AirTunes Network Question

[yogisan]

Hi everyone!

I purchased Airport Express to stream my iTunes library via my stereo in the living room. I have been trying different things but the only way I found it is working is creating a NEW NETWORK (besides the internet connection).

This version is not acceptable for me as I would like to stay online AND stream music to my stereo.

When I tried to configure/change settings (use existing network) in the airport utility I was never able to restart the base station.

Can anyone relate to this issue?

Can I stay online (internet connection) AND stream music to my stereo simultaneously?

Thanks for your comments!

Jo

 

[samh004]

You need to set up your existing Airport and the new Express as a WDS network, where the main base station shares the connection to the Express as a "bridge". Whenever the Express is plugged in you'll then be able to extend your networks range as well as stream music to it.

However you'll need to only be using Airport, I don't think it'll play well with other companies wireless devices.

See here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107454

And search google for WDS if you need any extra info/help.

 

[WildPalms]

You need to set up your existing Airport and the new Express as a WDS network, where the main base station shares the connection to the Express as a "bridge". Whenever the Express is plugged in you'll then be able to extend your networks range as well as stream music to it.

However you'll need to only be using Airport, I don't think it'll play well with other companies wireless devices.

See here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107454

And search google for WDS if you need any extra info/help.

On the money! A WDS network will allow the extension/expansion of your wireless network. Search these forums, I posted a couple of months back with a step by step.

 

[yogisan]

Thank you guys - I appreciate your super quick responses.
I have been trying the follow the step by step instructions but it does not work YET!

When I open the Airport Utility - in the left column/list (sidebar) should there be the airport express and my laptop's airport? I only see the airport express. I assume I need to have both listed in order to configure the wds?

Thanks again!

Jo

 

[samh004]

Your laptops Airport isn't what your looking for. To configure a WDS you should have 2 Airport's (not the one built into your laptop).

So to start with, what brand is the wireless box you connect to the internet with, the one connected to your modem ? Is it Apple, or is it made by someone else ?

Basically you should be connected to the internet through your existing wireless network, that will appear in Airport Utility. From there you want to go to manual set-up and click WDS. You want your main Airport to be in "WDS main mode", then under "WDS Remotes" you want to click "+" and add it's the Airport Express Airport ID. You can find this on the device. Then you click update.

The result will be that the Airport Express will share the same network name and both will appear in Airport Utility under the same wireless network, however the devices can actually have different names for you to differentiate between.

 

[yogisan]

Thanks for helping mw out sam! You mean the wireless router? It is a D-Link Wireless ADSL Router.

Does this help?

Cheers

Jo

 

[samh004]

Thanks for helping mw out sam! You mean the wireless router? It is a D-Link Wireless ADSL Router.

Does this help?

Cheers

Jo

Yes and no unfortunately.

To set up WDS both wireless boxes need to be from the same manufacturer. Because your main wireless box is made by D-Link it cannot (at least easily*) be set up as a WDS with the Airport Express.

You would need either another Airport Express as a replacement to the D-Link or an Airport Extreme base station, both made by Apple.

*I wont say it can't be done, but I don't know how to with different vendors, and if it is possible it'll likely be more complicated than just using Apple products.

 

[yogisan]

When I open the airport utility I only see the airport express - nothing else!?

 

[yogisan]

I understand! Thanks for the very useful info!
Cheers

 

[samh004]

When I open the airport utility I only see the airport express - nothing else!?

That's because Airport Utility is designed to only show Airport products, the D-Link is not an Apple Airport product, so it wont show up, and it can't be configured through that utility.

I understand! Thanks for the very useful info!
Cheers

No worries, having an entirely-Apple network is so much better if you ever consider the move

 

[yogisan]

Thank you very much. I think I will get an airport base station then. Cheers, Jo

 

[chowbox]

I was wondering the same thing. I just purchased the airport extreme and am worried my airport express will limit the range of the 803.11n range as i want to use both so i can stream music

 

[slu]

This thread is full of mis-information.

You don't need to replace your D-Link router. Besides WDS, you can simply join your existing network and then you can stream music and use your network at the same time. You won't be extending the network, but it will still work.

I know this because I did it with an Linksys router and an AE and it was very easy.

I am at work so I can't remember the steps exactly, but if I were you, I'd reset the AE to factory settings. Then go to Airport Setup Utility and configure it to JOIN not EXTEND your existing network and you should be good to go. You can print wireless to a USB printer plugged into the AE as well.

 

[slu]

I was wondering the same thing. I just purchased the airport extreme and am worried my airport express will limit the range of the 803.11n range as i want to use both so i can stream music

Since AE is 802.11g, adding it to your n network will slow the entire network to g speeds.

 

[chowbox]

Since AE is 802.11g, adding it to your n network will slow the entire network to g speeds.

i've heard this but i've also heard this is not true. guess i'll find out. i purchased the extreme for range and the external hard drive option

 

[yogisan]

Hi everyone again! So today I picked up Airport Extreme hooked it up to my D-Link via ethernet cable and plugged in Airport Express in my living room for the use with airtunes.

Interestingly enough it gets detect by the airport ute only once in a while.
How come? This is a bit frustrating. Why is it so complicated?

I created a new network - assigned Airport Extreme as MAIN and selected bridge mode in Airport Exreme and selected join existing network. I selected the existing network in the pulldown menu and and updated. I do not receive andy error messages whatsoever except that I always get a confirmation that Airport Express was successfully updated but NO successful restarts.

Browsing the internet with my new network works fine.
Unfortunately the main feature why I set up the network in the first place which was using airtunes does not work. I cannot see this additional button on in the lower right corner in iTunes that enables you to switch back and forth between local and remote speakers.

Do you have a clue what is going on?

I appreciate your input!!

Jo

 

[samh004]

This thread is full of mis-information.

You don't need to replace your D-Link router. Besides WDS, you can simply join your existing network and then you can stream music and use your network at the same time. You won't be extending the network, but it will still work.

I know this because I did it with an Linksys router and an AE and it was very easy.

I am at work so I can't remember the steps exactly, but if I were you, I'd reset the AE to factory settings. Then go to Airport Setup Utility and configure it to JOIN not EXTEND your existing network and you should be good to go. You can print wireless to a USB printer plugged into the AE as well.

Different vendors products don't always play nicely together, it might of worked for you with Linksys, but this may not be the case with D-Link. Either way I did say that it might work, but I didn't know of any guides that explained it, and I was the only one online answering the questions at the time. If you'd been here yesterday, we could of bickered about it and maybe it would of worked.

Since AE is 802.11g, adding it to your n network will slow the entire network to g speeds.

i've heard this but i've also heard this is not true. guess i'll find out. i purchased the extreme for range and the external hard drive option

I don't believe this is the case, certainly I've been told adding a computer using a slower standard will slow the whole network down, but in my case my MacBook's still browse at 130 while the Mac Mini browses at 54. No slow down.

Hi everyone again! So today I picked up Airport Extreme hooked it up to my D-Link via ethernet cable and plugged in Airport Express in my living room for the use with airtunes.

Interestingly enough it gets detect by the airport ute only once in a while.
How come? This is a bit frustrating. Why is it so complicated?

I created a new network - assigned Airport Extreme as MAIN and selected bridge mode in Airport Exreme and selected join existing network. I selected the existing network in the pulldown menu and and updated. I do not receive andy error messages whatsoever except that I always get a confirmation that Airport Express was successfully updated but NO successful restarts.

Browsing the internet with my new network works fine.
Unfortunately the main feature why I set up the network in the first place which was using airtunes does not work. I cannot see this additional button on in the lower right corner in iTunes that enables you to switch back and forth between local and remote speakers.

Do you have a clue what is going on?

I appreciate your input!!

Jo

So how many networks do you have operating now ? When you say you plugged in your Airport Extreme to your D-Link do you mean to say you have your D-Link wireless network still going at the same time as your new Airport Extreme, or is the D-Link box just a modem, wired and not wireless ?

Ideally you should only have one network running, as when the Extreme and Express are properly configured they might be two devices, but they're only one network. Additional networks create interference.

What guide did you follow (online or offline) to set up the WDS ? If you can post a link to it if your online that may be useful. I'll try walk you through it.

 

[yogisan]

Thanks for you thoughts and support on this Sam!
I am running my newly created network and my existing DLINK network. I tried to delete the DLINK network in network preferences but it is still there.
I connected the Airport Extreme via an ethernet cable with the DLINK ADSL router. I tried setting up WDS with the airport utility. The airport utility kept confirming all changes but never restarted the airport extreme and express stations properly.
I did not understand what link you want me to post Sam?
Cheers

Jo

 

[samh004]

OK. When I originally set up my network, in Australia, then Hong Kong, I used the information on this page: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107454

Over time it has been updated, although it still doesn't feature the latest information for the latest utility, but it's mostly the same stuff in a snazzier interface.

I would recommend following the guide there and going through it until you hit a problem, then asking here.

The end result is you should be able to plug the Express in when you want and not face any issues with joining new networks, as it'll be part of the existing network (so most settings have to be the same on both devices).

The new extreme base station will actually throw an error when the Express isn't available and set up correctly in the WDS and you can set it to ignore the comings and goings of it if you move it around and unplug it occasionally too.

I'm also on iChat right now, so you can reach me through AIM if there is an issue too.

The airport utility kept confirming all changes but never restarted the airport extreme and express stations properly.

There should be an Update and a Revert button, clicking update will temporarily disconnect you from the network and the status light for the base station should flash orange till it reboots. You should then be re-connected, if not, you can always plug your mac directly into the back of the base station.

 

[yogisan]

Thanks Sam! I went through the document your are referring to a couple times. Right now I am going through the instructions again. When I press update is says that it is successfully updated but the restart never works. Is this an issue? Can I be sure that the changes are saved?

 

[samh004]

When I press update is says that it is successfully updated but the restart never works. Is this an issue? Can I be sure that the changes are saved?

You could quit Airport Utility and then re-open it and see if the settings are new or old, then you'd know if they took hold or not. When it updates the window shouldn't close but the information should disappear for a little bit and then come back.

 

[chowbox]

I don't believe this is the case, certainly I've been told adding a computer using a slower standard will slow the whole network down, but in my case my MacBook's still browse at 130 while the Mac Mini browses at 54. No slow down.

How do you tell at what speed you are running? I have heard people talking about the network reverting back to "g" but i have no idea if it is or not. and you said you were running 130 on one but 54 on the other. man i have a lot to learn

I hooked my Airport extreme up last night. i checked the "N" fequency when setting it up but it seems slower than the linksys g router it replaced.

 

[slu]

Browsing the internet with my new network works fine.
Unfortunately the main feature why I set up the network in the first place which was using airtunes does not work. I cannot see this additional button on in the lower right corner in iTunes that enables you to switch back and forth between local and remote speakers.

In Tunes preferences, there is a setting to tell it to look for remote speakers. I don't have iTunes installed on this machine, but look for that and then you should see the option.

 

[samh004]

Forgot there was an option in iTunes too.

Anyway just thought I'd come in here and tell you that you can take the Airport Extreme back and replace it with what was just brought out, Time Capsule. I believe you have 7 days or something plus restocking fee, but Time Capsule looks like a better product. Slightly more expensive mind you, but better. Up to you.

 

[yogisan]

Thanks everyone! I found out that the problem was and is that my DLINK router network is constantly interfering. I unplugged the DLINK and now I can see the Ariport Extreme AND Express in the Airport utility - for the first time actually. Would anyone have an idea how to disable the DLINK network? I tried in the network preferences using the "-" to delete it from the list but it keeps coming back.
Thanks