How to extend a network with Airport Express 1st Gen "Wired"

Hello Bob, thanks for looking into the issue. I've seen you pretty active on the subject as I was researching for a solution.

My Express is an A1264

My Mac (Air - so doesn't have an Ethernet) is on 10.8.5

The Airport Utility is 6.3.1

The Extreme is on 7.6.4

and the Express is on 7.6.4 as well.

If I have a cross cable here is how it goes like this:

- Asks if I want to replace the Extreme with the Express.. To which I choose "other options"

- Then I say I want to "add to existing network"

- it goes ahead and tells me it is going to extend "wirelessly" (which is the issue) and I can only click Next.

- Then it goes in infinite loop tha I cannot kill.

So I did unplug the crossed cable because I assumed the loop is an actual loop in the network where traffic comes from the wifi on the express, then is sent to the extreme through the wire, then sent to the wifi, etc..

I replaced the cable with a straight cable at that point to retry the whole thing. I also reset the express.

The airport utility is still hanging and spinning in its infinite loop and I can't "force quit".

Then I get an error message (exprected), and I can try to start over.. Except the Express is showing as "connected" to the extreme with Ethernet (not the dotted line between the two units). This is really really strange..

I will check if that configuration holds and if I have a stronger wifi network in the room where the express is now...

I'll report back. I am very confused about this.. I have tries at least 7 or 8 times since yesterday..

Ok.. the network did go down after a minute or so.. right after I posted my first reply.. Seems more like a normal behavior..

So now I did exactly the same steps, but instead with a straight ethernet cable between the two devices. The Airport Utility does see the express (after I resetted it of course) and I try to add it.

- spin for a couple of minutes and says: "An unexpected error occurred. Try again"

I'm a bit stuck..

Thanks

I do have an ipad that I could use yes.

I tried one more thing yesterday: A full factory reset (holding the reset button while plugging the express back in the outlet and keep pressing for a long time). Once I did this and tried to reconfigure again, I didn't get the "An unexpected error occurred" and I went through the whole configuration quiet nicely. It did configure it as an extension with Ethernet so just what I wanted. The Airport Utility did show the right schema as well.

But then after a few minute the Extreme went down while the express was still showing as "green" in the utility and I ended up with a Wifi network alright but no internet (because the extreme is the point of exit to the internet).

What's the idea with ipad?

I think the extreme went down because of the express. I unplugged the express and restarted the extreme and it worked fine again..

I didn't know there was an Airport Utility on ipad. I'll check it.

Hello Bob.. I tried another Airport Express to no avail.. roughly the same thing happens. The extension is automatically configured via wireless instead of wired even though their is a cable between the express and the extreme. I tested the cable by connecting a computer with it and it's working fine.

I can only come to the conclusion that this configuration is not possible with a first Gen Express.. Unless my Extreme is screwed up or does not support that.

😕