Daisy Chaining Airport Express: The Ultimate Guide

Daisy-chaining routers allow you to build a wireless network in a large house with thick walls, where a single router wouldn't have enough range. Apple's Airport Express and Extreme routers can be used to create one giant wireless network. However, Apple's extend feature will only allow the network to be extended from the main AirPort Base Station. In other words, each extender must connect directly to the main AirPort base station, and not to another extender. This setup works like the hub and spokes of a wheel, with the main router as the hub and each extender at the end of a spoke. While it is possible to have multiple extenders, they can only communicate directly with the hub and not with each other.

Daisy-chaining Airport Express routers wirelessly is not possible

Daisy-chaining routers is a method of creating a large wireless network by connecting multiple routers to a central hub. This allows for a stronger wireless signal to be broadcast over a wider area. While this can be done with Apple Airport Express routers, it is not possible to do so wirelessly.

Wireless daisy-chaining of Airport Express routers is not possible due to the way Apple's "extend" feature is designed. This feature works like the hub and spokes of a wheel, with the main router acting as the hub and each additional router (or "remote") residing at the end of a spoke. While you can have multiple remotes, each one must communicate directly with the hub and not with another remote. In other words, the signal cannot be passed from one router to the next; each router must be within range of the central hub.

To daisy-chain Airport Express routers, you must connect them using Ethernet cables. This can be done by connecting the LAN port on the main router to the WAN port on the first extender, then connecting the LAN port on the first extender to the WAN port on the next router, and so on. This way, you can chain as many Airport Express routers as needed. However, keep in mind that if one router in the chain experiences a problem, it may affect all the other routers in the chain.

Additionally, when extending a wireless network with multiple routers, the signal strength and speed will decrease with each extender. With one extender, the potential max speed of the network will be cut in half. Adding more extenders will result in further speed reduction. Therefore, it is always better to connect remote routers back to the main router using wired Ethernet connections if possible.

Daisy-chaining Airport Express routers with Ethernet cables is possible

However, it is important to note that there are some potential downsides to daisy-chaining. For example, if one Airport in the chain experiences a connection problem, it is likely that all the other Airports in the chain will also have connection problems. Additionally, daisy-chaining can result in a loss of network speed. Each wireless extender will reduce the max potential speed of the network by about half.

To avoid these issues, it is recommended to connect remote Airports back to the main Airport using wired Ethernet connections, rather than daisy-chaining. This allows for more direct communication between the remote Airports and the main Airport, and helps to isolate connection problems to a single device.

Alternatively, Ethernet powerline adapters can be used to send an Ethernet signal over the existing AC wiring in a home, eliminating the need for extensive Ethernet cabling. However, this method may not always work as expected, so it is advisable to understand the store's return policy before purchasing powerline adapters.

Daisy-chaining Airport Express routers with Ethernet cables and wirelessly is not possible

Daisy-chaining routers is a method of creating a wireless network that covers a large area, such as a big house with thick walls. While it is possible to daisy-chain Airport Express routers, there are some important limitations and considerations to keep in mind, especially when it comes to Ethernet cables and wireless connections.

First, it is important to understand the basic structure of a daisy-chained network. The network is set up like the hub and spokes of a wheel, with the main router acting as the hub and each additional router acting as a spoke. In an Ethernet cable setup, the main router is connected to the first extender via an Ethernet cable, and then each subsequent extender is connected to the previous one. This way, you can chain as many routers as you need. However, a downside to this setup is that if one router in the chain experiences a problem, it can affect all the other routers in the chain.

When it comes to daisy-chaining Airport Express routers with Ethernet cables, it is indeed possible. However, there is a specific setup process that must be followed. Each Airport Express router must be reset and set up again using the Apple AirPort setup wizard. Additionally, the WiFi must be turned off for each device after the initial setup. This is because the setup wizard does not offer the option to connect the routers via Ethernet cables without enabling WiFi.

While daisy-chaining Airport Express routers wirelessly is possible, it is important to note that it cannot be done in a true daisy-chain fashion. That is, you cannot have a wireless connection between two Airport Express routers, where one router is already wirelessly extending the network from another router. In other words, each wireless extender must connect directly to the main AirPort base station, and not to another extender. This is a limitation of Apple's "extend" feature, which requires all extenders to be within direct range of the primary base station.

To summarise, while it is possible to daisy-chain Airport Express routers with Ethernet cables, it requires a specific setup process. Additionally, while wireless daisy-chaining is possible, it is limited by the need for each extender to connect directly to the main base station.

Daisy-chaining Airport Express routers with Ethernet cables in a loop will cause a broadcast storm

Daisy-chaining is a wiring scheme where multiple devices are connected in sequence or in a ring. In the case of Airport Express routers, daisy-chaining with Ethernet cables involves connecting from a LAN port on the main router to the WAN port on an extender, and then connecting from the LAN port on that extender to the WAN port on the next router, and so on. This can be done with as many routers as desired.

However, if these routers are connected in a loop, it can result in a broadcast storm. A broadcast storm is when a broadcast frame enters a switch, is propagated out to all ports, and then loops back to all the ports on the devices, getting stuck in a cycle where it keeps regenerating itself and bogging down the network. In the case of Ethernet networks, this is usually caused by a switching loop, where both ends of an Ethernet patch cable are connected to a switch.

Since the layer-2 header does not support a time-to-live (TTL) value, if a frame is sent into a looped topology, it can loop forever. This results in an extreme version of broadcast radiation, where there is a massive accumulation of broadcast and multicast traffic on a computer network, consuming sufficient network resources to render the network unable to transport normal traffic.

To prevent a broadcast storm when daisy-chaining Airport Express routers with Ethernet cables, it is important to ensure that the routers are not connected in a loop. This can be done by reviewing infrastructural diagrams and inspecting every port on all switches, hubs, wireless access points, and bridges to ensure that no switch is connected to itself directly or through another switch.

Daisy-chaining Airport Express routers with Ethernet cables and having the same SSID is not recommended

Firstly, daisy-chaining routers in this manner can cause connection problems. If one router in the chain experiences a connection issue, it is likely that all the other routers in the chain will also have connection problems. Troubleshooting can become difficult and time-consuming, as it is hard to identify which router in the chain is causing the problem.

Additionally, daisy-chaining Airport Express routers with Ethernet cables can result in a significant loss of network speed. With each additional router in the chain, the potential speed of the network decreases. For example, with one wireless extender, the network speed is cut in half, and with two extenders, it is reduced to a quarter of its original potential. This can lead to slow file transfers and backups.

Furthermore, daisy-chaining routers with the same SSID (Service Set Identifier) can cause authentication issues. While devices will automatically switch between access points with the same SSID, they will need to re-authenticate each time they connect to a new access point. This can lead to timing issues and an unreliable connection, especially when going through multiple access points.

Instead of daisy-chaining Airport Express routers with Ethernet cables, it is recommended to connect each router directly to the main base station using a wired Ethernet connection. This allows for better placement of the routers to provide optimal signal coverage. If running Ethernet cables is not feasible, powerline adapters can be used to send an Ethernet signal over the existing AC wiring in your home. While this method may not always work as expected, it is worth experimenting with, considering the store's return policy.

In conclusion, while it is technically possible to daisy-chain Airport Express routers with Ethernet cables and the same SSID, it is not recommended due to potential connection problems, speed loss, and authentication issues. A more reliable setup involves connecting each router directly to the main base station using wired Ethernet connections.

Frequently asked questions