Extend Signal with CenturyLink Modem/Router

The next step would be to set up the AirPort Extreme to make sure that it too can provide Internet access to network clients connected to it.

• To start, power-down or unplug each of your AirPort base stations. Also remove any Ethernet connections to each of them. Then, I would recommend that you perform a "factory default" reset on the Extreme. While you're at it do the same for each of the other AirPort base stations. This will get them back to their "out-of-the-box" configuration which is a wireless router that will broadcast an unsecured wireless network, with a network name of something like: Apple Network NNNNNN. When the reset is complete remove the base station from power.
• Next connect an Ethernet cable from the powerline adapter to the WAN (circle-of-dots) port on the AirPort Extreme, and then, power it up.
• Your Mac should now "see" that there is a new AirPort Extreme when you click on the Wi-Fi icon on the OS X / macOS menu bar. Select it, and the AirPort Utility should start up.
• Enter the desired base station name. (I suggest a name that is 16 characters or less and does not include any spaces or special characters. For example: AEBS) Then, click on Next.
• The next screen should have the title: Setting up this AirPort Extreme to extend "<your other router>" using Ethernet. This is telling you that the AirPort Utility has determined that you will be extending using an Ethernet (powerline, in this case) connection between the routers. This is what you want for a roaming network.
• Go through the automated steps and when you get to the "Setup Complete" message, click on Done.

Now test for Internet connectivity for both wired and wireless clients connected to the Extreme. Once verified successful, we can proceed with setting up the Express base stations.

Just a note here to mention that you are more likely to see a screen that looks like this.....except that you will see your AirPort device pictured......when you click to start the setup utility:

If that is the case.....

Next to Network Name......enter the exact same wireless network name the the CenturyLink modem/router is using

Next to Base Station Name.....enter a short, simple name....like Tesserax suggests....that you want to call the AirPort device

Next to Password....enter the exact same password that the CenturyLink wireless is using

Next to Verify.....enter the same password again to confirm

Click Next, and you should be all set in about a minute after the AirPort restarts with the new settings

On the other hand, it is possible that you might see the "extend" settings appear, but this will usually only occur when you are connecting one Apple AirPort device to another Apple AirPort device......and you are connecting your AirPort to a third party device.

However, the new Extreme does not appear in the WiFi icon on the menu bar. I have been able to find the Extreme once I open the AirPort Utility, and it shows up under "Other WiFi devices." Once I select it, I see "Preparing..." which then proceeds to "Examining the Base Station..." At this point, the utility gives me a message, "Unexpected error occurred. Please try again."

Try temporarily connecting your Mac to the base station using an Ethernet cable. Then be sure to also temporarily disable Wi-Fi on the Mac and enable Ethernet as shown in the following image. ref: System Preferences > Network

Since you can "see" the settings of your AirPort Extreme now in AirPort Utility, try the following:

Open AirPort Utility

Click on the AirPort Extreme

Click Edit in the smaller window that appears

Click the Base Station menu.......up at the very top of the Mac's screen.....where you see the other menus like File, Edit, Help, etc

Click Restore Default Settings

Give things a minute or two to complete

You will know that the AirPort Extreme has been reset back to factory default settings when you click on the WiFi menu and you can see AirPort Extreme under the listing of New AirPort Base Station. If this does not occur, and you try the reset a few more times, then you may have a defective AiPort Extreme

Click directly on AirPort Extreme, and that will start up the setup "wizard". It will take a few seconds to display the correct settings, and I'm betting that you will see a screen that looks like the example below, except that you will see your AirPort Extreme pictured.

If that is the case.....

Next to Network Name......enter the exact same wireless network name the the CenturyLink modem/router is using

Next to Base Station Name.....enter a short, simple name....like Tesserax suggests....that you want to call the AirPort device

Next to Password....enter the exact same password that the CenturyLink wireless is using

Next to Verify.....enter the same password again to confirm

Click Next, and you should be all set in about a minute after the AirPort restarts with the new settings

Report on your results

AirPlay works on either a wired or wireless connection, so the wired option appears to be your only choice for this particular Airport Express. The setup will seem a bit strange.....because the setup "wizard" in AirPort Utility does not provide you with a single option for what you need to do with the AirPort Express. You will have to set up the Express one way, then go back in and change the wireless settings to turn off the wireless function.

Please follow these instructions carefully:

Power up the AirPort Express for a few minutes

Hold in the reset button on the back of the Express for 7-8 full seconds, then release

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

Temporarily, connect a short spare Ethernet cable......any length will do.....from one of the three LAN <--> ports on the AirPort Extreme to the WAN "O" port on the AirPort Express

Click on the WiFi menu at the top of the screen, then click directly on AirPort Express under the listing of New AirPort Base Station

That will start up the setup wizard, and it will take a few seconds to display a screen that looks like this, except that you will see your devices and wireless network name

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

Click Next

Watch the next screen carefully to verify that the AirPort Express is being set up to extend using Ethernet

When you see the message of Setup Complete, click Done.

Now you will see the Airport Express in the AirPort Utility window. Click on the AirPort Express, then click Edit in the smaller window that appears

Click the Wireless tab at the top of the window

Change the setting for Network Mode to Off

Click Update at the lower right of the window and give the AirPort a minute to restart again.

Power off the AirPort Express

Connect an Ethernet cable from one of the LAN <--> ports on the CenturyLink modem/router to the WAN "O" port on the Express

Power up the Express and it is now all set.

Post back on your progress.

If you think about it, you already know how to set up the remaining A1392 AiPort Express.

Set it up the same way as the previous Express starting with the Hard Reset.....but since it will be connecting using wireless.....you will not ever connect an Ethernet cable to the Express during the setup and installation.

Other than assigning a different device name to the Express (to keep things organized), the setup sequence is the same.

Remember though that you when you extend using wireless, you want to locate the AirPort Express about half way between the main AirPort and the general area where you need more coverage. You would not want to locate the Express in the area where the coverage is now weak. If you did this, then the Express will receive a weaker and slower signal.....and not much, if anything, will be gained.

And, since you previously set up the older A1084 AirPort Express versions using the older 5.x version of AirPort Utility..... which you have on another Mac......you already know how to set up those two devices again. Nothing has changed in that regard.

Perform a Hard Reset on the Express

Log into the AirPort Express xxxxxx network on your Mac

Open AirPort Utility 5.x

Click Continue and follow the guided setup

Hmm, I'm starting to suspect that your 5th generation 802.11n AirPort Extreme base station may be faulty. These came out in June 2011 and were discontinued two years later. That would make it anywhere from 3.5 to 6.5 years old. Typical consumer-grade networking hardware lasts from 3-5 years.

The only thing I can suggest at this time is two-fold:

1. Try performing the factory default reset again.
2. Try accessing it with your Mac connected by Ethernet.

If you are still unsuccessful, it may be time to look into a replacement router.

I'm sure Tesserax will reply soon, but in the meantime, it will greatly simplify things if you power off all of the AirPort Express devices and concentrate for now only on getting the AirPort Extreme connected to the Technicolor modem/router correctly.

1) I assume that you have one powerline adapter located near the Technicolor modem router, and an Ethernet cable connects from one of the LAN <--> Ethernet ports on the Technicolor device to the powerline adapter. Is that correct?

2) I also assume that the Airport Extreme will be located at least a room or two away from the Technicolor modem/router.....as Tesserax advises.....and that you have installed a powerline adapter at that location. Is that correct?

3) If both 1) and 2) are correct, I assume that you have tested the powerline adapter at the location where the AirPort Extreme will be connected. By "tested", I mean that you have temporarily connected a computer directly to the powerline adapter where the AirPort Extreme will be located, turned off the WiFi on the computer and then checked to make sure that the computer can get a good Internet connection this way. Is that correct?

We ask because the powerline adapters must both be working correctly......before.....the AirPort Extreme can be set up again from scratch to connect to the Technicolor modem/router in a "roaming" setup.....as Tesserax advises.

Once the AirPort Extreme has been set up and is working correctly in a roaming setup......then.....we can discuss how each AirPort Express will connect to the AirPort Extreme.

I don't want to step in here on a thread that Tesserax has already spent a good deal of time on.

My purpose was to have you check a few things before Tesserax responded.....to perhaps save some time and a few other steps.

I'm sure that Tesserax will respond soon. Please stand by.

Not much use to you now but we had to have CL service set up a year ago. I told them I wanted hard wired Ethernet connection in my office and they did it as part of the overall fiber installation to the house. Nothing fancy mind you -- we managed to run the cable from the basement up through one of return air ducts to a grill outside my home office, then drilled a hole through the wall and screwed an Ethernet outlet to the wall.

I would think you could have the Airport close to the CL router as long as you manually set them to different channels. Or for that matter, can you disable wireless completely on the CL router? My hard Ethernet is a wire running from the back of our router back down into the basement, across the basement and back up to the air duct to the second floor of our house. We used to have Prism and that was a separate cable which I unplugged when we canceled the service.

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r29747361-CenturyTel-How-do-I-put-a-technicolor- c2000t-in-bridge-mode

http://internethelp.centurylink.com/internethelp/modem-c2000t-adv-bridging-q.htm l <-- you may have to type in your zip code or something to get this to show. Somebody in the previous link pasted a screenshot.