Windows - Airport Utility won't recognize Express plugged into Home stereo.

Hello computerdummy555. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!

Try temporarily connecting the AirPort Express Base Station (AX) directly to your Netgear router using an Ethernet cable, and then, access it with the AirPort Utility from your PC. Once you have it configured properly, you can remove the Ethernet cable link and place it at the desired location near the home stereo.

Let's double-check your AX's configure to receive audio via AirTunes.

Please reconnect the AX back to the Netgear before running the AirPort Utility.

Ok, compare your settings to the following within the AirPort Utility using Manual Setup:

AirPort > Base Station
o Base Station Name: <rename or leave default>
o Base Station Password: <enter desired password>
o Verify Password: <re-enter desired password>
o Remember this password in my keychain: (optional)
o Set time automatically: (unchecked)

AirPort > Wireless
o Wireless Mode: Join a wireless network
o Network Name: <existing Netgear's wireless network>
o Wireless Security: <select the encryption type of the existing wireless network>
o Wireless Password: <enter the existing wireless network password>
o Verify Password: <re-enter the existing wireless network password>

Music
o Enable AirTunes (checked)
o iTunes Speaker Name: <enter desired speaker name>
o iTunes Speaker Password: (optional)
o Verify Password: (optional)
o Click Update to write the new settings to the AX

In iTunes:
iTunes > Preferences... > Advanced > General
o Look for remote speakers connected with AirTunes (checked)

Please try the following before accessing the AX with the AirPort Utility.

o Perform a "factory default" reset on the AX.
o When complete, connect an Ethernet cable between the AX and one of the LAN ports on the Netgear router, and then, plug-in the AX. Wait at least 5 minutes for the AX to start up.
o With your PC already connected to the Netgear, run the AirPort Utility and perform the configuration steps I provided earlier.

Please try temporarily disabling wireless encryption on the Netgear, and then, try setting up the AX again. Once you can successfully connect the AX to the Netgear's network, post back and we can try enabling wireless encryption again. I would suggest not using WEP as it is no longer considered secure. I would suggest WPA or WPA2 instead.

Hi Tesserax,

I hope you don't mind me jumping in here where computerdummy555 left off.

I've experienced exactly the same problem, except that the wireless router is a Linksys WRT160Nv2, using WPA2. With WPA2 disabled, Airport Utility recognizes the Airport Express and it will feed music on my stereo wirelessly. With WPA2 re-enabled, Airport Utility can no longer access the Airport Express, which only flashes its amber light.

Any idea how to re-enable wireless security in the router without dropping the Airport Express? Thanks.

From what I've seen in this forum and others, this problem (AirTunes using a Windows PC with a third party router w/o sacrificing wireless security) appears to be universal, and unsolved. I recall it being the same using WPA2 or WPA.

I can't believe there's no solution. Any tips or insight would be appreciated, including if there really is no solution.

I set up the Express in Create a network mode instead of Join network mode. It doesn't have an internet connection but I only need this for streaming music. So i now use the Airport on my iMac (desktop) only to connect to the Airport Express music network. For the internet I have the ethernet cable. This solved the issue of being unable to reliably connect to the Express when it was in Join network mode.

Unfortunately iTunes on my Windows laptop still wont see the Express.