HT201577: AirPort Express frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Learn about AirPort Express frequently asked questions (FAQ)
staust
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: AirPort Express as an extension of network

i need to know how to use my airport express to extend my netgear wireless wifi signal. can anyone shed some light on how to do this or clarify if it is not possible without an AirPort Extreme. It would be sad if Apple would not allow this with another router as other companies will allow extension on any competing router. thx

Posted on Dec 25, 2015 12:24 PM

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staust

Q: AirPort Express as an extension of network

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  • by 20484paul,

    20484paul Dec 25, 2015 12:28 PM in response to staust
    Level 2 (260 points)
    Dec 25, 2015 12:28 PM in response to staust

    Set it up either on a mac or an iOS device.

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Dec 25, 2015 12:37 PM in response to staust
    Level 10 (104,879 points)
    Wireless
    Dec 25, 2015 12:37 PM in response to staust

    Then, the sad news is that Apple has designed their "extend a wireless network" feature to use proprietary settings that only work with other Apple routers.

     

    That is not to say that it is impossible for the Express to extend a 3rd party network.....(no one has tested very router to know for sure).....but let's say that it would be highly unlikely that the Express would be able to extend the Netgear network.

     

    If you have the time, and want to try, we can provide a few tips if you can tell us what operating system that you are using on your Mac or PC.

     

    What the Express can do is "Join" the Netgear network, so that it could be used for AirPlay or to connect a compatible remote USB printer. But....the Express does not "extend", "repeat", "boost" etc the wireless signal when it joins a network.

  • by staust,

    staust staust Dec 25, 2015 12:37 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 25, 2015 12:37 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    thank you Bob. hard to decide if i should replace my netgear router with an extreme or buy a netgear extender......bummer.

  • by staust,

    staust staust Dec 25, 2015 12:40 PM in response to 20484paul
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 25, 2015 12:40 PM in response to 20484paul

    i have tried both. on the imac, i can select extend the network but it fails every time. i then searched online and suspected that it was only compatible with an extreme. am i missing something?

  • by staust,

    staust staust Dec 25, 2015 12:43 PM in response to 20484paul
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 25, 2015 12:43 PM in response to 20484paul

    i have tried both. on the imac, i can select extend the network but it fails every time. i then searched online and suspected that it was only compatible with an extreme. am i missing something? thanks for your help!! i bought an extreme a year ago but it would intermittently go yellow light (offline). returned it.

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Dec 25, 2015 12:45 PM in response to staust
    Level 10 (104,879 points)
    Wireless
    Dec 25, 2015 12:45 PM in response to staust

    The Express is compatible with another Apple base station......that could be an AiPort Extreme, AirPort Time Capsule, or another AirPort Express.

     

    If you are happy with your Netgear router now, then your best bet in terms of compatibility would be a Netgear extender.