Airport Express Usage Questions

[Nick5a1]

Hi, I have a couple questions about the new airport express. Sorry if these questions seem basic, I have ever used a mac before and am waiting for my MBA to arrive.

1. I have a pair of speakers that connect via 3.5mm cable. Presumably I can leave these connected to the airport express, but how do I play music through them? I'm guessing it's through itunes?

2. What if I want to watch a movie on my MBA but have the sound play through the speakers connected to the airport express. Is this possible? If so how is it done?

3. I realise I can connect a printer to the airport express via USB, but can I instead connect an external hard drive via USB and access it over the wireless network?

4. Can I use a network storage device connected by ethernet to the airport express? If so do you have any recommendations?

Thanks very much for any help.

Nick

 

[blueroom]

1. it's line out, that means you need a small amplifier too.
2. not that I'm aware of. Bluetooth speakers can do this.
3. no
4. yes, Synology makes great NAS's

 

[GGJstudios]

1. I have a pair of speakers that connect via 3.5mm cable. Presumably I can leave these connected to the airport express, but how do I play music through them? I'm guessing it's through itunes?

Yep.

2. What if I want to watch a movie on my MBA but have the sound play through the speakers connected to the airport express. Is this possible? If so how is it done?

Not through iTunes. There might be a 3rd party app that would enable this.

3. I realise I can connect a printer to the airport express via USB, but can I instead connect an external hard drive via USB and access it over the wireless network?

No, only a printer.

4. Can I use a network storage device connected by ethernet to the airport express?

Yes.

 

[Nick5a1]

Thanks for the quick answers. It's a pity ATV doesn't have RCA or 3.5mm out, as that would solve option 1 and 2.

 

[Nick5a1]

Actually I have 1 more follow-up question.

Can you play music from an iphone/ipad through the speakers attached to the airport express?

Thanks.

 

[BreakGuy]

Actually I have 1 more follow-up question.

Can you play music from an iphone/ipad through the speakers attached to the airport express?

Thanks.

Yes you can. You can stream music wirelessly to any AirPort Express from iTunes on a Mac/PC, iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

 

[blevins321]

I'm pretty sure that you can do #2 with Mountain Lion, am I wrong? It'll be out next month and should allow you to pipe the entire system's audio to an Express or ATV.

 

[Nick5a1]

I'm pretty sure that you can do #2 with Mountain Lion, am I wrong? It'll be out next month and should allow you to pipe the entire system's audio to an Express or ATV.

Very interesting.. this will affect my purchase decision greatly. Can anyone else confirm this?

 

[waw74]

there is a third party app called airfoil that will let you pick one application or send whole system audio. There is a 2 second delay due to buffering, so playing video back can be troublesome.
They do have a video player that helps to get around this, i really don't use it though, and i don't belive it works with content from the iTunes store.

i do use airfoil all the time with pandora's box (it's in the mac app store, and i'm on an old computer at the moment, so no link) works great sending to multiple locations around the house apple:TV, airport express, airplay enabled stereo, and airplay enabled speakers)

from the computer, you can send to multiple locations at the same time, from iOS, only 1.

also from iOS, you can send the audio portion of a video to the express.

It's a pity ATV doesn't have RCA or 3.5mm out

for $22 it can

 

[nunes013]

i have a question too but didn't want to start another thread.

a couple weeks ago i gave my dad my old airport extreme because i have a time capsule now. he really wanted a little more range to reach our back yard because we have a patio area. so anyway for part of fathers day i bought him the new airport express. my old extreme doesn't have simultaneous dual band but the new express does. would it be possible to set up a simultaneous dual band network (the express being the base station) and have the extreme connect to the 2.4 ghz band and extend the range of the 2.4 ghz band.

or number 2. have the extreme as base station and have the express extend the range and set up a simultaneous dual band on the express?

sorry if this is stupid but I've never owned a simultaneous dual band airport therefore have never one up. just wanted to know if others have tried this or if it works.

 

[BreakGuy]

i have a question too but didn't want to start another thread.

a couple weeks ago i gave my dad my old airport extreme because i have a time capsule now. he really wanted a little more range to reach our back yard because we have a patio area. so anyway for part of fathers day i bought him the new airport express. my old extreme doesn't have simultaneous dual band but the new express does. would it be possible to set up a simultaneous dual band network (the express being the base station) and have the extreme connect to the 2.4 ghz band and extend the range of the 2.4 ghz band.

or number 2. have the extreme as base station and have the express extend the range and set up a simultaneous dual band on the express?

sorry if this is stupid but I've never owned a simultaneous dual band airport therefore have never one up. just wanted to know if others have tried this or if it works.

My understanding is that you'd be best to leave the Extreme as is and have the Express extend the network. Being dual band simply means it can broadcast on two bands at the same time. As you only have one (2.4GHz), the Express will extend just the one.

 

[nunes013]

My understanding is that you'd be best to leave the Extreme as is and have the Express extend the network. Being dual band simply means it can broadcast on two bands at the same time. As you only have one (2.GHz), the Express will extend just the one.

ok sounds good. thanks!!