Problems setting up Airport Extreme/Express to extend Time Capsule wireless

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Problems setting up Airport Extreme/Express to extend Time Capsule wireless

Hello. I have a 4th Generation Time Capsule connected to my cable modem. Everything is fine. I previously had an airport express to extend my network. I just got an AX to extend my wireless in another place in the house.

As I was doing more research, I realized now that I had the AE connected wrong this whole time, and I wanted it to be setup as a roaming network. The AE is connected via ethernet as will the AX.

I've read through the many threads here on how to properly set up the AE/AX for roaming access. However, when I do that, the base stations will blink orange and give me two errors: "No internet connection" and "No DNS servers".

I didnt make any changes to my time capsule as the settings were already as described in the posts. Any help would be great as it's frustrating that Im close, but not quite there. They also aren't connected in the airport utility.

Thanks for any help.

Posted on Jan 11, 2015 10:11 AM

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Answer 1

Kappy

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Jan 11, 2015 10:24 AM in response to cc081101

Be sure the Ethernet cables from the other devices are connected to the LAN ports on the Time Capsule. The AEBS' Ethernet connection is also to a LAN port. Both extending devices should be configured to Extend an Existing Network.

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Answer 2

cc081101 Author

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Jan 11, 2015 10:25 AM in response to Kappy

do they need to be directly connected? They're connected by a switch at the moment.

I thought that they were supposed to be set up as "create a new network" if they are wired together?

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Answer 3

Kappy

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Jan 11, 2015 11:02 AM in response to cc081101

The thing is creating a new network means they must also get an IP address from the modem or from the main router. How you connect the Ethernet cables is important in this case. The cable at the modem is connected to a LAN port, so it needs to run to the devices WAN port so it thinks it is getting a network IP address. You can then have the device use NAT to generate it's own IPs for the devices that will connect to it. But this is only necessary if you are actually extending wireless. Much less complicated if you run Ethernet from the main router's Ethernet port to a LAN port on the AEX or AEBS and configure them to simply Extend an Existing Network.

You can run the Ethernet to and from a switch if you need to. The following is a little dated: Wi-Fi base stations- Setting up and configuring a roaming network (802.11 a/b/g/n). However, I think the general idea is still applicable.

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Answer 4

cc081101 Author

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Jan 11, 2015 11:33 AM in response to Kappy

plugging it in directly and setting up seemed to do the trick!

Now that its set up, can I move it back to the switched configuration? the cables running to the central hub arent long enough conveniently reach the time capsule. Im pretty much laying it upside down in the air to plug in the cables directly to it.

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Answer 5

cc081101 Author

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Jan 11, 2015 11:41 AM in response to cc081101

actually, it doesnt like being connected with cables through a switch, only seems to work when directly connected to the two LAN ports on the time capsule.

So i guess I need to find some connectors to extend those 2 cables.

Thanks for the help Kappy! Any other suggestions would be appreciated!

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