Hi Guys..first time poster/long time lover of the forums
I currently have a wireless network in my house using an Airport Extreme. I have a cable modem running into it and then a WPA2 protected wireless network broadcasting for various devices in my house including a 'main' computer and printer which is located on the other side of the house.
Sadly the signal is fairly weak by the time it gets to the other side (~28% according to iStumbler) and the printer (wireless) often drops out and the main computer gets very sub-par performance from the network. Worst yet, this is the computer that syncs to my Apple TV (Gen1) so the buffering/sync'ing speeds are terrible.
Anyway, due to the construction of the house I cannot run an ethernet cable to this back room (lets call it the den) and so need a way to bring the wireless signal 'closer'. This is when I invested in an Airport Express which I could plug in about 50% closer to the den and then run an ethernet cable from it to the Airport Extreme so as to not loose any of the wireless signal/bandwidth etc (this is what 99% of the forums say to do!)
My problem now that I've done this and configured it a dozen different ways (to test) is that in effect the signal is marginally better and performance is NOT notably better. iStumbler shows a signal strength of 37% now even though I'm less then 11 feet from the Airport Express. I've tested creating new networks, joining networks, the exact same settings as the Airport Extreme etc etc etc..and nothing has made a difference.
Now my main concern is that I feel like it is NOT in fact using the ethernet cable to 'create' /boost the signal but in fact is still relying on the wireless signal to then repeat. I cannot figure out anyway to test and see if it is indeed using the ethernet to rebroadcast the original Airport Extreme network.
Sorry for the ramble but if anyone could lay this out for me (step by step if it's not too much to ask) I would be forever grateful as I'm at my wits end trying to get a decent signal in this house!!
drebin
I currently have a wireless network in my house using an Airport Extreme. I have a cable modem running into it and then a WPA2 protected wireless network broadcasting for various devices in my house including a 'main' computer and printer which is located on the other side of the house.
Sadly the signal is fairly weak by the time it gets to the other side (~28% according to iStumbler) and the printer (wireless) often drops out and the main computer gets very sub-par performance from the network. Worst yet, this is the computer that syncs to my Apple TV (Gen1) so the buffering/sync'ing speeds are terrible.
Anyway, due to the construction of the house I cannot run an ethernet cable to this back room (lets call it the den) and so need a way to bring the wireless signal 'closer'. This is when I invested in an Airport Express which I could plug in about 50% closer to the den and then run an ethernet cable from it to the Airport Extreme so as to not loose any of the wireless signal/bandwidth etc (this is what 99% of the forums say to do!)
My problem now that I've done this and configured it a dozen different ways (to test) is that in effect the signal is marginally better and performance is NOT notably better. iStumbler shows a signal strength of 37% now even though I'm less then 11 feet from the Airport Express. I've tested creating new networks, joining networks, the exact same settings as the Airport Extreme etc etc etc..and nothing has made a difference.
Now my main concern is that I feel like it is NOT in fact using the ethernet cable to 'create' /boost the signal but in fact is still relying on the wireless signal to then repeat. I cannot figure out anyway to test and see if it is indeed using the ethernet to rebroadcast the original Airport Extreme network.
Sorry for the ramble but if anyone could lay this out for me (step by step if it's not too much to ask) I would be forever grateful as I'm at my wits end trying to get a decent signal in this house!!
drebin