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Transport 998 · Jan 13, 2009, 05:27 PM

Can I use an airport express w/itunes as a repeater to boost my signal to the other end of the house? We have an extra one and wondered if I plugged it in the hallway outlet will it work to pick up the weak signal and sent it to the bedroom? If so how do you set it up?

Cold Warrior · Jan 13, 2009, 05:41 PM

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.h...en/ap2045.html

See if those steps work for you.

Simon · Jan 14, 2009, 02:10 AM

You should definitely check out the link CW posted above.

Here's another one.
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Des....5-Windows.pdf
What you want is called WDS and is described in that Apple Manual on pages 42-46. It's written with the AP Extreme in mind, but you can do it with two AP Expresses too.

WDS can sometimes be a bit finicky and performance sometimes also remains below expectations (especially if you use an AP Express rather than an AP Extreme which has better signal strength and range). If that turns out to be the case for you, you could think about wiring the second AP Express to the same router you attached the first AP Express. If you do not like the idea of pulling a long Ethernet cable through your house you could consider a pair of powerline adapters between your router and your second AP Express. They're not expensive and in my (limited) experience they work ok.

Transport 998 · Mar 11, 2009, 02:31 PM

Now my base station so to speak is a different brand of wireless router. This seems to be creating problems. Thanks for the help so far and are there any ways around this? Will it just use the wireless signal from the router and boost it to the other side of the house? It's not that far just poor 1 bar service if not. Thanks again. dk

Andrew Stephens · Mar 11, 2009, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by Transport 998

Now my base station so to speak is a different brand of wireless router. This seems to be creating problems. Thanks for the help so far and are there any ways around this? Will it just use the wireless signal from the router and boost it to the other side of the house? It's not that far just poor 1 bar service if not. Thanks again. dk

Earlier AEX's and older versions of airport utility often choked on setting up WDS on non apple kit, but the current AEX and;/or AU software is much better. The only make of router that I sometimes find fussy is DLink, but they suck anyway.

paulio · Mar 12, 2009, 04:36 PM

I have had great experiences using an Airport Express as a repeater. I've even had a couple of installations where the distance was very long so long that I had to use two repeaters in a row. That's three Airport Expresses in a row, two repeaters and one main base station.

Be aware that a single repeater will more than half the speed of the Airport Express. If you are just repeating an Internet connection, the speed drop is will not matter. If you are repeating a connection to a Time Capsule, the speed drop will matter a lot more.

The one important thing to be aware of is that there must be a strong signal between one Airport Express and the next one. You cannot repeat a weak signal.

First, setup the repeaters. I'm not going to go over the details the setup. Keep the Airport Expresses close together. Make sure that they both have green lights.

Second, plug in the repeater where you would like to put it. Be sure that both Airport Expresses have green lights.

Third check the signal strength. The signal meter is in the Airport Utility. Important - do a manual setup by double clicking on the main Airport. Click Advanced. Click Statistics. Click Logs and Statistics.

The other Airport will appear in the graph. Be sure that the power is at least -70 or so. The -60 is better -30 is about the best that you can get. If the signal is too weak then reposition the repeater.

If there happens to be more than one item in the graph this step will be confusing. Turn off any other wireless devices that are connected to the network until there is only one device in the graph.

Paul Russo
Mac Specialist Boulder Colorado

iota2 · Mar 27, 2009, 06:33 AM

Hi,

Is it possible to achieve a WDS with a non Apple base station, in my case, I have a Linksys N wifi router (WRVS4400N) and an Airport Express. I want to use my Airport Express as device to extend wifi range...

Thanks.

chabig · Mar 27, 2009, 07:21 AM

I don't think an Airport Express can be a WDS repeater for anything other than an Apple base station.

Andrew Stephens · Mar 27, 2009, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by chabig

I don't think an Airport Express can be a WDS repeater for anything other than an Apple base station.

Yes they can.

iota2 · Mar 27, 2009, 11:13 PM

Thanks for the reply...

Could you please post how to setup an Airport Express to extend wifi range using a non Apple base station. As I specified earlier my base station/wifi router is a Linksys N wifi router (WRVS4400N).

The wireless tab at the config menu shows "Participate in a WDS network" or "Extend a wireless network".
When I select "Extend a wireless network" and choose my current wifi network name (SSID), an error message comes up saying "The network you selected cannot be extended".

Can you please shed a light.

Andrew Stephens · Mar 28, 2009, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by iota2

Thanks for the reply...

Could you please post how to setup an Airport Express to extend wifi range using a non Apple base station. As I specified earlier my base station/wifi router is a Linksys N wifi router (WRVS4400N).

The wireless tab at the config menu shows "Participate in a WDS network" or "Extend a wireless network".
When I select "Extend a wireless network" and choose my current wifi network name (SSID), an error message comes up saying "The network you selected cannot be extended".

Can you please shed a light.

The issue is not with your AEX but with the network setup on the linksys. By default most secure networks are configured not to allow extension. You will need to log into the linksys router and set your network to allow extensions. Then the AEX should hop right on.

nostar · Apr 11, 2009, 10:55 PM

Ok, I've searched far and wide for an answer to this same question. The last response on this topic makes sense and is great, except that I can't find out where to allow the D-link router to allow extensions.

Crime: i. Can't get AirPort to boost/extend signal from D-Crap, er, D-Link. I live on the second floor of my real estate office, and the office router is located in the basement.

Suspects: i. D-Link DI-524 router (no longer supported by D-Link) --> in basement of my office, can't change this (would love to, but can't); ii. Apple AirPort Extreme --> plugged in exactly two floors above router, I get a great signal in that room, outside that, not too good: plaster walls;
iii. 2 MacBooks, 1 G4.

Leads: i. 2 Apple agents in the store told me that I could extend/boost my signal via an AirPort Extreme base. Told them that the main router in the basement wasn't an Apple product. One even stated that he piggy-backed this same way while living downtown as a college student; the main router he was getting his signal from was not an Apple product.
ii. I couldn't get this to work when I came home, all the AirPort wants to do is join the existing network, SSID: default (I didn't name it, my broker did.)

iii. Called Apple and the tech (I don't think he knew what he was doing, it took him 10 minutes to enter my name, zip, and everything else) eventually told me that I can't do what I was told I could do. I was told that the base router needs to be an Apple product.

iv. I've done a lot of searching online and found way too many contradicting thoughts, but no actual answers. Can I do this, or not? If I can't, I need to return the AirPort, buy a D-Link booster, or convince my broker to switch to a different router in the basement.

Any suggestions, help would be appreciated.

ps. I have total permission to do this and I do have access to log into the D-Link.

Simon · Apr 12, 2009, 01:43 AM

Have you set up the D-Link for WDS?

nostar · Apr 12, 2009, 01:05 PM

Not sure if the D-Link supports WDS. I can't find a setting for it in the admin login.

Simon · Apr 12, 2009, 01:12 PM

Without it you can't (wirelessly) extend the wifi network.

nostar · Apr 12, 2009, 01:36 PM

ahhh... That would make sense. I know the router needs a firmware upgrade, I just haven't had time to go downstairs and plug in to do it. Do you think that possibly after updating the firmware it could change some of the settings?

Besides that, I'm going to see if I can convince my broker to change routers.

Do I have a valid argument to convince him to buy another AirPort Extreme for downstairs? We've had some issues with the D-Link (having to reset it now and then because it won't broadcast). So he's aware he may need an upgrade, he's just not that into Mac products (although his son did convince him to buy him a MacBook). We have three desktop PC's downstairs running: one PC is running 98, two are running XP. All the real estate agents use their laptops: most on XP, there may be one or two running Vista. Everyone needs to run the Windows environment because our real estate MLS site only runs on Internet Explorer (lazy programming).

So would it be better for him to buy an Airport Extreme, or should he buy a Linksys or something along those lines?

Andrew Stephens · May 10, 2009, 05:59 AM

If your router does not support WDS (and some cheaper or older ones don't) then your only real option is to disable the wireless on the router and connect either an express or base station to the router via ethernet and set up a wds network on that.

The sooner Apple release either a Time Capsule or ABS with a router, the better. For the price of them its a dumb ass move not to offer that.

Simon · May 10, 2009, 08:19 AM

Dumb ass move? I highly doubt that's the case considering there's both cable and DSL to be supported in addition to different variants being used in different countries along with different specifications, regulations, certifications that they need to get. I'm pretty certain it's business-wise smarter to let the local carriers handle all that and stick to things that can be sold globally w/o modifications (apart from software configuration and different power plugs).

Andrew Stephens · May 10, 2009, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by Simon

Dumb ass move? I highly doubt that's the case considering there's both cable and DSL to be supported in addition to different variants being used in different countries along with different specifications, regulations, certifications that they need to get. I'm pretty certain it's business-wise smarter to let the local carriers handle all that and stick to things that can be sold globally w/o modifications (apart from software configuration and different power plugs).

Netgear, Linksys et al don't seem to have a problem selling routers. There's only really cable and DSL to cater for and most DSL is the same flavour and within the routers config software to handle.

Nearly everyone I install a TC or AEBS for wants it to be a router as well. That's pretty much 100% market demand.

chabig · May 10, 2009, 07:44 PM

Both the Time Capsule and the Airport Extreme ARE routers.

Andrew Stephens · May 11, 2009, 01:20 AM

Originally Posted by chabig

Both the Time Capsule and the Airport Extreme ARE routers.

sorry my bad. I meant modem/routers.

Simon · May 11, 2009, 06:33 AM

100% of your acquaintances != 100% of the market

Also, market demand != good for Apple's business

Andrew Stephens · May 11, 2009, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by Simon

100% of your acquaintances != 100% of the market

Also, market demand != good for Apple's business

Well 100% of the people I see is 100% of MY market for these. They all want the thing to do away with their modem. I have no data on the rest of the "market"

Market demand normally does = good for business, don't you think? No ones asking Apple to sell these at a loss.

Simon · May 11, 2009, 08:22 AM

No, actually I don't agree at all.

I consider the market relevant to what Apple does, not your market (whatever that might be). I also know that just because there's supposedly a lot of demand for something does not necessarily mean Apple believes there's a lot of money to make by selling it. And finally I do consider the "dumb ass move" part an ill-judged ~~armchair~~ forum CEO rant.

Of course you are free to hope for an Apple-branded DSL/cable modem as much as you want. I believe it is neither likely to happen nor actually of great benefit to anyone.