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Once I set up my airport express through the airport utility to go through my airport extreme, will it show up in my wifi network as the name I set it up as or will it still be under the original wifi name?
I don't currently see my new express station showing in my networks
Mac OS X (10.4.11)
We need more information to be able to answer your question correctly, since everything depends on "how" you plan to connect the AirPort Express.
Will it connect to the AirPort Extreme wirelessly?
Will it connect using a permanent wired Ethernet cable connection?
The Express, if it is new and has not been configured yet......will not show up on any of your networks.
Hopefully, you are not using OS X (10.4.11) to try to set up the Express since that would not be supported. What operating system are you using at this time on your Mac or PC?
Is the AirPort Extreme a "flat" or "square" shaped model, or the newer "tower"' shaped model?
On a mac, running Yosemite OS X 10.10.2
activated the Airport express wirelessly
I configured it by going to applications/utilities/airport utility and going in and setting up the airport express (small square with rounded edges) to link up with the Airport Extreme. I went through setup, named it, and got all the way to the "done" page. I am seeing improved wifi signal **which was the goal I am just not seeing the name I set up in my network window at the top of the finder window. I see my original airport extreme network, but not the new airport express.
My question was whether or not this is normal since the express is used to extend the signal of the extreme.
Thanks for the clarification that the Express appears to be wirelessly extending the signal from the AirPort Extreme.
When it does this, it uses the same wireless network name and password as the "main" router.....so it will appear to your Mac and other wireless devices that you only have one network. This is normal, since an extended network is just that.....a "bigger" network.
The idea with an extended network is that the original network now has greater range, and devices will connect to the AirPort with the stronger signal.
If you open up AirPort Utility again, you should see the AirPort Extreme with its device name and the AirPort Express with its device name there, with the AirPort Extreme appearing above the Express and a dotted line between the two AirPorts, which signifies a wireless connection.
If for some reason you want the AirPort Express to produce a wireless network with a different name and password......that is possible, but it would require a permanent wired Ethernet cable connection between the two AirPorts, and the AirPort Express would need to be reset and then configured again in a different way.
If you have the time, and want to dig a bit deeper, we can show you that you actually have four wireless networks there that all use the same name. Post back if you are curious.
Amazing! That is exactly what I wanted to know! Thank you!
One last question. I placed the airport express about half way between the room I needed wifi extended to and the Airport Extreme. Was this the correct way to do the placement? Or should I have put the Airport express in the room I wanted wifi extended to?
You have the AirPort Express in the right location.
Extending using wireless always involves a compromise. On one hand, you want the Express in the room where you need more coverage....so that devices get a strong signal. On the other hand, you want the Express close to the AirPort Extreme....so that it receives a strong signal to extend.
The Express cannot be in two "best" places at the same time, so the best compromise is mid way between the AirPort Extreme and the area where you need more signal coverage.
You always lose speed on the network when you try to extend using wireless. Why....the signal starts slowing down as soon as it leaves the AirPort Extreme. By the time that it reaches the Express, it has slowed quite a bit. The Express can only extend the signal speed that it receives (which has slowed down).
In other words, the Express cannot make the signal that it receives go any faster. But, it can make the signal stronger. A better term for the Express would be "repeater".
If you extend using an Ethernet cable between devices, then you have the luxury of locating the Express exactly where it will be needed....and there is no speed loss on the network.....since an Ethernet cable can be run up to 300+ feet, or about 100 meters with virtually no signal loss.
airport express in my wifi network
