Advice to extend range from Time Capsule - wireless and ethernet with Airport Express and Airport Extreme

Question

Advice to extend range from Time Capsule - wireless and ethernet with Airport Express and Airport Extreme

Current wireless network is Time Capsule (connected to a Cisco router, 1GB switch to servers and printer 1) to Airport Express (wireless) and to Airport Extreme (wireless). Distance means poor signal at the Extreme which has 2 printers (ethernet cables) and an iMac (wireless)

Solution is to connect the Extreme to the Time Capsule via Cat 6 ethernet cable

How do I configure the TC and the Extreme?

I will keep the Express for a wireless extension to the TC

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Nov 24, 2013 12:14 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 24, 2013 12:47 PM in response to charlesfromwaikato

Solution is to connect the Extreme to the Time Capsule via Cat 6 ethernet cable

Are you saying that the TC is already set up and operating correctly......and all that you need to do is connect the AirPort Extreme to the TC using Ethernet to extend the signal?

Have you verified that the CAT6 cable is working correctly by temporarily connecting a laptop (with wireless turned off on the laptop) and checking to make sure that you can get a good Internet connection?

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Answer 2

Nov 24, 2013 1:53 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Cat6 cable is working perectly. TC etc all working wirelessly

When Cat6 was connected to the TC (with AE at other end) the result was immediate loss of internet (restored when I unpluged the Cat6 connection) - hence the query regarding settings/setup

Now considering option of Cat6 connection from 1GB data switch to the iMac (which is working perfectly and has established the connection to the servers and printer 1) then trying set up the Extreme as base station to the iMac (wireless) so it can connect to printers 2 & 3 via ethernet connectors [printers 2 & 3 and the iMac are in a different building on the same property]

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Answer 3

Nov 24, 2013 2:03 PM in response to charlesfromwaikato

Wired Ethernet from the TC to the AirPort Extreme will result in much better performance. It sounds as if you are not configuring the AirPort Extreme correctly.

Please try the following steps carefully:

Unplug the Ethernet cable from the AirPort Exteme if it is not already unplugged. With the AirPort Extreme powered on, hold in the reset button on the Extreme for 10 seconds and release. Allow a full minute for the Extreme to restart

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

Click the AirPort icon at the top of the Mac's screen and wait a few seconds for a listing of New AirPort Base Station to appear. Just below that, click on AirPort Extreme.

The example below displays an AirPort Express. You will see AirPort Extreme.

AirPort Setup will open up automatically and take a minute to analyze the network, then announce that the Extreme will be configured to extend the Time Capsule network.

Enter a device name that you want to use for the Exterme and click Next

Wait a minute while AirPort Setup configures everything for you. When you see the message of Setup Complete, click Done.

That's it. Pretty simple. Things should be working fine now.

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