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

I have been using Netgear's WN2000RPT (with latest firmware) for about a year. It works with the 2011 AE and its signal is very very strong. BUT. It is unstable and requires rebooting about once/week. I suggest reading the WN2500's reviews before buying one. I will be switching to an Express because of the Netgear's poor reliability.

This thread is quite old... but hopefully still being followed.

So, I have a very old Airport Extreme and a pretty old Airport Express configured using WDS. If I buy a new Airport Extreme or Express, will I be able to configure it to work with my older ones? My devices are old enough that the newer versions of Airport Utility will not work with them. Will the old Airport Utility software work with the new Airports?

BTW, I have used other devices to extend an Apple network. I used a TrendNet Access Point. It was able to extend a WDS network, but only if using no security or WEP. It could not extend it when using WPA.

Plan to replace all of the AirPorts with new devices if you are going to upgrade.

Things get really messy if you don't, and some newer versions of the Mac operating sytem / AirPort Utility in Lion and Mountain Lion do not even support WDS.

Even if you can configure a newer AirPort to use WDS settings.....you lose any advantage of having a new AirPort because WDS drops everything down to "g" wireless speeds. You might as well keep your old AirPort since performance will be the same.

I have been using two Airport Express Base Stations to extend my Airport Extreme base station network with limited/spotty success. The Extreme is connected to the cable modem via Ethernet, in the living room. About 50 feet away, I have an Airport Express extending the network into the kitchen and onto the porch, and then about 60 feet from Express #1 I have Express # in the garage/office. I really want the two Expresses to be in series, but when I launch Airport Utility it looks like the Extreme is feeding each Express separately. How can I have one Express extend the range of the other?

How can I have one Express extend the range of the other?

Unfortunately, you can't....because each AirPort Express connects directly to the AirPort Extreme....not to another AirPort Express.

Consider connecting one or both Express devices back to the main router using a wired Ethernet connection. You will have a more reliable connection and much higher speeds this way.

So, are you saying that you can't have an Airport Express extend the wifi area of another Airport Express? That was possible when using the old Airport Express units. That sounds like a real step backwards.

I did something similar to this in the past (until one of my Express units died):

http://mactip.blogspot.com/2006/07/airport-wds-daisy-chain.html

Sounds like that type of configuration is no longer possible?

are you saying that you can't have an Airport Express extend the wifi area of another Airport Express?

Yes

That sounds like a real step backwards.

Not at all. Doing this the "old" way absolutely destroyed the bandwidth on the network. The "old" system ran only at "g" wireless speeds. Adding the first Express cut that in half. Adding the second cut everything on the network in half again. So, you wound up with a network running at only 25% of "g" wireless speeds...which were slow to begin with. It was not a good way to configure a network.

This would be out of the question if you are streaming video, or don't have weeks to allow things to copy from one drive to another over the network.

Sounds like that type of configuration is no longer possible?

Not if you are running Lion or Mountain Lion on the Mac. If you are running Snow Leopard, you still have to find the settings in AirPort Utility since Apple hides them to try to keep users from doing this. My guess would be that Apple Support grew tired of users complaining about the slow performance and loss of all "n" wireless speeds on their new routers, making them in effect, older "g" wireless routers.

I'll try a wired connection. Thanks for the info!

Bob, thanks for all of the great information!

I have one more question for you... if I get a new Airport device (Extreme or Express), can I use it to "join" my existing network and provide ethernet to a non-wifi enabled device. I really don't need to extend my network at the moment... just provide network access to this non wifi device.

I don't want to replace all of my equipment right now... but, this my be the first piece of my eventual, new network.

if I get a new Airport device (Extreme or Express), can I use it to "join" my existing network and provide ethernet to a non-wifi enabled device.

The AirPort Express might do this. It is not possible to say whether it will or not until you try it out on your own network with your own devices.

The AirPort Extreme....despite its higher price.....will not do this.

Thanks again for the info.

It is really disappointing that Apple seems to be making most of their products less and less useful these days. Seems like they deliberately handicap their products.