How many airport express can I daisy chain together?

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How many airport express can I daisy chain together?

Hi,

I have a office (shed) up at the end of my garden which has limited internet connectivity. There is one airport express between my time machine in the house and my laptop in the shed....this is bolted to a tree in a water proof box :-)

I'm trying to establsh the best network to increase the internet connectivity in the shed, so....should I add another airport express between the Time machine and current airport express(on the tree) to improve the wireless signal,

or,

would it be better to add the second airport express in the shed (ie after the tree airport express) to boost the signal directly to my laptop?

I think this could be a game of trial and error, but would appreciate input from someone with experience in setting wireless networks up

thanks!

Rick

PS another thought, can I add two airport expresses to the network (bit expensive!) one between the time machine and the current aiport express (on the tree), and another in the shed?

MacBook Air, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Mar 30, 2014 10:12 AM

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Answer 1

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Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Mar 30, 2014 10:15 AM in response to rickfromgbr

Get an amplifier and/or gain antenna. Lot cheaper than multiple AEXs. Visit QuickerTek.com.

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Answer 2

Mar 30, 2014 10:27 AM in response to rickfromgbr

Before you dive in......it might be useful to know that Apple will only allow the signal to be wirelessly extended one time.....so you cannot connect an additional AirPort to a device that is already extending the signal....and have it extend the signal again.

You can have multiple devices each extending the signal.....but each extender must connect to the main router....not to another extender.

Think of a wheel with hub and spokes. The Time Capsule is the "hub". Each extender is located at the end of a separate "spoke". As such, each extender connects and communicates directly to the hub....not to another extender at the end of the another spoke.

In other words, all of the devices that are extending the signal must be approximately the same distance from the hub.....and......they must be closer to the hub than they are to another extender.

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Answer 3

rickfromgbr Author

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Mar 30, 2014 1:12 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Hi Bob,

thanks for replying, understand your comment about hub and spoke, but, I can see three 'nodes' in my network, not two as suggested.

I have the time machine as my base station, then I have the second node which is my airport express in the tree, and I then have a third node which is my airport express in the shed. This then connects to my laptop.....

so when I look at my network in the Airport utility I see the Time Capsule hubm then a spoke with the first extender at the end (in the tree) and then another spoke from this, with a second extender at the end (in the shed)

I wonder if this is new functionality?

Rick

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Answer 4

Mar 30, 2014 1:48 PM in response to rickfromgbr

and I then have a third node which is my airport express in the shed.

And this Express has "joined" the network....so the Ethernet port is working, but it is not extending the wireless signal from the tree Express.

If both Expresses are extending, then you would see that both are connected to the Time Capsule in the graphic on AirPort Utility.

If you check the graphic in AirPort Utility, you will see the Time Capsule at the top, then another Express under the Time Capsule and the third Express under the second Express. If both Expresses are extending.....the both Expresses would be side by side, not one on top of the other.

The third Express does not extend if it appears below the tree Express when you see this. Is that what you see?

We can do yet another test if you want to see which Express your laptop is really connecting to using wireless. If the laptop connects using wireless, it is connecting to the tree Express.....not the Express in the shed (which is not providing a wireless signal).

Check this info from Apple out below. Click on the graphic to enlarge it.

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Answer 5

rickfromgbr Author

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Mar 30, 2014 1:47 PM in response to Bob Timmons

OK, I understand the issue Bob,

when I look at the graphic I see the Time Capsule at the top, then the second express under the TC and then the third express under the second, all are showing as green and with good connectivity speeds.

Would you mind explaining the test to see which Express my laptop is really connecting to?....I'll then go quiet for 24 hours as it will be Tuesday afternoon before I will get an hour in the daylight to check connectivity etc.

I hadn't realised that just because the express has joined the network (I assume by the light going green) that this does not necessarily internet connectivity.

cheers

Rick

PS just thought, is there a way that I can check if a green express actually has internet connectivity?

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Answer 6

Mar 30, 2014 1:55 PM in response to rickfromgbr

In addition to the info from Apple above.......

Temporarily, power down the Express in the shed.

Move your laptop close to the tree and connect to the wireless there. Hold down the option key on your Mac while you click on the AirPort icon at the top of the screen. Note the last 3-4 items of the BSSID. That is the ID of the AirPort to which the laptop is connected.

Now power up the shed Express and perform the same test with your laptop to check the ID of the Express to which the laptop is connecting. Is it the same as the tree Express?

Now turn off the wireless on the laptop and connect it to the Ethernet port on the shed Express. It will connect to the Internet.....since the Express has "joined" the network.....the Ethernet port is enabled.....but the Express is not broadcasting a wireless signal when it "joins" the network.

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Answer 7

rickfromgbr Author

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Mar 30, 2014 2:00 PM in response to Bob Timmons

brilliant!...thanks Bob....

lots of testing for me to do, with some great pointers from you...many thanks!!

will come back with an update (hopefully resolved!?!) later on Tuesday

cheers

Rick

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Answer 8

Mar 30, 2014 2:04 PM in response to rickfromgbr

If you wanted to......you could connect another Express to the Ethernet port on the shed Express and set up that Express to "create a wireless network" as part of the network.

That would provide you with more wireless signal in the shed. A bit goofy, but it will work fine.

Post back if you need details on how to set this up.

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Answer 9

rickfromgbr Author

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Mar 30, 2014 2:17 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Hi Bob,

just checking your last couple of comments, I think you're suggesting I could:

*** Use Time Capsule as my first base station, this is emmitting wireless connectivity

*** Wireless commection from the TC to the Tree based airport express, this is emitting wireless connectivity.

*** Wireless connection from the Tree based airport express to the shed based airport express, this is not emmitting wireless connectivity as I connect my laptop directly to the shed airport express with ethernet.

In this model I use the shed airport express as my wifi connectivity (as it is more powerful than my mac wireless?) back to the tree airport express. Means we don't fall foul of the hub and spoke model you initially detailed.

cheers

Rick

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Answer 10

Mar 30, 2014 2:59 PM in response to rickfromgbr

In this model I use the shed airport express as my wifi connectivity (as it is more powerful than my mac wireless?) back to the tree airport express. Means we don't fall foul of the hub and spoke model you initially detailed.

No, remember that the shed Express cannot send out a wireless signal...but....the Ethernet port on the shed Express is enabled. So, you can take advantage of that.

Connect one additional Express to the shed Express using an Ethernet cable...and configure the additional Express to "create a wireless network", then it will provide additional wireless signal coverage in the shed.

AirPort Utility will literally configure this for you automatically when you want to set it up.

Or, if you don't need the additional wireless coverage for other devices....and you will just use the laptop in the shed.....then simply connect the laptop to the Ethernet port on the existing shed Express. No need to add another Express if this is the case.

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Answer 11

rickfromgbr Author

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Apr 3, 2014 1:15 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Hi Bob,

back again, and with an update on the situation. Could do with a final bit of advice if possible, regarding how best to connect my laptop from my shed :-)

Quick update:

The Time Machine is operating correctly

The Tree Airport Express is operating correctly, has a green light on Airport Utilities, and is connected to the internet. It also shows as connected to the Time Machine in Airport Utilities

The Shed Express is operating correctly, has a green light on Airport Utilities. It shows itself connected but sitting under the Shed Express in Airport Utilities.

I've checked the connectivity with my laptop and can see that the laptop connects to the Tree express when I am close by, and it shows the same connectivity details when I am in the shed ie it does not show connectivity via the Shed Express.

Some technical Stuff:

Tree Express:'Good Connectvity' in Airport Utilities, Data Rate is 60Mb/s, PHY mode is 802.11a/n

Shed Express:'Good Connectvity' in Airport Utilities, Data Rate is 130Mb/s, PHY mode is 802.11b/g/n

How would you recommend I connect my laptop in the shed?....should I leave it connecting wireless to the tree express, or use the approach suggested above which I think is to use an ethernet cable to connect laptop to the shed express.

Many Thanks!!

Rick

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Answer 12

Apr 17, 2014 11:16 AM in response to rickfromgbr

Can I ask a related question to Bob or anyone else that can help?

I don't have a shed but my set up is not too dissimilar to Rick's

I have a three floor house and a time capsule on the top floor. I have two airport expresses on the ground floor, one to use for music (connected to my music sysem) and one for a repeater. When I check on Airport Utility the airport expresses are chained together not hub and spoke.

from what you have said before it would be better if they were hub and spoke. How can i amend them so that they are?

Many thanks

Paul

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Answer 13

Apr 17, 2014 11:24 AM in response to Kite Commentator

The AirPort Express devices both need to be about the same distance from the Time Capsule

AND

The AirPort Express devices both need to be closer to the Time Capsule than they are to each other.

You may or may not be able to do this.

When you have the correct setup, AirPort Utility will display the two Express devices side by side with both Expresses connecting directly to the Time Capsule.

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Answer 14

Apr 18, 2014 2:38 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Thanks Bob. This is a really good answer although not ideal for me. Because of the alyout of my house it is impossible for the airport express devices to be closer to the Time Capsule than to each other.

So, an alternative is for me to change the order of the daisy chain. If at the moment I have TC -> APE1 -> APE2 is it possible for me to force this so that I have TC -> APE2 -> APE1?

The reason I want to do this is I want to get a good signal for Apple TV which is closer to APE2 than APE1?

Once again many thanks

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Answer 15

Apr 18, 2014 3:32 PM in response to Kite Commentator

You will likely need to start looking at options to connect the AirPort Express devices back to the TC using a wired Ethernet cable connection(s).

Another option might be to relocate the TC in a central location between the two AirPort Express devices. Again, both Express devices must be closer to the TC than they are to each other for this to work.

If you cannot run the Ethernet cabling....highly recommended....then you might be able to use a pair or more of Ethernet powerline adapters to possibly send the signal over the AC powerlines in your home.

Meanwhile, try the following as a test:

Power off both AirPort Express devices

Wait a minute

Then power up APE2 and let it run a few minutes

Then power up APE1

Check to see if anything has changed in AirPort Utility

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