Airport Express issues !!

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I have just bought a new airport express base station to add on to existing Cisco fibre router as old TP Link range extenders were rubbish and this airport is just as bad I'm afraid to say ! :-( I have wired my own ethernet sockets in every room and am a self employed Electrician, data wiring tech and fibre and copper comms installation / fault teacher / senior engineer. So it's been wired correctly to the ethernet port but everytime it's linked and on green it causes mayhem and stops the wifi working let alone boosting it ! what is the problem as many seem to have these issues and nothing works until it's powered down and removed from the network router etc... ?
 
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You must trust Cisco more than I.
 

Slydude

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We need to know how the settings on the Express is configured. Also, what specifically do you mean by "causes mayhem"? I have a syspicion that the Express is set up to function as a router and providing DHCP addresses. If your main router is also providing DHCP addresses there can be numerous problems.
 
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MacInWin

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Specifically, there can only be ONE DHCP router in the network. The Airport comes with the default setting to be the DHCP router, so you have to either turn it off there and put the Airport in bridge mode, or turn it off on the Cisco and put the Cisco in bridge mode. Otherwise they both try to take control of the network.

Oh, and if you have both Ethernet and WiFi connections that can create havoc on the individual system, too.
 
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You must trust Cisco more than I.

Ha not much, I just had one knocking about from when I finished fibre installs locally as the new routers they were using were rubbish and haven't had the cash to buy a better one yet ! What router would you go for ? the Airport Extreme ?
 
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Now this is it ! Basically it seems like they are both trying to assign IP's as all I have done is try plugging in express in my bedroom and with router in lounge just added airport utility onto my 6S and tried to set it up but all I could see was the router assign 1923.168.1.3 to the Express station and it just asked for the WPA2 password and said done ! I did and do not know if I need to go into express and find other settings such as DHCP off etc as couldn't get much info on phone app ! Do I need to use my MacBook Pro to connect to it to setup different parameters ?
 
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Ah o.k. I assumed the Airport would come setup default as no DHCP server ! as is not Airport extreme ? and no idea how I would put router into bridge mode either ?
 
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chas_m

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You know what I do when I get a piece of equipment that needs to be configured for a custom purpose or otherwise not used in the normal way? I use a search engine with the terms I need, such as "configure Airport Express as bridge router," and sometimes I even include the name of the operating system in case anything's changed recently!

Maybe start with Airport Utility, which is located on your Mac. That's the configuration tool for setting up any Airport-type device.
 
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Can I assume the Cisco router is what you want to handle DHCP? And the Airport Express is attached to the Cisco router by Ethernet cable? Also you want the Airport Express to act as an extender. If all this is correct here is my suggestions.

1. Using your macbook pro and an ethernet cable, attach it to the airport express LAN port.
2. Your cable from the airport express to the Cisco router should be plugged into the WAN port.
3. On your MB Pro start the Airport Utility and let is "see" the Airport Express. Click on your airport express and from the menu that pops up click the edit box.
4. There will be a box that opens with 4 tabs - base station, internet, wireless, & network.
Under Base Station: you can set up the name for the airport express or leave the default and also set a password.
Under Internet: It should say DHCP and I would leave that alone.
Under Wireless: select "extend a wireless network"
- Fill in the name of your wireless network, select WPA2 personal security, make the password the same as any current password you are using on your wireless network.
- If you want 5 GHz click on Wireless Options and select the check box but make sure the network name matches your network name (delete the words 5 Ghz if it is added to the end of the name of your network.)
Under Network: Select "Bridge Mode"

Lisa
 

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