Do you need a router for Airport Express? Or is modem only fine

[Fleasciante]

I won a TV and the sound is horrible. So I bought all new surround sound and airport express so I can play music wirelessly. Airport Express won't connect at my place which just uses the wireless modem. I tried it at the Apple store and at a friends house that uses a modem + router and it was able to connect. I'm connecting this wirelessly, not using an ethernet cord.

It recognizes the Airport Express throughout set up. But then when it completes the set up by restarting, it never recognizes it again.

So my question is, do most people need to use a router in addition to their wireless modem for airport express to work? Or is it most likely a piece of crap modem that I have from Time Warner Cable that is the issue? My friend uses a TWC modem but has a Cisco router.

Long question, but appreciate any tips.

 

[Macman45]

A couple of questions:

1) Is your existing modem / router set up to create a wifi network and does it work as a wifi router without the AEBS?

If the answer to these is yes, then you should be able to set the AEBS upt to EXTEND the network. You do not want to create another network and so need to configure the AEBS to use "Bridge" mode and act as a network extender.

If the answer is no, and there isn;t a wifi network present already, then you either have a configuration issue with your TW router / modem, in which case it needs to be configured to broadcast a network first, or you may need a router attached to the TW modem in order to get started.

 

[Fleasciante]

I use my modem for wifi, not sure if that is what you are talking about. But I use comp, phone, ipod to connect to the modem wirelessly. It works just fine without the AEBS.

I've been setting up the AEBS to join my current network, not set up a new one. I'm assuming that is what I should be doing to just plug in surround sound to the AEBS.

The reason it never recognizes that AEBS again is because my internet just dies at that point. It works fine until I get to that final step of setting up the AEBS where it has to restart and that is when my internet goes dead. I'm sure that is why my MacBook can't find the AEBS at that point.

 

[Macman45]

I use my modem for wifi, not sure if that is what you are talking about. But I use comp, phone, ipod to connect to the modem wirelessly. It works just fine without the AEBS.

I've been setting up the AEBS to join my current network, not set up a new one. I'm assuming that is what I should be doing to just plug in surround Msound to the AEBS.

The reason it never recognizes that AEBS again is because my internet just dies at that point. It works fine until I get to that final step of setting up the AEBS where it has to restart and that is when my internet goes dead. I'm sure that is why my MacBook can't find the AEBS at that point.

Yes. If your modem is disconnecting then that's your issue....I'm not familiar with Time Warner stuff, but it shouldn't disconnect that way...others here with that modem should be able to help. Sounds like you are doing everything right though.

 

[Fleasciante]

Exchanged my modem for a new one with TWC. Worked on the first try. Thanks for your help. It was driving me nuts