Q: airport express not extending wireless network
airport express not extending wireless network
AirPort Express 802.11n (1st Gen), Windows Vista
Posted on Mar 28, 2012 6:45 AM
I had the same problem with a Time Capsule with respect to setting it up to extend my wireless network. Here is the major point that cleared the air of confusion.
If you are connecting the AirPort Express to an existing router using an ethernet cable and trying to increase your wireless coverage area, then the correct term to use is "roaming". Which means you can roam from one end of the building to another, with your wireless computer, phone or other device, and the wireless signals overlaps and maintains your connection to the network/internet.
On the other hand, the term "wireless extending" or "extended network" means connecting one wireless router to another using the wireless signal of each to "bridge" the connection gap and allow hard wired devices connected to the 2nd router's ethernet ports to have service. Efffectively there are two local area networks that are "bridged" by the wireless signal of two routers. There is no ethernet cable running between the two routers. This is helpful when there are two home offices at opposite ends of the house and it is not desireable to run ethernet cables through the house to connect then. The the remote router and local area network can "extend" the network for say a desktop computer and printer that are connected with ethernet cables.
If you are creating a "roaming" set up of routers, then do the following (using AirPort Utility 6.2):
- Connect the two routers together with a long ethernet cable. If the building is prewired with data ports (ethernets cables in the wall) then use those connection points to patch over the connection between the routers. Plug one end of the cable into a LAN port of the router connected to the DSL/Cable modem, in your case the TalkTalk router. The other end of the cable is plugged into the remotely located router's WAN port, the AirPort Extreme. Plug the power into both routers.
- Plug your computer's ethernet port, that has AirPort Utility software installed on it, into the remote router's LAN port using an ethernet cable.
- Open AirPort Utility from the Applications>Utility folder.
- Select your AirPort Extreme base station and then the edit button on the balloon window that pops up.
- Select the Wireless tab
- Set the Network Mode to "Create a wireless network"
- Set the Wireless Network Name to the same name as the existing wireless network using the same letter case used on that network. This is also called the SSID in some routers.
- Set the Wireless Security and Wireless Password to be the same as the existing wireless network.
- Select the Network tab
- Set the Router Mode to Off(Bridge Mode)
- Select Update
Once the base station completes the update the green light should show and the wireless signal should be present at both routers. Only one SSID should be visible.
If you are creating an "extended network" with two routers, then do the following (using AirPort 6.2):
- Assuming the existing wireless network is in place and operating, set up the remote router (AirPort Extreme) by connecting your computer's network connection to its LAN port. Plug the power into the router.
- Open AirPort Utility from the Applications>Utility folder.
- Select and edit your AirPort Extreme ( or Time Capsule) base station
- Select the Wireless tab
- Set the Network Mode to "Extend a wireless network"
- Set the Wireless Network Name to the same name as the existing wireless network using the same letter case used on that network. This is also called the SSID in most routers.
- Set the Wireless Security and Wireless Password to be the same as the existing wireless network.
- Select the Network tab
- Set the Router Mode to Off(Bridge Mode)
- Select Update
Sorry for being long winded, but I spent a long time figuring this out and hope this explaination saves someone that trouble.
Good Luck,
Runningfam7
Posted on Mar 23, 2013 3:05 PM