Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

How does the AirPort express work?

P

paulobrad

macrumors regular
Original poster
Just wanted to understand exactly how the AirPort express works. Is it basically a repeater for my ADSL modem router? So I connect my Mac to that instead of my actual ADSL modem router and then for AirTunes does the device appear in iTunes as something different to get stuff to play through the 3.5mm jack?

Cheers.
 
The cable that runs from your modem to your computer will now run to the Airport Express.

On the Airport Express is a jack to plug in your speaker cable. This means that you don't have to have your speakers plugged directly into the computer.

This way the modem, Airport Express and the speakers or stereo don't have to be anywhere near your computer.
 
I have a related question (not to hijack paulobrad's thread - sorry mate). My stereo is on the other side of the room in my home office. Can I just plug an airport express into a nearby outlet and NOT have an ethernet cable running into it? Will iTunes see the express and then send audio to my stereo? In other words, I don't want to use the express as an internet router (i've got one already) but rather just to stream music.
 
Do you have another WiFi source that can communicate to the Express, like a MacBook or iMac? Then yes, that will work.

EDIT: Pays to read sigs, doesn't it? Your MB will find it no probs.
 
How about another threadjack?

I know that the Airport base station with N will drop to g/b speeds if there's another g/b device connected to it. But say I connect an AEBS to a wired network and I also connect an AX to that wired network and use each as a wireless access point. Will the AEBS still go at N speed, even though my (old) AX operates at G?
 
Le Big Mac said:
How about another threadjack?

I know that the Airport base station with N will drop to g/b speeds if there's another g/b device connected to it. But say I connect an AEBS to a wired network and I also connect an AX to that wired network and use each as a wireless access point. Will the AEBS still go at N speed, even though my (old) AX operates at G?
Click to expand...

I have that very setup save for a D-Link rather than an AX. The b/g network is 2.4GHz whereas the AEBS can run in n only 5GHz. No interference and top speeds.
 
Ugg said:
On the Airport Express is a jack to plug in your speaker cable. This means that you don't have to have your speakers plugged directly into the computer.
Click to expand...

Thanks, how does the audio get sent to the device though? Does it replicate all audio or does the Airport Express appear in iTunes as some sort of special device to "send" audio to?

Also, to further chatoyer point, if you had that set up doesn't it mean you can't be connected to both the internet and the AirPort Express at the same time - unless the AirPort Express acted as some sort of repeater for the internet signal from the modem router.
 
chatoyer said:
Will iTunes see the express and then send audio to my stereo? In other words, I don't want to use the express as an internet router (i've got one already) but rather just to stream music.
Click to expand...

Yep I've used mine just like that before when I had a D-Link router.
 
Good thread! I am considering doing the same thing. I have DSL with a Westell wireless router, my imac picks up the wireless. So I guess all I need is to buy a airport express, plug it in with my stereo and off I go!?

Question: Is there any advantage running ethernet from the router to the airport as far as quality when streaming to the stereo? Or is the network fast enough not to worry about it? Could distance be an issue? (Router on 2nd floor, airport on first)
 
mike81 said:
Good thread! I am considering doing the same thing. I have DSL with a Westell wireless router, my imac picks up the wireless. So I guess all I need is to buy a airport express, plug it in with my stereo and off I go!?

Question: Is there any advantage running ethernet from the router to the airport as far as quality when streaming to the stereo? Or is the network fast enough not to worry about it? Could distance be an issue? (Router on 2nd floor, airport on first)
Click to expand...

This is what I'm wondering, you can't connect to two wireless access points at once so if your router doesn't plug into the AirPort Express then surely you can't be on the net and streaming music at the same time? Ie. ideally your stereo, AP express and router all need to be next to each other?
 
paulobrad said:
Thanks, how does the audio get sent to the device though? Does it replicate all audio or does the Airport Express appear in iTunes as some sort of special device to "send" audio to?

Also, to further chatoyer point, if you had that set up doesn't it mean you can't be connected to both the internet and the AirPort Express at the same time - unless the AirPort Express acted as some sort of repeater for the internet signal from the modem router.
Click to expand...

You just set up the Express to be a client on your existing wireless network, meaning it receives it's own IP from your existing wireless router and acts like a little computer but it can only output audio to the stereo it's hooked up to and be a print server if you have a printer hooked up to it.

Then you make sure your macbook is connected to the same network the Express is, then you go into itunes, and in the lower right corner of the main window will now be a drop-down menu with "Computer" in it, click on that and select the name of the Express that you gave it when doing the setup, and voila, iTunes will now send it's audio to the Express.
 
Cheers purelithium, answers my question perfectly.

Now another quick thread jack - controlling the output of AirPort Express by iPhone? I imagine something like telekenisis would be required?
 
paulobrad said:
Cheers purelithium, answers my question perfectly.

Now another quick thread jack - controlling the output of AirPort Express by iPhone? I imagine something like telekenisis would be required?
Click to expand...

I don't know if you can control an Express from an iPhone, as i've never even held an iPhone lol. I don't think you can.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back