Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
When trying to extend an existing 5GHz network, it does not show up in the list of available networks inside the Airport Utility.
Extension of 2.4GHz networks works fine. Is this an intentional limitation on the (new) Apple Airport Express?
MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.7.4)
If you have your main dual band Apple router set so that both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands use the same wireless network name, the "new" AirPort Express will extend both bands.....assuming that it is located where it can receive a strong wireless signal.
If you have assigned a separate name to the 5 GHz network on the main router, the Express will extend 5 GHz if you configure it to do so. At least, mine does. It will not extend 2.4 GHz if you set it up this way though.
5 GHz signals are much weaker than 2.4 GHz signals, and are absorbed by walls, ceilings, etc much more quickly than 2.4 GHz signals.
You will likely need to locate the Express much closer to the main router to allow it to extend 5 GHz. Line-of-sight between your main router and the Express would be the ideal setup for good performance.
I have two brand new dual band Apple Airport Express.
Setting one up to be a wireless router, the second to extend that network. They are both sitting in front of me.
If I set it up with a 2.4GHz network, it works fine, but if I set it up with a 5GHz Wifi network, I can't extend that Wifi network with the second Airport Express. It just does not show up in the list.
I used a Airport Extreme to extend the same 5GHz network, no problem, the Wifi network appears in the list and I can extend it.
I looks as a limitation of the hard- or software of the Airport Express to me, I just have not seen it mentioned somewhere.
You need to setup the main AirPort Expess using default settings. Do not enable the option to assign a separate name to the 5 GHz network.
Then, the "main" Express will broadcast both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands using the same wireless network name.
Setup the "extender" to extend the same wireless network name and it will extend both bands automatically. Works fine here.
If you have both Expess devices close together, you are likely creating some interference effects. Move the extender at least 30-35 feet away to test.
Bottom line, the Express works just like the dual band AirPort Extreme as far as extending dual bands.If it didn't, we would be seeing a flood of posts on the forums.
did reset both units, completely reconfigured with minimal setting, but still does not work. Also, now 30 feets away in the same room.
How do you validate that both networks are extended? I use iStumbler, and clearly, with an Airport Extreme, both the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz extended Wifi networks show up from the Airport Extreme, but if I use an Airport Express, only the 2.4GHz network is broadcasted/extended. Really strange. Maybe product defect? But it does work in 5GHz if I setup that unit as a wireless router. It just doesn't extend a 5GHz network.
I used iStumber and WiFi Explorer to verify that the "extending" Express was providing two separate bands, one at 2.4 GHz and another at 5 GHz. Each band has a different MAC address.
But, I cannot "tell" my Mac to connect to a specific band this way. It will choose the "best" signal that it "sees" automatically.
If I enable the option to assign a separate name to the 5 GHz network on the main router, I can setup the Express to extend that band...but it will only extend 5 GHz.
As far as I can tell, the Express works exactly the same as an AirPort Extreme as far as producing and extending both bands on the two "new" Express devices that I have checked here.
Apple folks are quick to find flaws. If there were a major issue with the "new" Express in this regard.....as I said.....we would have seen many, many posts about this already. I cannot recall having seen another post on this support forum with a similar issue that you are reporting.
I have left work now taking the week off, but I'll retest next week.
So bottom line, you found that
a) if the main router broadcasts 2.4 and 5.0 GHz and both have the same name, the Airport Express will broadcast both, and also at 2.4 and 5.0 GHz.
b) if the main router broadcasts on both frequencies, but they have a different name, the Airport Express will only broadcast the one that you select (but you are saying it will only allow extention of the 5.0 GHz network from the main router?)
Thank you very much for you kind replies on this topic. I was a little bit rushed this afternoon, I'll try next Monday again.
a) if the main router broadcasts 2.4 and 5.0 GHz and both have the same name, the Airport Express will broadcast both, and also at 2.4 and 5.0 GHz.
Correct. This was true whether I used two "new" AirPort Express devices, or I used a dual band AirPort Extreme as the "main" router and the Express as the extender.
b) if the main router broadcasts on both frequencies, but they have a different name, the Airport Express will only broadcast the one that you select (but you are saying it will only allow extention of the 5.0 GHz network from the main router?)
If you enable the option to name the 5 GHz band separately on the "main" router, you can configure the Express to extend either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band depending on which network name you chose to extend when you setup the Express. It will only extend one band when it is setup this way.
Bottom line if you want the Express to extend both bands, you must use a single name for both bands on the main router.
Having exact the same issue here. Two brand new Airport Express's, the master is transmitting 2.4GHz and 5GHz and the slave is the extender but it only gives one network option to extend. I called Apple support and I was informed that the current extender option on the Airport Express is limited to one network so it's unable to extend both 2.4GHz and 5GHz at the moment. I was also informed that the hardware is capable of dual extending so hopefully this issue will be resolved with a firmware update.
The "new" Express extends both bands, so yours should as well.
You must configure the "main" Express to use the same name for both the 2.4 GHz and 5 Ghz bands.
Then, configure the "extending" Express to extend the same network name. Because that name contains both bands, both bands are extended.
Apple Support either did not understand your question, or they simply gave you incorrect information.
I've verified this using several utilities. Both bands are extended, just as both bands are extended by an AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule....which must be setup the same way if you want the Extreme or Time Capsule to extend both bands.
were you able to extend the 2.4GHz and 5GHz network together as one network as Bob stated above?
I didn't re-test myself, spend too much time on this, and just went and bought an Airport Extreme to do it.
Really wish Apple would state such functional limitations / differences between the two Airports more clearly when you buy them.
The posting/messages just crossed. I was replying to Shazarama21 (and Bob at the same time).
I couldn't get the Airport Express to extend both bands simultaneously, and given all the testing the Bob did I should work, I simply believe that in my case the issue was that the 5GHz band is swallowed up so much from three offices away that the small Airport Express has difficulties extending the weak signal. The antenna in the Airport Extreme is still physically larger (I believe at least). It seems to have much less issues picking up a weak signal and extending the network.
I simply believe that in my case the issue was that the 5GHz band is swallowed up so much from three offices away that the small Airport Express has difficulties extending the weak signal.
5 GHz signals are much weaker than 2.4 GHz signals, so for practical purposes.....you almost need to think of 5 GHz as a "line-of-sight" deal. The signal will usually go through a normal sheetrock wall and maybe two on a really good day, but there won't be much of the signal left to "extend".
If the "extender" does not receive the signal strength that it wants, it will ignore the signal and not extend it at all.
I will try this method when I have some free and let you know how it went. With regard to Apple Support, my conversation and I got very good technical support thank you very much. The chap also understood completely what I was talking about so but out.
I was informed that the current extender option on the Airport Express is limited to one network so it's unable to extend both 2.4GHz and 5GHz at the moment.
You received incorrect information.
If the Express does not extend both bands, the support forums would be flooded with posts.
We've seen a few....and in every case I've answered, it was a matter of the extender being much too far away from the main Express to receive a good 5 GHz signal.
Unless you have line-of-sight between the AirPorts....or reasonably close to it....5 GHz will not be extended.
You are correct so thank you. I setup the 5GHz network as the same SSID as the 2.4GHz, as you suggested. I checked both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz using iStumbler which comfirmed four networks (two 2.4GHz and two 5GHz). Further confirmation included connecting my Macbook Pro to both Airport Express's, with a reading of Data Rate 300Mb/s and Mode 801.11a/n on each express.
airport express does not extend 5GHz networks
