Problem Extending Airport Extreme Network

When all base stations are interconnected by Ethernet you do NOT want to use the "Extend an existing wireless network" option. Instead all base station should be configured as " Create a wireless network." That would be the basis for a roaming "extended" network. Since Base Station 1 is already connected to an existing router, ALL of your base stations should be configured in bridge mode.

I would recommend starting over. Be sure to perform a "factory default" reset on each base station, and then, you want to add them one at a time starting with base station 1 connected to the campus FIOS router.

For base station 1, it should be configured as a bridge and to "Create a wireless network." The Network Name (or SSID) must be the same for each base station. In addition, you must use the same security type (I recommend WPA2 Personal) and password on each base station. Use a unique base station name for each base station.

For base station 2 & 3, they too should be in bridge mode and set to "Create a wireless network."

Should I be having this much trouble extending the wireless network ?

It shouldn't, but anything is possible.

Is it possible to extend a network with 2 access points off of one for a total of 3 access points ?

Is it possible to extend a network with 2 access points off of one for a total of 3 access points ?

With AirPort routers there is basically two methods of "extending" a Wi-Fi network: 1) Dynamic extended using wireless connections between base stations, and 2) Roaming extended using wired connections between base stations.

With the first, think of the extended network as a wheel with the "main" (or base station to be extended) at the hub of this wheel and each extending base station on one of the wheel's spokes. You cannot "daisy-chain" base stations in this type of configuration.

With the second, you are creating a roaming network with each base station within another's wireless range to allow a seamless transition for a wireless client to roam between base stations.

Is the extension happening via wireless or via the ethernet connection ? there used to a be setting where the access points would link via ethernet has this gone away ?

Again, it could be either or a combination of both.

Are there any whitepapers that document best practices for deploying multiple access points in a campus environment to allow seamless roaming ?

There are but most, unfortunately, are outdated. Not sure when Apple will get to the task of updating them.

I don't have 3 AirPorts working together at the present time, but I do have two configured to operate as a roaming network, and have had this setup for the past 3 years or so.

Mac laptops will almost always automatically "switch" access points as they move from one side of the house to another.

But....the PCs that guests have brought when they visit will usually not automatically switch access points as they move from one area to another.

Likewise, the iPhones and iPad here will almost never switch access points as they move about.

In the case of the PCs and iOS devices, you have to switch off the WiFi when the device moves from one area to another, then turn the WiFi back on, and the device will usually then pick up the signal from the closest access point.

Prior to using the AirPorts, I had a couple of Cisco wireless access points and devices behaved the same way with them as they do with the Apple AirPorts....namely the Macs would almost always switch access points automatically as they moved about....but other devices would not.

If you have used other wireless access points that allow "roaming" with all types of devices....with no need to switch WiFi off and on as they move about from one access point to another......then the AirPorts are not for you, and you should use the access points that will provide the performance that you are looking for.

This article seems to suggest Apple wireless clients have an inherent tendency to be sticky with SSID associations - waiting until the last possible moment to disassociate

Which clients? If I walk my Mac laptop from one side of the house to the other, it will almost always switch wireless access points once I'm closer to the "other" access point with no further action needed. Just tried this again 3 times...and the laptop switched each time when it was about 2/3 of the way from the original access point to the other access point.

iPhone and iPads don't do this, as I mentioned above. And PCs that guests have used on the network here behave the same in general. I cannot say whether this is characteristic of the AirPort routers, but when I was using other access points from Cisco, the behavior was the same.

Unless you could get into the firmware on an AirPort access point.....practically impossible.....or do the same on an iPhone or iPad....again, practically impossible, not sure what else that you can do.