Extending Home Network

Excellent.

Pick one of the AirPort Express devices and connect the Ethernet cable to the WAN "O" port on the Express

Power up the Express and let it run a minute

Perform a Hard Reset on the Express if you have not already done so

Locate the MBP so that it is in the general area of the AirPort Express. Ideally, the MBP will be located about half way between the TC and the AirPort Express but this is not all that critical.

Open AirPort Utility and then click on the Other WiFi Devices button

Click on AirPort Express xxxxxx

That will get the setup wizard running. It will take a few seconds to analyze the network and then present a screen that looks like the example below, except that you will see your devices displayed and the name of your wireless network.

Type in a short simple device name that you want to call the AirPort Express

Click Next

Watch the next screen that appears very carefully to see that the AirPort Express is being set up to extend using Ethernet. This will confirm that the setup wizard has picked up the Ethernet cable connection between the TC and the Express so the correct settings will be applied to the AirPort Express.

When you see the message of Setup Complete, click Done.

Should be a green light on the Express at this point

Move your MBP close to the AirPort Express and log onto your wireless network

Open AirPort Utility and then click on the AirPort Express

In the smaller window that appears, you should see the MBP appear as a Wireless Client of the AirPort Express

If you plan to use the other LAN Ethernet port on the Express, turn off the WiFi on the MBP and connect the MBP to the Ethernet port on the Express using a short spare Ethernet cable to make sure that you can get a good Internet connection that way.

Post back on your progress.

TC is first to be set up. We'll assume that the Ethernet cable from the EE router to the TC is working correctly. If you want to test to be sure, connect your MBP directly to the Ethernet cable from the EE router, make sure that the WiFi is turned "Off" on the MBP and check to make sure that the MBP can get an Internet connection this way. If it can, then you know the Ethernet cable is working correctly. You can turn the WiFi back "On" at the MBP now.

Connect the Ethernet cable from the EE router to the WAN "O" port on the TC

Power up the TC and let it run for a minute or two

Open AirPort Utility on your Mac Finder > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility

Click on the Other WiFi Devices button in the upper left corner of the window

Click on Time Capsule xxxxxx. It might also say AirPort Time Capsule xxxxxxx depending on the version that you have

When you click on Time Capsule, that will start up the AirPort Utility setup "wizard". The wizard will take a few seconds to analyze the network and then display a screen that looks like the example below except that you will see a Time Capsule pictured.

Network Name.......Type in a short simple name for the wireless network that the TC will create. Avoid using special characters in the name. For example, the name of my wireless network is "TWNDB".

A poor name would be something like "John's Red Apple Wireless Network". Too long, an apostrophe, etc.

Base Station Name......Type in a short simple device name for the Time Capsule. The name of my Time Capsule is "TC", for example

Password......Type in a password for the Time Capsule wireless network

Verify......Type in the same password again to confirm

Click Next, and give the Time Capsule a minute to restart. Should be a green light on the Time Capsule at this point

Important......the setup "wizard" will set up the Time Capsule in a Network Mode of Off (Bridge Mode). We'll need to change that in the next series of steps, but for now post back to confirm that you have a green light on the Time Capsule.

The first thing that I would recommend is to change the IPv6 settings on the Time Capsule and AirPort Expresses from "Automatic',......which are sometimes not so automatic.......to a setting of Link Local Only.

To do that on the Time Capsule and each of the AirPort Expresses one at a time:

Open AirPort Utility, select the device by clicking on it, then click Edit in the smaller window that appears

Click on the Internet tab at the top of the window

Click on the Internet Options button near the bottom of the window

Change the setting for Configure IPV6 to Link Local Only

Click Save

Click Update at the lower right of the window and give the TC or AirPort a minute to restart

Excellent, the Time Capsule is now set up correctly for the network design that is best for your network.

Use your MBP to check the long Ethernet cable from one of the LAN <--> Ethernet ports on the TC that will go to the location of one of the AirPort Express devices. Disconnect the Ethernet cable if it is currently connected to an AirPort Express. Power off both AirPort Express devices if they are on.

Turn off the WiFi on the MBP and connect the MBP directly to the remote end of the long Ethernet cable and make sure that you can get a good Internet connection this way. If you can, this tells you that the Ethernet cable is working correctly and we can proceed to the setup of the AirPort Express that will be connected to that Ethernet cable.

You can turn the WiFi back on at the MBP if all is well.

Post back to confirm.

As I mentioned above, the AirPort Express will always get the same IP address which makes for better consistency on the network. If you don't set up a Reserved IP address for the Express, then the IP address that is assigned to the Express will change, possibly once every 24 hours.

That's still probably OK, but the Reserved setup eliminates one more variable on the network. It simplifies things, and it is the simpler networks that always seem to have fewer problems.

So, if you want to do this, you have the instructions. If you don't want to do this, then things will probably be OK as well.

Setting up a Reserved IP address for a printer is a good idea as well.

I tried unplugging it and holding the reset button in while plugging it back into power it up. Still no joy. Is there a software reset I could try?

There is, but unfortunately it will probably be one of those Catch 22 situations. In other words, you have to be able to get into the settings for the Express using AirPort Utility, but you won't be able to do this if the Express is not already set up in a normal way.

Open AirPort Utility, click on the Express, and click Edit

Click the Base Station menu.......up at the uppermost top of the screen where you see the other menus like File, Help, etc

Click on Restore Default Settings

Of course, if the Express is defective, this won't work.

The two AirPort Expresses are simultaneous dual band devices. That means that they.....like the Time Capsule.....broadcast both a 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz signal at the same time. Both signals use the same wireless network name and password.

The reasoning here is that your WiFi devices will automatically connect to either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz based on their capabilities and location in relation to one of the AirPorts. If a WiFi device is capable of connecting at 5 GHz, it will do so if it is in close proximity to an AirPort. Otherwise, it will connect at 2.4 GHz.

It is not possible to "turn off" the 5 GHz signal on the Expresses.....or....the 2.4 GHz signal for that matter, so the Expresses will always be broadcasting a signal using both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

Later today, I will ask if you want to set up "Reserved" IP addresses for the two AirPort Expresses so they will always receive the same IP address from the Time Capsule.

Yes, setup over WAN is to be ignored. This simply means that you can set up the TC using the connection at the WAN port.

Should be a green light on the TC now.