Can't configure Airport Express over ethernet (Solved!)

[nightfly13]

This is a strange thread for me, as I just solved the problem, but it took me ages and lots of frustration so I thought of posting just for posterity in case someone else has a similar issue.

I was trying to add an Airport Express to my WDS network (to extend it to a nearby house - in my same compound). No matter which way I reset it (soft, hard, factory) the Airport Utility on my (wired in) Mac Pro never saw it (although it did detect my other working Airport Express that basically outputs iTunes to my living room). I reset both and did apple+r (rescan) in the utility ad naseum until I remembered how I solved this issue a couple years ago: a Mac that's actually on WiFi!

So I hoped over to a MacBook I had close by and Airport Utility on that machine saw the factory-reset Airport Express and I got it configured and passworded up and running in 3-4 minutes.

No idea why my Mac Pro, connected a gigabit speed to the same Airport Extreme base station can't see new Airport Devices (only fully configured ones, like the living room AE) but yeah, that's how I solved this problem.

 

[waw74]

You can configure over ethernet, that ethernet just has to be connected to the express in some way.

the fully configured express is connected to your wired network by the extreme. which is why you can see it from the mac pro.

the unconfigured express is broadcasting a wireless network called "apple network " and then part of the mac address (or something like that, don't remember the exact name).
Your extreme is not connected to that network so there is no connection from the mac pro to the express.

when you configure from a mac with a wireless card, airport utility looks for signals with the unconfigured name, and then actually disconnects from your own network and joins the network that comes from the express.

you could do it from the mac pro, you would just have to run an ethernet cable from your existing network (or directly from the mac pro) to the express. this is probably the more reliable way to set things up. You can even configure the express somewhere convenient to plug into your network, then once configured, move to it's permanent location.

 

[nightfly13]

the fully configured express is connected to your wired network by the extreme. which is why you can see it from the mac pro.

The selected part of what you said isn't quite correct, but in general what you say makes good sense.

Just to clarify, once an express has been properly configured, it is indeed visible to a wired-in Mac even though the express itself isn't physically connected. But it's true that in order to get it to that perfectly configured state, I needed to be on a wireless connection (or as you say, wired to the express).

Thanks for your input.

Of course wired Macs can see wireless expresses - they need to be able to stream airtunes to them - and now I can see both, even though they aren't on the wired network.

 

[waw74]

it is connected via wireless to the extreme, which acts as a bridge to your wired network.

so even though there's no physical wire between the extreme and the express, there is a connection.

 

[nightfly13]

Ah I see what you meant. I have no other wired network other than the devices attached to my Extreme, but yeah.

This thread is going no where fast

 

[joemarioz]

Same problem not the same solution

I tried using my ethernet connected iMac and couldn't connect, then disconnected it and used wifi, still no response, and subsequently tried with my iDevices and no response as well, help please

 

[drsox]

I tried using my ethernet connected iMac and couldn't connect, then disconnected it and used wifi, still no response, and subsequently tried with my iDevices and no response as well, help please

What exactly are you trying to do and what is your config ?

 

[joemarioz]

I'm trying to use it as an extension to my wireless network, I don't have an Ethernet cable to connect it, because I'd rather use it for a direct connection to my computer, but my room doesn't get much signal from the main router so I want to extend its range with the AE.