Wireless wifi extender. Airport express

I Am trying to use airport express as a wireless wifi extender. I can't get the hardware to connect to my existing wifi signal. What do I do. Obviously not a techie

Explain what you have as your current WiFi router. Is it an Airport Extreme, Apple Time Capsule, or another Aiport Express? If any of those, you should be able specify via Airport Utility on the added Airport Express:
Airport Utility -> Airport Express -> Wireless -> Network Mode: Extend a Wireless Network.
However, if your current WiFi router is from another manufacture, then I would suggest running an Ethernet cable from the existing WiFi router to the Airport Express, then configure the Airport Express as:
Airport Utility -> Airport Express -> Network -> Router Mode -> Off (Bridged Mode)
Airport Utility -> Airport Express -> Wireless -> Network Mode -> Create a wireless network
Airport Utility -> Airport Express -> Wireless -> Network Mode -> Wireless Network Name -> <specify the same name as your existing WiFi router uses>
Airport Utility -> Airport Express -> Wireless -> Network Mode -> Wireless Security -> <same as used by existing WiFi router>
Airport Utility -> Airport Express -> Wireless -> Network Mode -> Wirelelss Password -> <same as used by existing WiFi router>
Airport Utility -> Airport Express -> Wireless -> Network Mode -> Wireless Options -> 2.4GHz Channel -> different from existing WiFi router by 5 channels (1,6,or 11 ideal)
Airport Utility -> Airport Express -> Wireless -> Network Mode -> Wirelss Opitons -> 5GHz Channel -> any different channel from existing WiFi router
This will create a roaming network using the same WiFI SSID and Password. Since the Airport Express is in Bridge mode, both WiFi devices are on the same subnet as specified by the existing WiFi router, they both have the same WiFi SSID and password. As your devices move around the house, they will automatically switch to the WiFi base base station with the strongest signal (or at least when the loose one signal, they will switch to the other base station and you will not loose your connection. I actually use this setup in my home, except I use 2 Airport Extremes, but setting up a roaming network using Ethernet connecting the WiFi base stations will work with any mix of manufacture's devices.
If you cannot run Ethernet cable, you may be able to use a pair of PowerLine Adapters, that use your home electrical wiring as a substitute for ethernet cable. the speeds are not as fast as Gigabit Ethernet, but generally more than acceptable for most WiFi base station speeds.

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Extending my Linksys Wireless Network with AirPort Express

I would like to add an Airport Express to my wireless network to extend my wifi range and add AirPlay to my home theater system. Can Airport Express be used to extend my current wireless system that is not an Airport Extreme devise?
Also, by adding the Airport Express does this now limit the number of devices I can have on my wireless network to the 10 even if the Linksys supports 50?
Thanks for any advise...

Unfortunately, most non-AirPort routers are not compatible with Apple's implementation of Wireless Distribution System (WDS)...so it very unlikely that your non-AirPort router can be extended wirelessly with the AirPort Express Base Station (AX).
The few that are known to work are:
another Airport Express Base Station
802.11g Airport Extreme Base Station (AEBS)
802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn)
Linksys WRT54G or WRT54GS (not v5)
Belkin F5D7230-4 and F5D7231
BT Voyager 2091
Netgear WGR614 v6
Buffalo WGR-G54

Extend wireless network with AirPort Express

How to extend the wireless network with AirPort Express and Belkin PlayMax as the primary router ?

How it work if I have an AirPor Station and 4 Airport Express, I actually also have an old TimeCapsule and an old AirPort Express. Can I cover all my house (around 300 m2). And will the old Airport slow down or convict with the new ones?

How do I extend an existing wireless network using airport express?

Hi all,
I am trying to extend existing wireless network using airport express, my main router is Belkin

Unfortunately, Apple's "extend" feature is designed to only work with other Apple routers if you are trying to "extend" using wireless only.
It is extremely unlikely that this feature would work with a router from another manufacturer using wireless only.

Having trouble "extending" Airport Express to DOCSIS Motorola Surfboard

In 30 minutes of searching this forum, it is clear Bob Timmons is the man when it comes to Airport Expresses.
I had ATT DSL connected to 3 airport expresses (A1264) for streaming music in smaller apartment.
I'm now in a bigger rental home and want to extend the network. After some tinkering, I can get the A1264 to "join my wireless" network but I can't get it to "extend." When I choose those settings, I get the blinking amber light - and it will not work.
I'm connecting to a Motorola Surfboard DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem. Can anyone help?
Thanks
Ron

If you are trying to extend the network wirelessly......Apple's extend a wireless network feature will only work with other Apple wireless routers.
To confirm, please see this excerpt from Apple's product literature on the AirPort Express:
Extend an existing Wi‑Fi network’s range.
If you already have a wireless network in your home and want to extend its range, AirPort Express can help. Just place it in range of your primary base station — an AirPort Extreme, AirPort Time Capsule, or another AirPort Express
http://www.apple.com/airport-express/
If you have a Motorola modem/router providing your wireless network, the AirPort Express will not be able to extend that signal.

I used part of my name in my home network. Now I understand this was stupid security error. How can i change the name of my home wifi network, airport express? Thanks.

I used part of my name in my home network. Now I understand this was stupid security error. How can i change the name of my home wifi network, airport express? Thanks.

Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
Click on the picture of the AirPort Express
Click Edit in the smaller window that appears
Click the Wireless tab at the top of the next window
Edit the Wireless Network Name
Keep it short.....maximum 10-12 characters or so. No blank spaces or punctuation marks in the name
Click Update at the lower right of the window to save the new setting and wait a full minute for the AirPort to restart

AirPort Express - Can not connect to "extended" AirPort Express

Two trips to the Genius Bar tell me that I should be able to Extend my network from a new AirPort Express (n/g/b) to an older AirPort Express (b/g) using the "extend network feature". The two devices are communicating (both lights are green and the wireless channel will change on the remote device if I change it at the base station), but my MBP Core Duo 15" seems to only be connecting to the AirPort Express Base Station (n/g/b) and not to the Remote "extended" AirPort Express (b/g).
This forum seems to indicate that you can only use WDS between the newer AEX (n) and the older AEX (b/g) but the folks at the Apple Store have told me twice now not to use WDS. They said that as long as the two devices have green lights that it is working, but when I click on the Airport Symbol up in the menu bar w/the Option key it tells me the MAC address of the base station only - and when I get very far from the base station, the signal drops out even though the remote AEX is near by.
I did try setting it up using WDS and that works fine, just very slow.
Anyone know if there's a way to be sure that my MBP connects to the remote (extended) AirPort Express?

This forum seems to indicate that you can only use WDS between the newer AEX (n) and the older AEX (b/g)
This is correct....since the older b/g Express does not even have a setting to "extend a wireless network".
If you require confirmation, open AirPort Utility, select the b/g Express, click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab below the row of icons
Now look at the available settings for Wireless Mode.
"Extend a wireless network" is not there.
but the folks at the Apple Store have told me twice now not to use WDS.
They are likely telling you not to use it because the performance on your network will drop dramatically if you do use WDS. Or, they mean well, but they are just wrong on this subject. Here's why:
The only way that you can use an older "g" and newer "n" device together to provide more wireless coverage is to configure both devices for WDS. It's a Catch 22.
WDS operates only at "g" wireless levels. So when you configure the newer "n" Express to operate as part of the WDS (which you must), it becomes a "g" wireless device. You lose any "n" capability on the network
Worse still, every "remote" or "relay" in a WDS setup cuts the bandwidth of the entire network in half...50%. That's huge. In effect, with WDS, you may have a bit more wireless coverage, but you will have a "g" wireless network that operates at half speed.
but when I click on the Airport Symbol w/the Option key it tells me the MAC address of the base station only - and when I get very far from the base station, the signal drops out even though the remote AEX is near by.
The remote AX is not providing any additional wireless coverage.
They said that as long as the two devices have green lights that it is working
Nope, as you can tell by the fact that your "remote" is not providing any additonal wireless coverage.
Anyone know if there's a way to be sure that my MBP connects to the remote (extended) AirPort Express?
Your only option, (unless you add more hardware):
Configure both AX devices to "Participate in a WDS network" setting one up as a "main" and the other a "remote" . The big downside, as mentioned previously, is that you will have a "g" wireless network running at half speed.

IPod Touch not picked up extending Airport Express

I have an Airport Extreme Base Station and two Airport Expresses that are both used to extend my Wi-fi. My problem is that my iPod Touch 3 - running IOS 4.1 - fails to pick up one of the extending Airport Expresses. My laptop and an iMac pick it up just fine, but I get no connection from my iPod when I am very close to that Express. Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated??

This question was answered in the AEBS/Time Capsule Forum.

I cant go on youtube with the wifi from airport express, its alway show that the webpage not found so I try to connect the lan to my mac ,its work. Anyone know why amd how to fix it. (only youtube and google doesnt work)

Is this an airport express problem?? Only Youtube and google doesnt work. Its not work only on wifi from airport express. I really have no idea about technical problem.

After the last upgrade, my itunes doesn't open (this happen only the first time after the start of my pc). It seems frozen.To re-open Itunes i need to terminate APS deamon every time from task manager.
What is Apple doing to solve this problema? Thank you.

Can't connect (wireless) to my Airport Express anymore with iBook, iPad or iPhone.

Can't connect (wireless) to my Airport Express anymore with iBook, iPad or iPhone. It still recognizes the printer on the iBook (bonjour), but not on my Windows notebook (work). The only device that still connects via wireless is the PlayStation 3.

The latest firmupdate solved the issue.

How to extend wireless range with airport express

I am using 10.6.8....I have a wireless connection and would like to use an airport express to extend my range....the unit model is A1084. I can't find out how to do this in assistant. Does anyone know?

An Airport can extend only another Airport WiFi. It can not extend non-Apple WiFi systems.
I don't know the model numbers and I don't know when the extend capability was added.

Extend wireless range with Airport Express?

Hi,
I am using a Time Warner internet wifi router and need to extend the range in my home. Can anyone help me with how to extend the range using an Airport Express?
Thanks
Chris

Chris, are you planning to connect the AirPort Express to the Time Warner router using a wired Ethernet connection?
The reason we ask is that Apple's "extend a wireless network" feature to provide more wireless coverage....using wireless only.....works only with other Apple routers as far as we know.
It is almost certainly not compatible with devices from other manufacturers.

Extending wifi with airport express and time capsule

Hi All
I'm new to macs and moving over in a big way!
I started with a time capsule and all was fine apart from the coverage in the house.
It seemed easy to extend the wifi so purchased an AE 802.11n and extended the network.
It does extend and I can connect to the internet but the network is now really really slow and the time capsule backup wont work.
connection is :
Ethernet modem - Airport express ( as its close to my audio equipment ) - extended WIFI conection via 802.11n.
Any suggestions? why is it so slow?
Im at 7.3.1 firmware on both AE and time capsule and the Macbook pro is at 10.5.3.
Any suggestions?

I've managed to change the 5gHz of ther Airport Express that's extending the network.
As mentioned, main AE is on channel 48, and I now have the 2nd AE on channel 36 - which means my TV can now see the network. Also tested speed via my mavbook air on the same 5gHz network as it all seems OK (A while ago I spotted my Time Capsule was on the same channel 48 as main AE and throughput was abysmal! Bad enough to make me reset the TC to factory defaults and setup again - which is when the TC got channel 120).
Anyway, the fix... I changed the 2nd AE to create a wireless network (instead of extend), and manually set the channel to 36. I then set it back to extend, and it seems to have kept channel 36.

I've extended my Time Capsule wifi via Airport Express and the download speed is still super slow

I get an average of 80Mbps download speed when close to the Time Capsule. When I got upstairs in the house the download speed drastically drops. So I decided to extend the wifi range using an Airport Express. See image below. I've placed the Express router upstairs in the house and when I stand close to the Express I get a very slow download speed. About 7Mbps. Even slower than when I hadn't "extended" the range. What's going on...?

I've placed the Express router upstairs in the house and when I stand close to the Express I get a very slow download speed. About 7Mbps. Even slower than when I hadn't "extended" the range. What's going on...?
Well, the first rule that you need to remember is that when you "extend" using wireless.....you will have a drop in the potential speed on the network. So, while you might have more "range" for the network, the network speed will drop. Nothing that you can really do about that other than connect the Time Capsule and AirPort Express using a wired Ethernet connection. There will be no speed loss over the Ethernet cable, so the Express should deliver approximately the same speed as the Time Capsule.
The next rule is that when a device "extends" using wireless, it can only extend the quality and speed of the signal that it receives. A speed "boost" will not appear.
Try locating the Express about half way between the Time Capsule and the area that needs more wireless coverage. Anything that you can do to minimize obstructions between the Time Capsule and Express and on to the other area will help.....but you will never get close to the performance of connecting the AirPorts using an wired Ethernet cable.
Unfortunately, Apple really doesn't tell you very clearly, if at all, about important things like the two rules above.

Trouble extending WiFi using Airport Express over wired connection

We're attempting to improve the wireless connection in an apartment. The original network runs off a current model Airport Extreme. We used a pair of ZyXEL powerline adapters to extend a wired connection to the other end of the apartment, and connected a new Airport Express at the far end. Airport Utility automatically configured the Express to extend the network. Didn't work so well.
A laptop plugged directly into the powerline adapter gets a great connection. When the Express is connected to the powerline adapter (yes, using the WAN port), not only can I no longer connect to the network wirelessly, but even turning WiFi off and plugging a Cat5 cable into the LAN port on the Express results in a connection that's either nonexistent or so slow as to be nonfunctional. The laptop does pull an IP address when hardwired.
Has anyone had any luck with this type of arrangement?
Thanks!

When you say that AirPort Utility automatically configured the Express to extend the network......you did not specify whether the Express was set up to "extend wirelessly" or "extend using Ethernet".
There is a huge difference here, and if for some reason the Express was first configured to extend the network wirelessly......and then the Ethernet connection was made......that will set up a feedback loop that will effectively crash the network....rendering the Express virtually useless. Sound familiar?
Suggest that you start over and follow our step by step instructions. We assume that you are using a 6.x version of AirPort utility.....or....that you will be using an iPhone or iPad for the setup. Would that be correct? We also assume that you have a spare Ethernet cable on hand......any length will do, the longer the better.
Post back when you are ready to get things set up.

Wireless wifi extender. Airport express

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