Airport Express to entend non-Airport based network

[roxor]

Hi,

I know there are many threads on it. But nowhere have I been able to find a clear answer as to whether it is possible or not to perform the following:

- I have an internet box from which I get the connection to Internet
- I have a third-party (Linksys) router that does my routing and my wifi
- My home is built in a way so that I cannot get wifi everywhere (possibly because the Linksys has crappy range), though I think one extra spot would help

Can I use an Airport Express device to extend my Linksys' wifi coverage?
Many threads exist but all contradict on whether it is possible or not to extend non-Apple-based networks with an Apple device.

If not, does the following architecture work?:
- Linksys still there to be doing my wired-ethernet routing
- One Airport Express device plugged to the switch of the Linksys and that delivers wifi
- A second Airport Express plugged in another room that only extends wifi provided by the first one

If this still is not possible, what would be? By now, if you're still reading, you must have gotten a clue of what I am trying to achieve

The thing I'd like to avoid is to have to replace the Linksys by the Airport Extreme that could do my wired-Ethernet routing and still have to get an express one for range extension...

Thank you.

 

[Jolly Giant]

see if this discussion provides pointers.

 

[roxor]

Thanks... doesn't look good ...

Do you think my second architecture (the one with two Expresses) would work?

 

[Darth.Titan]

The second plan probably would work, but you'll have two separate wireless networks.

If you go the second route, I'd just disable wireless on the Linksys and let the Expresses handle wireless.

 

[ghostlyorb]

You're right in a way. You can use the Linksys and extend via ethernet to the AP express to extend it. OR... you can buy 2 APEs and have one be the WIFI.. and then the 2nd one would just extend from the 1st one. It's super easy to setup with the software on the mac!

 

[roxor]

The second plan probably would work, but you'll have two separate wireless networks.

If you go the second route, I'd just disable wireless on the Linksys and let the Expresses handle wireless.

Thanks, and yes, using the sole Airport as only Wifi provider (along with the second Airport, of course) was the plan and leave the linksys only for wired ethernet routing.

 

[r0k]

I used an AExpress to extend my AExtreme wifi. At first I misunderstood and ran a wire to the AE and plugged it in ethernet and told it to extend the wifi. Boy things got fouled up then. I found out after a quick phone call with Apple that I didn't need to run ethernet to the AExpress for it to extend wifi. So I got it set up and then walked upstairs to the hallway between the kids' rooms where they were having spotty wifi coverage. I plugged in the AExpress and it went "green" after only a few moments.

It would be nice if these devices could extend on anothers' wifi but I don't mind having our house "all Apple" as our experience has been relatively trouble free since doing so. I went through several brands of routers before settling on AE. For a while, I even had a Time Capsule as a router. When the ability to set up a guest network became available, I sprung for an AExtreme despite the fact I already had a TC. Past routers we had tried include a Linksys WRT54GS (v5), Zyxel and several others I can't remember. The only things they did better than Apple gear is you could set them up using any web browser and there were a few more flexible settings, but everything else about them was awful.

We use ComCrap internet and the cable modem knocks all our routers for a loop whenever ComCrap decides it's time for us to get a new ip address. All our routers that is until I started using Apple gear. What was once a monthly and sometimes biweekly power cycle ritual has only happened once in 18 months since dumping those other routers. And the one time it did happen, ComCrap admitted they had taken down the service for one of their digital channel scrambling rituals and knocked hundreds of customers off the net.