Help--Airporty utility does not see Airport Express

[rightlyso]

Airport Utility always gives the dreaded message "Airport Utility was unable to find any Apple Wireless devices..." even though the computer is attached to the Airport Express through ethernet.

Using the File--Configure Other I can configure the Airport Express by typing in its IP address.

Is that strange or what??

I wouldn't care as much, except that the Airport Express was my very first ever Apple purchase. Also, iTunes doesn't stream to the Airport Express (which I assume is related to the error message).

Also, my Dell 1700n network printer does not work with the Airport Express, whether by USB or ethernet.

 

[rdowns]

Have you tried hitting the reset button on the back of the AE?

 

[rightlyso]

Have you tried hitting the reset button on the back of the AE?

I tried the full reset procedure outlined in manual.

 

[clarksonknight]

I recently went through a bevy of issues with my Airport Express and gave up. It just simply isn't a good router for my needs and I went with a Netgear, which has been great so far. The Airport Express simply could not handle multiple wireless devices on the network with any degree of reliability, and I also had the issue you have where it just wouldn't show up in the utility. I could connect to it just fine, but it wouldn't show up. In the end it was just too unreliable. I will probably keep it to use for AirTunes, but that's about it.

 

[rightlyso]

At this point, I just want to use it as an Access Point in order to share two printers (one by USB and by ethernet) and to stream from iTunes. Initially, my thought was to have an Airport Express for each desktop computer in order to avoid internal access points, which have problems of their own. I regret not keeping the box because if I could return it my $99 could be better spent.

I read a LOT of people have the problem where Airport Utility does not see the Airport, but, to the extent people were able to solve the problem, no two solutions were identical. So I am holding out very little hope that someone has a magic bulltet. It seems a lot of different things can go wrong with this device. But a little hope is better than nothing, so if you have any ideas please let me know.

Do you think (i) the iTunes problem, (ii) the problem with the Dell laser printer not connecting (through both USB and ethernet) and (iii) the Airport Utility problem are related? I might be able to live with Airport Utility not seeing the device, but I really want to use it for the other two things.

Many thanks.