Comcast "traffic management" blocks Extend mode of AirPort Express 'n' ???

Killer, as a non-Comcast user, your network problems are somewhat different from Comcast users.

For the benefit of any newcomers to this thread, I will summarize the results that have been posted thus far. All of the speeds mentioned below can be verified using the Airport Utility 'Manual Setup' mode by clicking the 'Advanced' icon, then the 'Log and Statistics' button, and then the 'Wireless Clients' tab.

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COMCAST USERS --- 'EXTEND' MODE:

1. FAILURE - Using an Express to 'extend' an Extreme, clients (wireless or Ethernet) of the Express cannot access the Internet at all, but the local network is fully accessible, and the two bases will communicate at 'n' speeds ranging from 130 Mbps to 300 Mbps, depending on whether the Extreme is in the n-b/g compatible, 2.4 GHz n-only, or 5 GHz n-only mode.

2. SUCCESS - Using a second Extreme to 'extend' the first Extreme, clients (wireless or Ethernet) of the second Extreme can fully access the Internet and local network, and the two bases will communicate at 'n' speeds ranging from 130 Mbps to 300 Mbps, depending on whether the first Extreme is in the n-b/g compatible, 2.4 GHz n-only, or 5 GHz n-only mode.

3. SUCCESS - Using an Express to 'extend' a Time Capsule, clients (wireless or Ethernet) of the Express can fully access the Internet and local network, and the two bases will communicate at 'n' speeds ranging from 130 Mbps to 300 Mbps, depending on whether the first Extreme is in the n-b/g compatible, 2.4 GHz n-only, or 5 GHz n-only mode.

4. FAILURE - Using an Extreme to 'extend' a Time Capsule, clients (wireless or Ethernet) of the Extreme cannot access the Internet at all, but the local network is fully accessible, and the two bases will communicate at 'n' speeds ranging from 130 Mbps to 300 Mbps, depending on whether the Extreme is in the n-b/g compatible, 2.4 GHz n-only, or 5 GHz n-only mode.

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COMCAST USERS --- 'JOIN' MODE:

FAILURE - Using an Express to 'Join' an Extreme, clients (wireless or Ethernet) of the Express cannot access the local network at all, but the Internet is fully accessible, and the two bases will communicate at 'n' speeds ranging from 130 Mbps to 300 Mbps, depending on whether the Extreme is in the n-b/g compatible, 2.4 GHz n-only, or 5 GHz n-only mode.

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COMCAST USERS --- 'WDS' MODE:

PARTIAL SUCCESS - Using an Express as a WDS 'remote' of a WDS 'main' Extreme, clients (wireless or Ethernet) of the Express can fully access the Internet and local network, but the two bases will only communicate at 'g' speeds up to 54 Mbps.

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NON-COMCAST USERS:

Results have varied depending on whether one is using a cable modem or DSL modem; however, in general, if you are using an Express to 'extend' an Extreme, you should have access (maybe not full access) to the Internet, and full access to your local network, with the bases communicating at the 'n' speeds mentioned above.

Mark, that is a very interesting setup you have there. There was some information regarding your setup that you did not supply, so I will have to make an assumption. Your problem does not sound like it is related to the Comcast "traffic management" issue; rather, it sounds more like a signal-to-noise ratio problem. My assumption is that you are running your network in the n-b/g compatible mode, which is very susceptible to noise.

If that is the case, you can improve your situation by turning on the noise reduction for each base station by going into its Manual Setup mode in Airport Utility, clicking on the Wireless tab, clicking on the Wireless Options... button, and then selecting the 'Use interference robustness' option. You could also improve the signal strength by moving your two Airport Extremes a little closer to each other, rather than keeping them at the very ends of your coverage area. I would divide the coverage area into thirds, and then locate the first Extreme approximately a third of the distance from one end, and the second Extreme approximately a third of the distance from the other end, as follows:

.....C~T1.....T2.....

(where C => Cable modem, T => airport exTreme, and ~ => ethernet connection)

You could also try choosing channel 11 manually, rather than letting it select the channel automatically, which usually chooses channel 1.

A much better scenario for improving the signal-to-noise ratio is to set up your two Extremes in the wide channel, 5 GHz n-only mode, with one Extreme 'extending' the other, and then connect an Express via Ethernet to each of the Extremes to 'Create a wireless network' that is b/g compatible, as follows:

.....C~T1~P1.....T2~P2.....

(where C => Cable modem, T => airport exTreme, P => airport exPress, and ~ => ethernet connection)

In the above scenario, the two Extremes would provide an n-only network, and the two Expresses would each provide a b/g compatible network. Each of the three networks would have a unique name, but they would all work as a single local network.

If you still had a weak spot, you could make either Express 1 or Express 2 a WDS main, and then make your third Express a WDS remote while locating it close to the weak spot.

The best scenario would be to purchase a third Extreme, put the one connected to the cable modem at the very center of your coverage area and set it up in wide channel, 5 GHz n-only mode, put each of the other two Extremes in the 'extend' mode and locate them approximately one quarter of the distance from each end of your coverage area, and then individually connect each of your three Expresses via Ethernet to a separate Extreme to 'Create a wireless network' that is b/g compatible, as follows:

.....T3~P3.....C~T1~P1.....T2~P2.....

(where C => Cable modem, T => airport exTreme, P => airport exPress, and ~ => ethernet connection)

In the above scenario, the three Extremes would provide an n-only network, and the Expresses would provide three b/g compatible networks. Each of the four networks would have a unique name, but they would all work as a single local network.

That gives you a few options to try. I would be very interested to hear how you make out.

Wm, if you are on Comcast, the only combinations we know of that will enable access to the Internet using the 'Extend' mode are as follows:

1. AirPort Extreme extending another Airport Extreme
2. AirPort Express extending a Time Capsule
3. Time Capsule extending an Airport Express

If you tried the WDS mode and it did not work, then you have other problems, because that mode should work perfectly, but only at 'g' speed, not 'n' speed.

Here are some things to check with your WDS setup in the Manual Setup mode of Airport Utility.

1. Under the WDS tab of the WDS main, make sure you have listed the correct Airport ID of the WDS remote.
2. Under the WDS tab of the WDS remote, make sure you have listed the correct Airport ID of the WDS main.
3. Under the WDS tab of the WDS main and/or WDS remote, make sure you have enabled the 'Allow wireless clients' option, if you intend for the WDS main and/or WDS remote to have wireless clients.
4. Under the Wireless tab of both the WDS main and WDS remote, make sure you have the exact same Network Name, Channel, Wireless Security, and Wireless Password listed.

If all of the above are correct and your WDS network still does not work, then try enabling the 'Use interference robustness' option under the Wireless Options button of the Wireless tab for both the WDS main and WDS remote.

Hope that helps. Just remember, the maximum speed you can attain with a WDS network is 'g' speed.

I don't have a TiVo or Wii, but I can't imagine them causing any problems.

Mark, I cannot say for sure, since I do not use Internet Explorer, but it sounds similar to symptoms I had with a Safari browser when using an Extreme in n-b/g compatible mode, where the signal was not strong enough to an 'n' iMac in the basement. However, after switching the Extreme to 5 GHz n-only mode and connecting an Express to it via Ethernet for the b/g compatibility, that problem was completely eliminated.

Message was edited by: GARYsParries

Message was edited by: GARYsParries