airport express added to wifi 6 (802.11ax) network ... problems

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airport express added to wifi 6 (802.11ax) network ... problems

Hi there,

I recently replaced my long-serving airport express network with a new wifi 6 router (Asus AX57). The new router is running 802.11ax and I'm also using WPA3 as the security (not the older WPA2)

Previously I had 2 airport expresses, with one being used to stream audio to my stereo with airplay and connecting the stereo to the audio out on the airport express.

I would like to continue to be able to use airplay to play audio on my stereo, and had read several articles saying this is possible, you just need to configure the airport express connected to the stereo to join the new network, based on the new non-apple router.

As an example see here airport express added to wifi 6 network?? - Apple Community or https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/08/29/how-to-connect-apples-airport-express-to-any-router-to-make-an-airplay-2-streaming-target

So that is what I'm trying to do and following the instructions in the Apple Insider link above: I'm using the airport utility on my mac to connect to the airport express, and then attempting to get it to join my new network based on the new Asus AX57 router.

However that isn't working. In airport utility when I asked which network to join, I don't see my new network listed (I do see a whole bunch of neighbouring networks, just not mine).

So I'm wondering if someone could help:

Is an airport express able to join a wifi 6 network (notably running 802.11ax)?
Is it failing because I'm using WPA3? (Is it unable to join networks running WPA3)
If it is because of 802.11ax or WPA3, can I join the airport express to the new router via an ethernet wired connection instead of trying to use wireless?

thanks for any help!

Posted on Nov 21, 2023 5:29 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Bob Timmons

Community+ 2025

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184,610 points

Nov 23, 2023 5:01 PM in response to dreaming in esperance

Power up the Express and let it run for a minute or more

Hold in the reset button on the back of the Express for 7-8 seconds and release

Connect an Ethernet cable from a LAN <--> port on your Wi-Fi router to the WAN "O" port on the Express.

If you have an older version of the Express simply connect to the Ethernet port

Open AirPort Utility and click on Other Wi-Fi Devices

Click on AirPort Express xxxxxx

AirPort Utility will take a few seconds to analyze the connections and then display a window that willl look similar to this:

Network Name.....Type in a name that you want to use. Later, you can turn this off since the Asus router will be providing your Wi-Fi network

Base Station Name.....Type in a device name for the AirPort Express

Password.....Type in a password for the AirPort Express

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

Click Next and AirPort Utility will configure the Express correctly.

The Express is now available for AirPlay use

You can ignore the Wi-Fi signal that the Express is sending out, or using AirPort Utility you can turn off the Wi-Fi signal for the Express

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Answer 2

Nov 25, 2023 3:01 PM in response to dreaming in esperance

Sounds like you might have been using the Wi-Fi signal that was being provided by the AirPort Express. AirPort Utility will not let you turn off the Wi-Fi if your Mac is connected to the Express using Wi-Fi.

You would need to make sure that you are connected to the Asus Wi-Fi network....before you try to turn off the Wi-Fi on the AirPort Express.

However, the best way to turn off the Wi-Fi on the AirPort Express would be to temporarily turn off the Wi-Fi on your Mac and then connect your Mac directly to the LAN <--> Ethernet port on the Express using an Ethernet cable. When you have turned off the Wi-Fi and the Express has restarted, you can turn the Wi-Fi back on at your Mac.

I just verified the last option above with an old Express that I had here and the process worked perfectly. The Express is now simply a wired client of the network and AirPlay works fine.

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Answer 3

Nov 22, 2023 5:10 PM in response to dreaming in esperance

Is an airport express able to join a wifi 6 network (notably running 802.11ax)?

In theory, yes. Wi-Fi 6 is supposed to be backwards compatible to 802.11n, but I haven't checked this to verify.

Is it failing because I'm using WPA3?

No question about that. WPA2 is the best that the AirPort Express can do. The AirPort Express might be able to connect to the Asus network if it is set up to use WPA2.....and it might not. You won't know until you try. The downside of course.....you lower the overall security level on your entire network.

If it is because of 802.11ax or WPA3, can I join the airport express to the new router via an ethernet wired connection instead of trying to use wireless?

"Join" is not really the right word to use here, because the AirPort Express will be connecting to the network using a wired connection......and "join" is normally used as a word to describe a wireless connection.

I guess you could go ahead and say that the Express can join the network or become a network client using a wired connection though, if you want to think of it that way.

The big question here is how you will be using the AirPort Express for AirPlay. Will you be connecting an audio device to the audio port on the AirPort Express?

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Answer 4

Nov 23, 2023 1:54 PM in response to dreaming in esperance

If I can't get it to work via wifi, can I add the airport express via a wired connection to the router, and still have it bridge airport to the stereo?

Yes, but you will not use any kind of "join" setting on the AirPort Express. The setup is a bit unintuitive, but will work. Post back is you decide to go with the wired connection setup.

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Answer 5

Nov 23, 2023 12:08 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Thanks Bob!

As for you last question - Yes, my goal is to connect my stereo to the audio out on the airport express, so that I can use airplay from my macs/phones to play on the stereo.

This was the primary reason I've been using airport expresses for so long and has worked perfectly for 8 years, but now I need to update the base station to a wifi 6 router, but would like to join one of my airport expresses to that network solely to continue to allow airplay to connect to the stereo.

I did try switching back to WPA2, as well as switching the router to 802.11ac mode instead of ax, but neither seemed to help with the airport listing the network as one it could join.

Like you said, it seems like just switching to WPA2 "should" work, as the router is supposed to talk to 802.11n devices without a problem.

For your last couple of paragraphs, If I can't get it to work via wifi, can I add the airport express via a wired connection to the router, and still have it bridge airport to the stereo?

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Answer 6

Nov 23, 2023 2:18 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Hey Bob,

yeah I think I'll go the wired route, as hopefully then I can still use WPA3 on the new router, and I've got some cat 5 cable lying around somewhere.

I'm using "join" liberally in meaning here haha ...I do have a fair bit of networking experience so hopefully I can muddle through it.

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Answer 7

Nov 25, 2023 10:49 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Thanks Bob,

that worked perfectly. My laptop connected to the routers wifi network could airplay to the airport express without having to connect to the airport express' wifi network - great!

In regards to subsequently turning off the wifi network on the airport express (it's not going to be used) could you explain how to do that?

I tried in airport utility to change the airport express wireless setting from "create new network" to "off".

Once I did that the airport express icon in the utility changed to yellow alert, with a device status of "Device Not Found".

However the airport express' wifi network was still active - I could still see it and connect to it from my phone.

I checked out the other options I could see, including the advanced options and couldn't see what else to try. I'm looking I guess for some sort of "Radio off" option.

thanks,

Richard

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airport express added to wifi 6 (802.11ax) network ... problems

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