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Airport Express and an old iMac

K

Kong

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 7, 2004
22
0
I want to stream music from my old G3 iMac (DV graphite edition - 400 MHz) to my stereo in another room. I already have an Airport Express. I also have the iMac hooked up to a ethernet connection in the house.

Would it be best to just buy an Airport card for the iMac (would it work with the Express?), or to buy a second Express, hook that up on my home ethernet and then stream from the new Express to my first Express next to the stereo?

The second option sounds like a headache to set up. The first option sounds easy, but I'm reluctant to spend money on a first generation Airport card (the iMac doesn't support Extreme) for a computer that I may replace in the near future. I'd rather spend the bucks on a second Express since it may come in handy down the road.
 
I think right now your best solution would be to buy a USB Wireless Adapter. I know that D-Link might be one of your best places to go. I could be wrong, if I am Im sure someone will correct me and tell you a better way.
 
I vote for the second express. Problems with this route: probably a little less network stability, but as you point out, it can later be repurposed, perhaps to add a new speaker node to your network.

Also, you can't get the original Airport cards retail at all anymore, so you might end up paying virtually the same price as the Airport Express for a used card.
 
I also vote for a second Express - the bridging capability could be used for more than just your Mac and could definitely be repurposed later on, plus you'd get 802.11g speeds (when used as a bridge and within suitable range) as opposed to 802.11b.
 
I think I might go the second Express route. I've only barely used the one I have so far (basically when I was housesitting and wanted a connection for my laptop).

So it is possible to hook an Express on a home ethernet set-up, have my iMac send to tunes to that, and have that Express stream to a second Express for playback?
 
jlewis2k1 said:
I think right now your best solution would be to buy a USB Wireless Adapter. I know that D-Link might be one of your best places to go. I could be wrong, if I am Im sure someone will correct me and tell you a better way.
Click to expand...

I highly recommend against USb adaptors. I've heard reports of them being flaky and driver support can be dicey.

Better options (though more expensive) is an ethernet based adaptor like the linksys WET11. they are Os independent and require no drivers. I use one myself with an old iMac and it works great.

If you want an airport card, check out lacomputercompany.com and don't forget you need the adaptor as well.
 
A related question: does music via an Express sound great? I have a fm transmitter already for the iMac and the stereo, but sound quality gets a little thin in the process.

I've heard that an Express sounds as good as plugging the computer audio out directly into a stereo system. Is it really that good?
 
Kong said:
A related question: does music via an Express sound great? I have a fm transmitter already for the iMac and the stereo, but sound quality gets a little thin in the process.

I've heard that an Express sounds as good as plugging the computer audio out directly into a stereo system. Is it really that good?
Click to expand...

I don't have first hand experience, but I would think it would be. Afterall, its a digital signal. The signal that comes out of the USB ports would be exactly the same information as that coming out of the airport express. It works on a completely different way from an FM transmitter.
 
my express sounds ok...

you might consider an Airport Extreme basestation to hook up to your modem directly, you get ethernet to your iMac & works as a router, but is a little more expensive... and probably easier to set up with your Airport Express...

just a thought

J
 
Well my second Airport Express arrived today. I hooked it up to my stereo and I can stream to it from my Airport enabled laptop, no problem - sounds great.

Of course what I wanted to do was to stream from my old iMac which doesn't have an Airport card. I was hoping since it shares an ethernet network with my first Airport Express, it could somehow see it, send music to it and stream it to the second Express. Um, no, well at least I'm not sure how you go about it.

Are there some adjustments I should make in System Preferences (in Network or maybe Sharing)? Right now my cable modem is hooked into a router which in turn my iMac and Express are hooked up to.

Should I just slowly back away right now from the computer screen and forget this madness? It looks I can't do what I want to do without buying an old Airport card for the iMac afterall.
 
Go for a second Express or maybe an AirPort Extreme base station (whichever you'll find useful later).

The issues of adding an AirPort card to the iMac:
  1. AirPort cards will cost more than an AirPort Express (they can be found, but tend to have jacke dup prices).
  2. The AirPort card (802.11b) is limited in speed, this might cause choppy music. Going ethernet to an AirPort Express or Extreme wil get the better 802.11g wireless speed.
  3. Having two network interfaces set up on the same system can cause issues. (Wired ethernet is one, and the airport is the second.)
 
Bear said:
Go for a second Express or maybe an AirPort Extreme base station
Click to expand...

I just got a second Express and found that I still can't stream from my iMac (see above).

I'm thinking that to use Airtunes the computer in question needs to have an Airport card and that's that. Simply having an Express or two on your local network somewhere is not enough.

If someone knows a work around, though, I'm all ears.
 
Not true!

Kong said:
I just got a second Express and found that I still can't stream from my iMac (see above).

I'm thinking that to use Airtunes the computer in question needs to have an Airport card and that's that. Simply having an Express or two on your local network somewhere is not enough.

If someone knows a work around, though, I'm all ears.
Click to expand...

I'm at my desk, using a G5 with no airport card. I have an express set up (only to "join" a local network, not provide access), and my itunes can see it.

The problem will be if your wireless network is set up - by your wireless router - to be on a different subnet or provide NAT. If your wireless access point is just doing transparent bridging, you will see all airport expresses on the local net from a non-airport computer on the same lan.
 
Kong said:
I just got a second Express and found that I still can't stream from my iMac (see above).

I'm thinking that to use Airtunes the computer in question needs to have an Airport card and that's that. Simply having an Express or two on your local network somewhere is not enough.

If someone knows a work around, though, I'm all ears.
Click to expand...
Do you have the two AirPort Express set up to use WDS? Or some other setup?

I have an AirPort Extreme and an Express in a WDS network and I can play to the speakers on the Express just fine from a system with not AirPort card.
 
Kong,

Just did this myself two days ago so contact me if there are still issues.

1. Set-up wireless node attached to iMac via ethernet (I use d-link g604t adsl modem and router for my broadband access.)

2. As you have an airport use airport set-up assistant to make this your network.

3. Then connect ans set-up other airport to stereo, then use airport admin utility to make this extend your network.

4. Ensure iTunes is up to date with AirTunes on the iMac and off you go.

Enjoy, btw I think the music over airtunes sounds great it has more to do with ripped quality than siiues caused by the link.

John
 
Thanks everyone. As most of you noted/guessed I do have the wireless set up on a different node than the iMac. Tomorrow I'm going to switch my routing connection arount so that the iMac is connected to the Express. I'm glad to hear this does work.

I'l report back with (I hope) good news.
 
More input requested.

All,

Kong has indicated that he cannot use the airport admin utility without an airport card in the computer doing the controlling. Is this correct or is there another way going across another wireless network or by ethernet.

John
 
Success! I'm not even sure what I did right, to be honest. I didn't change my routing set-up from the way it was. The other night I was able to see/change my Express(es) (Expressii?) from my iMac using the Airport Admin Utility, but I wasn't able to use the Set Up Assistant (telling me I had to have an Airport card first).

Today, however, I notice that remote speakers are now being seen on my iMac's iTunes. Maybe quitting/restarting iTunes at some point did the trick. Who knows.

Somtimes dumb luck is all you need.

Thanks to everyone for your help!
 
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