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Q: How do I extend a bridged Time Capsule wireless network with AirPort Express, all behind an NVG589

I'm trying to figure out how to extend a bridged Time Capsule Wireless network with an AirPort Express, all behind a UVerse NVG589.

 

I've got Uverse TV & internet that uses an NVG589.  As I understand it, in order for the TV boxes to work correctly, the Uverse router has to remain the primary router.


The wireless network on the NVG589 is turned off.  The Time Capsule is in bridge mode and I've successfully established a wireless network through the Time Capsule.  That gets me a wireless network & allows me to back up my Mac to the Time Capsule.

 

However, I've got an area of the house where the wireless signal is weak.

 

I've also got an AirPort Express.  The Apple support article on extending networks indicates that the best way to extend the wireless is with roaming, which I believe means the AirPort Express is hard-wired to one of the outputs of the Time Capsule.  I've done that, but now when I try to extend the wireless, the AirPort Express fails to update & the internet goes completely down.  I have to remove the AirPort Express & revert back to only the Time Capsule in order to get the internet back.

 

I believe the Apple support article may assume that the Time Capsule is the primary router & that's not what I've got.  In my case, the TC is bridged from the NVG589.

 

Here's a schematic of the physical connections.

 

Uverse router Arris (Motorola) NVG589

|_Netgear 8 port, gigabit switch (GS108) -  not sure this switch matters, but it's there...

   |_Apple Time Capsule (4th gen., MD033LL/A) - firmware 7.6.7

      |_Apple AirPort Express (1st gen., MB321LL/A) - firmware 7.6.7


If that's too cryptic, here's another version:

UVerse->8 port gigabit switch->Time Capsule->AirPort Express.

 

Can anyone provide me with some guidance on what I'm doing wrong (or if what I want to do is possible with what I've got)?

iPhone 6, iOS 8, 128 GB (MG572LL/A)

Posted on Jul 4, 2016 3:00 PM

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Q: How do I extend a bridged Time Capsule wireless network with AirPort Express, all behind an NVG589

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  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Jul 4, 2016 3:16 PM in response to Crunch The Numbers
    Level 10 (105,018 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 4, 2016 3:16 PM in response to Crunch The Numbers

    Unfortunately, the "setup" or "how to" examples in the Apple support document that you reference are all about 4 years out of date, and bear no resemblance to current or recent operating systems that use a completely different version of AirPort Utility for Mac or iOS on the iPhone and iPad.

     

    I can't explain why Apple has been so tardy on this one.

     

    Please confirm that you want to connect the AirPort Express to the Time Capsule using a permanent, wired Ethernet cable connection and we'll provide a few tips on using Apple's setup "wizard".....which will almost configure everything for you automatically.  All that you really need to do is provide a name that you want to call the AirPort Express.....the wizard takes care of everything else for you automatically.

     

    Will you be using a Mac for the setup?  What operating system?

    or

    Will you be using an iPhone or iPad for the setup?

  • by Crunch The Numbers,

    Crunch The Numbers Crunch The Numbers Jul 4, 2016 4:10 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 4, 2016 4:10 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    Unless you advise otherwise, the APX will be hard-wired, downstream of the TC.

     

    The APX already has a distinct name.

     

    MacBook on Yosemite (OSX 10.10.5)

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Jul 4, 2016 4:25 PM in response to Crunch The Numbers
    Level 10 (105,018 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 4, 2016 4:25 PM in response to Crunch The Numbers

    You will need to start over and perform a Hard Reset on the Express by powering it on for a few minutes, then holding in the reset button for 7 to 8 seconds, releasing, and allowing a full minute for the AirPort to restart to a slow, blinking amber light status.

     

    Then,, power off the Express.

     

    I assume that you have tested the Ethernet cable  that will connect from the TC to the Express. If not, please connect a computer directly to the Ethernet cable, turn off the wireless on the computer,and check to make sure that you can get a good Internet connection that way. If you can, then you can proceed to the setup of the Express.

     

    If you can't, then you will have to resolve the Ethernet cable problem first, before the Express can be set up.

     

    Connect the Ethernet cable from one of the three LAN <--> ports on the TC to the WAN "O" port on the Express

    Power up the Express for a few minutes

     

    On your Macbook......click the WiFi icon at the top of the screen

    Look for a listing of New AirPort Base Station

    Click on AirPort Express

     

    New AirPort Base Express.png

     

    That will get the setup wizard up and running. It will take a few seconds to analyze things and then display a screen that looks like this, except that you will see your wireless network name and devices devices pictured:

     

    Extend Ethernet 1.png

     

    Type in a short simple name that you want to call the AirPort Express

    Click Next

     

    Watch the next screen carefully to see that the Express is being set up to extend using Ethernet. This will confirm that the setup wizard has picked up the Ethernet connection between the TC and Express and the correct settings will be applied.

     

    Extend Ethernet 2.png

     

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

     

    If you are curious, you can now go back in using AirPort Utility to see the settings that have been applied to the Express. Most users are surprised when they see how the Express has actually been configured. (The Express is not extending, as you might think).

     

    There are bugs in Yosemite that will sometime cause an "unexpected error" during the setup. In that case, we'll try an iPhone or iPad, since the IOS software is actually better than the Mac setup software.

  • by Crunch The Numbers,

    Crunch The Numbers Crunch The Numbers Jul 4, 2016 5:37 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 4, 2016 5:37 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    Thank you, thank you, thank you.

     

    And Wow!  I mean, just WOW!

     

    The documentation I referenced (on the official Apple Support Page) is SOOO far off!  I could live with it if I had simply opened the AirPort Utility & tried to do it on my own, but on official Support Pages??!!!!  I expect better from Apple.

     

    I did pull up the AirPort Utility to see what it did.  For what I can see, it appears to clone the TC (set up wireless network, bridge mode, etc.) There may be other settings that I'll have to compare in screen shots, but NOT AT ALL what is described in the official documentation page.

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Jul 4, 2016 6:01 PM in response to Crunch The Numbers
    Level 10 (105,018 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 4, 2016 6:01 PM in response to Crunch The Numbers

    Apple has made a point in the past that the setup "wizard" is so easy to use that a detailed support document is not needed.  Still, a simple update to the 4 year old "current" document would be nice to have.

     

    If you had not first connected the Ethernet cable between the Time Capsule and the Expess before you started up th setup utility, the "wizard" would have automatically set up the Express to connect to the Time Capsule using wireless.

     

    If you think about it, all that you really have to do with a new AirPort product is assign a device name to the AirPort and then let the wizard take care of everything else automatically. It's that easy, as you have discovered.

  • by Crunch The Numbers,

    Crunch The Numbers Crunch The Numbers Jul 5, 2016 5:42 AM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 5, 2016 5:42 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Quick followup question that occurred to me late last night...

     

    If the APX is essentially a clone of the TC, does the APX need to be connected downstream of the TC, or can they be connected in parallel, straight off of the gigabit switch?

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Jul 5, 2016 5:52 AM in response to Crunch The Numbers
    Level 10 (105,018 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 5, 2016 5:52 AM in response to Crunch The Numbers

    Either way will work.  In theory, it would be a bit better wiring practice if both the TC and Express connected to the switch. The reason for this......imagine that the TC was having some sort of connection issue.....if the Express is connected to the TC, then the Express will have an issue as well, and it will not be that easy to figure out where the problem exists.

     

    If both devices are connected to a switch.....and the TC has a connection problem.....the Express will not be affected.