Can't set up Airport Extreme through ipad 2 or iphone 5s

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Can't set up Airport Extreme through ipad 2 or iphone 5s

When I try to set up the Airport Extreme Base Station by adding it to my existing network, it goes through all of the steps then it prompts me to "remember the password for this device - save/don't save", it then says an unexpected error occured. The ipad and the iphone are not finding a wireless signal from the AE. I have reset it. This is a new house. I have Cat6 cable running through the walls. This plugged into the jack in the wall. I have a cable running from the wall to the WAN port. The amber light on the front of the device is flashing. I don't own a Mac. I have a Windows 8 notebook. I was able to verify through the notebook that the ethernet jack is functioning. For some reason, when I run the cable from the wall to the AE, my notebook is able to find the wireless signal from the AE and is able to connect to the internet just fine. I don't understand what is happening with the ipads. My LG G2 finds and connects to the AE with no problems. If this thing can't be set up to have a password, it is useless to me. The Airport Utility app I downloaded to the ipad says no base stations have been found. While searching for the solution, I found that seems to be a common issue but I can't find a solution.

Posted on Oct 1, 2015 7:14 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 1, 2015 8:10 PM in response to jus256

When I try to set up the Airport Extreme Base Station by adding it to my existing network

Words like "add" can mean different things to different people. In the case of AirPort Utility on the iPhone and iPad (and recent Macs as well), the term "Add" would mean that the AirPort Extreme would be setup to connect to another wireless router using a wireless connection......which it cannot do unless it is connecting to another Apple router.

The AirPort Express can do this since it can connect to virtually any wireless network to use AirPlay. Not so with the AirPort Extreme, since it has no AirPlay function.

You seem to want to connect the AirPort Extreme to your existing network using a wired Ethernet connection, correct?

The setup "wizard" in AirPort Utility will usually suggest the correct setup based on its survey of the network. But, not always.

So that I am clear on what you want to do........

Do you want the AirPort Extreme to provide a new wireless network signal?

Or, if the AirPort Extreme will be located several rooms away from your existing wireless router......do you want the AirPort Extreme to "extend" the same network.....so you will have one "big" network with two wireless access points producing the same wireless network? (Here, I am assuming that you already have another wireless router producing a wireless signal).

Or, do you want the AirPort Extreme to do something else? If yes, what would that be?

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Answer 2

jus256 Author

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Oct 2, 2015 4:26 PM in response to Bob Timmons

I wasn't clear. I am trying to set up the Airport Extreme using an ipad 2. When I go to Settings, then WiFi, there is an option to set up Airport Base Station. It then opens an Airport Setup menu.

FRom there I click "Other Options"

then click Next

There are options to Create a New Network or Add To Existing Network

This where I was having the problem. I was trying to add it to my existing network as opposed to creating a new network. This time I selected Create New Network. That completed the set up and I was able to add a password. It is now appearing in my wireless options as a separate network as opposed to being an extension of my current modem/router combo in the basement. Maybe it isn't possible to use this as an extender.

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Answer 3

Oct 2, 2015 5:36 PM in response to jus256

Maybe it isn't possible to use this as an extender.

Sure it is.

Simply configure the AirPort to "create a wireless network".....like you did.....except assign the exact same wireless network name and wireless password that your existing router is using to the network that the AirPort will be providing.

Then, you will have two "access points" that both provide the same wireless signal. Devices connect to the access point that has the strongest signal, which will be closest access point.

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Answer 4

jus256 Author

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Oct 8, 2015 9:32 AM in response to Bob Timmons

I was able to figure this out. When I set up the AE as its own network in the iPad 2 settings, it then allowed me access to the Airport Utility app. From there I was able to change the settings in order to make AE part of the existing network. It took a while to figure out but when I changed the title of the new network to match the name of the main network, it dropped the new network and became part of the existing network. That solved the problem. This is a 2600+ sq ft ranch. I now have strong wireless coverage across the entire house.

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