Airport express...???

[thekid055]

This is probably a dumb question but...

I'm currently a Windows person, but am considering buying a PowerBook in the near future along with the Express. I already have a netgear ethernet router. And I know on the Apple site they say that the Airport Express can be used as a bridge for existing wireless networks. But would it be possible for me to just connect the express to my current router via ethernet and be able to connect to the network wirelessly?

The reason I'd want to do this is because I still want my non wireless PC to be on the network. And when I go home on weekends I can just connect the Express to my brother's all wired network. The express seems a lot more travel friendly than the extreme.

Thanks!

 

[juicyapple]

YES! You can! It was a big relief when I found out this was possible. I have the same exact setup as you, except for the pc. And I need the netgear router to stay put for my sister online playstation game. Also, there is an emac next to the router with no airport so I can just plug an ethernet into that as well. The AX works flawlessly and is a cheaper smaller alternative to airport extreme. I highly recommend it.

-juicyapple

 

[denm316]

Airport Express works exactly like you want it. Plus it was cake to setup.

 

[iBert]

connecting to the internet won't be a problem. now if you are going to connect to your wired computers, that might be a problem. I have that setup except a bit more complicated. Here we have a router that goes to 2 rooms, in my rooom I have a switch since now I have an awesome G5, my linux box and a windows machine I'll be selling soon. Also, 3 days ago I bought an Arport Express wicked cool. Anyways to the point. If you try to connect to the wired computer from the Airpot and vice versa, you might run into this problem neither can find the other. I want to transfer some files from my powerbook to my G5 and neither can find each since. Side Note: If anyone has had this problem fixed, help!!!


Hey, after posting this went back to work a bit on my laptop and setting up my G5. The reason what I posted didn't work was, if I didn't turned on sharing how could it work!!! Anyways, the way I can see my computers from one side to the other is by typing the address of the machine.

 

[kirk26]

Yes, it should work. But I'll only answer it once even though you have 3 questions marks in the title.

 

[Bonnie]

It did not work as a bridge with my Netgear router. I know for a fact that it will work with Linksys, though.

You can return it if it doesn't work, but buyer be ware.

Please report back and let us know how it goes.

 

[stoid]

Apple does not guarantee bridging support for non-AirPort wireless systems, nor do they suggest it. However, it may still work for you. If it doesn't, the best Apple will do is let you return the AirPort Express, they will not give you any IT support.

 

[AliensAreFuzzy]

Apple does not guarantee bridging support for non-AirPort wireless systems, nor do they suggest it. However, it may still work for you. If it doesn't, the best Apple will do is let you return the AirPort Express, they will not give you any IT support.

But that only matters when you have an existing wireless network, and you want to use the Airport Express to "bridge" the gap in you network from your modem and wireless base to the Airport Express and other things connected to it.
For your situation, It'll work just fine. Just plug a patch cable from the Airport Express to the router, then you run Airport Admin Utility and you should be up and running in no time.

 

[Natalia81]

It did not work as a bridge with my Netgear router. I know for a fact that it will work with Linksys, though.

You can return it if it doesn't work, but buyer be ware.

Please report back and let us know how it goes.

Did you have to do anything special to get it to work with Linksys? Does it actually "extend" the network or just connects to it?