Multiple Airport express’es – should they use the same SSID?
I come from the PC world and am used to configuring wireless access points many times. However I had to do an Airport Express and Airport Extreme at the same time within the same household.
This was actually harder for me as you have to use a utility to configure, never the less it’s not hard to pick up.
However one question, are they designed to have the same SSID name?
In some houses I do this, and set them on a different channel so the residents only have to worry about 1 SSID and password.
However with the Airport express and extreme, in this case I’m not sure if I should give them the same SSID as they will be reasonably close to each other.
I was thinking maybe easier to give them different names and just tell the residents so use whichever is strongest depending on which room they are in.
Welcome opinions on this.
This was actually harder for me as you have to use a utility to configure, never the less it’s not hard to pick up.
However one question, are they designed to have the same SSID name?
In some houses I do this, and set them on a different channel so the residents only have to worry about 1 SSID and password.
However with the Airport express and extreme, in this case I’m not sure if I should give them the same SSID as they will be reasonably close to each other.
I was thinking maybe easier to give them different names and just tell the residents so use whichever is strongest depending on which room they are in.
Welcome opinions on this.
Jackie Man
actually, you can set airport extreme as a range extender for your airport express. just connect your airport extreme in extender mode and all wireless clients will be connected to wifi via a single ssid and password.
ASKER
will that give a good experience for the users, even if both the devices are quite close together.
In extender mode, does this work by say the express picking up it's connection from the extreme, and then repeating the signal, therefore making one not as strong?
In this case both devices will be able to connect to the main router via an Ethernet connection.
Repeating the signal is something I would not want to do, if it's my understanding of repeating the signal.
Thanks again.
In extender mode, does this work by say the express picking up it's connection from the extreme, and then repeating the signal, therefore making one not as strong?
In this case both devices will be able to connect to the main router via an Ethernet connection.
Repeating the signal is something I would not want to do, if it's my understanding of repeating the signal.
Thanks again.
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ASKER
OK craigbeck, thanks for your posting, as it confirms things are as I know them in my PC world and slots the mac air devices into a world I understand,
I could not see somewhere, where I could set the channel ID however (but did not look hard), and thought that maybe it's a clever things Apple does in that they know each other exist on the network and they automatically adjust their Channel to optimise performance for the end user.
Particular as the way you set them up is by plugging them into the network and then your utility on the Mac just sees the devices.
However maybe I'm giving the apple people more credit then I should.
anyway, so things I believe are back as I understand them. I will simple setup two individual access points (that happen to be Apple ones) give them the same SSID, and set different channels.
For sure the very nice one thing is that they do dual channel simultaneously. A netgear for example as the same price range will have a separate 2.4 and 5GHz network with different SSID's.
I do like that I must say.
I could not see somewhere, where I could set the channel ID however (but did not look hard), and thought that maybe it's a clever things Apple does in that they know each other exist on the network and they automatically adjust their Channel to optimise performance for the end user.
Particular as the way you set them up is by plugging them into the network and then your utility on the Mac just sees the devices.
However maybe I'm giving the apple people more credit then I should.
anyway, so things I believe are back as I understand them. I will simple setup two individual access points (that happen to be Apple ones) give them the same SSID, and set different channels.
For sure the very nice one thing is that they do dual channel simultaneously. A netgear for example as the same price range will have a separate 2.4 and 5GHz network with different SSID's.
I do like that I must say.
ASKER
I'm going to close this questions, but do not my related one:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/28292798/Apple-Airport-Extreme's-causing-packet-loss-on-network-why.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/28292798/Apple-Airport-Extreme's-causing-packet-loss-on-network-why.html