The range of Airport Extreme is shrinking or so it seems. How can it be improved?

My Airport Extreme is behind one wall but the signal strength has become weaker over time. Is there any way to improve the signal strength?
Thanks.
Jay

Assuming that your AirPort Extreme is not failing, proper placement of the base station may improve bandwidth performance especially in the presence of Wi-Fi interference.
Check out the following AirPort User Tip for details. Please post back your results.

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Extending the range of Airport Extreme in house with walls

Any sugggestions on the best way to extend the range of Airport Extreme? The base unit is located in an office at one end of a house. I would like to be able to connect from rooms at the other end of the house, some 70' away. There are three walls betgween the base and the far room.

I have essentially the same problem, except that our router is a Netgear product (NOT my choice, my husband is a PC guy). I get a great connection when my G5 is on the desk, but if I put it under the desk (which is where I really, really want it) I get nothing.
Will an Airport Express do anything for me? Or do I need to get an AirPort Extreme router? If I get an Airport Extreme router and locate it closer to my computer can I set it up to work with the same cable internet service we have the Netgear connected to? Or do I have to have a totally separate service? My computer is downstairs, the Netgear is up. Moving it is not an option. Our house is wired for cat 5 throughout. (No idea if this matters, I'm clueless on this stuff). Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Airport extreme software will not install on vista, how can i still configure the router?

airport extreme software will not install on vista, how can i still configure the router? Trying to help someone with vista get an airpot extreme configured. 10.0.1.1 does not work, the software will not install correctly on their vista machine. How can I get into the base tation and lock it down?

Hi - Vista can be tricky - I need more info to see if I can be of some help - first, is the Vista machine a desktop or a laptop and is it fully up to date with Windows Update (sp2 or higher)? - next, are you trying to install Airport Utility version 5.5.3 which is the correct one for Vista? - and finally, what do you mean "it will not install" - what kind of error messages or evidence are you getting?

What's the range of airport extreme can the signal reach my basement my house is about 2500 sq ft

Whats the range on the airport extreme is the signal strong enough to reach the basement of a 2500 sq ft home. Thx

The maximum free-space range is 150 feet; slightly more in the 5 GHz band. However, walls, floors, other electronic devices, microwave ovens, etc. will attenuate the signal reducing the range for actual use.
I live in a 2300 SF townhome and wireless works fine from an AEBS on the second floor. I use an Airport Express on the first floor in Extend mode that is configured for my Slingplayer. Apple TV2 does not seem to have any problems. It's also on the bottom floor.
This is a six year old home so the walls are not made of plaster. Plaster on metal lath can prevent AEBS signals from being detected outside of the room where it's located.

Help: Using Airport Express to extend the range of Airport Extreme

I am trying to use the Airport Express to extend the range of the network created by my Airport Extreme. The Express works in terms of streaming music from iTunes on the PC connected to th Extreme.
However, I am trying to run a short Cat-5 cable out of the Express to a nearby PC in order to have access to the internet. If the Express is recognized by the Extreme and can play music through connected stereo cables, why can I get an internet connection through the LAN port..??
Here's a real basic representation of my connections...
Cable Modem >>-- Cat5 -->> Airport Extreme >>-- Wireless -->> Airport Express >>-- Cat5 -->>PC#2

To wirelessly extend the range between two AirPorts, you need to configure them in a Wireless Distribution System (WDS).
To facilitate the WDS set up, try the following:
o Perform a "hard" reset on the AirPort Extreme Base Stations & a "factory default" reset on the AirPort Express Base Stations (AX) before setting up the WDS.
o Place the base stations within near proximity of each other during the set up phase, and then relocate them to their desired locations when complete.
o To avoid having to "switch" wireless networks during the WDS setup, attach each of the remote/relay base station, via an Ethernet cable, to the main base station. Of course, this would be dependent on the AirPort types used for the main/relays/remotes.
o Be sure to jot down the MAC addresses for each of the base stations to be used in the WDS as these will be required during the setup.
o When enabling wireless encryption, configure the relay/remote base stations first and the main base station last.

Extending the range of Airport Extreme 802.11n

I have 2 Airport Extremes 802.11n. One of the is connected to a DSL modem and it works fine. I have been trying to use the other one to extend the network, but have not been successful.
I used the exact steps in the manual (Designing Airport Network) published by Apple. The steps I used (several times) were under "Extending the Range of an 802.11n Network".
Whenever I compete the steps and update the base station, the one that I want to use as the extension (not connected to the internet) disappears from the Airport Utility Application and the base station blinks the orange light. I did reset the base station and tried the guide several times but no success.
I am doing something wrong or this manual is not complete. Any help from you guys will be most appreciated.
Thanks!

I have the same problem. I didn't have this issue with the 802.11g version. Are you using the base station in "bridge" mode? Because when I used the "n" basestation in DHCP/NAT mode, it worked fine. Unfortunately, I needed to change to bridge mode for reliability issues with my service provider.
Now I have the same issue as you.

Which is more powerful the old flat airport extreme or airport express

Which is more powerful the old flat airport extreme or an Airport express

The transmit power is the same on both the Airport Express and AirPort Extreme.
However, the AirPort Extreme has a better antenna arrangement than the Express, so it would normally provide a bit better range, all things being equal.
Depending on what version of the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express that you might have, there may be some feature and performance differences in regard to wireless speed capability. In order to quantify that, we would need to know the exact model number of the AirPort Express that you are asking about, as well as the exact model number of the AirPort Extreme.
The model numbers of both products are found on the side or bottom of the device. Both models numbers start with an "A" followed by 4 numbers.
It would help if you could provide some idea of what your actual goal might be here, since a "better" signal does not necessarily mean that you would notice any difference in day to day performance.

Question re: multiple wireless devices and the Duel Band Airport Extreme

I recently purchased the new duel-band Airport Extreme. Prior to that I had the single band Airport Extreme. I’m a bit confused about how it works and have spent a good bit of time trying to find the answers on the web, but nothing really addresses my specific question so I’m coming to the experts.
I have a number of wireless devices throughout my house… a couple of Roku boxes, two iPads, two iPods running Pandora, a MacBook and an older model Apple TV etc.
Both of the iPods are 802.11 G. The iPads can handle N.
One Roku is 802.11 G and the other can handle N.
I am confused about configuring the Airport Extreme. It’s my understanding that if I just go with the basic setup of creating a network and selecting Automatic for the Radio Mode and Channel that all of my devices will automatically connect to the most appropriate band for the best throughput for that particular device.
I have tried configuring the Airport Extreme as I mentioned above, as well as setting it up with the 5GHz Network Name field selected. I gave this a different name so I would be able to distinguish between the two networks when selecting one on my iPad. I will refer to the fist configuration as Setup A and the second (naming the 5 GHZ Network ) as Setup B.
When I use Setup A all of my devices show one available network to connect to. I select that network and all is well.
When I use Setup B the devices show two available networks, the original and the one I named on the 5GHz Network Name Filed.
My iPod’s ( 802.11 G ) only display the name of the first network, but my iPad’s show both, and I can select either. The signal strength on the 5GHz channel only dislplays two bars on the signal strength indicator icon, but the other network is full bars.
When I use Setup A, is my iPad, Roku and MacBook automatically selecting the 5GHz AND the N connection? How do I know that it’s not using the G band? Is it best to just go with the automatic settings and trust that I’m getting the best connections? How does it know weather to connect to the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. What determines that ?
Sorry for the rambling questions but the more I think about it the more confused I get about all of the possible combinations of connectivity possibilities.
I appreciate any attempts at making this a “teachable moment” for me :- )
Thanks !
Chuck
Message was edited by: ChuckLD

Welcome to the discussion area!
The signal strength on the 5GHz channel only dislplays two bars on the signal strength indicator icon, but the other network is full bars.
Not surprising, because the much higher frequency 5 GHz signals are absorbed much more quickly by any obstructions than 2.4 GHz signals. Everything is a trade off. In return for higher speeds, you must give up distance capability and penetration power with 5 GHz. It's not exactly true that you have to have a line-of-sight arrangement between the router and computer with 5 GHz, but many users are finding that to be the case for good, reliable performance.
How does it know weather to connect to the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. What determines that ?
The signal strength. If your computer is capable of connecting at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, it will choose the band with the higher signal strength...assuming that both bands have the same network name. The only way you can "force" a device to connect to the 5 GHz band is set it up with a different name and point your computer to that specific network.
For most users, the way to go is setup both bands with the same wireless network name and let devices connect to the strongest signal automatically.

How do you use Airport extreme at hotels etc, when traveling? I can plug my computer into the Airport with my ethernet but how does Airport pickup signal?

How do you use Airport extreme at hotels etc, when traveling? I can plug my computer into the Airport with my ethernet but how does Airport pickup signal? What equipment & devices do I need to travel with to make this possible?

You may mean the AirPort Express.....not AirPort Extreme.....as the Express is a popular travel router.
The whole idea behind using this device is that the hotel must provide an Ethernet jack in the hotel room. Then you connect the AirPort Express to the Ethernet jack with an Ethernet cable and configure it to provide your own wireless network in the room. You still have to agree to terms, pay the fees, etc.
The problem with this approach is that it is getting very difficult to find hotels in North America that prrovide an Ethernet jack....most have moved to wireless networks and the others are not far behind.
So, if the hotel is already providing a wireless signal, the AirPort Express is of no use in that situation.
If you normally stay at the same hotels, and know that they provide Ethernet ports, an AirPort Express might make sense in terms of convenience.

Is there a limit to the number of airport extremes and airport expresses one should have in a network?

Is there a practical limit to the number of airport extreme base stations and airport express units one should have in a home network?

Then, I had an older Airport extreme that I was thinking about connecting wirelessly in my living room and connecting the DirectV DVR to it by ethernet cable.
Is this older AirPort Extreme the "round" version or the "square" shaped version? The "round" version will not do what you want.
Whenever you extend an AirPort using wireless only, you will experience a loss of bandwidth (speed) on the entire network. That loss might be anywhere from 15-50% depending on how far the extending AirPort device is located from the "main" AirPort.
Even with an excellent signal, if you have 3 AirPorts extending the signal, you will lose 40-50% of the bandwidth on the network. The other AirPorts that are being used just for music are also slowing things down.
He thought there might be problems with using that third airport with the DVR and wondered if I should just use an Airport express there.
It would make no difference whether you used an AirPort Extreme....assuming it was the "square" version or a new AirPort Express as far as performance is concerned.
As to whether you connect the DVR to another AirPort, it might be OK, but you will not know until you try.
If you find that things slow down noticeably, you will need to look for ways to connect the AirPorts together using a wired Ethernet connection. This is always the preferred connection method since there is no bandwidth loss when you do this.
Since downloading video places a high demand on a wireless network, you might want to look for a way to connect the DVR back to your "main" router directly using a wired Ethernet connection as well.

Is there a device that extends the range of airport? it doesn't reach throughout my home.

is there a device that extends the range of airport? it doesn't reach throughout my home.

Another AirPort router will do what you want.

How do I get rid of the error message "There was an error connecting to the server “Office AirPort Extreme” ?

How do I get rid of the error message "There was an error connecting to the server “Office AirPort Extreme” ? This message shows up 3 times when I boot my iMac.

I do have a USB hard drive hooked up to the Airport. I've never created an AppleScript for it. Should I disconnect the USB drive and see if I still get the error message?
Thanks for your reply!

I have the 4th Generation Airport Extreme, is it time to upgrade?

I'm currently using the 4th Generation Airport Extreme (Model A1354) and was wondering if it was time to upgrade, especially with the new 6th(?) generation being relased June 12th?
I know this maybe a simple question but any help would be appreciated!
Cheers,
Andrew

In order to take advantage of the new 802.11ac performance on the new AirPort Extreme, you will have to buy one or more new MacBook Air laptops.
That is the only computer offered by Apple that can utilize the 802.11ac capabilities of the new AirPort Extreme.
Apple indicates that new Mac Book Pros with 802.11ac capability will be introduced at a later time.
You will receive no real performance benefit with the new AirPort Extreme using your current wireless devices. The only exception might be a bit better signal reception with the new "tower" antenna design.
The bottom line for most users.....unless you plan to add new 802.11ac computer hardware in the near future, there is probably no reason to buy a new 802.11ac router now.....unless you really like the styling.
Curiously, the new AirPort Extrme still uses older 2.0 USB technology, while a number of other manufacturers offer faster 3.0 USB products.

What is the current generation Airport Extreme?

My current Airport Extreme is less than a year old and is the fourth generation model. However, I keep seeing "Airport Extreme 5th generation" online and I am not sure if there is a 5th generation available now.

Shipments of the 5th Generation AirPort Extreme started in June 2011.

Is the Time Capsule wi-fi router compatible with the Nest thermostat? I've read where there are issues with the Nest and Airport Extreme (AE)? Is AE used in the Time Capsule?

I've read where there are issues with the Nest and Airport Extreme (AE)? Is AE used in the Time Capsule?
If so, i already have a wi-fi router, so can the Time Capsule simply be used for wireless backup instead of as a router if there is conflict?

A TC is fundamentally a AE with a sata chip included to drive the hard disk. Some slightly different bios to include disk functions, although most of those are also on the AE. So as a router it is 99.999% identical.
And yes, if you have another router you can easily bridge the TC and use wireless for backups and internet connection. Once you no longer route through the TC the issues with most NAT problems including port forwarding should disappear.. mostly this is due to all apple routers using NAT-PMP instead of upnp which is the near universal standard for opening ports.. without upnp apple keep their routers more exclusive.

The range of Airport Extreme is shrinking or so it seems. How can it be improved?

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