Airport Express,extending network, no ethernet?

the express can extend your network, just plug it into an electrical outlet (configure it) and it will grab the wireless signal from your existing network, and repeat it.

to configure it, you will either have to

Wireless: if airport utility detects an un-configured express, it will show up, but to configure it, you will have to leave your wireless network, and join the one coming from the express. Airport utility will do that for you, but you have click an OK box. Once configured, you'll be able to put your laptop back to the existing network.

wired: (what i would do) plug an ethernet cable from your laptop to the express, and configure that way. once configured, just unplug ethernet and you should be good to go. You can also move it once configured if it's easier to set up somewhere else.


One thing that is not mentioned by apple is that with extending networks, your speed will drop approximately in half for each jump you make.

If you can run an ethernet cable to the express: if you give it the same SSID and security settings as the main base, but a different channel, you will still extend the range of your network, but without the speed hit. If you move from one side of the house to the other, your computer will switch to the other base, and you'll never know.

 

The express can also extend your network by wireless. Just configure it to extend your network.

 

Hi

Im having a problem with this - can this be uswd with an ordinary router? I would love to extend my network with my airport express and use it as a secound router type of thing - is this possible?

My router is a linksys wrt54gr

 

That's what i said.

Wireless- with a non-apple base, not very easily, if at all. There are Linux based firmware options for the linksys out there (DD-WRT, tomato) that may do it, but will take some work to set up, and stong geek-fu.

wired- very easy, just set up the express with the same SSID and security settings as the main router, put it in bridge mode, and plug it in somewhere on your network, and you're good to go. As i said earlier your wireless devices will automatically switch to the stronger base.

 

I purchased this book to extend my time capsule with an AP Express to the other side of the house. This book helped greatly to set up all of the fields and worked perfectly the first time.

"Take Control of Your 802.11n AirPort Network"

Make your 802.11n-based AirPort network fast, reliable, and secure!


Find real-world advice from Wi-Fi wizard Glenn Fleishman on setting up the 802.11n models of Apple's AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and Time Capsule. You'll get help with all the picky networking details, such as how to choose between the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, use older Wi-Fi gear without hurting performance, set up complex Internet addressing, share USB disks and printers, network with and configure an Apple TV, and connect from Mac and Windows clients. You'll also learn how to create a multi-base-station network to extend range, and how to stream music across your network with an AirPort Express.

well worth the $10 cost. fills in gaps the apple site leaves out.

Brett

 

I was told you would have tons of througput throught the network is this not true?

Will i then loose speed by extending my network? or will it be better to set my express and older b/g model up as access points?


Thanks for your help

 

Well in my situation using the (Extend my wireless network) actually increased my speed significantly

My config was

1 x 2Wire wirelss router from Telstra (Australian telco) in kitchen (Lower level in unit)

1 x Airport Express in Lounge Room (Lower level in a unit) connecting XBox360 and stereo to Router

1 x Airport Express in Garage (Lower level in a unit) Connecting an old eMac to router

1 x Airport Express in Office (Upstairs in unit) Connecting Mac mini / Printer / Mac Pro via a 8port switch to Router

Range wasn't a problem...... speed was for me. As I was getting a maximum 1.05Mbs (Bytes not bits) for file transfers.... (read takes fricken ages to copy large foles and folders from upstairs to downstairs).

=======

I finally got sick of this and next tried placing the Lounge Airport Express on to the router in bridge mode and making a seperate 5ghz network... No good... speed picked up a little but still was only getting around 1.22Mbs maximum copy speed.

After about 4 hours of trying every conceivable option I could think of or could find on the net. I gave the extend my network a go..... knowing this would probably slow my speed even further.

I set the Garage Airport Express to Extend mode...... also the Office Airport Express....

But to my surprise it actually increased throughput.... file copy speed jumped to nearly 8Mbs (getting close to 100mbs switched ethernet speeds 10Mbs). So I am a happy camper.. And moving gigs of files from upstairs to downstairs has dropped from hours to around 20mins.

 

AWESOME!!

I MAY have to give mine an extension!!