How do I configure older Airport Extremes in a roaming network with the Airport Utility 6.3.x?

Question

Level 1

13 points

How do I configure older Airport Extremes in a roaming network with the Airport Utility 6.3.x?

I have a 4th generation Airport Extreme and a Time Capsule. As well, I have 2nd generation express.

I am trying to configure the Airport extreme and capsule via ethernet to act as one network (roaming) and to then add the AE into this was an extended network.

1) With Airport Utility 6.3.x I can find no way to do this using the methods described in the help articles. In fact, all the help articles still reference screen shots from the old Utility. Is there a way to achieve a roaming network between the Extreme and Capsulte using ethernet anymore. I had done this ins the past with the old Utility.

2) Is it possible t extend a roaming network with a single wireless extender?

Posted on Jun 15, 2016 5:13 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,990 points

Jun 15, 2016 5:22 AM in response to Keerock?

1) Please clarify whether the Time Capsule is your "main" router and the AirPort Extreme will be an extender in a roaming setup.....or......whether the AirPort Extreme is the "main" router and the Time Capsule will be set up using roaming to extend the network.

2) Please clarify that you want the 2nd Gen AirPort Express to extend the network using wireless only.......(this will result in a loss of about half of the potential speed on the network with the Express and the device to which it is connected). Which device will the AirPort Express wirelessly extend?......the AirPort Extreme or the Time Capsule?

Reply

Answer 2

Keerock? Author

Level 1

13 points

Jun 15, 2016 5:38 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Sorry to have not included that originally.

The Extreme is my main base station connected to the cable modem. It would then connect to the Capsule via ethernet.

I would then like the Express to extend wirelessly but if it is not possible, I could also do it via ethernet (or if that is a better method overall).

I am running the latest firmware on all the devices and would access them via my iMac using AU 6.3.6 or via my iPad using AU later app version.

Thank you for such a prompt response!

Reply

Answer 3

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,990 points

Jun 15, 2016 6:12 AM in response to Keerock?

Thanks for the clarification. I'm still not clear on whether you want the AirPort Express to extend the signal from the AirPort Extreme or the Time Capsule, though.

I assume that you already have the AirPort Extreme set up and operating.....is that correct?

As far as the AirPort Express, it is always better performance wise, and reliability wise, to connect AirPort devices using a wired Ethernet connection, if possible. We'll provide setup options for both wired Ethernet and wireless, and you can decide which method that you want to use.

Reply

Answer 4

Keerock? Author

Level 1

13 points

Jun 15, 2016 6:12 AM in response to Keerock?

One thing to add. I'm beginning to understand that I will most likely have to start from scratch and reset all the devices and use the auto setup functions.

1) I have a Network drive attached to my AE with password protected directories and

2) Time Machine backups on the TC.

Will any reset and start over types of solutions impact those and if yes, how do I make sure the access to the network drive and folders stay intact and the TM backups stay valid.

The TM backups are not as important as the Network drive contents as I use a local USB attached drive for most of my TM backups and the TC backups are just or some redundancy.

Reply

Answer 5

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,990 points

Jun 15, 2016 6:18 AM in response to Keerock?

Is the AirPort Extreme set up and operating correctly now? We ask, because no changes need to be made to the AirPort Extreme if that is the case.

Reply

Answer 6

Keerock? Author

Level 1

13 points

Jun 15, 2016 6:24 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Yes, the Airport Extreme is operating correctly with both ethernet and wireless clients.

Reply

Answer 7

Keerock? Author

Level 1

13 points

Jun 15, 2016 6:32 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Wow, I wrote a very lengthy reply and hit REPLY and it disappeared. Here goes again...

Long and short of it is I would like to go from my currently wirelessly extended network which is extremely unreliable and drops out randomly for some devices and not for others, and go with a fully ethernet connected network using the AE as base and the TC and AE elsewhere in the house to extend the network using the same SSID and password.

My wireless extended wifi network is currently working well when devices are close to the base AE but gets very flaky when they are further away and rely on the TC or AE to connect.

Reply

Answer 8

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,990 points

Jun 15, 2016 6:41 AM in response to Keerock?

OK, let's go one step at a time and get the Time Capsule set up and operating correctly.....then, we'll tackle the AirPort Express.

Power up the Time Capsule for a few minutes

Hold in the reset button on the back of the Time Capsule for 7 to 8 seconds, then release

Allow a full minute for the Time Capsule to restart to a slow, blinking amber light status

Connect an Ethernet cable from one of the three LAN <--> ports on the AirPort Extreme to the WAN "O" port on the Time Capsule

Click the WiFi menu at the top of the Mac's screen

Look for a listing of New AirPort Base Station

Just below that, click on Time Capsule

The example below shows an AirPort Extreme as the New Base Station.....you will see Time Capsule on your screen

If you want to use an iOS device for the setup instead of the Mac.....

Go to the Home screen

Tap on Settings

Tap on WiFi

Look for Set Up New Base Station

Tap on Time Capsule (The example below shows an AirPort Express, you will see Time Capsule

When you click or tap on Time Capsule, that will get the setup "wizard" up and running. It will take a few seconds to analyze the network, then suggest the correct setup. The screen will look similar to the illustration below, except that you will see your devices and network name.

Type in a name that you want to call the Time Capsule. You can use the same device name that you used before

Click Next

The setup wizard will set everything up for you automatically. Watch the next screen very carefully to confirm that that the Time Capsule is being set up to "extend using Ethernet", which is another way to describe a roaming network.

When you see the message of Setup Complete, click Done. That's it.

The Time Capsule will now use the wireless network password for both the wireless and as a device password. If you want to assign a different password for the device password, you can do that later by changing the Base Station password setting in AirPort Utility.

It may appear as if the Time Capsule is going to make a new backup of the Mac, but it should recognize the old backup after awhile and adjust.

Reply

Answer 9

Keerock? Author

Level 1

13 points

Jun 15, 2016 7:12 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Done and Done.

The network is working just fine and I'll keep my fingers crossed. Right now I've disconnected my Airport Express by unplugging it entirely. The Airport Extreme and Time Capsule seem to have the whole house covered well.

Looking forward to finding out the options for connecting the Airport Express both wirelessly and via ethernet to this new network and seeing if I can get an even better signal in the remote parts of the house.

Thank you for such a prompt and in-depth answer with solutions!

Reply

Answer 10

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,990 points

Jun 15, 2016 7:41 AM in response to Keerock?

Power up the AirPort Express for a few minutes

Hold in the reset button on the back of the device for 7 to 8 seconds, then release

Allow a full minute for the AirPort Express to restart to a slow, blinking amber light status

If you want to connect the AirPort Express using Ethernet from the AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule.....highly recommended....connect from a LAN <--> port on the AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule to the WAN "O" port on the AirPort Express

If you want to connect the AirPort Express using wireless, then do not use an Ethernet cable at all. As I mentioned before, the wireless method will result in a significant speed loss on the network.

Click the WiFi icon at the top of the Mac's screen or use an iPhone or iPad....just like you did for the setup of the Time Capsule

The setup wizard will automatically set up the AirPort Express correctly depending on whether you have use an Ethernet connection or wireless. Simply type in a device name for the AirPort Express and click Next to proceed with auto setup of the Express.

When you see the message of Setup Complete, click Done. That's it.

Reply

Answer 11

Keerock? Author

Level 1

13 points

Jun 15, 2016 8:00 AM in response to Bob Timmons

I will try this both ways and report back.

If I use the wireless method, are you saying it will greatly reduce the speed significantly on the whole network or just for clients that are closest to the Airport Express?

Reply

Answer 12

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,990 points

Jun 15, 2016 10:08 AM in response to Keerock?

The speed loss will occur on the entire wireless network.

Reply