Can I extend the range of my Airport Extreme with 2 Airport Express units?

Hello CGerhart. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!

You can extend the wireless range of the AirPort Extreme with the AirPort Express base stations, but in order to do them in a linear (to cover the most distance), you would have to configure the three of them for the older "static" WDS. This type of WDS allows for a "relay" unit to be put into place between the main and remote base stations. You can find this option, within the AirPort Utility, by holding down the Option key before making the Wireless Mode option on the Wireless tab.

Here are the basic steps in setting up a static WDS. Please compare them to what you have done to see if there are any differences. Hopefully, this will give you a clue on what to try.

AEBSn - WDS Setup
(Note: To facilitate the WDS set up, place the base stations within near proximity of each other during the set up phase, and then relocate them to their desired locations when complete. Also, jot down the AirPort IDs (MAC addresses) for each of the base stations to be used in the WDS. The AirPort ID and is printed on the label on the bottom/side of the base station.)

Main Base Station Setup
o Click the AirPort status menu in the menu bar and choose the wireless network created by the base station you want to set up as the main base station.
o Open AirPort Utility (located in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder on a Macintosh computer, or in Start > All Programs > AirPort on a computer using Windows).
o Select the main base station, and choose Manual Setup from the Base
Station menu, or double-click the base station to open the configuration in a separate window.
o Enter the base station password if necessary. If the base station is using the
default password of public, you will not be prompted for a password.
o Click Wireless in the toolbar, and then choose “Participate in a WDS network” from the Wireless Mode pop-up menu.
o Click WDS and then choose “WDS main” from the WDS Mode pop-up menu.
o Select the “Allow wireless clients” checkbox if you want client computer to connect to this base station.
o Click the Add "+" button and enter the AirPort ID of the base station you want to connect to this base station.
o Click Update to send the new settings to the base stations in the WDS.

Remote Base Station Setup
o Click the AirPort status menu in the menu bar and choose the wireless network created by the base station you want to set up as a remote base station.
o Open AirPort Utility (in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder on a Macintosh computer, or in Start > All Programs > AirPort on a computer using Windows).
o Select the remote base station, and choose Manual Setup from the Base Station menu.
o Enter the base station password, if necessary. If the base station is using the default password of public, you will not be prompted for a password.
o Enter the same network password as the main base station, if necessary.
o Click AirPort in the toolbar and click Wireless. Choose “Participate in a WDS network” from the Wireless Mode pop-up menu, and choose the same channel as the main base station from the Channel pop-up menu.
o Click WDS and choose “WDS remote” from the pop-up menu.
o Enter the AirPort ID of the main base station in the WDS Main field.
o Click Update to transfer the settings to the base station.

Relay Base Station Setup
o Click the AirPort status menu in the menu bar to join the wireless network created by the base station you want to set up as the relay base station.
o Open AirPort Utility (in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder on a Macintosh computer, or in Start > All Programs > AirPort on a computer using Windows).
o Select the relay base station, and choose Manual Setup from the Base Station menu.
o If the base station is using the default password of public, you will not be prompted for a password.
o Enter the same network password as the main base station, if necessary.
o Click AirPort in the toolbar and click Wireless. Choose “Participate in a WDS network” from the Wireless Mode pop-up menu, and choose the same channel as the main base station from the Channel pop-up menu.
o Click WDS and choose “WDS relay” from the WDS Mode pop-up menu.
o Enter the AirPort ID of the main base station in the Main AirPort ID field.
o Click the Add "+" button and enter the AirPort ID of the remote base station this relay base station will connect to.
o Click Update to transfer the new WDS settings to the relay and remote base stations.

(ref: Pages 42-46 of " Designing AirPort Networks.)

There are a few things you could try. One of them is placing an express in front of the window facing the building with the Extreme. Make that express join the Extreme's network, enable the ethernet bridging and run a cable from the express to the PC.
Another elaborate way of doing things is to make the first express join the Extreme's network. Then run a cable to the second express and let it create a second wireless network. This might reach the PC.

there are 3 options and mine is set on "Off: Bridge Mode" by default. I can share an IP address or distribute IP addresses. Which do I choose?

The main base station should be set to "Share a Public IP address." Both the relay and remote would be set for "Off (Bridge Mode)."

I would suggest starting over. First configure the main base station; verify that you can get Internet access. Then, configure the remote base station. Again, verify Internet access connected to either base station. Once successful, add in the relay, and then, try accessing the Internet from all three. (Note: You can tell which base station you are connected to by using the AirPort icon in the menu bar and noted the BSSID of the AirPort that you are connected to. This is the same as the base station's AirPort ID.

Hi Tesserax ~ i have a somewhat similar situation/problem and am wondering if what you have written earlier will address my problem.

I have a old Airport Extreme Base Station 802.11b/g ("ABS-O") and 2 Airport Express ("AE") which are also 802.11b/g. I have previously set them up in a WDS set-up (Base - Relay - Remote).

I have just purchased a new Airport Extreme Base Station 802.11n ("ABS-N") and would like to use ABS-N as the Main base station (as in it being connected to the internet modem), and with ABS-O to be the Relay, and the 2 AE as the remotes.

Is this design/configuration work-able ? Would what you have described on the set-up previously work for my situation and do i need to worry about the password (WPA or WEP) or the 2.4 / 5 GHz configuration for my entire set-up?

Thanks,

Please see the reply to your other post.