airport express

Previously I had them all the same name

Sorry, but I'm still not clear on what you mean by "name". Are you talking about the name of the device itself....which is also called the base station name......or.....are you talking about the name of the wireless network that the AirPort is providing?

Every device, or base station, should have a different name. Even if you try to assign the same name to each device, Apple's AirPort Utility software will automatically add a (2) or (3) to the device name so that you don't wind up with all three Expresses using the same device or base station name.

For example, if you named each of the AirPort devices "AirPort Express", the setup software will automatically adjust this so that you will need a name of "AirPort Express", "AirPort Express (2)" and "AirPort Express (3)".

Most users find it easier to describe each AirPort base station by its location, so you know at a glance which Airport is which. That is why I suggested names like "Den Express", "Office Express" and "Kitchen Express".

Since you have connected all of the Expresses using Ethernet, you do have the option to assign a different name to the wireless signal that each Express provides. So, you might name the wireless signals for each Express something like "Den Wireless", "Office Wireless", and "Kitchen Wireless".

If you have used this option, then you will need to manually switch wireless networks as you move a wireless device about the house. So, you would click the WiFi menu at the top of the screen and select the name of the wireless network that was closest to your wireless device.

So, you won't be able to simply turn off the WiFi on an iPhone and iPad and then have it connect to an Express that is using a different wireless network name. You will have to manually select the name of the wireless network that you want the iPhone or iPad to use.

Earlier, I had assumed that all of the Express devices (and your Time Capsule) were using the same wireless network name on each advice. The advantage to doing this is that your Mac laptop will automatically switch to pick up the strongest signal from the closest AirPort device.

But, the downside to doing it this way is that an iPhone or iPad will not usually automatically switch AirPorts to pick up the best signal. When all of the AirPorts are using the same wireless network name.....then....you can temporarily turn off the WiFi on the iPhone or iPad and then turn it back on and it will usually.....but not always.....pick up the signal from the closest AirPort.

I am supposed to name them all the same or give them different names?

Name the Airport Express devices differently to keep things organized. For example, the device or base station name of your AirPort Expresses might look something like this:

Den Express

Office Express

Kitchen Express

However, if each Express is connecting back to the Time Capsule using a wireless connection, then the name of the wireless network on each Express will be same on all of the devices. The name of the wireless network is different than the name of the device or base station.

To see which Express is connected to which wireless device, open AirPort Utility on your Mac and then click on the picture of an AirPort Express. A list of wireless clients will appear for products that are connected to that Express.

Click on other AirPort Express devices to see the wireless clients that are connected to other Expresses.

Does the iPhone switch between ones that have the best signal?

Probably not. Macs will usually do a nice job of automatically switching from one AirPort to another to pick up the best signal as the Mac moves about the house. iPhones and iPads use a much simpler operating system and a much simpler antenna, so in general they will not usually switch from AirPort to AirPort like the Mac will do.

If you want the iPhone to pick up the best signal, you will likely need to get in the habit of temporarily turning off the WiFi on the iPhone when you move it from one location to another. Then, when you are new location, turn the WiFi back on at the iPhone and it will usually pick up the signal from the closest AirPort.

If each Express connects back to the Time Capsule using a permanent, wired Ethernet cable connection, then you do have the option to name the wireless network for each device differently. Then, you can select the name of the network that you want to join from each wireless device.