Bob, you appear to be the Apple community expert on extending a local network using a combination of BT Home Hub and AirPort Express. I was hoping I could pick your brains.
I already had a working set up using a D-Link modem, and two AirPort Expresses, one creating a wireless network, the other extending it. But I wanted to change to BT Broadband, so today a spanking new BT Home Hub 4 arrived. I connected it easily, and used it to create a wireless network. All fine and functional, but then my problems began.
I must admit that I had given no thought to wireless device compatibility. I had assumed that Wi-Fi was a brand-agnostic technology. Vain hope! I set up one of my AirPort Expresses to wirelessly join/extend the network being created by the Home Hub. It seemed to work, but was completely unstable.
So then I connected the other AirPort Express to the Home Hub with an Ethernet cable, created a new wireless network with this Express, and joined this network with the second Express. I also disabled the wireless function of the Home Hub, so that it is now functioning purely as a modem, just like D-Link modem I already had.
This system works, but… it is still rather unstable. Much less so, but one or other of the AirPorts disconnects at least once every half-an-hour.
I have several questions for you:
1. Do you have any idea why my set-up is unstable? It uses default settings, in as much as the Home Hub DHCP server is enabled, and the devices on the network use the IP addresses that it serves. The "Router Mode" of the AirPort that is creating the wireless network is set to Off (Bridge Mode). I suppose I could disable the Home Hub DHCP server and change the AirPort router mode to either DHCP and NAT, or DHCP Only. Any thoughts?
2. In your answers in this thread, above, you say that you should set the Airport to create a wireless network with the same name and the same password as the Home Hub network. Are you therefore suggesting that the Home Hub wireless creation is NOT disabled? And you have the Home Hub and the Airport both creating wireless networks with the same name? Since I've already spent five hours today trying to get a stable network running I though I'd ask before I try this solution for myself.
I'd really appreciate your thoughts and comments, for which many thanks in anticipation.
Best, Kevan