Hardwire Airport Extreme to an Express

Are both the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express recent products?

What operating system are you using on the computer that will be used to configure the AirPort Express?

If you are not sure about this on a Mac, click the Apple icon in the upper hand cornet of the screen, then click About This Mac to see what version of OS X you are using.

Perform a Factory Default Reset on the Express as follows:

Disconnect the Express from the Ethernet cable if it is connected

Power off the Express for a minute

Hold in the reset button on the device first, and keep holding it in for an additional 9-10 seconds while you simultaneously plug the Express back in to power

Release the reset button after the 9-10 second hold period and allow 45 seconds for the Express to restart to a slow blinking amber light

Test to make sure that the Ethernet cable from one of the LAN <-> ports on the main AirPort is working correctly by temporarily connecting the cable to a laptop or desktop. Turn off wireless on the computer and make sure that you can get a good Internet connection.

If you can, this confirms that the Ethernet cable is working correctly. You can disconnect the computer from the Ethernet cable and turn the wireless back on at the computer now.

Post back on your progress and then we will configure the Express

I need to hardwire an Extreme to an Express

Sorry, I am confused. You stated that you planned to hardwire the Extreme to the Express. Is that still the plan?

Have you run the Ethernet cable from the Extreme to the proposed location of the Express?

The Airport Extreme is connected to the cable modem in another part of the house.

So, if the AirPort Express is powered off, the Extreme is working correctly at this time, correct?

Thanks for the clarification.

Since the title and first line of your post stated that you wanted to hardwire the Express the Extreme, I assumed that was what you wanted to do.

And, you state again in the last post that you think that you think that you "should wire the express to the extreme"

Are you looking for an opinion on whether you should do this?

I assumed that you wanted to do this and was offering to help reconfigure the Express. No adjustments will be needed on the Extreme, but you will need to have an Ethernet cable installed between the Exreme and Express to connect them together.

If you decide that you want to hardwire the Extreme and Express together, please let us know and we will start over with the process.

Hardwiring always is the best way to connect two devices together because there is no loss of bandwidth when the signals travel by wire.

If you try to "extend" the wireless network to provide more coverage using wireless only, then the signal will be absorbed quickly by any obstructions in the signal path.

Not much of the signal will get through a brick wall, so even though you have the AirPort Express setup correctly, it has virtually no signal to work with to provide more coverage. It can only "extend" what it receives, but it has very little to work with, so its effect is minimal.

If you have performed the Factory Default Reset on the AirPort Express as I outlined above....and....you have run an Ethernet cable from one of the LAN <-> ports on the Extreme to the proposed location of the Express, you are ready to take the next step.

Post back to confirm and we will proceed.

Connect the Ethernet cable to the WAN "O" port on the Express and power it up. Wait for the Express light to blink amber slowly

Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility

Look for the tab in the upper left hand corner of the AirPort Utility window that reads Other AirPort Base Stations (1)

Click on this tab, then click on AirPort Express xxxxxx

AirPort Utility will take a minute or two to analyze the devices and settings on your network, then it will announce that the AirPort Express will setup to extend the wireless network

Edit the name of the AirPort Express device to read as you wish, then click Next

Wait another minute or two while AirPort Utility configures the AirPort Express

When you see the message that Setup is complete, click Done and close AirPort Utility

You are all set

You should have much improved wireless performance around the AirPort Express.

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