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Airport Express Now Shipping

80,000 Pre-orders

80,000 pre-orders! That's more than the original iPod sold in its first 18 months total (70,000). If that rate holds up its going to compete with the Mac for no. of units shipped, though the profit on each is going to be even less than the iPod so not greate shakes on revenue. Who would have thought a audio jack could turn a router into a knock out product. My reaction was why wasn't there an output to stream iPhotos to my TV and a TV based UI for controlling what's on? But I guess that Apple knows its market better than I...

Now... a digital radio tuner in the 4G iPod for us UK users and a 3G mobile handset with video / voice over IP to iChat and my gadget dreams will be fulfilled....

Sanj
 
impierced said:
Wal-Mart sells a "mini-to-optical digital Toslink audio cable"? How much are they?
Click to expand...

Okay, I'm having trouble finding them at Wal-Mart's online store, and I don't have time to go to the brick and mortar one. In fact, I don't think I bought my cable at Wal-Mart, but I did buy it at a retail store (maybe it was Target or Kmart?). And I spent less than $15. It's six feet long and has TOS link connectors with includd adapter tipes for mini. It's not a Monster cable, it's Magnavox branded.

I guess when you consider you're getting analog AND optical cables, plus the base station extention cord (which should be included with the Aex in my opinion) then maybe you have a $39 package. But if all you need is a single cable, there are far quicker, cheaper places to get one (even a Monster).
 
germ war said:
Got mine this morning! Sweet. Can't wait to go home and mess with it.
Click to expand...
I got mine this morning as well. Next day shipping from Taiwan -- impressive!

I hooked it up and had it working within 30 minutes. Joined my existing Linksys router wireless network using WPA. Everything seems to work great.

:cool:
 
Wow. People are getting theirs already, and mine hasn't even shipped yet! Yup, that's about my luck.
 
crzyltlman said:
I got mine this morning as well. Next day shipping from Taiwan -- impressive!

I hooked it up and had it working within 30 minutes. Joined my existing Linksys router wireless network using WPA. Everything seems to work great.

:cool:
Click to expand...

So you COULD extend your 3rd party network? I have a Microsoft router, but it's in the basement and I was hoping Airport Express would help me extend our network upstairs so we get a better signal, but I was under the impression that it wouldn't work that way. If it does, that's great - saves me having to go and buy an AP Extreme Base Station.
 
I just got mine and I have all the cords (not the kit but just from being a nerd). I have the orginal Tibook 400 with the 'regular' 802.11B Airport card. If anyone has the 'block' power adapter for their Powerbook(s) you can use that power adapter with the express. Music streaming works perfectly over the slower 802.11B network. I have yet to test printing because my printer is a real P*O*S. I'm off now. I'll try answer any more question in a few hours.
 
germ war said:
So you COULD extend your 3rd party network? I have a Microsoft router, but it's in the basement and I was hoping Airport Express would help me extend our network upstairs so we get a better signal, but I was under the impression that it wouldn't work that way. If it does, that's great - saves me having to go and buy an AP Extreme Base Station.
Click to expand...
Actually, I don't think it does work as an extension in this configuration, where the Express is in what it they call 'client mode'. It seems like it would on the surface, but there is a bit of a difference in how the AP Express would have to behave that's not very apparent.

I'm not expert enough to explain it properly, but I'll at least give it this shot. Imagine an analogous situation where there are three devices -- a wireless router and two wireless computers -- connected in a line, with each wireless link between them at its maximum range. Like this:

Router <--> Powerbook A <--> Powerbook B

Powerbook A can talk to the router, and PowerBook B can talk to Powerbook A, but unless Powerbook A auto-forwards packets back and forth between the router and Powerbook B, then Powerbook B cannot talk to the router. In 'client mode' on the Express, I don't think this auto-forwarding occurs (at least not with 3rd party equipment). So if you replaced Powerbook A with the Express in 'client mode', you wouldn't really be extending your network.

Please, someone else correct me if I'm wrong, or give a better explanation. I'm sure this will be a topic that a lot of people will want to understand.
 
Yes, that's correct, but check to see if you can extend your third party network in wds mode.
 
debo said:
Yes, that's correct, but check to see if you can extend your third party network in wds mode.
Click to expand...
Is WDS a defined standard (e.g. by IEEE), or do different manufacturers have their own versions of it?

Edit: Nevermind. It looks like it's part of 802.11.
 
I thought I had clearly explained this, but it turns out I haven't. Let me try again:

If you connect an AirPort Express unit to a 3rd party network or an AirPort (any kind) network, using Client mode, it can ONLY:
1. Stream Audio
2. Share a Printer

If you connect an AirPort Express unit to an AirPort Extreme or Express network, using WDS, it can:
1. Stream Audio
2. Share a Printer
3. Extend the range of your wireless network
4. Act as an Ethernet-to-Wireless bridge (because the knowladge base articals state that the ethernet port acts as a LAN port if it's set as a Remote WDS unit)

I hope this is finally clear.

Edit: I forgot to mention, although WDS (Wireless Distribution System) is a 802.11 standard, different brands use different variations for it. I belive it wasn't actully a requirement for 802.11 certification, so different companies made different versions of it.

Edit 2: Turns out it supports WPA-Personal AND WEP. My mistake.
 
80 000

not only that! already more than 80 000 pre-orders have been made for the airport express since july 7th. i must say its a truly remarcable little thing! it is surly a thing that you buy more than one of... :) :D :cool:
 
I'm really jealous of all you people who have received them already, mine hasn't even shipped yet. It sounds like we can't extend other wireless networks which is a shame, I thought one of the uses advertised was to extend access point in hotels :confused:. Hopefully it will ship tomorrow, to meet the on or before 15 July. Come on Apple please :rolleyes:
 
Sabbath said:
It sounds like we can't extend other wireless networks which is a shame, I thought one of the uses advertised was to extend access point in hotels :confused:
Click to expand...

AHHHHHHHHHH! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS?

The person that no one is listening to said:
If you connect an AirPort Express unit to a 3rd party network or an AirPort (any kind) network, using Client mode, it can ONLY:
1. Stream Audio
2. Share a Printer

If you connect an AirPort Express unit to an AirPort Extreme or Express network, using WDS, it can:
1. Stream Audio
2. Share a Printer
3. Extend the range of your wireless network
4. Act as an Ethernet-to-Wireless bridge (because the knowladge base articals state that the ethernet port acts as a LAN port if it's set as a Remote WDS unit)
Click to expand...


"If you connect an AirPort Express unit to an AirPort Extreme or Express network, using WDS, it can:"
"3. Extend the range of your wireless network"

Get it? You can extend a wireless network, as long as it is an AirPort Extreme or Express network! If it is a 3rd party network, you can still stream music and share a printer, but not extend your wireless network, or have it act as an Ethernet-to-Wireless bridge.

And finally: If you jack this into an access point in a hotel, and turn the DHCP server off, you will get wireless broadband. The same applies to adding it to an existing wired network.

Do you all understand now?
 
Jalexster said:
AHHHHHHHHHH! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS?
Click to expand...
Chillax, man.

Sabbath, while obviously Jalexster wants you to understand that it will only extend the reach of the wireless access in a hotel if your hotel is using Airport Extremes or Expresses, that wasn't really what they had said regarding usage in hotels. They had primarily mentioned the scenario of creating a wireless network in your hotel room by plugging into a wired connection, not so much on the extending thing. (Although if you brought two Expresses, you could certainly set up a wider wireless coverage zone in your room with the wired connection.)

And back to Jalexster, I think what people have an intuitive problem with is that if the Express can act as a network extension in one mode, why not in client mode as well. Most people don't know/think about the different protocols and technologies involved. They probably see it more like, "Why can't that thing just continue to bucket-brigade my packets along?", especially when they know it CAN do it. That's just a guess.

Edited for less obnoxious sarcasm.
 
To me, the AirPort Express has one problem with it:

Why can I buy, for example a D-Link Ethernet-to-Wireless bridge, and a D-Link Wireless access point, link them with an Ethernet cable, and therefore extend my wireless network, by having one join my existing network, and the other one create a whole new network.

And it is possible.
 
Disappointed.

I'm frustrated and disappointed with this so far. I went and bought an Extreme Base Station today so I could extend the network using an Airport Express. The Extreme Base Station tells me I have to distribute IP addresses in order to turn on WDS, but when I do, I lose my internet connection.

I'm assuming something's wrong with my settings, but I don't understand why this has to be such a headache.
 
apple charged my card today. my aex is supposed to ship by tomorrow, so apparently it will.

ps: i think it should be easy to setup. it's a mac thing. i don't know what these other problems are about. i'll report if i have a hiccup with it at all, but i'm not expecting trouble.
 
Worried

germ war said:
I'm frustrated and disappointed with this so far. I went and bought an Extreme Base Station today so I could extend the network using an Airport Express. The Extreme Base Station tells me I have to distribute IP addresses in order to turn on WDS, but when I do, I lose my internet connection.

I'm assuming something's wrong with my settings, but I don't understand why this has to be such a headache.
Click to expand...

Hmmm...I'm still waiting for my AEX to arrive, but I'm a little concerned that it won't work with my setup. I have my Airport Extreme Network hooked up through a wired router. I guess it's acting as a relay station. I'm hoping that Aex is smart enough to realize that my Airport Extreme sharing my internet connection already and will allow me to set it up as a remote station without a lot of hassle.

I've read the Knowledge Base article, but I'm still a little worried about the setup.
 
aswitcher said:
Found a Post office slip in my mail box this afternoon! Looks like I'll have my Air Express first thing tomorrow :)
Click to expand...

Did yours actually say shipped on the online store before it arrived? Mine is still shipped on/before 15th July, which has come and gone.

Which is all a bit of a bugger 'cos I was depending on it for a party on Sat. Now I'll have to have the Powerbook in the front room where people can get to it and spill beer and drool all over it :(

Maybe I can hope that maybe it will arrive tomorrow, doubt it though. I wish we could just go and pick it up.

Cheers, Edward.
 
eddyg said:
Did yours actually say shipped on the online store before it arrived? Mine is still shipped on/before 15th July, which has come and gone.

Which is all a bit of a bugger 'cos I was depending on it for a party on Sat. Now I'll have to have the Powerbook in the front room where people can get to it and spill beer and drool all over it :(

Maybe I can hope that maybe it will arrive tomorrow, doubt it though. I wish we could just go and pick it up.

Cheers, Edward.
Click to expand...

Mmm. I just checked and it still says its an open order...not sure whats going on since I dont normally get packages and the only one I have coming is meant to go to my work address... I'll know soon...
 
eddyg said:
Did yours actually say shipped on the online store before it arrived? Mine is still shipped on/before 15th July, which has come and gone.

Which is all a bit of a bugger 'cos I was depending on it for a party on Sat. Now I'll have to have the Powerbook in the front room where people can get to it and spill beer and drool all over it :(

Maybe I can hope that maybe it will arrive tomorrow, doubt it though. I wish we could just go and pick it up.

Cheers, Edward.
Click to expand...


July 15th is just now here it could ship anytime today. Mine just shipped yesterday. It won't be here till Fri.
 
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