Airport Express Now Shipping

[pfonke]

Neon,

I'd think twice before getting airport at this point. If you are going to have a wired connection to your router/modem, and you have no other wireless devices, what's the point? Save the cash for your iBook. By then, you may find even cheaper, better wireless options. Even now, you can buy non-Apple wireless access points for a song. I just picked up a netgear wireless g router/firewall/modem (equivalent to Airport Extreme in speed) for $30 after rebate. If all you want to do is be able to surf wirelessly with your iBook and network between iBook and (wired) eMac, something like that may suit your needs perfectly. By the time you get your iBook, you may also have a clearer idea of what you want to do with your wireless network.

Good luck, and enjoy your first apple computer. I still remember my IIc fondly.

 

[timsq]

Who needs a wireless phone?

I am certain that my new 2.4Gz phone has been interfering with music streaming via AEx. I happens when ever I walk through the network area with the phone on or when it rings near the network. Airport extreme is most likely affected the same way. Back to wired phone in the office area.

 

[davecuse]

I am certain that my new 2.4Gz phone has been interfering with music streaming via AEx. I happens when ever I walk through the network area with the phone on or when it rings near the network. Airport extreme is most likely affected the same way. Back to wired phone in the office area.

An 802.11G Wireless Router/Card does use the spectrum as a 2.4 Ghz cordless phone, and 802.11B uses 900Mhz. Apple as well as many other vendors have taken this into account, if you open the Airport Admin Utility you can change which channels your base station uses to broadcast. I believe that the Airport uses channel 10 by default, and most phones use 2?, you may want to try bumping up the Airport channel to something higher so that there is most spread between the two devices.

The other option would be to use a 5.8Ghz cordless (what I'm planning on getting), a 900Mhz (as long as you don't have an 802.11B basestation or card), or as you said a wired phone. It all depends on what you're looking to do.

 

[KronicX]

802.11B and 802.11G both use the 2.4GHz spectrum, not 900MHz

 

[Nobs]

Oh, just as an aside...I cancelled my order with the Apple Store yesterday to go to the real Apple Store in Cleveland yesterday, thinking that it wouldn't arrive until the end of the week.

9:30 AM this morning, the AExp arrived. I should have waited. But at least I got it a day early.

BTW, I was one of the poor souls who got the "arrival on the 23rd" e-mail.

 

[timsq]

Many things at once!

Currently printing, surfing, and streaming music from 802.11b! This is from am iMac 800 G4 to HP Dj printer through AEx. Nice and now to boot, iChat A/V video chat too! I don't like the interference from other 2.4Ghz devices (phones), but otherwise it's perfect!

 

[zim]

.... uh.... maybe I am tired, but either way a bit confused, sorry for any redundancy.

I have read apple's page on the AirPort Express and I have read through this thread and yet I am feeling lost.

Here is my set up:
1. iMac w/airport extreme card
2. PowerBook w/ airport card
3. iMac w/airport card

All computers run through (wirelessly) the original ABS, graphite. Based on what I have read, and apple's site does not seem to even acknowledge the original ABS, I have come to the conclusion that I can not add the AirPort Express to my network due to the original ABS.... correct? if no, would the Snow ABS work, the one with the dual ethernet.

This part gets off track... shouldn't the ABS have been updated to receive the audio option? I much prefer the design of the ABS over the AirPort Extreme... what do I spend my money on??? do I upgrade my ABS to the Extreme?

I mainly only want the AirPort Extreme for AirTunes and maybe to sit outside under a tree, currently I can sit on my porch and browse happily.

 

[Phatpat]

To sum up, if you buy an AExpress base to extend your Airport Network, it will impossible to use speakers connected to it. As a matter of fact, as you listen to music the base stops transmitting wireless data to your main airport. And this has been confirmed by Apple tech support after two hours of test.

Can someone confirm or deny this?

 

[izzle22]

Can someone confirm or deny this?

Wrong! You can expand your network with APExpress and run speakers through it. Im doing it now. But you will have a problem streaming music with an origonal airport card because they are too slow and you will get drops in music.

 

[absurdio]

Hey folks. This is directed to those of you who're fortunate to have already received your AExps, and more specifically, those of you who also have a regular AirPort card (not AP Extreme). I've heard some dubious reports suggesting that the AExp might not work well with just the AirPort card. If those of you who've tried this (AExp with AirPort card) would be willing to post your findings, it'd be a big help. I started a forum to that end here: https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=943938#post943938 . Thanks, guys.

 

[sushi]

According to several reader reports, Apple has begun shipping the much-anticipated Airport Express wireless base station. The Express offers 802.11g wireless networking for up to 10 computers, as well as a USB port to connect wirelessly to printers, but most importantly works as a wireless audio bridge to home stereo equipment via an 1/8" audio line-out jack. Working with AirTunes, the Airport Express offers another link in Apple's "digital hub" model, providing a way to move music from the PC to the stereo. The Airport Express is cross-platform compatible, offering its services to Macs and PCs alike. AirTunes is built into the current release of iTunes for both Mac & PC.

Can't wait for them to be available in the local computer store (PC Depot, Nojima, etc.).

Sushi

 

[zed2]

Shipping in the UK now too

Just got off the phone with Apple UK store.. they are shipping my express today with a 2 day delivery date.. so should have it in my hands by Friday.

--Zed

 

[JFreak]

you will have a problem streaming music with an origonal airport card because they are too slow and you will get drops in music.

is this true?

i have an airport express card on my powerbook, but i have a 3rd party b-spec base station. if i put an express to client mode, connecting to the b-spec wifi network, would the airtunes streaming be impossible?

this cannot be true. cd-quality audio is only 1.5MBps and regular b-spec airport should be able to keep up with it.

 

[JFreak]

802.11B and 802.11G both use the 2.4GHz spectrum, not 900MHz

yep, and that's the reason that g-spec wireless networks cannot guarantee the high-speed transmission if b-spec clients join to the network.

 

[denm316]

is this true?

i have an airport express card on my powerbook, but i have a 3rd party b-spec base station. if i put an express to client mode, connecting to the b-spec wifi network, would the airtunes streaming be impossible?

this cannot be true. cd-quality audio is only 1.5MBps and regular b-spec airport should be able to keep up with it.

I got my Airport Express yesterday, I have it used with a PowerMac G5, PowerBook G4, and a Linksys 802.11b Router/Access Point. It worked flawlessly and was able to play the music perfectly over the 802.11b network, there was no loss in quality at all.

 

[bonk]

I am experiencing differences between b+g.... I have a G5 with an AE card, and an older G4 (350) with an original airport card. the G5 streams flawlessly, but there are a LOT of drops when the G4 is streaming.

another issue: I have an epson printer hooked up to it. it will print fine, but I've lost access to some of the printer controls (utilities like head cleaning and checking the ink levels).

 

[JFreak]

I am experiencing differences between b+g.... I have a G5 with an AE card, and an older G4 (350) with an original airport card. the G5 streams flawlessly, but there are a LOT of drops when the G4 is streaming.

and this has of course nothing to do with cpu power available

 

[JFreak]

I got my Airport Express yesterday, I have it used with a PowerMac G5, PowerBook G4, and a Linksys 802.11b Router/Access Point. It worked flawlessly and was able to play the music perfectly over the 802.11b network, there was no loss in quality at all.

that's good to know, thank you for the info!

 

[bonk]

and this has of course nothing to do with cpu power available

why would this have anything to do with cpu power? the G4350 works fine playing music through its attached speakers, and it works fine surfing, networking, and printing over the airport extreme base station. sure, it's a slow computer, but I dont see why the CPU should impact the quality of the stream.

I bet there will be a software patch where the buffer is increased for b cards.

 

[bonk]

I got my Airport Express yesterday, I have it used with a PowerMac G5, PowerBook G4, and a Linksys 802.11b Router/Access Point. It worked flawlessly and was able to play the music perfectly over the 802.11b network, there was no loss in quality at all.

question: does your PB have an original or extreme card? if it's an extreme card, then you are not playing music over the 802.11b network. you're streaming directly to the AEX, which is 802.11g. the data doesnt go through the router first and then into the AEX - it goes straight from the airport card to the AEX.

 

[JFreak]

why would this have anything to do with cpu power?

if it's a THROUGHPUT issue, then the dropouts may very well be caused by too slow cpu. it is not a B-spec wifi BANDWIDTH issue because some folks have had success with it.

 

[JFreak]

question: does your PB have an original or extreme card? if it's an extreme card, then you are not playing music over the 802.11b network. you're streaming directly to the AEX, which is 802.11g. the data doesnt go through the router first and then into the AEX - it goes straight from the airport card to the AEX.

if the express is in client mode, the express station is talking to the 3rd party B-spec base station and all the others too.

 

[bonk]

if the express is in client mode, the express station is talking to the 3rd party B-spec base station and all the others too.

of course, but I'm pretty sure that airtunes still streams directly to the AEX, not through the router.

 

[JFreak]

of course, but I'm pretty sure that airtunes still streams directly to the AEX, not through the router.

why would it do that? if the express is specifically configured to client mode, would it listen to any other wifi streams than the one coming from the base station?

 

[denm316]

question: does your PB have an original or extreme card? if it's an extreme card, then you are not playing music over the 802.11b network. you're streaming directly to the AEX, which is 802.11g. the data doesnt go through the router first and then into the AEX - it goes straight from the airport card to the AEX.

It doesnt stream directly, it streams via the router, which is why a WEP key is needed, just as it shows as 11Mbps it the Interface details for the AE card.