Airport Express Wi-Fi extend IP issue

[JReinn]

Hello folks, I need som assistance on my network connection at home.

My setup looks like this:

1. DSL cable goes into my Modem/Router which outputs a Wi-Fi signal
2. 1st AirPort Express (A) connects to said Wi-Fi signal
3. Ethernet cable from AirPort Express (A) goes into AirPort Express (B) which creates a new Network named something else than the original network
4. Devices can all connect to the new network but only a few can obtain an IP-address that they can use and have an active internet conncetion

What follows is a list of my devices and how they are setup and/or how the Wi-Fi works on said devices:

• 42'' Sony Bravia TV; Had some issues in the beginning but has since caught an IP that it can use and has always had a stable and strong internet connection since... (Has been on standby since, so it might have kept the connection active) When setting up this TV, I chose to enter network settings manually (IP-address, Subnet mask, DNS server, Router address)
• Sony Playstation 4; Had some issues in the beginning but as the TV once it caught an IP-address it worked if I only put it in sleep-mode. I tried to turn off the PS4 completely and it lost a valid connection. It can connect and obtain the IP-address (because I, as with the TV, input it manually) but now there is no connection coming through here.
• Retina MacBook Pro 13''; Often it creates a self-assigned IP 169.x.x.x, where I cannot connect to the internet. When I try to assign one myself, it shows a full Wi-Fi icon (which makes it seem that there is a connection) but there is no internet access
• iPhone 5; Often cannot get any connection if I try to turn Wi-Fi on/off or turn on airplane mode, this does NOT fix the problem. If I'm out of my house and come back it often gets on the network and obtains an IP and works by itself. Enterring the IP myself on the device does not work here either
• Desktop Windows computer; More often than not it cannot get a clean internet connection even if it can obtain an IP address

Now as far as I can tell this seems to be an issue with DHCP not being able to distribute IP-addresses properly and/or DHCP not recognizing them when I assign them myself.

I've tried to assign specific IP-addresses to the specific devices (using their MAC-addresses) and manually inputting them but this did not help either.

This means that my connection either works and works perfectly or does not work at all and that there is nothing I can do to get it to work.

Maybe it's because AirPort (A) only obtains up to 2-3 ip-addresses? This seems weird though since under my router/modem settings I can see all of my devices and their IP-addresses.

Previously I had an ethernet cable from my modem/router to the first AirPort (A) but this solution does not work for me since I go from 30Mbit/s to 10Mbit/s whereas with this setup, when it works, I can keep a stable 25-28Mbit/s.

Anyone has any idea what I am doing wrong?

 

[MacManTexas56]

Hello folks, I need som assistance on my network connection at home.

My setup looks like this:

1. DSL cable goes into my Modem/Router which outputs a Wi-Fi signal
2. 1st AirPort Express (A) connects to said Wi-Fi signal
3. Ethernet cable from AirPort Express (A) goes into AirPort Express (B) which creates a new Network named something else than the original network
4. Devices can all connect to the new network but only a few can obtain an IP-address that they can use and have an active internet conncetion

What follows is a list of my devices and how they are setup and/or how the Wi-Fi works on said devices:

• 42'' Sony Bravia TV; Had some issues in the beginning but has since caught an IP that it can use and has always had a stable and strong internet connection since... (Has been on standby since, so it might have kept the connection active) When setting up this TV, I chose to enter network settings manually (IP-address, Subnet mask, DNS server, Router address)
• Sony Playstation 4; Had some issues in the beginning but as the TV once it caught an IP-address it worked if I only put it in sleep-mode. I tried to turn off the PS4 completely and it lost a valid connection. It can connect and obtain the IP-address (because I, as with the TV, input it manually) but now there is no connection coming through here.
• Retina MacBook Pro 13''; Often it creates a self-assigned IP 169.x.x.x, where I cannot connect to the internet. When I try to assign one myself, it shows a full Wi-Fi icon (which makes it seem that there is a connection) but there is no internet access
• iPhone 5; Often cannot get any connection if I try to turn Wi-Fi on/off or turn on airplane mode, this does NOT fix the problem. If I'm out of my house and come back it often gets on the network and obtains an IP and works by itself. Enterring the IP myself on the device does not work here either
• Desktop Windows computer; More often than not it cannot get a clean internet connection even if it can obtain an IP address

Now as far as I can tell this seems to be an issue with DHCP not being able to distribute IP-addresses properly and/or DHCP not recognizing them when I assign them myself.

I've tried to assign specific IP-addresses to the specific devices (using their MAC-addresses) and manually inputting them but this did not help either.

This means that my connection either works and works perfectly or does not work at all and that there is nothing I can do to get it to work.

Maybe it's because AirPort (A) only obtains up to 2-3 ip-addresses? This seems weird though since under my router/modem settings I can see all of my devices and their IP-addresses.

Previously I had an ethernet cable from my modem/router to the first AirPort (A) but this solution does not work for me since I go from 30Mbit/s to 10Mbit/s whereas with this setup, when it works, I can keep a stable 25-28Mbit/s.

Anyone has any idea what I am doing wrong?

if I understand correctly...you have another brand main router that transmits the wifi signal? if that's the case....you won't be able to add any AE's bc you have to have only apple routers to be able to do that.

I have my time capsule as "create wireless network"...then my AE's say "extend wireless network".

It only works bc I have all apple routers. I don't believe you can set it up with another brand router.

 

[eduardrw]

The better solution would be to connect your AE's via ethernet and then set them up to create a wireless network.

If you don't get good throughput as you stated it is NOT because of the ethernet connection to the AE's. It is most likely a WIFI coverage issue.
Get yourself a software tool like WIFI Scanner for your Laptop and do a little searching which WIFI channels a least polluted by other networks. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wifi-scanner/id411680127?mt=12

Just on a separate note: I got a free ASUS AC1900 router from t-Mobile.
I use it connected via ethernet to extend wifi coverage. I was very positively surprised about way better coverage and throughput compared to two AE's!

 

[JReinn]

I know that it works optimally when I have an ethernet cable in, but I don't understand why it works on 3 devices and not on all of them. Is there some setting I can change so it works perfectly or do I really need to change the setup of my network?

Right now the Airport is set in bridge mode.

 

[eduardrw]

I know that it works optimally when I have an ethernet cable in, but I don't understand why it works on 3 devices and not on all of them. Is there some setting I can change so it works perfectly or do I really need to change the setup of my network?

Right now the Airport is set in bridge mode.

Connecting an AE to a 3rd party Router via WIFI and then trying to connect another AE to it via ethernet to create a WFI network does not work!
The DNS function does not work reliably - thus your problems.
It is a kludge at best - so forget it!

 

[Altemose]

I know that it works optimally when I have an ethernet cable in, but I don't understand why it works on 3 devices and not on all of them. Is there some setting I can change so it works perfectly or do I really need to change the setup of my network?

Right now the Airport is set in bridge mode.

You would make the Express use DHCP & NAT mode instead of Bridge Mode. The first Express should be transparent (bridged) and get its IP from the modem/router.