I'm Able to connect AE to Linksys Router: Some tTps
OK:
For several weeks (off & on) I have been trying to connect my Airport Express to my Linksys WRT54G wireless router network, but have run into several recurring bottlenecks. Well, I feel that I have busted through the dam yesterday, based on some feedback from folks, along with a lot of trial and error. Below, I address a couple of problems that keep recurring in this forum.
*Problem 1:*
My AE in no longer seen on my network.
Solution:
My AE should have its own Apple ad-hoc network, if all I have powered-on is my laptop, the AE and a set of powered speakers that the AE will stream music to.
The AE's ad-hoc network should show up in your system tray's connection window
with a name similar to "Apple Network XXXXXX" , where XXXXXX represent the AE's 6-rightmost hex digits of its 12-digit hex MAC (Media Access Control) address.
Last week, I did a complete factory reset on the AE. Yesterday, when I tried to have the laptop generate an ad-hoc network, it couldn't: it kept trying to attach to a prior network that I had created with my router (which by the way, is currently turned off), but couldn't find it. I did several more factory resets, with no luck. The AE would not generate the ad-hoc network ! I tried both, with and without an Ethernet cable running from the AE to the laptop.
Frustrated, I took a gamble and did an "intermediate" reset of the AE.
Note: The AE is wired to the laptop, plugged in, with stereo speakers connected and turned-on. Using a paper clip, I pressed-in the AE's reset button, and held it for ~10 seconds. It worked
I could now see my "Apple Network XXXXXX" ad-hoc connection listed in my system tray's list of networks to connect to.
Now that I had the ad-hoc network for the AE, the question was to figure out how to add this device (the AE) to the Linksys router's wireless network.
*Problem 2:*
I'm unable to add the AE to my existing Linksys wireless network.
Solution:
I turned on the cable modem and the Linksys router, and let them boot.
At this point , I have the AE hardwired to the router via Ethernet cable.
I opened the Linksys Easy Setup (or similar name) Help tool to view what the Linksys tool could see. It saw that the laptop was connected to the router, but not the AE. Initially, the laptop was connected via Ethernet cable to the router, but I then made that a wireless connection withe the Easy Setup.
I opened Airport Utility and proceeded to configure the network for AE, via a Manual setup. Airport Utility was able to see my ad-hoc network and saw the AE, with its name "Apple Network XXXXXX".
I wanted to have the AE join my existing 64/40-bit WEP wireless network.
I had followed all of the prior advice but with no luck.
Here's the kicker:
On one of the the Airport Utility tabs:
You want to select to "Join A Wireless Network".
On the tab that has the checkboxes , check your settings:
"Remember this password in my keychain" (Optional, I have it checked)
"Set time automatically" (unchecked)
"Advertise configuration globally using Bonjour" (unchecked)
If you have the "time" and/or "Bonjour" checkboxes checked, you will get a different set of network connection types to select from under the Wireless tab, and the typical WEP settings (WEP 60/40) won't be among the choices
This is where I was having problems. If you use the above checkbox settings,
you WILL get the WEP 40 in the drop-down menu to choose from under the Wireless tab. Make sure that the password/encryption key that you use for is the same that your used for when setting-up your wireless router. You do not have to precede it with a $ sign. (Example: when you setup your WEP-40/64 connection with your router, you had to use a 10-hex digit encryption key, or provide a 5 ASCII character Passcode that would be converted into a 10-digit hex encryption key. My advice: Forget about the PassCode...just type in a 10-hex-digit key into the Key 1 slot in the router setup, and USE THIS SAME KEY in Airport Utility. It will be 10 hex digits long, where hex-digits are 0-9, and A-F.
Finish the setup, and once Airport Utility reconfigures, you will get the solid green LED on the AE. At this point disconnect the Ethernet cable.
Now, open your router's setup program and check the network. You should now see the AE on the same network as your router and laptop, wirelessly !
Open iTunes. In the lower-right corner, you should see a dropdown menu from which you may select speakers. Select your speakers by the name you gave them.
Click on any tune that you have in iTunes, and click the Play button. You should now be able to hear the tune playing out of your speakers, wirelessly !
You are no longer using the ad-hoc network. You now have the AE connected to same same wireless network that your laptop is on, via the wireless router.
Music is playing from iTunes (via AirTunes) on your laptop, though the router to the AE, to the speakers, wirelessly !
For several weeks (off & on) I have been trying to connect my Airport Express to my Linksys WRT54G wireless router network, but have run into several recurring bottlenecks. Well, I feel that I have busted through the dam yesterday, based on some feedback from folks, along with a lot of trial and error. Below, I address a couple of problems that keep recurring in this forum.
*Problem 1:*
My AE in no longer seen on my network.
Solution:
My AE should have its own Apple ad-hoc network, if all I have powered-on is my laptop, the AE and a set of powered speakers that the AE will stream music to.
The AE's ad-hoc network should show up in your system tray's connection window
with a name similar to "Apple Network XXXXXX" , where XXXXXX represent the AE's 6-rightmost hex digits of its 12-digit hex MAC (Media Access Control) address.
Last week, I did a complete factory reset on the AE. Yesterday, when I tried to have the laptop generate an ad-hoc network, it couldn't: it kept trying to attach to a prior network that I had created with my router (which by the way, is currently turned off), but couldn't find it. I did several more factory resets, with no luck. The AE would not generate the ad-hoc network ! I tried both, with and without an Ethernet cable running from the AE to the laptop.
Frustrated, I took a gamble and did an "intermediate" reset of the AE.
Note: The AE is wired to the laptop, plugged in, with stereo speakers connected and turned-on. Using a paper clip, I pressed-in the AE's reset button, and held it for ~10 seconds. It worked
Now that I had the ad-hoc network for the AE, the question was to figure out how to add this device (the AE) to the Linksys router's wireless network.
*Problem 2:*
I'm unable to add the AE to my existing Linksys wireless network.
Solution:
I turned on the cable modem and the Linksys router, and let them boot.
At this point , I have the AE hardwired to the router via Ethernet cable.
I opened the Linksys Easy Setup (or similar name) Help tool to view what the Linksys tool could see. It saw that the laptop was connected to the router, but not the AE. Initially, the laptop was connected via Ethernet cable to the router, but I then made that a wireless connection withe the Easy Setup.
I opened Airport Utility and proceeded to configure the network for AE, via a Manual setup. Airport Utility was able to see my ad-hoc network and saw the AE, with its name "Apple Network XXXXXX".
I wanted to have the AE join my existing 64/40-bit WEP wireless network.
I had followed all of the prior advice but with no luck.
Here's the kicker:
On one of the the Airport Utility tabs:
You want to select to "Join A Wireless Network".
On the tab that has the checkboxes , check your settings:
"Remember this password in my keychain" (Optional, I have it checked)
"Set time automatically" (unchecked)
"Advertise configuration globally using Bonjour" (unchecked)
If you have the "time" and/or "Bonjour" checkboxes checked, you will get a different set of network connection types to select from under the Wireless tab, and the typical WEP settings (WEP 60/40) won't be among the choices
This is where I was having problems. If you use the above checkbox settings,
you WILL get the WEP 40 in the drop-down menu to choose from under the Wireless tab. Make sure that the password/encryption key that you use for is the same that your used for when setting-up your wireless router. You do not have to precede it with a $ sign. (Example: when you setup your WEP-40/64 connection with your router, you had to use a 10-hex digit encryption key, or provide a 5 ASCII character Passcode that would be converted into a 10-digit hex encryption key. My advice: Forget about the PassCode...just type in a 10-hex-digit key into the Key 1 slot in the router setup, and USE THIS SAME KEY in Airport Utility. It will be 10 hex digits long, where hex-digits are 0-9, and A-F.
Finish the setup, and once Airport Utility reconfigures, you will get the solid green LED on the AE. At this point disconnect the Ethernet cable.
Now, open your router's setup program and check the network. You should now see the AE on the same network as your router and laptop, wirelessly !
Open iTunes. In the lower-right corner, you should see a dropdown menu from which you may select speakers. Select your speakers by the name you gave them.
Click on any tune that you have in iTunes, and click the Play button. You should now be able to hear the tune playing out of your speakers, wirelessly !
You are no longer using the ad-hoc network. You now have the AE connected to same same wireless network that your laptop is on, via the wireless router.
Music is playing from iTunes (via AirTunes) on your laptop, though the router to the AE, to the speakers, wirelessly !