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

It still sounds like you have a signal-to-noise ratio problem. You can test this by moving the two Extremes very close to each other to see if that eliminates the problem. If so, then gradually move them further apart until the problem reappears to find the largest feasible separation distance. If the resulting separation distance does not give you enough coverage area, then you might need to purchase a third Extreme, with the main Extreme in the center, and an extending Extreme on each side of the main.

Have you tried enabling the 'Use interference robustness' option for both Extremes?

Have you tried manually switching to Channel 11?

Better yet, have you tried the 5 GHz n-only mode? That mode should completely eliminate any noise problem.

I hear you, YNU. In case you missed it, you should be able to replace your Express with a second Extreme to extend your first Extreme using any one of the 'n' modes. Also, since your diagram shows all your devices connected only to your extending Express, you may want to try the following. One person reported using an Extreme to extend an Express, where clients of the extending Extreme were able to access the Internet (but clients of the extended Express were not). Hope that helps.

Message was edited by: GARYsParries

Mark, I happen to own a third Extreme, so I tried using it to extend my existing Extreme-extending-an-Extreme 5 GHz n-only wireless network, and as Jseg predicted, it worked just fine. One thing I noticed when setting up the third Extreme in the extend mode was that the Network Name pulldown menu for choosing the network to extend did not include the name of my existing Extreme-extending-an-Extreme network, so I had to type it in manually, and the first time I did this, I must have mistyped the name because the third Extreme never stopped blinking yellow. After resetting the third Extreme with a paperclip and going through the setup process again, this time being more careful when typing in the network name, the Extreme's green light came on and everything looked fine; however, I did notice in Airport Utility that the 'Use wide channels" Wireless Option of the third Extreme was not enabled, so I had to enable it on a second pass with Airport Utility.

Jseg, if I understand you correctly, you are saying that, when using an Express to 'Join' an Extreme, clients of the Express are able to access your local network, but not the Internet, which is the exact opposite of what I experienced; namely, clients of the Express were able to access the Internet, but not the local network. I also seem to recall others on this thread reporting the same results I had, so maybe you should check your setup again. Using a second Extreme to extend your first Extreme would certainly be an easy solution if you don't want to wait for Apple to resolve this problem with a firmware update.

Kirreip, glad to hear you replaced your Extreme with a TC, and you can finally get to the Internet with clients of your extending Express. 🙂

Mark, now it seems like we are getting somewhere. This is the most sophisticated use of the 'extend' mode on Comcast thus far posted on this thread, so it is a good learning experience for all. Having said that, I should warn you that you are now getting into uncharted waters, so proceed with caution on any setup advice you receive from this point on.

BTW, I don't remember you saying whether you are running your network in the n-b/g compatible mode, 2.4 GHz n-only mode, or 5 GHz n-only mode. I assume the n-b/g compatible mode is what you are using. Ideally, you should be using your Extremes in the 5 GHz n-only mode, and then attaching each of your Expresses to one of your Extremes via Ethernet and 'creating' a b/g network with each Express for wireless 'g' clients. Even though each Express will be creating a uniquely named wireless network, these will all work together with the main network as one local network.

I've addressed your questions as you numbered them.

1. Thus far, no one on Comcast has been able to successfully use the 'extend' mode of an Express with an Extreme as the main unit. Clients of the Express were able to get to the local network, but NOT the Internet; however, no one has tried it on a network with two previous extensions of the main with Extremes, so your results may be better.

Thus far, no one on Comcast has been able to successfully use the 'join' mode of an Express with an Extreme as the main unit. Clients of the Express were able to get to the Internet, but NOT the local network; however, again, no one has tried it on a network with two previous extensions of the main with Extremes, so your results may be better. Also, for your setup, you may not need access to the local network in the areas you are using the Express, so the 'join' mode may be satisfactory.

If the results you get are NOT satisfactory, then try purchasing one or more additional Extremes to use in the 'extend' mode, BUT HOLD ON TO YOUR RECEIPT because no one on this thread has yet tried extending an Extreme with more than two other Extremes. Or, you can wait for the problem with the Express 'extend' mode to be resolved by Apple.

2. With the 'join' mode of an Express, the 'Allow Ethernet clients' option is IN ADDITION to wireless clients. If you don't need Ethernet clients, disabling the option will allow the Express to run a little faster.

3. Slow Internet access can be caused by a number of factors, including: (a) heavy Internet use by Comcast users in your surrounding area, (b) noise interference from other wireless devices in your bandwidth, and (c) weak wireless signal strength. You can't do much about problem (a). For problem (b), you can switch to manual channel selection and see which channel has the best speed, or you can switch to the 5 Ghz n-only mode if you are not there already. For problem (c), you can try adding more Extremes to extend your network, or as previously mentioned, switch to 5 GHz n-only mode, which has better reception of weak signals.

4. In your last post asking about the use of WDS mode, a WDS setup will work without Internet problems, but ONLY at 'g' speeds, not 'n' speeds. If 'g' speeds are satisfactory, then try it.

Please keep us posted.

Mark, glad to hear things are working so well. Not to put a chink in the armor, but it sounds to me like your Express (even though it has a green status light) is not actually picking up any wireless clients, and that your wireless devices near the Express are actually clients of the closest Extreme, which is how they are getting to the Internet, and which is why that connection is slower; otherwise, you would be the FIRST Comcast user that can get to the Internet with an Express extending an Extreme.

You can see if your Express has any wireless clients (besides the Extreme base that it is extending) by going into the Airport Utility Manual Setup mode for the Express, clicking on the Advanced icon, then clicking on the Log and Statistics button, and then clicking on the Wireless Clients tab. In the client list, you should see the Airport ID of the Extreme base being extended AND the Airport ID of the wireless device accessing the Internet. If the Airport ID of that wireless device is not in the client list for the Express, then it is not using the Express to get to the Internet; rather, it is a client of one of your Extremes, which you can verify by checking the client list for your Extremes the same way you did for the Express.

The good news is that if you can get a green status light on an Express to extend your network (albeit unsuccessfully), you may be able to add another Extreme to extend your network (and successfully).

Regarding your last question, channels 1, 6, and 11 (i.e., 4 channels in between) are thought to have enough frequency separation to avoid interference from other routers; however, the more frequency separation (and physical separation) you can get, the better.

Message was edited by: GARYsParries