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AirPort Express with AirTunes

andiwm2003 said:
I'm just wondering if one could connect a display via its usb and get wireless video? is 54mbps enough? would somebody bring the drivers needed?
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54Mbps is 6.75MBps. That should be plenty of bandwidth to transfer video at. In fact, it's even enough to broadcast an uncompressed DVD (MPEG2). According to my calculations, a two hour movie would have to be about 48GB to surpass the theoretically available bandwidth of 802.11G.

For 802.11b, the movie needs to be about 11GB. That means that theoretically, a DVD should be able to be streamed over 802.11b. That can almost be guaranteed if Special Features are cut out.
 
macridah said:
Everyone will still need an airport extreme to use the airport express. The airport express is basically an access point with and audio out. So instead of buy 2 airport extremes, you need to buy 1 with an airport express. I bet more profit is made selling airport expresses anyway ... so that's good for apple.
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That's not true, you can just buy an Airport Express now, since it serves as both an airport base station but also happens to have audio capabilitles! :) You can even just buy 2 airport expresses and each will extend range of the other.

You really only need to buy airport extreme base station now if you need to link up more than 10 users (max of 50 with AE) or need a modem, or external antenna hook-ups etc...
 
k.double said:
no, you are wrong. the specs comparison chart shows that the airport express and airport extreme have ethernet WAN ports but the airport express does NOT have an ethernet LAN port. this means that the airport express ethernet port can only be used to connect to a dsl modem and share an internet connection. as listed in the tech specs for the airport express:


no this is wrong. you are reading the specs for an airport EXTREME, not airport EXPRESS. under airport EXPRESS tech specs, it lists it as WAN port only.

for the record, the AIRPORT EXPRESS wireless router CAN NOT be connected to a computer via the ethernet port to server as a wireless adapter for that machine. the ethernet port is only capable of distributing a dsl/cable connection.
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Clarification: it actually does say that on the image at the top of the Airport Express page. It's referring to the Airport Express's ability to be used as a Wireless Access Point, meaning it's attached to another router. Regardless, it's true you can't hook up a desktop via ethernet to the Airport Express.

What about this intriguing scenario: Could the Airport Express wirelessly bridge to a desktop equipped with an AE card acting as a software base station? Possibly.
 
LaMerVipere said:
That's not true, you can just buy an Airport Express now, since it serves as both an airport base station but also happens to have audio capabilitles! :) You can even just buy 2 airport expresses if and each will extend range off the other.

You really only need to buy airport extreme base station now if you need to link up more than 10 users (max of 50 with AE) or need a modem, or external antenna hook-ups etc...
Click to expand...

or if you have a desktop without a wireless card. Airport Express does not have an ethernet lan port.

of course you could buy a cheap wired router (for the desktop) and attach the Airport Express to the router to add wireless capability.
 
Hmm would it be possible for applications like DVD Player and VLC to use this? Stream their audio to the external speakers over wireless? THAT'D be cool.
 
k.double said:
no, you are wrong. the specs comparison chart shows that the airport express and airport extreme have ethernet WAN ports but the airport express does NOT have an ethernet LAN port. this means that the airport express ethernet port can only be used to connect to a dsl modem and share an internet connection. as listed in the tech specs for the airport express:

no this is wrong. you are reading the specs for an airport EXTREME, not airport EXPRESS. under airport EXPRESS tech specs, it lists it as WAN port only.

for the record, the AIRPORT EXPRESS wireless router CAN NOT be connected to a computer via the ethernet port to server as a wireless adapter for that machine. the ethernet port is only capable of distributing a dsl/cable connection.
Click to expand...

Then what does this mean:


specstop06072004.jpg



Edit: Man, people are answering fast in this thread... ;)
 
media center macs and pcs

i'm really glad the discussion is mentioning streaming video and images. it's the first thing i thought of when I saw this new product. I don't know how many of you have seen it but the HP Media Center PC is put together very well, i'll also begrudgingly give MS credit for the interface which was also done well. you can control your sat service including recording movies and shows and stream it/or audio over the network. check it out and you will see what i'm talking about. this market is growing and growing and i'd love for apple to get into the game. they have to!
 
Mitthrawnuruodo said:
Then what does this mean:


specstop06072004.jpg



Edit: Man, people are answering fast in this thread... ;)
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I wonder if it is USB 2.0, because if it is, do you think you can plug in an external drive.
 
k.double said:
for the record, the AIRPORT EXPRESS wireless router CAN NOT be connected to a computer via the ethernet port to server as a wireless adapter for that machine. the ethernet port is only capable of distributing a dsl/cable connection.
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Doesn't seem like that to me:
specstop06072004.jpg
 
ftaok said:
Don't forget to add the VAT into the British price. What's the VAT in England these days?
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VAT rate in the UK is 17.5%, which works out to be about GBP 87, so Apple have added about £12. I don't know if the duty rates are different in the US compared with the USA on these products. I presume these are made in the far east somewhere.
 
Layman's terms?

Okay, the whole WAN, LAN, router, access point thing has me confused.

Here's what I want to do, can someone tell me if this will work?

I have two powerbooks, both with Airport Extreme cards installed. I want to connect one of these to the cable modem in my study and one of these in the living room where my stereo is.

Would I then be able to access the internet wirelessly on both my PBs, at the same time? Would I also be able to access the files on one PB from the other wirelessly? Then, while I am doing that, can I also listen to music on the stereo in my living room at the same time?

And finally, supposing my study is on the northern side of my home, my living room in the middle, and my bedroom on the southern side, and that the bedroom would not normally be within range of the airport extreme signal from the study, would the AP Express in the living room (attached to the stereo) provide a jumper so that I can do all of the above with one of the computers in the bedroom?

If the answer to all of that is yes, why would anyone buy the Airport Extreme? The only advantages I see are the ability to connect extra computers (which most home users wouldn't care about) and the ability to plug in a dial-up modem.

Thanks.
 
k.double is right

Originally Posted by k.double


for the record, the AIRPORT EXPRESS wireless router CAN NOT be connected to a computer via the ethernet port to server as a wireless adapter for that machine. the ethernet port is only capable of distributing a dsl/cable connection.

k.double is right.

–LMV
 
A few questions I think several of us not-so-networking-literate would love to have answered:

1) Could I hook my scanner, printer, or other USB devices into a 4-port hub and plug it into it?
2) Can I ditch my Airport Extreme base and just use this?
3) Will the range be as good?






.
 
Cless said:
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).

--Cless
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Confused, maybe we'll have to see what real world experience is.

The footnotes in the Tech Specs says:

AirPort Express Base Station Interfaces

10/100BASE-T Ethernet WAN port (RJ-45 connector) for connecting a DSL or cable modem
 
I think we have put to rest the idea of using this to extend anything other than an actual airport base station. However, is it possible to use another router, let's say a WRT54G from linksys, that can be used as a repeater, to extend the range of the airport express if the express is used as the router? That would be sweet.
 
James Craner said:
VAT rate in the UK is 17.5%, which works out to be about GBP 87, so Apple have added about £12. I don't know if the duty rates are different in the US compared with the USA on these products. I presume these are made in the far east somewhere.
Click to expand...

ok, so it's not too bad then.
 
nien0029 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?
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Yes, i do.

This is compatible with both Mac and PC. In order to serve as an access point for PC users, it would *have* to be compatible with third-party wireless routers. (as it states on the tech specs page)
 
Has anyone in the UK been able to order one of these yet from the UK Apple store, Apple have now updated the Apple UK homepage, but I can't see it in the store itself. I hope we won't have to wait 5 months like the iPod mini.
 
Airport Express is just what I was looking for for function and price wise.

I am glad they gave us a good months heads up so that I didn't end up buying a wireless router when my powerbook finally arrives.

I think its a fair bet there is a new Airport Extreme Base Station coming this year that will have better features for less.
 
ToddW said:
I wonder if it is USB 2.0, because if it is, do you think you can plug in an external drive.
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It doesn't say anything about the USB version (1.1 vs 2.0). I also think it only has printing capabilities. I'm going to blow the dust of my old 6GB USB disk to try, though... ;) ...sometime in Mid-July :( ...given that its going on sale in Europe from day 1...
 
Video too eventually?

Hmm. Is 802.11g fast enough for video streaming and at what bitrate/codec? I'd like to get rid of the cables from Mac to TV oneday.
 
Pring said:
Hmm would it be possible for applications like DVD Player and VLC to use this? Stream their audio to the external speakers over wireless? THAT'D be cool.
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Both apps would need to support Rendezvous for wireless audio to work. But its kinda useless because then you'll also need wireless video for a truly portable solution. The problem is, with watching video, you're in one spot the whole time so portability is not required. You'll never see the need for wireless videos of DVDs because a DVD player hooked to a TV already does this more elegantly and cheaply.
 
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