Airport

Alexanderpind wrote:

Can I extend the Wi-fi range of an airport express 802.11n with an airport time capsule 802.11ac without connecting the two via Ethernet

Yes, you can. Only the 802.11ac wireless mode would not be extended in this case. However, both 2.4 & 5 GHz radios for the other radio modes will.

Yes, you "can" do this but the Time Capsule will only be able to extend the 802.11n signal from the AirPort Express.......and......extending in this manner will always result in a loss of about half of the potential speed on the network.

So, while you will have a network with more range, it will be a significantly slower network.

If most of your devices now connect in the area near the AirPort Express, it would make a lot of sense to set up the Time Capsule as your "main" wireless access point and then use the Express to extend the signal from the Time Capsule. This way, devices that are "ac" capable will be able to connect to the Time Capsule for a faster connection.

If you are interested in "how" you can do this, post back to let us know whether you want to swap locations with the AirPort Express and Time Capsule or you simply want to use the Time Capsule to extend the slow AirPort Express network.

We will need a few more details before we are able to provide you with the correct instructions to set up the Time Capsule as your "main" router and the AirPort Express as your "extender".

1) From your original information, we understand that the AirPort Express is the only device that is now providing your wireless network signal, correct?

2) We also understand that the AirPort Express is currently connected to your modem or modem/router using a wired Ethernet cable connection, correct?

3) What modem or modem/router does your AirPort Express connect to at this time? We'll need the make and model number of the modem or modem/router.

4) What device.......a Mac or iPhone / iPad will you be using to reconfigure the Time Capsule and AirPort Express?

5) Finally, the performance of the AirPort Express will improve significantly if you are able to connect the AirPort Express back to the Time Capsule using a permanent wired Ethernet cable. Is that a possibility that you can consider?

I have a BT router/modem

That is all that we need to know. No model number needed.

upstairs I have my time capsule. I usually have my mac upstairs so it makes sense to have the time capsule upstairs given it’s going to be backing up my mac.

Please note in my original reply that I said that if your computer and most of your WiFi devices are now located near the AirPort Express, it would make sense to locate the Time Capsule next to your modem/router and use it as your "main" router and then use the AirPort Express as your "extender".

However, your last reply tells us that you use your Mac upstairs most of the time, and you will be backing up the Mac to the Time Capsule, so in this case, you would want to locate the Time Capsule in the area where you use your Mac most of the time, which would be upstairs........so you would not want to switch the locations of the AirPort Express and Time Capsule.

Since you are using wireless to connect the Time Capsule to the AirPort Express, the ideal set up would have line-of-sight from the Time Capsule back to the AirPort Express, or as close as possible to that goal.

That might mean locating the Time Capsule in a stairwell rather than upstairs even directly above the AirPort Express, where the WiFi signal would have to pass directly through the ceiling, which is a difficult obstruction for WiFi to penetrate.