Set up wireless network

Question

Set up wireless network

I had a working network consisting of a cable modem (Virgin) attached by ethernet cable to an Airport Time Capsule with three Apple Express base stations to create a network. I exchanged the 1TB Time Capsule for a 3TB Time capsule and this is happily getting me on the internet. However, I now can't set up the original network. One base station is working wirelessly and the other two can be set up using ethernet but not wireless. The Airport Utility wizard gives me 'An unexpected error occurred. Try again'.

I am using an iMac 3.4 GHz Intel Core i5, OX 10.9.5 with a 3TB Airport Time Capsule and Apple Express A1264.

Can anyone help? Thanks

iMac (27-inch, Late 2013), OS X Mavericks (10.9.4)

Posted on Jul 31, 2015 2:04 AM

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Answer 1

Tesserax

Level 10

148,279 points

Jul 31, 2015 9:13 AM in response to Glenda A. White

Just to make sure I understand. In your desired network configuration, do you want each of the AirPort Express base stations to connect back to the new Time Capsule by Ethernet or by wireless? Regardless, for each base station you will want to first perform a "factory default" reset on them, and then, one-by-one add them to the network. In your case, you may only have to do this with the "troublesome" Express.

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Answer 2

Aug 1, 2015 1:31 PM in response to Tesserax

Very many thanks for taking the trouble to reply to this. I really appreciate the help that people offer to this community. I didn't reply immediately until I had tried the three level of resets suggested in the article. Yes, I want two of the three Airport Express base stations to connect back to the new Time Capsule (the third will extend one of the base stations further). I have now tried factory resets endlessly with no result. The odd thing is that one Airport Express has worked; and the other two will work if connected by ethernet cable but not wirelessly. If they had not connected by ethernet I would have concluded that they were dud.

When using Airport Utility the wizard kicks in immediately and reaches the 'An unexpected error occurred. Try again.' If I use the tool bar to configure 'other' the 'reading settings' continues endlessly. I fear that the 'wireless' part of both Airport Expresses have failed. Before I ditch them, would you agree with this conclusion?

Glenda

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Answer 3

Tesserax

Level 10

148,279 points

Aug 1, 2015 2:21 PM in response to Glenda A. White

I fear that the 'wireless' part of both Airport Expresses have failed. Before I ditch them, would you agree with this conclusion?

Unless the Express base stations, in question, are over 5 years old, maybe not. Although anything is possible, you should get that length of service with them. Besides when they do fail it tends to be power-related ... so either the base station works or it doesn't. However, their wireless component may fail by themselves I would consider that less likely than their power circuitry.

If you don't mind let's give it a try before replacing any of them, ok?

I would suggest that we start by powering-off each of the Express base stations. Then let's start with the first one that will be connected back to the Time Capsule (TC) by Ethernet. Again. start by performing a "factory default" reset on the base station. Then connect the base station to the TC by Ethernet, and then, reconnect it to power. Allow it to initialize. Your iMac should now see the powered-up Express as a "new" device in the AirPort Utility. Go through the automated steps to configure it to extend the TC's wireless network using an Ethernet connection. Once successful, do the same for the other Ethernet connected Express starting with the reset. If both were successfully added, we'll stop there. Please post back your results or let us know if you need step-by step instructions for this phase.

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Answer 4

Aug 1, 2015 2:50 PM in response to Tesserax

If you stick at it long enough you spot something!!! I followed your instructions and got the two recalcitrant airport expresses connected by ethernet - and then - went into 'edit' , then 'Wireless' and realised that they were set up to 'Create a wireless network' instead of 'Join a wireless network'. I corrected this on both and we seem to be in business.

Very many thanks for your patience and help.

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