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User profile for user: Shoevette
Shoevette Author
User level: Level 1
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Set up an Airport Express as an extender for an Extreme base station

Thanksgiving Friday arrived, and I was excited to see my Airport Express arrived in the mail. My plan was to use it to extend my Wifi from my Airport Base Station. I will fast forward past some of what I did (unless you need the details to help me), but I am now at a point where my Macbook recognizes the Extreme in Airport Utility (I lost even that at one point last night) as it always has, but It does not recognize the Express. In other words, when I open the utility, the Extreme shows up in the left pane, and the Express is nowhere to be found.

In going through the set up procedures the Mac did recognize the Express at first, but I must have screwed something up. I have done hard resets on the Express, and I have done resets and reboots of the Extreme, modem and Mac. The Express is plugged in and giving my the flashing amber light. I am definitely in range of the Express, and the Express is in range of the Extreme.

HELP!

Macbook Pro 2.53 Intel i5, Mac OS X (10.6.5), 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3

Posted on Nov 27, 2010 6:39 AM

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User profile for user: Bob Timmons
Bob Timmons
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User level: Level 10
159,260 points

Nov 27, 2010 7:26 AM in response to Shoevette

You'll need to jot down a setting that the AirPort Extreme (AEBS) is using in order to give the AirPort Express (AX) the correct setting.

Open AirPort Utility, select your AEBS and click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab below the row of icons
Jot down the setting that you see for Wireless Security
Close AirPort Utility

Hold in the reset button on the AirPort Express until you see the amber light begin to blink more quickly and then release.

Temporarily, position the AX near your AirPort Extreme and connect an ethernet cable from your computer to the AirPort Express

Open AirPort Utility, select the AX and click Manual Setup

Click the Base Station tab below the icons to name your device, establish a device password (write this down) and adjust time settings

Click the Wireless tab
Wireless Mode = Extend a wireless network
Wireless Network Name = Exact same name as your AirPort Extreme wireless network
Enter a check mark next to Allow wireless clients
Wireless Security = Exact same setting as your AEBS that you wrote down
Wireless Password = Same password that your AEBS network is using
Confirm Password

Click Update at the lower right and the AX will restart. You can close AirPort Utility and disconnect the ethernet cable once you see the message that the settings have been saved to the AX.

After 30-45 seconds, you should have a green light on the AX. Now you can move the AX where it is needed and power it back up again. The ethernet port on the AX is also enabled in this type of configuration if you need to connect an ethernet device.

Assuming no major obstructions, a good starting location for the AX is a point that is about 1/2 to 2/3 the distance from your AirPort Extreme and the area that needs more coverage. The AX can only "extend" what it receives, so if you position it too far away, it will extend a weak signal.

Message was edited by: Bob Timmons
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Set up an Airport Express as an extender for an Extreme base station

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