How far away can an airport express be from an airport extreme?

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Level 1

121 points

How far away can an airport express be from an airport extreme?

I'm having a mystifying time trying to extend the range of my Airport Extreme network using an Airport Express. I setup my Airport Extreme to allow the network to be extended, then configured the Airport Extreme from my MacBook using a direct ethernet connection. Green light; everything was fine. I then moved the Airport Express into the room where I'm attemting to extend coverage, but the Airport Express blinks amber. If I move it into a different room, closer to the Airport Extreme, it goes green. This all, of course, makse sense, as you'd expect better results closer to the bast station. The problem, though, is that in the room were I see blinking amber, I get a full four bars of coverage and a strong signal back to the Airport Extreme using my MacBook — i.e. with no extending at all, the MacBook picks up the signal great, but the Airport Express doesn't see the base station.

Does this make sense? Is the receiver in the Airport Express actually weaker than the receiver in a MacBook?

Now, before you jump to conclusions and ask — Hey! Why do you even care if you are already getting a strong signal back to the base station using your MacBook — I'm actually trying to extend the range for my iPad, which gets very weak wifi reception unless I'm fairly close to the base station. That's a whole different problem that's frustrating the globe.

ANyone else experiencing a somewhat diminished range back to the Airport Extreme from an Airport Express?

Thanks!

iMac and MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.6), 20th Anniversary Mac, 128K Mac, original Apple II

Posted on Aug 6, 2011 1:05 PM

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Answer 1

John Purlia Author

Level 1

121 points

Aug 6, 2011 2:37 PM in response to John Purlia

Okay, I figured out the problem! I was under the impression that both of my Airport Express units were operated on 802.11n, but I was mistaken. I hadn't realized the problem when setting up the unit via the Airport Utility, as the "Assist me" mode merrily allows you to setup the selected wifi unit as extending the primary network. It wasn't until I walked through the steps to manually configure the unit and didn't see a choice in the mode popup for "extending an existing netword" — only joining. It was then that I noticed that the firmware version of that unit was 6.3, which is typical of Express unitis limited to 802.11g.

All I had to do to fix the problem was to take another Airport (this one definitely 802.11n and running the latest firmware) and configure it in the "problem room" as a true network extender. I now have strong coverage in that room for all my devices, including my iPad.

The 802.11g unit now simply moves out to the guest house for streaming music.

Case closed - and thanks for the pointers!

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Answer 2

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Aug 6, 2011 1:10 PM in response to John Purlia

The maximum free-space range is about 150 feet. In theory two devices could be separated by 300 feet. But this means nothing in between and can be affected by other devices in the immediate area. In practice, and assuming devices are performing optimally, the range could be anything less than 150 feet. In a home with plaster walls the signal may not make it to the other side of the wall.

If you feel your devices are not performing as they should, then I would take them in for service.

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Answer 3

John Purlia Author

Level 1

121 points

Aug 6, 2011 1:19 PM in response to Kappy

Yes, my house does have old lathe and plaster walls, so I'd expect the signal to diminish as it passes from the base station through various walls, and into the room I'm trying to cover.

I'm familiar with the theoretical capabilities of wifi networks, but my questions was more along the lines of in-practice reception capabilities of the Airport Express as opposed to a MacBook, and the ability of the wifi chip present in each device (different chip, likely?) to lock onto a signal as that signal weakens.

The Airport Express is working when closer to the base station, but I'd like to have some idea of what the real world behavior should be relative to other wifi devices before having them services.

So, is it expected behaviour that my laptop would have a longer range than the Airport Express?

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Answer 4

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Aug 6, 2011 2:09 PM in response to John Purlia

No, they are all using the same basic wireless chips so they all have similar ranges based on equal power levels. One isn't stronger than the other, all other things being equal.

Frankly, with lathe and plaster walls I can tell you from experience that the practical range is short. I couldn't get a connection between two adjacent rooms in the house on the same floor. The metal lathe typically used at the time had a lattice size small enough to act as an RF shield.

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Answer 5

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Aug 6, 2011 2:54 PM in response to John Purlia

FWIW, 802.11n is supposed to provide greater range, but I don't know if that actually would work better in a house with plaster on metal lathe.

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Answer 6

John Purlia Author

Level 1

121 points

Aug 6, 2011 3:07 PM in response to Kappy

Seems to be the case for me, though in my house the lathe in the walls and ceilings is all wood (albeit wood held in place by an awful lot of nails).

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