Previous gen airport express to extend wireless network from latest gen airport extreme station

Sajid: this MORE than helped. This was the exact, correct recipe for using the FIOS Actiontech router to extend a wireless network using an AirPort Extreme and Airport Express units. Let me say this to anyone browsing these threads in search on a solution: this is it. It simply works. Background ... I spent 12 hours at least on the problems over the last couple days. There is a fair amount written on the topic in different forums, but none of it helped until I read your post. I had FIOS installed a couple week ago, but I could only get the Extreme (NOT my Expresses) to pump out wifi attached to the Actiontech router. The Expresses were not only unable to join the network, but I was LOSING the network every time I attached them. I now have 6 green lights glowing throughout the house, zero dead spots, and unreal net speed (40 down, 15 up wirelessly, 80/30 wired).

FIOS ought to do a better job priming Extreme owners how to peacefully coexist with the Actiontech router.

One note: even though I could have set up the network exclusively using Airport Express units, I set the Extreme up as the first device in the chain after the Actiontech ... in other words as the unit that first created the wireless network. Reason: it produced a vastly more powerful signal than any of the Expresses, and was the most efficient was to cover the largest portion of the house.

Again, much thanks.

I have a sonicwall that acts as DHCP in home. I use AirPort Extreme as primary wifi as bridged access point (no dhcp ). I am trying to set up ROAMING wifi network. I have airport express set up, bridged, and gave it a different SSID name. Does this not work well? Am I doing this correctly by having them all bridged since sonicwall does DHCP and secondly is performance better if they are all using the same SSID? Currently it works but sometimes I need to tell my mobile devices to switch to new wifi as I move about home.

I am trying to set up ROAMING wifi network. I have airport express set up, bridged, and gave it a different SSID name. Does this not work well?

By definition, a roaming network is one in which all wireless access points use the same wireless network name (SSID), same wireless security and same password. You would definitely want the Sonicwall doing DHCP and every other access point configured in Bridge Mode.

I have airport express set up, bridged, and gave it a different SSID name. Does this not work well?

It will work fine as long as you understand that you will have to manually "switch" networks when you want devices to pick up a signal from the Express.

If you set things up with all wireless access points using the same SSID, computers will have a much better chance of picking up the best signal from the closest access point....without having to "switch" wireless networks.

I have three wireless access points setup in the home in a roaming configuration. I can "walk" my laptop all over the house and it will automatically switch to the access point providing the best signal quality. No breaks or interruption in the signal, etc.

However, do not expect mobile devices like an iPad or iPhone to do this automatically. If you move from one area to another in the home with a mobile device, you may need to power it off, move it to the other area, and then power it back up to get it to connect to the best signal.

Sajid- your comment dated Oct 9, 2012 9:58 AM, item #6 has me confused.

You say "set it up to extend the network you created in step 4".

But the way I understand it that means it is NOT a "roaming" network.

To have a true roaming network "satellite" devices are set up as "Create a network", not "Extend a network".

If I am wrong or missing something please clarify.

Thank you

I'm struggling with a network I'm trying to setup in a new house. I have lots of concrete and steel and four floors so I need four units. I had an Airport Extreme that was setup and covered my whole home in my last residence but now have purchased an additional extreme and two airport expresses.

I have a LAN cabinet with a patch panel in the basement with UTP all throughout the house. I have a 16 port switch so that I can patch from the panel into the router. I set up the original extreme with DHCP and NAT in the 10.0.1.x range and then on each floor plugged in the extreme and then each express - one per floor. I have each wired with RJ45 5e into the UTP port from the <--> port on each express and the extreme. I have all three setup for extended. There is no choice for Roaming Network but since these units are plugged in with ethernet cable, have access to the switch and thus access to the the DHCP server in the extreme down in the basement I would assume that it's setup for roaming?

I tried resetting to defaults and putting in new information but I can really only get the one Extreme to work at one time. As soon as I plug in anything else and it boots they both drop off the network and it tells me there are problems. I find the apple stuff really frustrating because although they are trying to make it easy they seem to be hiding crucial information. I wish there was a simple "I'm going to connect with a cable to my network to extend my network" option if they are going to simplify to this extent.

On the new units or with an extended network there doesn't appear to even be any option to look at the SSID's or radio channels.

I do not yet have Internet connection as it hasn't been hooked up yet, but that should not prevent me from getting my internal network in order, ready for it's arrival.

Any help appreciated.

I have all three setup for extended. There is no choice for Roaming Network but since these units are plugged in with ethernet cable, have access to the switch and thus access to the the DHCP server in the extreme down in the basement I would assume that it's setup for roaming?

Configure the three AirPorts as follows:

Create a wireless network.....do not use "Extend". ("Extend" is only used if the AirPorts connect using wireless only. You are using Ethernet)

Use the same wireless network name as the main router

Use the same wireless security as the main router

Use the same wireless password as the main router

Configure each AirPort in Bridge Mode

Now you have a roaming network.

There are more knowledgable/experienced members than me here but I'll jump in because I'm in a heavy learning pahse for setting up these networks.

1. To set up a "Roaming" Network, plug the cable into the WAN, not LAN (<-->) ports on the devices.

The "first" Extreme also gets plugged into WAN from the modem.

2. All the devices are set up to "Create a Wireless Network" and all except the one set up for DHCP and NAT are set up in "Bridge" mode. All devices should be on same network and same password(s).

3. Without having an internet connection yet I wonder if you will be able to set up the network since you wont be generating any valid external IP's?

4. Odd point- I've spent a bit of time with Apple techs on the phone lately and it turns out that Apple will only "officially" support 3 devices (any combo of Extreme/Express/Time Capsule).

I set up a network with 4 devices but Apple cannot ABSOLUTELY guarantee that more than 3 will work.

There are probably quite a few members that have set up many more than 3 devices (10, 20...++) and I would love some feedback from them. I wonder how commercial institutions (hotels, factories) that use Apple Airport equipment fare when setting up extended networks.

5. My terminology and methodology is not precise here and there may be a exact step-by-step procedure that will help you more but I have tried to share some principles.

Also are all your devices of the same generation?- Since setup and terminology differs somewhat between different generations of devices and between different versions of the Airport Utility software.

Keep at it- it's rewarding when you finally get it set up and stable

Bob Timmons-

I would appreciate if you could comment on some of the issues I have raised in my previous post.

You seem very knowledgable and I appreciate your input.

Thanks

1. To set up a "Roaming" Network, plug the cable into the WAN, not LAN (<-->) ports on the devices.

Doesn't make any difference since the AirPorts are in Bridge Mode. All ports are LAN ports in Bridge Mode.

The "first" Extreme also gets plugged into WAN from the modem.

Correct

2. All the devices are set up to "Create a Wireless Network" and all except the one set up for DHCP and NAT are set up in "Bridge" mode. All devices should be on same network and same password(s).

Correct, in addition all AirPorts must be configured to use the same wireless security settings. Channels are set to "Automatic" or separated by at least 3-4 channels from the nearest AirPort.

3. Without having an internet connection yet I wonder if you will be able to set up the network since you wont be generating any valid external IP's?

You will be able to set up the network.The only valid "external" IP would be from the modem. Everything else uses "private" IP addresses.

4. Odd point- I've spent a bit of time with Apple techs on the phone lately and it turns out that Apple will only "officially" support 3 devices (any combo of Extreme/Express/Time Capsule).

Apple Support once told me that they do not support an AirPort configured in Bridge Mode.

Bob-

If I can pick your brain a little more:

1. In regard to point #3:

Isn't he just gonna see a bunch of internally generated 169.xxx.xxx.xxx IP addresses?

2. In regard to point #4:

"Apple Support once told me that they do not support an AirPort configured in Bridge Mode"

Do you think they were just being ignorant/unaware?

In regards to my point about Apple techs officially supporting only up to 3 devices, I heard that from more than one tech so I know that is how they "officially" view it.

In practice it may be quite different.

In other discussions I have read you mentioning "commercial" networks.

Are you specifically aware of Apple Airport networks that use, let's say 10-20 devices without issues?

Thanks again

Isn't he just gonna see a bunch of internally generated 169.xxx.xxx.xxx IP addresses?

No, he will see a bunch of 10.0.x.x internal addresses....or 192.168.x.x addresses depending on what range the main router is using.

2. In regard to point #4:

"Apple Support once told me that they do not support an AirPort configured in Bridge Mode"

Do you think they were just being ignorant/unaware?

I don't know.

In regards to my point about Apple techs officially supporting only up to 3 devices, I heard that from more than one tech so I know that is how they "officially" view it.

In practice it may be quite different.

I wonder why Apple installs so many multiple AirPort systems in the schools. There are 20+ AirPorts at my grandson's school, for example. I imagine that Apple headquarters has a lot more than this.

I have a similar set up, and the same frustrating experience:

The modem/wireless router combo is from Swisscom (the tripe-service provider, TV/phone/internet via DSL).

I attached a latest generation 2T TimeCapsule to it with an Ethernet cable and bridge mode and creating a new network with a different name (so that other apple devices can connect to or extend the network).

I have a former generation (wall plugin) Airport Express.

Both Time Capsule and Airport Express are visible in Aiport Utiliy 5.6 can can be configured from there.

Once the Aiport Expres is configured, the manula set up tab /"wireless" set up does not mention "extend wireless network" and only shows "join ...". However, if you reset the Express (either via the Utility or via the reset button on the Express) to factory settings and then walk through the setup steps it does allow for the option to extend existing network, and it recognises the TimeCapsule network well.

Furthermore, I reduced the radio mode to a-g (not n) in order to increase the chances for compatibilitz.

HOWEVER, even when I plug in the Express well within the range of the Time Capsule network, other devices (eg laptop) a bit farther away do NOT capture a stronger signal for the Time Capsule network; rather, the at that point weak signal of the original cable modem/router/combo seems to be even stronger than the extended Time Capsule network, or, if connected to the Time Capsule network, the signal shows no difference whether the Express is plugged in or not.

In other words: the EXPRESS DOES NOT SEEM TO EXTEND THE NETWORK. Despite green lights, proper setup etc

This is a bummer and I wonder whether that is one of those Apple tricks to force you to buy a new generation Express.

I wonder whether the Time Capsule could be connected wirelessly (and therefore be placed elsewhere in the house) to the non-Apple modem/router combo so that coverage could be better (even if it meant connecting to a different wireless network name from other locations in the house)

Has any of the wizards out there got a solution?