Does the AirPort Express work under Linux (Ubuntu)?

[n459umb4786ers]

I'm going to buy an AirPort Express soon and I was wondering if it works fine under Ubuntu Linux 8.10.

Also, I have my hard drive partitioned and one side is Windows and the other is Linux and if I install AirPort Express under Windows and setup the setting and all and I boot to Linux, will the AirPort Express still be working or will it only work if your under Windows?

Kinda off topic question but does the AirPort Express also have a guest network like the AirPort Extreme?

 

[Wirelessmacman]

As far as I know it only works on Mac Os X and Windows

 

[n459umb4786ers]

I was just asking because I know things works on Linux by just plugging it in like a compatible printer or wifi card. So I thought they might have a built in driver for the AirPort since it's a popular product.

 

[waw74]

what do you mean by compatible?

*just wireless internet? then yes, it will, wi-fi is wi-fi
you don't need a special driver to connect to the airport, as long as you're able to connect to any other network, you should be fine.

*airtunes? look at http://raop-play.sourceforge.net/

*printing? quote from here

Look up the IP address of your Airport Express in the Airport Admin Utility. Then on the Ubuntu computer go to System-Administration-Printing and select New Printer. In Step 1 select Network Printer and TCP/socket, etc. Then enter the IP address you found for your Airport Express into the Host box; Port 9100 was automatically entered into the next box. Click Forward choose the appropriate manufacturer and model of your printer and click Forward. You can then name your printer as you like etc. Click Apply and you are finished.

setting it up? no, you'll have to to do that from windows or a mac, but you only have to do that once.

 

[n459umb4786ers]

what do you mean by compatible?

I said compatible because not all wifi cards or printers work with Linux Plug & Play.

And will I be able to enable encryption on it or only with the software? And if only with the software, will the encryption still be enabled if I boot into Linux? And does the AirPort Express have a guest network like the AirPort Extreme?

 

[waw74]

airport express is not a wi-fi card, it is a wireless base station.

you would still need a wi-fi card for your computer.


the airport express uses a standard 802.11 B/G/N signal, and also standard encryption (WPA & WPA2) (will also do WEP, but that's pretty much useless). as long as the card you have for your computer supports those standards, you should be fine.

once it is configured, you don't have to run the airport utility software unless you want to change something.

no guest network on the express.

If you don't have a wireless card, You can have the express connect wirelessly to your existing network, and then plug an ethenet cable between the express and your computer. but again, once configured you wouldn't need to run the utility, and your computer would be connected via standard ethernet.

 

[n459umb4786ers]

Thank you