Q: How do I connect AirPort Express to non-airport router

Thanks for your response.

I do not mean to discourage your efforts, but there is very strong evidence that Apple uses proprietary settings to allow a wireless signal to "extend".

As far as we know, routers from other manufacturers are not compatible with Apple's "extend" feature.

But, I suppose that anything is possible.

I will be very surprised if you are able to make this work, but hope that you will.

Sorry, the my post above was intended for another thread, so please disregard that as it does not apply to your particular issue.

I will wait for your update.

I've been browsing these forums for a few days thinking about a longstanding thing that bugs me and I think it's the same thing.

I have a Thompson Router, broadcasting a wireless network, and my airport express is connected to it via ethernet. To be able to stream itunes I ended up having to create a new network for the airport as I couldn't get it to join the main routers network. Not a problem, but I sometimes stream stuff to my tv, which is connected to the main routers network via ethernet and I have to keep remembering to switch networks to get things to work which is a bit of a pain.

Anyway, Like I say I've been trying to figure it out again and tonight I was reading about extending networks as I didn't uderstand what it was, and I tried going into airport utilitiy and set it up to join a wds network and put in the mac adress of my Thompson router. Works a charm. I'n now connected to the main routers network and can broadcast to both the tv and the airport express

Is this the same thing or is what I've donecompletely differnt ?

Not true it can extend some but doest play well with some. Apple only guarantees it to extend apple Airport and Time Capsule networks however it can extend some others. Trial and error will tell you if it will work for your router.

Awesome ti worked for you. Yes thats what it is and the airport express will work with some but not all 3rd party routers.

It won't work with any of them. WDS is different to 'extend'.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_distribution_system

Yes it will. It doesnt work well with some but with others it does. Otherwise MArtin wouldnt have had any luck and there are others. By the way your link doesnt even support your answer.