. I can follow and understand the majority of it, as I'm pretty into all of this.

I'm not aware of anything that has changed in the 802.11ac version of the AirPort base stations that would induce the packet loss that you are seeing with an extended network over using an earlier generation. I am assuming, of course, that you are extending another Apple wireless router ... correct?
Typically I would recommend that you would review the placement of the extending base station to be sure that it is in the optimal spot to reproduce the signal with the greatest amount of bandwidth possible. (Ref: This AirPort User Tip)

Slow transfers in an extended network

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