AirPort Express and Xbox 360

I am not sure what you are trying to do exactly. Are you saying your laptop is sharing internet access with your Xbox? Through ethernet port on your laptop? why not just get a long ethernet cable? or xbox wireless adapter?

I have my Airport Extreme relatively at the center of the house and up high. I get great coverage. I think by just moving your Airport Extreme to more central location you will benefit greatly. I am not sure how to share web with a Windows laptop. I know you can share internet access by turning on Web Sharing from System preferences on Macs.

I would still recommend going wired if at all convenient. It is more secure, has more throughput (although it does not matter for using with internet), and no interference from your neighbors or other devices. It does not cost very much to get ethernet cable at www.monoprice.com. 100 ft cost like $8.

I own many wireless devices like Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii, AppleTV, iPhone, laptops, etc. If I have devices that I don't move around with and want solid good connection, I have them connected via ethernet cable. This way I don't have to worry about what my neighbors' wireless network is like or network security and stuff. My Xbox, AppleTV, and Tivo are connected with cable and I am very happy. Wii cost extra money to go wired so it is wireless. Other devices are mobile so they are wireless. I am very happy with this setup.

Yes, it is possible. You can hook up Xbox to Express and reach wireless router if the radio signal reaches that far from the router. It sounds like a crap shoot from your description of the situation.

Go to the following FAQ at Apple and look at Q4.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1515

Is your AirPort Extreme base station (AEBS) a newer 802.11n capable one? If not, you will need to use WDS between your AEBS and AirPort Express (AX). This will cut your maximum wireless bandwidth to 27 Mbps.

Set-up your Extreme to allow the network to be extended via the Airport Utility. Set-up the Express to extend the network. Connect the XBox to the Express ethernet jack and enjoy. (Exactly how mine is set-up.)

Here's how to do it:

_On the AirPort Extreme:_
Open AirPort Utility, click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab just below the row of icons
Wireless Mode should be "Create a wireless network" (It's probably already set this way)
Make sure there is a check mark next to "Allow this network to be extended"
Update to save settings

_On the AirPort Express:_
Open AirPort Utility, Click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab
Wireless Mode should be set to "Extend a wireless network". If you don't see this choice, hold down the "option" key when you click on the selection box
When you select "Extend.." your wireless network created by the TC will appear as a choice to extend. Select it and enter the wireless password.
Make sure there is a check mark next to "Allow wireless clients"
Update to save settings.

Whenever you plug the Express in, it will automatically "extend" the main wireless network from the Base Station. The ethernet port is "live" in this setup so you could connect an ethernet device if you wish.

But note...you cannot extend the "guest" network if you have a dual band AirPort Extreme. Only the "main" network can be extended. For more info, refer to the Designing AirPort Networks guide, pages 43-44.

http://manuals.info.apple.com/enUS/Apple_AirPort_NetworksEarly2009.pdf

I'm able to connect to my Xbox 360 to the Airport Express even without having an Airport Extreme Base Station. I think the newest firmware update for the Airport Express allows it to serve as an ethernet station even in Client mode.

I have a 2Wire DSL wireless router in my bedroom. In the living room, the Airport Express is joined to the main network via Client mode (where you "Join a Wireless Network" as opposed to WDS or "Extending a network"). In Airport Utility, under "Wireless", select "Join a Wireless Network" and check the box saying "Allow Ethernet clients".

I connected my Xbox 360 to the Airport Express with an ethernet cable and it works perfectly. Previously I had to run a 30 foot ethernet cable from my 2Wire router to the Xbox, now the Airport Express does the work. Saves me from having to buy that expensive WiFi dongle from Microsoft 😉

That documentation is a year old, from June 2008. Since then Apple has updated the Airport Express firmware. You can now allow Ethernet clients on the Airport Express even while in Client mode, which was not possible when that documentation was last updated.