Can an Airport Express do these things for me?

[Diversion]

1) Work with my D-Link DIR-655 router. I will not be using a Apple branded router.

2) Act as a wireless ethernet bridge? I want to connect some ethernet peripherals to the Airport Express in order for those devices to connect to the network.

3) Allow me to hook a printer/external harddrive into the USB port on the Airport Express and allow me to access them on the network.

4) Can I have it act as a ethernet bridge AND use my printers/external harddrives at the same time on the USB port?

I will probably have more questions once these get answered.

Thanks!

 

[iSaint]

I believe so.

 

[Flynnstone]

I have my Airport Express connected to my "Consolidated" DSl router via switch. My MacBooks generally use this WiFi connection.
I have my Epson printer plugged into the Airport Express.
I have an amplifier connected to the Airport Express.
I think that covers some of what you ask. I haven't plug a hard drive into the Airport Express.

Sitting out by the pool with a laptop controlling the tunes is just TOO cool.

 

[Diversion]

Thanks for the info fellas... I'm reading around.. it sounds like the Airport Express does have a "bridge" mode to bring wireless to ethernet-equipped devices which is exactly what I need. Good wireless bridges are hard to find these days.

Aside from that requirement, I'd also want to have a printer plugged into the Express while it's in Bridge mode and be able to print to this printer through the network. If it's able to do these 2 things simultaneously that would be fantastic!

The iTunes/audio function of the Express would just be a bonus as I can't see myself using it with a media center on my big screen/home stereo system.

Jay

 

[paduck]

In answer to your questions:

1) Work with my D-Link DIR-655 router. I will not be using a Apple branded router.

Yes, The Airport Express will work with a non-Apple router with all functions (I am doing it right now with a Linksys WRT54G as the main router).

2) Act as a wireless ethernet bridge? I want to connect some ethernet peripherals to the Airport Express in order for those devices to connect to the network.

Yes, it can function as either a LAN or WAN port. You should be able to plug a hub into it to get more than one ethernet port as well.

3) Allow me to hook a printer/external harddrive into the USB port on the Airport Express and allow me to access them on the network.

Yes/no. You will be able to plug in a printer and share it across the network with Macs. You will not be able to do this with a hard drive though. The Airport Express cannot share hard drives. The Airport Extreme base station can though. You might be able to connect a USB hub to the Airport Express and share more than one printer. I have done that successfully with a Time Capsule 500GB. I assume you can also do that with Airport Express and Airport Extreme.

4) Can I have it act as a ethernet bridge AND use my printers/external harddrives at the same time on the USB port?

Yes/no. Yes on the printer. No on the hard drive (see above).

Hope this helps!