3 Easy Steps to Extend Your Wireless Network with an AirPort Express

Your small business or home office may need additional wireless coverage, but you don’t want to pay too much for it. Luckily, adding an AirPort Express base station to your current wireless network can extend that coverage easily and cost-effectively. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps needed to add an AirPort Express to your existing AirPort Extreme base station. This will expand your wireless coverage throughout your house and beyond into your yard or garage.

Connect the AirPort Express Base Station

Connect the power supply and cable that comes with the AirPort Express Base Station to the power socket on your power outlet. Plug in your AirPort Extreme’s Ethernet cable into one of the ports on the back of the wireless access point, so that your router will connect wirelessly. Connect a desktop or laptop computer to one of the remaining three ports. You can now set up the new AirPort Base Station using your existing Wi-Fi network settings from the main router. You can also set up a guest network on this device too, just like you would do for any other Wi-Fi access point device.

Connect the AirPort Express to your existing network

1. Make sure your existing router is set to provide a wireless signal. Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the port labeled WAN on the back of your router and plug the other end into one of the available Ethernet ports on your AirPort Express.
2. Ensure that your Airport Extreme is connected to power and verify that its status light is solid green. 3. On your computer, choose System Preferences from the Apple menu.
3. Select Network from the list on the left side of the window and then click AirPort.
4. Click AirPort Express at the top right corner of the window, then select Wireless Options from the drop-down menu at bottom right corner of the window
5. Check off both boxes: ‘Enable AirPort’ and ‘Enable Wireless Clients’
6. Select Security tab .

Add it all up

How often do you find yourself at the limits of your home wireless network, trying in vain to connect that one device that won’t reach you? We have all been there. For those of us who are more technically inclined, it’s possible to extend your network using an AirPort Base Station and an AirPort Express. This is a 3-step process:

1) Find a place for the Base Station and make sure it has power.

2) Plug the Base Station into your modem.

3) Connect the Ethernet cable from your computer or router to the Base Station.

4) Connect the AirPort Express to an electrical outlet near where you need it.

5) Select AirPort Utility on your Mac or PC and follow the instructions on the screen.