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Extending Wireless Range via Airport Express

wayne905

wayne905

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2012
170
119
Maple, Ontario, Canada
Tomorrow I'm going to be setting up my new Time Capsule in my home office, and I have a question about extending wireless range via Airport Express. First off, my TC is in my home office which is on my 2nd floor at the front of my house. I want to extend the wireless range to the main level at the back of my house. My current wireless router has a very weak signal - so I'm sure I will need to extend the range to the back of my house. Besides, I have an AE so I might as well put it to use regardless if this TC has a better range.

So to the question at hand. My living room has an ethernet cable running to my office. So, can I plug my AE into the ethernet jack (to get the best possible data speed), or do I need to do this only wirelessly? If ethernet is the best route, do I still want the option to 'extend my wireless network' on the setup? Or do I simply create a new network using the same WIFI SSID and password as the one I create on the TC?
 
wayne905 said:
Tomorrow I'm going to be setting up my new Time Capsule in my home office, and I have a question about extending wireless range via Airport Express. First off, my TC is in my home office which is on my 2nd floor at the front of my house. I want to extend the wireless range to the main level at the back of my house. My current wireless router has a very weak signal - so I'm sure I will need to extend the range to the back of my house. Besides, I have an AE so I might as well put it to use regardless if this TC has a better range.

So to the question at hand. My living room has an ethernet cable running to my office. So, can I plug my AE into the ethernet jack (to get the best possible data speed), or do I need to do this only wirelessly? If ethernet is the best route, do I still want the option to 'extend my wireless network' on the setup? Or do I simply create a new network using the same WIFI SSID and password as the one I create on the TC?
Click to expand...

Do this. You need to set the AE in bridge mode. This will create a roaming network that will allow any WiFi connected device to use either the AE or the TC. Don't use 'extend my wireless network'.
I have this in my 4 story house with a long ground floor. There is an A Extreme on the ground floor with an A Express on the third floor and another A Express at the other end of the ground floor. The 2 iPhones, the iPad and the MBA all connect to any of the 3 AE units.
 
drsox said:
Do this. You need to set the AE in bridge mode. This will create a roaming network that will allow any WiFi connected device to use either the AE or the TC. Don't use 'extend my wireless network'.
I have this in my 4 story house with a long ground floor. There is an A Extreme on the ground floor with an A Express on the third floor and another A Express at the other end of the ground floor. The 2 iPhones, the iPad and the MBA all connect to any of the 3 AE units.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for your help. Just so I know if I use the same SSID and password on both TC and AE, does that mean my ipad, Macbook Air or iphone will connect to the stronger of the two signals?
 
I have a TC and a Express and as with most Apple products. "It just works!"

Apparently it knows and is able to connect to the strongest signal automatically.
 
I'm not sure what the standards are to pick up on different strengths of signals and what have you but, it will swap between them as it sees fit and I doubt you will notice.

EDIT: Ok, next time I will reload after I walk away for something. Sorry. :) Sodner said it correctly.
 
wayne905 said:
Thanks so much for your help. Just so I know if I use the same SSID and password on both TC and AE, does that mean my ipad, Macbook Air or iphone will connect to the stronger of the two signals?
Click to expand...

In theory, yes. In practice, it does hang on to the old signal. Best to get as close to the "new" AE as practicable and wait for a few mins - then you will see it change. Airport Utility will show you where the device is "tethered" to.

In my experience, the 5Ghz signal is better at switching than the 2.4Ghz signal. Must be due to the shorter range but higher data rates of the 5Ghz band.
 
drsox said:
In theory, yes. In practice, it does hang on to the old signal. Best to get as close to the "new" AE as practicable and wait for a few mins - then you will see it change. Airport Utility will show you where the device is "tethered" to.

In my experience, the 5Ghz signal is better at switching than the 2.4Ghz signal. Must be due to the shorter range but higher data rates of the 5Ghz band.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the advise. Looking forward to setting everything up this weekend!
 
drsox said:
Do this. You need to set the AE in bridge mode. This will create a roaming network that will allow any WiFi connected device to use either the AE or the TC. Don't use 'extend my wireless .
Click to expand...

What is "bridge mode" called or labeled in the airport utility screens?
 
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