How do I use airport express to extend my wireless network?

Aha, I just got the idea to get a second Express next to the first one, and set that one to the other frequency band. 😝

For something like this, I would check with the store prior to buying about their return policy in case things do not work out.

If it works....this will be the first known instance of an Apple network that is really being extended. I imagine that the device will "Join" the network. Skeptical that it will "extend" it.

Please post on your results after checking the BSSIDs to see which device is actually being picked up by the computer.

I just got the idea to get a second Express next to the first one, and set that one to the other frequency band.

That will work if the wife will go for the extra device on the wall. If you already have an Express, adding a second would probably be the way to go. But, starting from scratch, I would go with an AirPort Extreme to extend both bands....easier to place and better antennas.

If i place an extreme where the express is now, can I use the express to extend one of the bands from the extreme further away?

Unfortunately, no. But, the Express could "Join" the wireless network and provide an Ethernet signal to another Express which is configured to "create a wireless network" "using the same wireless network name, password, security, etc in Bridge Mode.

Kind of goofy. But, it will work (with some bandwidth loss, of course)

THX. Since the TC has a better reach after the last firmware update (especially the 5GHz band), and the latest Exreme has a much stronger antenna than the Express, I can probably cover everywhere in the house even without the Express. I will use the express in another network. THX for your help.

Good luck!

LexSchellings wrote:

There are TWO versions of the WN2500RP: one is a real Range extender and one is a WiFi Adapter.

Production numbers WN2500RP-100pes and WN2500RP-100grs.

(For the different countries there are also different channels for the 5GHz band in the extender).

So this may be the difference in statements of Bob (it does not work) and the Major (it does work).

Bob, if I may ask, I like to have this sorted out to the bottom: if the extender really works on the TimeCapsule and the AirportExtreme, I will buy one because the Airport Express I use now, can extend the network on EITHER the 2.4GHz band OR the 5GHz band. I'd like to have them both at the same time.

Lex

The one I have here is the Range Extender model. I can verify that it does extend the Extreme wireless network. I have done various tests where signal strength without the extender operating was little to none and network connection back to the extreme was almost unusable. With the extender on I get very good connectivity even on 5ghz.

I spoke to a "genius" here at the Apple Store who got on the phone to Apple. We learned that Apple Customer Support receives daily calls from Netgear customers who cannot get this to work with their Apple routers.

The customers are being told by Netgear support to call Apple support. Apple is telling customers that the product is not compatible.

If you have found the "secret", congratulations.

You might consider providing the step by step instructions to forum users....along with your email address and phone number so that they can reach you on any questions or problems.

We will pass your contact information on to Apple, so they can also refer callers to you as well.

Many thanks for your service.

thanks for this information, I did not doubt your information. We will hear more about wn2500rp I guess, since this is a rather unique product if the specs work in every situation. I hope for more cases here about it.

Nothing special on setting up the WN2500RP with the airport extreme. I set separate channels on both units/both bands so there is less overlap interferrence. The default setup for the WN2500RP is to create separate networks but you can change this via the UI via ethernet, along with the channels. I wonder if Apple CS is dealing with the same Netgear model. This has been on the market since Feb. 2012 after it was announced at CES. I'd be glad to help anyone set it up but it really was easy for me (even though I do network engineering for a living).

Just to be clear, the AEBS I have is Gen.5 running the latest firmware.

@ Bob:

No, I was not confused. My Express was using the WDS mode much mroe recently than 2007 and successfully too. It absolutely had been working to "extend" a wireless network. Unitl it wasn't anymore. Coming back to this in a minute.

@ Major

I tried the WN2500RP. I don't have an Extreme, so the above little spat has no impact on me. It was up and running in 5 minutes. For something that worked flawlessly, I hated it. It does not act as a repeater, which is what I was expecting it to do. It extends by creating 1 or 2 new SSIDs (at user's option), but it does not amplify and extend the orginal SSID. My goal was to have a single SSID extended throughout the house. I sent it back.

back @ Bob:

I went to the Apple store, resigned to by an Extreme since I was already invested in the Expresses. Talked to two Apple guy-men-genius people there. I started to say, "hey am I crazy or did my Express used to extend my . . . ." Before I could even finish, both said, "no, you are not crazy. Same thing happend to us." They said Apple updated the firmware to improve communication with the Extreme but killed the "WDS" attributes that the Express had. They said I could try using the Aiport utility to roll back the firmware, but so far that has not been successful. Everytime I try to do it, it cycles through for a few minutes and just gives an error message.

So, does anyone know how to get former firmware or third pary firmware/hackware onto my Express?

I still have not been able to extend my original and current SSID throughout the house since my Express stopped having its WDS capabilities that it originally had.

thanks.

My Express was using the WDS mode much mroe recently than 2007 and successfully too. It absolutely had been working to "extend" a wireless network.

We are going to be lost in confusion without clearly separating the two methods that Apple has used to provide more wireless coverage using wireless only.

WDS is an older setup that was compatible with a handful of routers from other manufacturers....Netgear, Linksys, SMC about a dozen or so in all. I can provide you the list if you want.

"Extend a wireless network" is a newer proprietary setting that Apple uses for their "n" wireless devices. It is not the same as WDS and cannot be combined with WDS settings in the same network.

Aside from an isolated post here and there from a user who claims that he has figured out how to make the "Extend" setup work with a router from another manufacturer, Apple continues to state that this will only work among Apple routers.

The WDS settings are "hidden" from view in AirPort Utility to discourage users from using them. WDS is limited to "g" wireless speed and there is a huge bandwidth hit on the entire network when you use these settings. Often, you wind up with a bit more wireless coverage.....but a much slower network. Not exactly an "improvement" in my view, so I never recommend this for users.

If you have AirPort Utility 5.x.x, you can see the WDS settings by holding down the option key on your Mac while you click on the Wireless Mode selection box. The screenshot below is from a brand new AirPort Express using the latest 7.6.1 firmware. As you can see, the WDS settings are there:

They said Apple updated the firmware to improve communication with the Extreme but killed the "WDS" attributes that the Express had.

Have to wonder if they knew how to "find" the WDS settings that are present on the latest AirPorts using the latest firmware.

So is it possible to hook up the Netgear WN2500RP to the Airport Extreme?

By "hook up", do you mean using a wired Ethernet cable to connect the Netgear device to the AirPort Extreme?

If yes, that should be possible.

If you are asking if the Netgear can "extend" the wireless network provided by the AirPort Extreme using wireless only, I cannot say.

Apple has designed their "extend" feature to only work with other Apple devices, so I would be extremely surprised if it worked, but I suppose anything is possible.