Benefits of an Airport Express in my setup?

[ITASOR]

Hello everyone,

I'm a little confused as to what the benefits of an airport express would be and exactly what an airport express does.

Here's my current setup:
1. RoadRunner SURFboard SB4100 connected to LINKYS WRT54G
2. Quicksilver in my signature connected to my LINKSYS WRT54G via ethernet.
3. Too many computers to name in the house connected to the router via Airport/Wireless (mixed B and G).

I have a good understanding of networking and I've pretty much mastered the settings on the linksys, but this Airport express has stumped me. I have been searching/researching all day and can't really find what I want.

Here's what I thought the Express was for. I have my setup above, but I also have a computer downstairs with no wireless card. I thought that I would buy an Airport Express, plug the computer into it's ethernet port, and the Express would pull the existing wireless signal from the Linksys into itself and to the ethernet port giving the computer connected an internet connection.

Now, I'm thinking that maybe that's wrong and the Express is just really a "mini wireless router". I don't think that's right either, though, because it only has 1 ethernet port, which wouldn't make an ideal router at all.

I know about the iTunes streaming that can be done with an Express which I think goes more along with my original understanding of the airport express.

The other day in walmart, I was going to but a linksys USB print server, which was $89.99. I hear that the Express has a USB port for printers, too. How does this work?

Ahhh I'm so confused about this. It would be great if someone could clear it all up.

Thanks!

 

[mad jew]

An Express can act as the print server with it's USB port. It can also jump onto a wireless network (such as yours) and have a computer plugged into it's single ethernet port, connecting said computer to network. This second bit is unsupported though and I'm not sure how to do it but other members seem to think Linksys will play nicely with Airports

The Express is a wireless router with a single ethernet port that is generally used up with the cable from your modem but if a different router is doing this already, can be used to physically connect a computer to the network.

 

[ITASOR]

Hmm maybe I'll buy one from a store that will let me return it easily, like amazon, so that I can try to use it to join my network and pull the wireless signal to a computer that doesn't have a wireless card.

Would it give the printer an IP address?

 

[mad jew]

Would it give the printer an IP address?

No idea how the printer bit works but on my set up, I installed Bonjour on the Windows machines and everything can just see the printer and connect without any effort whatsoever. It's great, I highly recommend it.

Only issue, it's a multi-function printer but I can't do any wireless scanning - the Express doesn't allow that yet, something about direction of packets from memory.

 

[devilot]

Thanks fellas...

I've been trying to ask these questions for awhile, but couldn't seem to word it so concisely. Thanks for the great info!

 

[puckhead193]

Can the express just be use a wireless print server? I can't use wireless internet at my school. But printing wireless would be hot, and one less cable to connect to my PB.

 

[mad jew]

Sure puckhead193, if you want it to.

 

[DickArmAndHarT]

Nope!, i believe the airport express can only spread the signal of an airport extreme network. and you router is linksys. Or so i read from apples website.

 

[ITASOR]

I don't really need the print server, as my G4 is on 24/7..hehehe

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=558&scid=38

I KNOW that is a gaming adapter, but what would stop me from plugging a COMPUTER into the ethernet port instead of a PS2's ethernet cable? Wouldn't it be the same thing? This way I could hook a 4 port switch to it and have internet on computer without a wireless card! Think it would work? Walmart's return policy is very good...

 

[mad jew]

Nope!, i believe the airport express can only spread the signal of an airport extreme network. and you router is linksys. Or so i read from apples website.

That's only the official word. I'm pretty sure other members here have got Airports to work with Linksys.

ITASOR, I think that'd work but I haven't had any experience so don't hang me if it doesn't.

 

[crazzyeddie]

I don't really need the print server, as my G4 is on 24/7..hehehe

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=558&scid=38

I KNOW that is a gaming adapter, but what would stop me from plugging a COMPUTER into the ethernet port instead of a PS2's ethernet cable? Wouldn't it be the same thing? This way I could hook a 4 port switch to it and have internet on computer without a wireless card! Think it would work? Walmart's return policy is very good...

I would think it would only be able to grab 1 IP. The Airport Express on the other hand, should be able to pull "unlimited" IPs, as it is a true wireless bridge. It can even assign its own IPs to the "internal" network, if you want.

 

[ClarkeB]

Wait, can the express be used to start a wireless network? I have a linksys router that stopped working and I bought an Airport card for my iMac G5 and an Airport Express (for the same price as a Base Station). I need to to be able to talk to my 12" Powerbook G4, my brothers' 15" PBG4s, and my iMac. Will it work?

 

[mad jew]

Wait, can the express be used to start a wireless network? I have a linksys router that stopped working and I bought an Airport card for my iMac G5 and an Airport Express (for the same price as a Base Station). I need to to be able to talk to my 12" Powerbook G4, my brothers' 15" PBG4s, and my iMac. Will it work?

Yep. The Express is a fully fledged wireless access point. Plug an ethernet cable into it from your modem and it'll route your internet too.

 

[ITASOR]

So let me see if I get this:

Situation is not true...just thinking:


1. I have an airport base station hooked to my cable modem.
2. I connect wirelessly to it with all my computers except 1 is plugged into it's ethernet port.
3. I have a computer without a wireless card (PC or MAC).
4. I get an Express and tell it to join my existing airport network as a repeater type thing.
5. I plug the computer with no wireless into the ethernet port or the Express.
6. The express grabs the wireless signal from the base station and sends it out into the ethernet port of the express and through the ethernet cord and into the PC/Mac that is connected.

Sound right?

 

[ClarkeB]

Yep. The Express is a fully fledged wireless access point. Plug an ethernet cable into it from your modem and it'll route your internet too.

OH THANK GOD!!!!!!!!! I would have been soo furious if it didn't work!

Thank you so much :-D (It gets here Wednesday, by the way )

 

[mad jew]

So let me see if I get this:

Situation is not true...just thinking:


1. I have an airport base station hooked to my cable modem.
2. I connect wirelessly to it with all my computers except 1 is plugged into it's ethernet port.
3. I have a computer without a wireless card (PC or MAC).
4. I get an Express and tell it to join my existing airport network as a repeater type thing.
5. I plug the computer with no wireless into the ethernet port or the Express.
6. The express grabs the wireless signal from the base station and sends it out into the ethernet port of the express and through the ethernet cord and into the PC/Mac that is connected.

Sound right?

Yep, you've just gotta change one of the settings in the Express but I forget which one. It's pretty easy though.