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Confused about Airport Express
- Thread starter derek1984
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No, the network speed is determined by the slowest device on the network, so both the Dell and the Mac would run at G speed.
Okay, so for the time being, Airport Express is useless for me. I'll just stick to my Belkin G Router until I might need Airport Express for something else. Thanks for saving me some money right now!
A couple of things to consider that have helped me get my Airport Express working:
1.)Power Cycling: Power down your modem and wait for about 2 minutes for the power to re-cycle before you add the Airport Express to the network.
2.)Does your network make sense logically?: Connect your Airport Express to your network, thinking carefully about your network. Are your ethernet cables in good condition, are the logistics of my configuration the way I want it to be...etc.
3.)Interference issues: Is there another wireless device that will interfere with the Airport Express? Note that setting the Airport Express on Wireless G will be 2.4GHz, which is a very common frequency for cordless phones and other devices.
However, setting the AE on Wireless N will have it transmit at 5GHz, which will give you faster netspeed, but lower its maximum signal range. When using Wireless N, remember that the range is very short. In my own experiences, the AE's range isn't that great.
4.)Hard Reset: If you have configured your AE but for some reason the Airport Utility can't find it anymore, you may want to perform a hard reset on the unit.
To do this, unplug the AE from the outlet and insert a paperclip into the reset button socket. Hold down the button for 5 seconds while having it unplugged from the outlet, and then while still holding it down, plug it into the outlet. Continue holding down the button for about 40-50 seconds, watching the yellow light blink very rapidly. Hold it down as long as you can stand it, and then the unit should be reset to factory settings. Then you can try configure it again with the Airport Utility.
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This is by no means a guide on how to set up the Airport Express; it's just a couple of things to consider when setting it up that have really helped me get mine working. It took me a very long process of trial and error but it ended up okay in the end. Post back if you have any questions
.Yeah, we have 1 at my church that was set up that way. The downside to it was the location that it had to be in, (over a doorway) and the range to the other iMac.
The upside to it though, we had put in enough data drops in to relocate that particular Airport express to a more suitable location.
A couple of things to consider that have helped me get my Airport Express working:
1.)Power Cycling: Power down your modem and wait for about 2 minutes for the power to re-cycle before you add the Airport Express to the network.
2.)Does your network make sense logically?: Connect your Airport Express to your network, thinking carefully about your network. Are your ethernet cables in good condition, are the logistics of my configuration the way I want it to be...etc.
3.)Interference issues: Is there another wireless device that will interfere with the Airport Express? Note that setting the Airport Express on Wireless G will be 2.4GHz, which is a very common frequency for cordless phones and other devices.
However, setting the AE on Wireless N will have it transmit at 5GHz, which will give you faster netspeed, but lower its maximum signal range. When using Wireless N, remember that the range is very short. In my own experiences, the AE's range isn't that great.
4.)Hard Reset: If you have configured your AE but for some reason the Airport Utility can't find it anymore, you may want to perform a hard reset on the unit.
To do this, unplug the AE from the outlet and insert a paperclip into the reset button socket. Hold down the button for 5 seconds while having it unplugged from the outlet, and then while still holding it down, plug it into the outlet. Continue holding down the button for about 40-50 seconds, watching the yellow light blink very rapidly. Hold it down as long as you can stand it, and then the unit should be reset to factory settings. Then you can try configure it again with the Airport Utility.
---
This is by no means a guide on how to set up the Airport Express; it's just a couple of things to consider when setting it up that have really helped me get mine working. It took me a very long process of trial and error but it ended up okay in the end. Post back if you have any questions
I just caught this after my last post. The range difference between the Express and Extreme is very noticable. My extreme can make good signal out to the street from my house. The physical location is right in the middle of the house so its a good distance, and the front of my house is half brick. The express on the other hand wouldn't broadcast out to the driveway. The difference is about 50 feet. The other good thing about the extreme is your not limited to the wall outlet, so you can put it on a desk, table or book shelf.
Just to be clear -- is the AirEx connected to an ethernet cable or is it wirelessly extending a wireless network?
Thanks again
It was Wireless extending the network. I moved it to the location where the iMac sits right now. The express is sitting right on the border where the signal from the other airport goes in and out so its not reliable. I actually just put a Cat5E jack on the network drop under the desk and patched in the iMac to the switch back in the Tele Co closet. The airport is just sitting there not being used at this time. I think at some point we are gonna redo the way we have the Airports arranged so we have better wireless coverage, but its kinda hard to do when the building your in is designed in an odd way, (not easy to design a good network)
No, not true. There will be a speed hit, but by no means will he be operating at G speeds on his wireless N Mac. It was true that wireless G networks that had wireless B devices connect would run at B speeds, but it's not true for N routers. Or at least, not true for the Airport Extreme or Express.
I have personal experience with this. I get about 2MB/s from/to my wife's wireless G MB, while I get 5-8MB/s with my unibody MBP.
What you posted is effectively how to do "mixed" network setup. If you select B/G compatible, B/G enabled devices can connect. If you select N only, only N devices can connect.
You should check your facts:
One of many such references on many sites. This one from:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24640?viewlocale=en_US
I don't have to "check my facts" by looking up anything. I see that I can move data to and from my wired iMac to my MBP at 5-8MB/s and I can move data to and from my wireless G Mini and wife's MB at 1.5-2MB/s.
Edit: The data posted here - http://www.applesource.com.au/itunes/soa/Apple-Airport-Extreme/0,2000070799,339274873,00.htm corresponds to my experience.
Edit: The data posted here - http://www.applesource.com.au/itunes/soa/Apple-Airport-Extreme/0,2000070799,339274873,00.htm corresponds to my experience.
Thank you -- I'll give this a go. I have been unsuccessful so far. Do you have the 802.11n model?
Yeah its the 802.11n model. The only downside to the express is that it does not broadcast as far as the extreme does, and thats part of the reason why Im running a the extreme at home.
The cost of trying to run 3 or 4 Extremes at the church right now is not in the budget and there is no good place to put them just because of the size of them.
For what it's worth, I chose the Airport Extreme. I hardwired two Dell computers, a new Precision T3400 and an old Dimension. I also hardwired a printer. I connect to that network wirelessly with the MBP. I'm very pleased. I have an old Victorian house with double thick solid brick walls. My office is in a corner in the front. If I go to the backyard with the MBP, I can connect with no difficulty. Or for that matter, from anywhere in the house. I'm both surprised, and pleased. By the way, from my Midwestern location I connect wirelessly over the network cable connection at about 50ms to an East Coast location that I use daily.
Edit: By the way, I still have the USB port open.
Edit: By the way, I still have the USB port open.
Wow what a difference a day makes! I just ordered the new Airport Extreme Base as it states that the new one will not have any issues of a N capable computer being forced to use a G signal if thats the lowest in the house. Now my Dell Desktop can run off its G signal and my soon to be new MBP can run off an N signal. Great stuff
Wow what a difference a day makes! I just ordered the new Airport Extreme Base as it states that the new one will not have any issues of a N capable computer being forced to use a G signal if thats the lowest in the house. Now my Dell Desktop can run off its G signal and my soon to be new MBP can run off an N signal. Great stuff
Yeah, if what you're connecting to is local. Problem with me is 99% of activity is to the Internet. It doesn't matter if I'm linked over 10Gb fiber if the other connection is only 6Mb.
Wow what a difference a day makes! I just ordered the new Airport Extreme Base as it states that the new one will not have any issues of a N capable computer being forced to use a G signal if thats the lowest in the house. Now my Dell Desktop can run off its G signal and my soon to be new MBP can run off an N signal. Great stuff
Haha, you got pretty lucky. We just started talking about having mixed G and N signals and *poof* wish granted