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Best setup for 2 TC's and Airport Extreme?

60MBPS cable broadband connecting to a 4th Gen Time Capsule (802.11N) extended network to a 1st Gen Time Capsule (802.11N) and then to a 1st Gen Airport Extreme.


Attempt has been to cover 2,000 square feet (all on 1 level).


The issue I am having is that for a good period of time the degradation of the speed from the base (60+) to the 1st Gen TC would see the speed cut in half (roughly 750 sf away) and then from there to the farthest point down to maybe 5mbps.


Firmware is 7.6.1 on all.

TC's are no longer used for back up (too many have died on me and lost far too much data).

All channels are automatic

Wireless Security is WPA/WPA2 Personal


Aside from microwave interference (when in use) as well as wii, seeking to get the connection more consistent.


Any advice?

Posted on Jul 6, 2015 12:45 PM

Reply
7 replies

Jul 6, 2015 1:01 PM in response to sam jones

Nothing even comes remotely close to an Ethernet connection between AirPorts for speed an reliability. Possible that you can consider this?


When you try to extend using wireless, a good bit of the signal speed is lost before the signal ever reaches the extender....and the extender can only extend the speed of signal that it receives.....which slows down even more as it travels further.


Another way to say the same thing is that signal speed can only slow down on a network, it cannot ever speed back up once it has slowed.


There is no signal or speed loss at all in an Ethernet cable connection (up to about 330 feet or about 100 meters)......so an extending AirPort gets a full speed signal to work with.....and not a severely degraded wireless signal. And, there is no wireless interference in a wire.


But, don't take our word on this......Here is what Apple has to say about extending a wireless network......


Extending the range of your Wi-Fi network by connecting Wi-Fi base stations together using Ethernet is always the best option, and will provide the best throughput. Ethernet offers up to one gigabit rate, which is much faster than wireless. Additionally, as there is virtually no management overhead over Ethernet, more data will move from one point to another in the same space of time.

Jul 6, 2015 8:05 PM in response to sam jones

My only choice is extending via wi-fi

Not sure why you say that.


If you cannot run the Ethernet cable, then you might want to look at Ethernet Over Powerline (EOP) adapters to send the Ethernet signal over the existing AC wiring in your home. The theory with these devices is that you already have the wiring in place, you just need the adapters.


A number of users have found that EOP adapters work very well...and they are almost always a better choice than wireless to try to extend a network.


Your local computer / electronics superstore will have a selection of EOP products, sometimes called HomePlug adapters. Tell the sales guy about the layout of your home, how far between AirPorts, etc and ask them to recommend the right product for you.


Just in case....also ask about the store's return policy.


If you don't want to try the EOP adapters, it would be a good investment to have an IT guy or lady come out and take some measurements to see if they have some ideas to improve things.


If you must connect AirPorts using wireless, about all that you can do is try to locate them as close together as possible and minimize the number of obstructions between them. Unfortunately, even a normal sheetrock wall can absorb 20-25% of the signal. If the signal has to go through more than a few walls, you really don't have much of a chance for reliable operation at all.


Within the last decade, a lot of newer wall insulation uses a metal foil backing on one or both sides of the material. It might be good for insulating, but it is a killer for a wireless signal.


As far as new products are concerned, my experience has always been that a new product will not solve a basic problem of poor signal quality caused by too many obstructions in the signal path. It couldn't hurt to try new AirPorts, if the store will let you return the products if things don't improve.


Good luck!

Jul 7, 2015 2:11 PM in response to sam jones

Honestly, I think that you will see very little to no improvement if you do this. As I said above......


As far as new products are concerned, my experience has always been that a new product will not solve a basic problem of poor signal quality caused by too many obstructions in the signal path. It couldn't hurt to try new AirPorts, if the store will let you return the products if things don't improve.


Your issue is not the products themselves......your issue is the poor quality of connections and signal loss between the products. Until you can run Ethernet cabling or possibly use EOP adapters to establish a better quality connection with much less loss of signal between your routers, your network will not improve.

Jul 7, 2015 2:47 PM in response to sam jones

Not sure if you understand that Apple's extend feature works like the hub and spokes of a wheel.


Your "main" AirPort needs to be located in the center of the house, and each extender needs to be located toward the extremities. So, your "main" AirPort is the "hub". Each extender resides at the end of a separate "spoke".


Each extender (at the end of a spoke) communicates directly to the hub......not to another extender at the end of another spoke.


For that reason, you can only extend the signal one time.....not two. You can have up to four or five devices working as extenders, but only if they can connect directly to the "hub". If they are closer to another extender than they are to the "hub", they will not extend at all.....and the product is useless.


Unless you can setup your home in this "hub and spoke" type model......wireless connections between the AirPorts will not work correctly.....and the performance of the network will get worse, not better.

Best setup for 2 TC's and Airport Extreme?

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