Using Airport Express connected via Ethernet to extend Airport Extreme wireless lan?

Solution 1:

what you want to do is setup your express to be a "bridge" for your airport extreme network, you want to create a "new" wireless network (but if you use the same settings as your extreme, most macs should seamlessly work and switch as required)

make sure your airport express is configured not to do any NAT or give out IP's as that is maybe what is conflicting with your network currently, also make sure you give it an IP in the same subnet as your airport extreme and also that it does not conflict with any other machines

Solution 2:

So apple says to just set the same network name (but different device name), and password for all devices, and put them all in bridge mode. This seems to work, but it doesn't.
I have a 4th generation time capsule and an airport express 802.11g (2007 model), and although I can connect to both networks when I am in range, the connection is interrupted when I am listening to a radio stream, while walking from one to the other.
Note that the networks overlap, there is no gap with no reception from either, when I tried this.
Quite frustrating.

Solution 3:

you're creating a network loop, that's why it starts freaking out. stupid Airport Express can't extend wireless network by connecting to backbone network via Ethernet. If you choose "extend wireless network"... on Airport that you want as an extender, it takes the signal from nearest Airport, not from Ethernet. You can connect client PC to this Ethernet and it would get a connection from air. Because you connect Ethernet to a backbone, instead of a client machine, it creates a loop (wire connection to backbone from other airpot - extending connection through air - putting it back through a wire)