Using two Airport Extremes

I have set the secondary Extreme to bridge mode and plugged it into ethernet on the WAN jack. I set it to "extend a wireless network" and select the same network name. But as soon as it powers up, it crashes the network and no devices can communicate.

Wrong setting if you are connected using Ethernet.

"Extend a wireless network" is used only if the AirPort will be connecting wirelessly.

I suggest that you start all over on the older AirPort Extreme.

We can provide the steps if you are using AirPort Utility 5.x in Leopard or Snow Leopard or AirPort 6.x in Lion or Mountain Lion. Your profile indicates that you are using Leopard.

If you have AirPort Utilty 6.x available......(you should if you have a new AirPort Extreme).....the setup is so easy that you may not believe it.

Post back to clarify which version of AirPort Utility you will be using.

I'm still using Snow Leopard, Airport Utility 5.6.

Ah, that's unfortunate, since it is incredbly quick and easy to configure things with the newer 6.x utility.

First, I assume that you have already tested the Ethernet cable and connectons to make sure that they are working correctly.

Perform a Factory Default Reset on the Old AirPort Extreme as follows:

Power off the AirPort

Wait a minute

Hold in the reset button first.....and keep holding it in for an additional 9-10 seconds while you simultaneously plug the power cord back into the AirPort

Release the reset button after the 9-10 hold period

Allow a full minute for the Extreme to restart to a slow, blinking amber light

Connect the Ethernet cable to the WAN "O" port on the old Extreme

Open AirPort Utility, select the old Airport and click Manual Setup

Click the Base Station tab under the row of icons to assign a name to the device, a device password, and adjust Time Zone settings. Leave the other settings "as is"

Click the Wireless tab next to the Base Station tab and adjust as folllows:

Wireless Mode = Create a wireless network

Wireless Network Name = Exact same name as your "main" AirPort network

No check mark needed in the box next to Allow this network to be extended unless you plan to add yet another device that will pick up and extend the signal from the old Extreme wirelessly

Radio Mode = Automatic or same setting as the main AirPort Extreme

Radio Channel = Automatic

Wireless Security = Exact same setting as the main AirPort.....should be WPA2 Personal

Wireless Password = Exact same password as the main AirPort network

Verify Password

Click the Internet icon

Click the Internet Connection tab

Connect Using = Ethernet or it might read DHCP

Connection Sharing = Off (Bridge Mode)

Click Update at the lower right of the window and allow the old Extreme to restart

It would be a good idea to power off both Extremes at this point and wait a minute

Start the "main" Extreme first and wait for a green light

Start the "old" Extreme next and wait for a green light

You should be all set now. Please post on your results.

Thanks for the nice words. Glad that you got things working!

You can add additonal AirPorts in the same fashion.

You now have what is known as a "roaming" network.....far superior to any other method of extending a network.

If you have the Channel setting on Automatic on both AirPorts, I would not worry about this. Sometimes the AirPorts here use the same channel, and sometimes they do not. It does not seem to make any difference as far as performance is concerned.

Wireless devices can only connect to one wireless signal at a time. The two AirPorts are actually producing two separate networks....they just happen to have the same name.

Macs will connect to the wireless access point that has the stronger signal. As you walk the Mac from one area to another, the Mac will automatically switch from one access point to the other in a few seconds.

iOS devices are not as sophisticated as a Mac, and will not automatically switch access points as quickly, but they will usually connect to the stronger signal after a short period of time. If the iOS device has an adequate signal, it may not switch....even if it is close to another AirPort. The thresholds for Macs and iOS devices are different, so they do not behave the same.

Power off the iPad when you move it to another area and then power it back up.

Or, turn off the Wi-Fi on the iPad, wait a minute, then turn it back on.

iOS devices do not behave very well at times when they have multiple access points to choose from. Maybe Apple will improve the iOS operating system in a future update.

Bob, or anyone else, can you please assist. I have the following setup.

Airport Time Capsule - SSID "MyNet" - WPA2 - set to auto for radio, a, b, g, n

Airport Express - SSID "MyNet" - WPA2 - set to auto for radio, a,b,g,n, set to Create a new network, same SSID as the Time Capsule.

I am connecting the the Time Capsule via Ethernet to the WAN port 0 on the Airport Express. The same network range, 192.168.1.1-200 is available on both networks. I choose create a network on the airport express, i choose the same SSID as the time capsule.

When I am stationary in my living room (closest to the Time Capsule) I get a great connection, but every 10-15 minutes my internet connection dies. I can ping the Time Capsule no problem. I can not get out to the internet, I wait 30 seconds and the problem usually resolves itself.

I had noticed this a year ago with the same setup, I had to reboot the airport express a few days ago, and now it seems as if I keep having radio conflicts. E.g. I lose connectivity. This happens when I go to my bedroom (closest to the Airport Express). I have to turn off my wifi on my Mac OSX 10.8 and then back on again, or if I wait a minute it seems to start working again. This happens on my android phone and on my iphone.

I thought there maybe a radio conflict, so I turned off the express, and I do not have any internet connectivity issues. its solid.

What am I doing wrong here that promotes this radio conflict.

If running two Airports at home (whether they are Extremes or Expresses) and one is sitting downstairs and the other on the first floor or attic, is there a way to have a mobile device (iphone or ipod) automatically pick up the strongest radio signal? Of course I know you can change manually and select a different wifi station on your mobile device, but it would be very efficient if change over to the closest station (strongest signal) is done automatically.

Bob, you're an apple networking god. Thank you. I wanted to do just what you described, found this thread, followed your instructions, and it worked perfectly. I then ran an Ethernet cable from my now Ethernet extended second AirPort Extreme to my son's laptop, and he is hard wired on that device with LAN speeds while his phone, iPad and 3ds wifi connections are so much stronger as a result of this new roaming network. Cool.

Question: if I were to add a third apple router device, say an apple express, to another room to extend the wifi signal, I should check "extend a wireless network" when I configure it in the airport utility, right?

Thanks, - steve

Whoops, I cannot edit my post, but I did check "allow this network to be extended wirelessly" when I configured my second AEBS in the event I wish to add an express to extend the wifi signal.