Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
AirPort Express with AirTunes
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
LaMerVipere said:Can anyone tell me how to talk some sense into my father?
He saw some damn show about how people who setup wifi in their homes leave their entire computers and networks open to anyone who can pick up the signal.
He seems to think that anyone in a car could drive up outside our house, and if i get airport express, be able to access our network from their car, and then access all of our information on our computers and such.
I keep trying to tell him that that absolutely isn't the case, that the most they might be able to do is get the internet from outside, but definitely not access the information on our computers. Am i right or is my father right? Until I convince him that some weirdo hacker can't pull up outside our house and steal all the information on our computers because we happen to have airport express, he won't even let me connect it to any ethernet line in our house!
To protect your WiFi network: Turn off SSID broadcast and enable WEP or WPA protection (even though WEP is cr*p it does its job for most ordinary home users).
Then tell him how cool it would be to not have any cords over the floor in the living room and still be able to get music from the computer over the stereo (the Mac and the stereo doesn't even have to be in the same room!)
Good Luck with your father.
SONOS - designed by Apple (?)
The SONOS system is interesting in this concext:
http://www.sonos.com/products/
May this have been an in-house development at Apple, that Apple didn't
want to promote?
Why do I think that:
- It was released almost at the same time as the Airport Express
- It's got the iPod scroll wheel!
- It's got the same features as the Airport Express + amplifier,
remote control etc
- It's compatible with Mac, AAC, etc (though not fairplay, yet...)
- Apple design (except the apple logo...)
Apple may have chosen to not brand this as an Apple product,
because they want a focused product line. Or the two companies
may just have collaborated. How else would you explain why
a company named SONOS has released something that smells
like Apple.
The SONOS system is interesting in this concext:
http://www.sonos.com/products/
May this have been an in-house development at Apple, that Apple didn't
want to promote?
Why do I think that:
- It was released almost at the same time as the Airport Express
- It's got the iPod scroll wheel!
- It's got the same features as the Airport Express + amplifier,
remote control etc
- It's compatible with Mac, AAC, etc (though not fairplay, yet...)
- Apple design (except the apple logo...)
Apple may have chosen to not brand this as an Apple product,
because they want a focused product line. Or the two companies
may just have collaborated. How else would you explain why
a company named SONOS has released something that smells
like Apple.
I'm trying to order one of these with my edu discount, but the cable kit doesn't seem to be available in the edu store.
Wi-Fi range extender
I am wondering the same thing but it seems that Apple puts a lot of footnotes in their product info like, "AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express can extend the range only of an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express wireless network."
Anyone have an idea?
Lancetx said:
I am wondering the same thing but it seems that Apple puts a lot of footnotes in their product info like, "AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express can extend the range only of an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express wireless network."
Anyone have an idea?
k.double said:
I'm pretty sure that's wrong. I'm not a networking pro, but my basestation is hooked up to another router, not dsl/cable, and works fine. Additionally, you can set up a basestation to act as a hub(or switch or whatever its called) so that it is distributing ip's from the upstream router's range (ie. using 192.168.x.x not 10.0.x.x), so it should not hinder rendevous. Essentially, if airtunes uses rendevous (as it should) and is not tied to airport, then you should be able to send audio to the aexpress through either wireless or the wan port.
He's wrong anyway, Kyle, because it says on the Airport Express tech specs page itself that the ethernet port is an "Intelligent port for connecting to DSL or cable modems or a local network" (emphasis added).k.double said:
--Cless
Did anyone else just wet themselves? Its also functions as a repeater as well. It slices, it dices, it makes Julian fries, AND plays music! I just hope this is compatable with my Netgear 802.11G router.
kwajo.com said:lol that would be fun
but you bring up something interesting, how cool would it be if in a year or whenever that all powerbook power adapters had built in 802.11g capabilities. one small device for both and you would always have airport wherever you go. even if you had the option when you buy your system, regular power adapter or Airport-enabled adapter for $X more. Apple I hope you are listening
brilliant. just what i was thinking when i saw the size and shape. hell, put a firewire port and let you connect an iPod to either charge or share...
d00d said:
And the iPod is portable enough that it's ok to have that floating in your bag...that's why no one bought one of those new smaller sleaker iPodmini's...oh wait
Lots of people, including myself, want one less thing floating around in our bags. Why? So we can throw more stuff in there later.
iSpud said:I just bought an airport extreme too...
Should I have waited?
My AEBS is just over a month old, but I'm glad I bought mine with low exchange rate in the US otherwise I would be well miffed.
As it is I dont think it matters in the end. You take your chances.
Several things I wonder about:
1) Will you have to also buy the $39 cable kit to obtain the correct cable to use the optical digital audio out? Seems pricey if you don't need the analog cabling or power cord extension, but then the "Monster" name is attached to it so that figures.
2) Is the wireless stream from your computer in MP3/AAC/ALC format or is it full-bandwidth PCM audio. This might make a difference in the stream playing without hiccups if your wireless signal strength is less than optimal or if you have much else happening on your network. (maybe a MP3/AAC > PCM converter is inside the Express base station?)
3) Can a laptop that doesn't contain the actual audio files control the stream via iTunes to the Express base station?
(i.e. - iMac with all audio files is upstairs, use an iBook in living room via iTunes sharing to control the music selections)
4) Has anyone actually received and used a Roku Soundbridge (not HD-1000) to comment on it's perfomance?
frank
1) Will you have to also buy the $39 cable kit to obtain the correct cable to use the optical digital audio out? Seems pricey if you don't need the analog cabling or power cord extension, but then the "Monster" name is attached to it so that figures.
2) Is the wireless stream from your computer in MP3/AAC/ALC format or is it full-bandwidth PCM audio. This might make a difference in the stream playing without hiccups if your wireless signal strength is less than optimal or if you have much else happening on your network. (maybe a MP3/AAC > PCM converter is inside the Express base station?)
3) Can a laptop that doesn't contain the actual audio files control the stream via iTunes to the Express base station?
(i.e. - iMac with all audio files is upstairs, use an iBook in living room via iTunes sharing to control the music selections)
4) Has anyone actually received and used a Roku Soundbridge (not HD-1000) to comment on it's perfomance?
frank
that's an awfully dear alternative, checking in at just under $900 for one player and one controller.mikafu said:
and to those of you that are hoping for a wifi iPod that would act as both the music server and the remote: they'd have to improve battery life vastly before such a thing were practical. imagine if your tv remote needed recharging every two or three days, and if you let it run out of juice, your tv would stop working as well.
the add-on remote suggested by michaelrjohnson isn't bad, but it still lacks a stereo component that tells you what you're listening to. and imagine that you've got a wifi network running throughout your house with several access points and repeaters. your stereo is on one floor and your computer is on another. no problem to get music from point A to point B, but if you're sitting in front of the stereo, your infrared remote may be out of range of your computer.
a better solution would be a stereo component that integrates directly into your wifi network. that way the component could get commands from the remote and relay them via wifi to your computer running iTunes.
nien0029 said:
Bridging is supported in those base stations that support this feature. The original Airport base station can not be bridged...as is the case with less expensive wifi routers.
This product (Airport Express) is the perfect product to compete agains DLink, Linksys, Belkin etc. at this price point. Very few of the 3rd party products even offer print sharing, now apple adds this, plus wifi audio for only$129.
Also, could it be that the non-modem airport extreme base station will be discontinued? It is not listed when you print out the airport express tech sheet the the product itself is still available for sale. It would be nice to see the "higher" end base stations adjusted in price.
if you are mostly looking for music to various stereos around your house
get this instead:
http://www.slimdevices.com
way more features... way cooler... only slightly more expensive
get this instead:
http://www.slimdevices.com
way more features... way cooler... only slightly more expensive
MAKES NO SENSE...
this little device is cool and all that but how can they continue selling the Airport Extreme and regular Basestation for twice as much mone when this thing does more?
this little device is cool and all that but how can they continue selling the Airport Extreme and regular Basestation for twice as much mone when this thing does more?
Nicer than the Gateway PLE-3X0
It was release on Feb 1st but still no news from that big black ugly Getaway hahaha
this is too cool, I don't need a second router to junk my house will adaptor and UFO like airport base station. just a wall plug and u are in biz
It was release on Feb 1st but still no news from that big black ugly Getaway hahaha
this is too cool, I don't need a second router to junk my house will adaptor and UFO like airport base station. just a wall plug and u are in biz
this may have been said already but...
US: $129
exchange rate: roughly 1.75
UK price = £75 ?
No!
£99 grr!!
US: $129
exchange rate: roughly 1.75
UK price = £75 ?
No!
£99 grr!!
One thing I wish Apple had added to this unit: A port for an external antenna. Imagine the possibilities? Sharing a broadband connection with your neighborhood by simply distributing 12 of these things from house to house to house.
NetTunes
I had good luck using NetTunes, a third party iTunes remote control application. Not sure if it's still current, but if not.....one will appear by mid-July!!
frank5050 said:
I had good luck using NetTunes, a third party iTunes remote control application. Not sure if it's still current, but if not.....one will appear by mid-July!!
mambodancer said:
Doubtful. The one big drawback to the AE is the lack of a WAN port. Imagine trying to transfer large files over a wireless network... Think molasses in winter.