Airport Express works...almost

[bendesu]

I've scoured the forums and so far nothing has done the trick, so I'm hoping a direct question might work. If anyone out there can help, I'd hugely appreciate it.

I bought a new AX recently, mainly for the AirTunes capability. Prior to doing so I was connected to the internet wirelessly via a Linksys 2.4GHz 802.11b router. When I connected the AX it recognized the linksys but wouldn't communicate with it (ie. no airtunes OR internet) so I disabled the linksys and tried just using the AX for AirTunes. That worked, but now I'm up a bit of a creek...

Without the use of the linksys (b/c of the AX's location in my house there isn't a phone jack nearby to connect it to the internet) I now have to connect to the internet via a cord plugged directly from the modem to my IMac. That would be fine if I didn't also have a macbook pro, which I'd like to use online simultaneously. The macbook can get on the AX network to use AirTunes no problem, but when I try to access the internet it fails.

My question is whether I can use the airtunes network to access the IMac's internet connection, kind of like this:

Macbook Pro => Airport Express => Imac => modem => internet

Or, if I've just missed something and the linksys router should actually work, that might be good to know also. Like I said, the Macbook can access the network enough to control the stereo via AirTunes, so shouldn't it also be able to use the IMac's connection? Is there a setting that makes the difference?

Any help would be great...I'm starting to hit my head against the wall over this one.

 

[jshbckr]

If you've got the internet going into your iMac, you can go to your system preferences, go to Sharing, and then enable internet sharing from your ethernet connection and send it out through your airport. Then your MacBook should be able to connect to this network and use the internet through the iMac.

I'm not sure if the MacBook could be online and use the Airport for iTunes simultaneously. Give it a shot.

 

[aristobrat]

From what I've read on other threads here, you should be able to share your Internet access through your LinkSys and have your iMac, MBP, and AX use it.

You'd only be able to use the AX for iTunes + printer sharing (i.e. you won't easily be able to extend the range of your LinkSys network), but it should work for what you want to do.

Page 31 of the manual says to configure it to join an existing network (that'd be your LinkSys one), start the AirPort Setup Assistant and follow the instructions to join an existing network. No other details. Argh.

 

[bendesu]

Thanks for the advice. I've found a bit of a happy medium by hardwiring the imac to the linksys (so the Imac uses airport only for AirTunes) and connecting the MBP to the internet via the linksys as well. Still, it's not perfect and I'm anal enough to give it another shot. WIll try connecting the airport to the linksys network when I'm home this evening.

Thanks!