How much slower is a roaming network than a standard one? Is it worth it for me to set up a roaming network?

I recently bought a new 2nd Airport Extreme to add to my existing network (another Extreme). I have the new one wired through ethernet and I set it up using the easy setup with the iphone. Everything works fine under one network which i like, but for some reason the extreme only gets 80-90mbps download and the main extreme gets 250-300mbps. I know if you extend wireless you loose 50-60% but wired im loosing a ton it seems like too. Anybody figured this out? I also checked my ethernet cable is a new Cat5e.

How much slower is a roaming network than a standard one?

Unfortunately, the way that your question is phrased, it incorrectly assumes that a roaming network is slower than another type of network, when in fact a roaming network is always the best choice in terms of network performance

I am considering buying an Airport Express or two to strengthen my wifi network, but I don't know if it will do more harm than good. I read that adding extensions to networks creates additional load and can slow things down.

Assuming that the AirPorts connect using wireless, (some folks would call this a standard network) the speed will slow by about 40-50% on average, and will likely be more than that depending on the location of the extending devices and obstructions in the signal paths.

Should I add an Airport Express to the top and bottom level? There are ethernet connections so I can hardwire them to the Airport Extreme and create a roaming network. I wonder if I will get the full 200mb/s on the top and bottom level

You should add AirPort Extremes.....not AirPort Express devices. As you know, the Express has only a 100 Mbps Ethernet port, so the top speed that it can ever achieve on a wireless or wired connection is 100 Mbps. The AirPort Extremes use 1,000 Mbps Ethernet ports......10 times faster.

Perhaps Apple says it best in their support document on extending a 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.

In the case of a wirelessly extended network, throughput may be reduced to less than 60 percent of that of a single device.

Wi-Fi base stations: Extending the range of your wireless network by adding additional Wi-Fi base stations - Apple Suppo…

There is zero signal or speed loss through a single run of Ethernet cable up to 330 feet, or about 100 meters, so there would be no "load" at all placed on the network.

That would be why......

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.

Did you already try to set up your roaming network with 2 Airport Extreme? I currently have a roaming network with 1 Airport Extreme and extended it with an Airport Express. Close to the Airport Extreme I get download speed of 250 Mbps. But next to the Airport Express only 50 Mbps!? I was wondering if using a second Airport Extreme instead of the Airport Express would help.

Does anybody out there have experience with a roaming network using 2 airport extreme. Will then the download rate be the same if using Aiport Extreme 1 or 2?

Thanks

But next to the Airport Express only 50 Mbps!

Typical for the AirPort Express, since it is a slowpoke. The Express has only a 100 Mbps Ethernet port, so the max speed that it could ever hope to attain would be 100 Mbps.

I was wondering if using a second Airport Extreme instead of the Airport Express would help.

You will know if your cabling is wired and connected correctly if you use a second AirPort Extreme, because the second Extreme will deliver exactly what the first one does. If you install a second Extreme and it does not perform the same as your "main" Extreme, then you have a cabling problem.

The three AirPort Extremes here all installed as part of a roaming network all behave exactly the same.

Ok thanks. I will give a try and post here what speed rate I get.

The set up with 2 Airport Extreme work exactly the way you described it. I have know in both rooms download speed of 250 Mbps. I can see in the airport utility how my macbook is changing from one airport extreme to the other when changing rooms. The downside is that I still need an airport express to use airplay for music as the airport extreme don't have an audio port. thanks again for your help.

Nice work!

I unfortunately still have a problem.

As mentioned before, I have a roaming network with 2 Airport Extreme with on both the same Wireless Network Name, security, and password on. All configured like suggest by apple for roaming networks. This works fine and I get maximal speed (250 Mbps) with my devices when connected to one or the to the other Airport Extreme. When I change rooms the devices connect to the closest Airport Extreme. So far so good.

I had to add an Airport Express to my wireless network to be able to use my Sonos system via Airplay. To use Airplay with Sonos the Aiport Express has to be connect via ethernet to a Play:5 speaker and the Airport Express has to be set in bridge mode and further has to be set as „create a wireless network“ This is also working.

Now the problem is that some of my devices are on some occasion connecting to the Airport Express rather than the Airport Extreme. I have read somewhere that the devices should normally connect to the Airport with the best speed rate. This is unfortunately not always the case. I get only around 40 Mbps when my device is connected to the Express!! Is it possible to control this or avoid some devices to connect to the Airport Express?

Thanks for your help.

Now the problem is that some of my devices are on some occasion connecting to the Airport Express rather than the Airport Extreme. I have read somewhere that the devices should normally connect to the Airport with the best speed rate.

This is not correct.

Apple devices cannot know which has the best speed.. they are designed to connect to the best signal..

Your problem is using Express too near the device the signal is better than the more remote Extreme..

The solution is to move the Express further away.. or replace them with Extremes.

Thanks. I unfortunately need an Airport Express in my configuration in order to use Airplay as Airport Extreme don't have an audio port. So if I understand this right there is no way to prevent a device to connect to a particular Airport? The only solution is to play with the placement of my Airport Extreme and Airport Express so that my device connect to the Extreme?

If you do not really need the extra wireless signal from the AirPort Express, then you can turn off the wireless function on the Express. Everything else will function normally.

Great. Thanks again Bob. This work! I was thinking that the wireless function has to be turned on for the Sonos to work. But this is not the case. I turn it off and my Sonos System is still working over Airplay :-)

I also checked my ethernet cable is a new Cat5e

You should buy CAT 6 cables.