WDS Airport Express and Airport Extreme

I'm trying to set up a WDS network. I've set up the Airport Express as the main station, and the Airport Extreme as the remote base station. I need to do this because the Express sits next to the stereo and cable modem, and the extreme is connected to a gen 1 mac mini via ethernet that doesn't have an airport card.
Anyway, when I try to set up the WDS network, the Express tries to log on to the Extreme base station with no luck. When I have the Extreme set up to use the internet through the WDS, the Express cannot "see" the Extreme to use the WDS feature. Only when I have the Extreme to use the internet through ethernet does the Express "see" it as a remote base station.
Shouldn't the internet be through the WDS on the Extreme? What settings should they be on?
Is it even possible set up an Extreme as a remote base station that is able to distribute the internet through it's LAN ethernet connection?

I am pretty sure using the Express as the main internet router with WDS and an Extreme is not supported.
That's incorrect. The base stations have the same ability to act as base, remote, or relay.

Similar Messages

  • Speed issue with WDS, Airport Extreme, and Airport Express 802.11n

    I have a Airport network set up using WDS and two airport base stations: an Airport Extreme 802.11n, and an Airport Express 802.11n. The Extreme is configured to be WDS main and is connected to my cable modem and other computers, while the express is WDS relay and acts as a switch.
    I don't actually have any wireless clients connecting to the express. I'm using it to connect a mac with no airport card to the network by plugging it into the ethernet port on the express. For the most part, it works, and the mac gets a network address and can access the network. However, the connection speed from the Express to the Extreme seems slower than it should be.
    Since both are 802.11n, and the Mac is plugged into the Express's 10/100 ethernet port, I figure the theoretical top speed that the Mac should be able to communicate with another device plugged into the Extreme is at around the same speeds as 100 mbps ethernet, since the 100 mbps ethernet connection should be the bottleneck in this case. In reality, the speeds are much slower: when I transfer files between a machine connected to the extreme (via ethernet) and my mac, the speed tops out at about 2 megabytes a second, if that.
    I looked in the Airport Extreme's logs, and it indicates that the Express is only connected at 54 mbps, as though it were a 802.11g Express. I have no idea why this is! Also, the only wireless communication is between the Extreme and the Express, so one wireless device acting as a relay for another (and thus cutting the throughput in half) shouldn't be an issue.
    Does anyone know why the speeds are so slow, and if there's anything I can do to improve them?

    Hello Brian Kendall. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
    I looked in the Airport Extreme's logs, and it indicates that the Express is only connected at 54 mbps, as though it were a 802.11g Express. I have no idea why this is!
    That is because you established a WDS which only runs in 802.11g. Since you have two 802.11n base station, you would want to take advantage of the "Extend a network" feature available with these base stations.
    Here's a typical setup:
    o If practical, place the base stations in near proximity to each other during the setup phase. Once done, move them to their desired locations.
    o Open AirPort Utility and select the base station that will connect to the Internet.
    o Choose Manual Setup from the Base Station menu, or double-click the base station to open the configuration in a separate window. Enter the base station password if necessary.
    o Click AirPort in the toolbar, and then click Wireless.
    o Choose “Create a wireless network” from the Wireless Mode pop-up menu, and then select the “Allow this network to be extended” checkbox.
    o Next, select the base station that will extend this network, and choose Manual Setup from the Base Station menu, or double-click the base station to open its configuration in a separate window. Enter the base station password if necessary.
    o Choose “Extend a wireless network” from the Wireless Mode pop-up menu, and then choose the network you want to extend from the Network Name pop-up menu.
    o Enter the base station network and base station password is necessary.
    o Click Update to update the base station with new network settings.
    (ref: Page 46 of "Designing AirPort Networks Using AirPort Utility.)

  • Windows 7 machine unable to connect to WDS (Airport extreme + express)

    Hi - I've just dusted down my old Airport Extreme (b/g) and Airport Express to extend the range of a Sagem Mini Livebox router (that we use because it gives internet telephone and tv feeds here in France).
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    I don't know Windows 7 very well, and there seem to be very few options that you can configure. The wifi adaptor is a Dell 1390 (only b/g connections according to an online manual); but the old airport boxes only support b/g compatible connections, so that should work.
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    Thanks - andy

    Are you trying to configure the Express to "join" the wireless network?
    If yes, the message you are receiving is likely an indication that you do not have the correct security settings selected for the Express. Unless the security settings between the wireless router and Express match up exactly, the Express will display the error that "an error occurred, etc".
    The easiest way to confirm if you have this problem is temporarily set the main wireless router to "no security" and try to connect the Express that way. If you can connect, then you know that it is a security issue.
    Please tell us the exact setting for security that the wireless router there is using and we'll try to give you some more ideas.
    The Express will connect. It's just a matter of finding the right settings.
    Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

  • LAN connection to WDS Airport Extreme: possible?

    I have a second Airport Extreme basestation that acts as a WDS extender. It works fine as a wireless repeater. But now I need to hardwire a non-wireless laptop into my network from that location. I thought I could just plug the laptop into the WDS basestation with a cat 5 patch cable and I'd be on. But it didn't work. The computer saw the LAN connection as live, but no internet connectivity. Is there a known problem trying to hardwire into a WDS basestation to get internet connectivity?

    According to KB 108038, AirPort Express frequently asked questions this is possible with the AirPort Express.
    I didn't find anything though discussing the same capability on the AirPort Extreme base station (AEBS).
    Which port did you plug into? I would suspect that you need to use the LAN port (<->) on the AEBS.

  • HT4262 WDS airport extreme?

    I have a d-link SKY broadband router in the dining room and an airport express in the living room. I do not have an airport extreme base station. It is set up to wirelessly extend the network, i bought it last month, so it must be the latest model. Is there a way to connect the airport express to my temperamental TV over ethernet instead of WiFi?

    If you have the AirPort Express setup to "extend a wireless network" at the present time, the Ethernet port is already enabled.
    Test first by connecting your laptop to the Express using an Ethernet cable. Turn off the wireless on the laptop temporarily. If the laptop can connect to the Internet, then you know the Express is working correctly.
    Connect the TV to the Express using an Ethernet cable and it should work fine.

  • Extending network via airport extreme N non dual band and airport expresses

    I have experimented with this a lot because I have 3 expresses and an extreme, one express is wired to my extreme in bridged G mode so my iphone can access my network of macs and the rest are running in N 2.4ghz joined to the extreme network as apposed to extending the network. It seemed to me that the 5ghz is much faster but has very poor range about half the range of the N so I run the network in 2.4ghz. Oddly the express I have bridged running in G mode seems to have more range than the N network. Whenever I tried to extend the network with an express in N 2.4ghz my performance went down and I could not really notice any difference in range. Perhaps this has changed with firmware updates of late so I am going to play with them some more. A side note is that when the express is in join mode to my extremes N 2.4 ghz network I can stream full HD video 1080i and 5.1 sound to my other macs. So when my MBP is hooked up to my AV
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    Any thoughts on how to improved N speed / range in extend mode would be appreciated.

    The ethernet port is active with this settting, (assuming you enable it in AirPort Utility) which can be a plus in some installations, but I see no improvement in the "breadth" of the wireless network using the "Join" setting, at least when comparing it to the "extend" setting. Is this correct?
    The AXn's feature to join a wireless network & have its Ethernet port enabled, as you already know, is known as ProxySTA.
    Although a convenient feature indeed, it's not stellar as far as maximum bandwidth goes. As an example, the following would be typical "real life" throughput values (for the AXn's 2.4 GHz radio) based on the AXn's configuration:
    o Router: Wired-to-wireless: 85 Mbps
    o WDS: Wireless-to-wireless: 33-39 Mbps (Note: Extended would be closer to the Router value)
    o ProxySTA: Wireless-to-wired: 26-35 Mbps
    Unfortunately, ProxySTA is the "worst" of the bunch.
    I have to believe that a lot of the confusion between "join" and "extend" is occurring because the "extend" option is not available in the auto setup using AirPort Utility. Aren't there a lot of users out there configured to "Join" when they think they are "extending"?
    No doubt the "Manual Setup" function of the AirPort Utility still needs a bit of improvement as it does tend to confuse folks. Similar, would be the differences between "Extend" & a "WDS" as both are types of WDS.

  • Can airport express be used as a repeater with airport extreme?

    Can Airport Express be used as a repeater with an Airport Extreme?

    Hi, it can but i have lots of problems because my mac keeps switching between the express and the extreme. This causes that my connection goes every time down and i have to switch off my airport (in my mac) off and on again.
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    I'm looking at getting an Airport Extreme for my house but I wanted to know the best options.. Should I go with a couple of 2TB NAS Drives or two 2TB External USB Drives?
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    Thats a good thing to hear because there are 3 Nexus's that are in the household.
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  • Will Airport Extreme improve wi-fi in three level house?

    Hi,
    I live in a three story house with plaster and lathe walls (Old 1920's construction).
    Our wifi comes in on the 3rd floor, and is connected to an Airport Express, and I also have an Airport Express as an extender on the ground floor.
    The problem I have is several areas in the house have poor wi-fi signal, and was wondering if the Airport Express would deliver a boost?
    Thanks,
    Alan.

    1. What Airport Express model(s) do you currently have?
    2. You question and tile are confusing, are you referring to a new Extreme replacing the primary Express, or another Express being added to the network?
    3. In general, the Extreme is a faster router (Gigabit) compared to Express (100Mbps). It also has additional ethernet ports.
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    5. Powerline Network adapters may also be an option, if ethernet wiring is not a candidate. If you have Coax in the house in multiple rooms, you can also consider Moca-to-Ethernet converters like - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833996262&nm_mc=KNC-Google Adwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-MoCA+Adapters-_-N82E16833996262&gclid=C Lajmo2v5sACFbTm7Aod_UsATA

  • AP Express and Apple TV "on the road"

    I want to "go on the road" with a Macbook, AP Express and Apple TV with output to an HD TV. Can I simply set up the AP Express as a separate network (currently I have four AP Expresses and an Extreme), plug Apple TV into it via an Ethernet cable and hit the road for presentations wherever there is an HDMI TV? As far as I know, I cannot stream directly from the Mac to Apple TV, I have to go through an Express or an Extreme.

    Actually you can stream directly to the Apple TV as it can be configured to be an AirPlay speaker. However, the Apple TV must be connected to a network by wire or wireless in order to be available to your Mac to stream to.

  • Cannot create WDS with Airport Extreme 802.11n and Airport Express b/g

    I have gone through all the steps to set up a WDS with my Airport Extreme Dual Band and my Airport Express b/g.
    Every time I try to set it up and update the AX the AX disappears from the airport utility and I can no longer see it. I can however set it up to "join a network" just fine.
    Anyone have any idea why I cannot do this? I haven't seen anything saying that the AE is not compatible with the AX.
    Ideally what I would like to do is have the AX extend the network and then use an ethernet cable to connect it to an imac g4, thus giving the computer "wireless" internet.
    Any ideas or suggestions?
    Thanks

    So just to clarify even if I was to buy a new "n" AX I would still be relegated to "g" speeds?
    That's correct if you use the WDS settings on both the AEBS and AX.
    But, if you had the "n" AX, you could configure it to "extend a wireless network" and maintain "n" speeds on the network. There would still be some bandwidth loss...10-15% or so...that's unavoidable unless you go to an ethernet connection method.
    Do you think for my application it might be better to just buy a reputable wireless usb dongle?
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  • Can't Setup WDS with Airport Extreme "N" and Airport Extreme "G" & Express

    Hi!
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    OK-so after more than a month of having to put up with my Airport Utility popping up whenever I started my computer or came home and joined the network, I finally had the time to sit on hold with Apple and work with a Network Specialist--had to get the ticket "Escalated" first. What the problem turned out being was I set up the Extreme "N" o use WEP (Transitional Security Network) because I occasionally have friends with older PCs coming by that need old WEP instead of WPA. The net specialist helped me walk through the whole setup (from scratch) with the Extreme "N" as my main base station (like I wanted) setup using WPA/WPA2 Personal for password encryption. The older Airport Extreme "G" and the Airport Express do NOT support the WEP (TSN) mode, so they couldn't join the network properly--thus the constant error from the Extreme "N" that no WDS base stations could be found.
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  • Airport Extreme 802.11n and WDS with 802.11g express

    I have an 802.11n Airport Extreme that I have been using with my AppleTV. I have it set to allow for 802.11b/g, since I have an old Powerbook Titanium that cannot be upgraded.
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    Thanks,
    keith

    You can check the connection speed of each wireless client attached to a base station using Airport Utility. Launch Airport Utility, click on the Airport button in the toolbar. On the Summary tab you'll see an item called Wireless clients. It shows you how many wireless client devices are connected to that base station.
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  • WDS networking issue - Airport Extreme (802.11n) and remote Airport Express

    *Background Info:*
    Airport Extreme 802.11n (Fast Ethernet)
    Version: 7.2.1
    Wireless Mode: Participate in a WDS network (set as main)
    Network Name: @Home
    Wireless Security: WPA/WPA2 Personal
    Channel: 1
    Airport Express
    Version: 6.3
    Wireless Mode: Participate in a WDS network (set as remote)
    Network Name: @Home
    Wireless Security: WPA/WPA2 Personal
    Channel: 1
    Radio Mode: 802.11b/g compatible
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    Issue
    Please help as I'm having issues with my WDS network. I've setup using both the wizard and manual and also hard reset on both units to setup again but cannot get them both to communicate to one another. Both units are showing green LED under their configuration. For my last attempt, I've tried adding the Airport ID (MAC) of the Airport Express to the Access Control and also DHCP Reservations on the Airport Extreme but still no luck.
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    Christopher,
    This may or may not be helpful, or it may be something you've already tried or are aware of so I apologize if that's the case.
    I have been researching ways to set up the Dual Band Network supported by the AEBS and came across your post. I've got an AEBS and (2) AirPort Express set-up currently (AEBS is main and the Express are participating in the WDS as remotes) and I'm trying to configure one of the Express to utilize a 802.11b/g compatible network while the AEBS runs a 5Ghz 802.11n Only network.
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    Hope this was helpful.

  • WDS between AirPort Extreme Dual-Band and old AirPort Express

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    Yesterday I decided to upgrade the one connected to my DSL-router to an AirPort Extreme, because I needed the extra Ethernet connectors. Since the new AirPort Extreme Dual-Band has some fancy new features, I decided to go ahead and re-configure it all.
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    I am having the exact same problem here.
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