Q: Airport Express

Ref: Wi-Fi base stations: How to set up and configure AirPort Express for AirPlay and iTunes

The above reference is an Apple Support document that describes how to configure an AirPort Express base station to join an existing Wi-Fi network in order to use it for AirPlay streaming. Please let us know if you have any other questions or need any additional help setting this up. The key here is to perform a "factory default" reset on the Express to get it back to its "out-of-the-box" configuration, and then, use the AirPort Utility to configure it per the support document.

try to shift the system air port express from kitchen  to as per your choice at your living place , as there are many reasons for wi fi interference :

  microwave ovens , satellite dishes , wireless audio speakers , wireless RF video , wireless cameras ,  can cause interference that operates in 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz bandwidth .

  set your base station to automatic , enable base station password .

do a factory hard reset on your air port express .

  method : 1. take out all wires from air port express .

                  2. press and hold reset button that is on back side of air port express . insert a ball pen on the back settings of air port .untill you see LED amber light  flash rapidly it will occur for 5 sec .

                  3. wait for a minute for base station to finish restarting . open air port utility from spot light

                   4. select your base station name - click on edit .

                   5. select restore previous settings & click on next until you get final window ( it may take time ) .

                   6. air port utility will indicate the set up is complete . click on done & finally quit air port utility .

                    7. the air port light should be constant  and green ( always ) .

note : if network speed is good settings will be done fast .

that's great its working . i did my hard reset long time back . i knew the method but we have to follow the instructions sometimes that comes on the system .

(1) After completing this step, shouldn’t the light on “Express” show steady “green?”  Mine blinks amber.  Going through a “reset” fails: light remains blinking amber.

Actually, no. By default, the AirPort Express base station's status LED, when first powered up, will flash amber. That is normal and is indicating that some further set up is required to turn the LED to green. This is also true after performing a reset on the base station.

For future reference, to find out what the base station thinks is the issue, just use the AirPort Utility, as follows:

• Run the AirPort Utility.
• Select the base station.
• Look for a Status setting in the small window that appears.
• Click on the small amber dot there and another window will appear to explain what the "issue" may be.

(2) In this step, am I correct that it wants my iMac connected to modem’s network?  Or does this mean that I must connect Airport Express to network.  But since Express is blinking amber, the Mac cannot not see it!  However, if I bring the Airport Express to the modem and connect via ethernet, all appears normal: green light; and it shows up in list of available wi-fi.  I believe it is this step which convinced Apple “genius” that my unit was OK…

By default, a "out-of-the-box" AirPort Express will broadcast a non-secured Wi-Fi network with a network name of something like: Apple Network NNNNNN. This instruction is telling you to connect to temporarily connect your computer to that network. That is so, the AirPort Utility can access it. Once configured as a wireless client for streaming, the Express will no longer be broadcasting its own network, but will join your existing one coming from your modem. Note: If you modem is capable of creating a wireless network, then it is not actually a simple modem, but instead, a combination modem and wireless router. These are also known as a wireless gateway device.

(3) As for this step… I have always used “Airfoil” with input selected to any audio Safari has available (in my case this is typically BBC World Service).

As you can imagine, Apple fully supports using iTunes for streaming, thus the title of the support article. Using Airfoil, as you know, is an alternative AirPlay server to iTunes ... but both rely on AirPlay to stream audio over a network.

Since I seem unable to produce a functioning green light other than via connected ethernet, I suspect the unit is defective despite being told otherwise by Apple’s “genius.”

Again, the flashing amber LED would be normal until the base station is fully set up. Although anything is possible, I would not initially conclude that the Express if faulty until after doing so.

Question:  With Airport Express powered up (no connections beyond power cord) and in the immediate vicinity of DSL Wi-Fi modem and iMac (can connect the two either wirelessly or by ethernet), shouldn’t the iMac be able to recognize (wirelessly) the presence of the Airport Express?

If the AirPort Express is the only wireless router, then yes, your iMac's built-in wireless should immediately be able to find it. In the case where your computer is already connected to another wireless router, it should also be able to find it ... but not by the wireless network name that the base station would be broadcasting. Instead, it should be able to identify it as an "AirPort Express" under the title "New AirPort Base Station" on the OS X Wi-Fi icon drop-down menu.

However, if I connect the Express to modem via ethernet cable, the iMac recognizes it…

When you connected the Express directly to your gateway (modem as you call it), the Express immediately was placed on the same network segment as the gateway. Since your iMac is also connected to that same segment, it was able to "discover" the base station.