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Airport Express and iPad in a hotel room

How would one go about setting up this combination?

Macbook, Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Apr 21, 2010 12:18 PM

Reply
28 replies

Apr 21, 2010 12:36 PM in response to MacFormula

Typically, hotels offer either wired or wireless Internet access. For wired access, connect the AirPort Express Base Station (AX) to the supplied Ethernet port in your room. Since the hotel will have its own router, you will want the AX to be configured as a bridge.

Here are the steps to do so:

To set up the AirPort Express Base Station (AX) as a "bridge," using the AirPort Utility, either connect to the AX's wireless network or temporarily connect your computer directly (using an Ethernet cable) to the Ethernet port of the AX, and then, try these settings:

AirPort > Wireless tab
o Wireless Mode: Create a wireless network
o Network Name: <leave the default or create a new one>
o Radio Mode: <leave the default>
o Channel: Automatic

Internet > Internet Connection
o Connect Using: Ethernet
o Configure IPv4: Using DHCP
o Ethernet WAN Port: Automatic (Default)
o Connection Sharing: Off (Bridge Mode)

Apr 21, 2010 12:43 PM in response to Tesserax

Thanks for the quick reply Tessarax!

I'm an international long haul pilot and do lots of stops in hotels in Europe. Almost every hotel where I stay only offer ethernet access in their rooms.

Is there a way to set up the AE at home, before I travel, and saving the setting as a profile so that I can simply "plug & surf" when I get to the other side? Bear in mind that every hotel has an authentication process when you connect either wirelessly or by ethernet cable i.e I plug in the ethernet cable, launch Safari and get the hotel's login page.

If I was to simply plug in the room's ethernet cable into the AE and launch Safari on the iPad/iPhone, would the same thing happen?

Apr 21, 2010 12:53 PM in response to MacFormula

Is there a way to set up the AE at home, before I travel, and saving the setting as a profile so that I can simply "plug & surf" when I get to the other side?


Yes. The AirPort Express Base Station (AX) can store up to five different configuration profiles. You will need to use the AirPort Utility to create & save these profiles.

To create a new profile:
o Open AirPort Utility, select your AX from the list, and then, click "Manual Setup."
o From the AirPort Utility menu, select "Base Station," and then "Manage Profiles."
o Click "+" to create a new profile; give it a name, and then, click OK.
o Set options, such as network name, passwords, Internet connection method, etc.
o When done setting the options, click Update.

To switch profiles:
o Open the AirPort Utility, select your AX from the list, and then, click "Manual Setup."
o From the AirPort Utility menu, select "Base Station," and then "Manage Profiles."
o Click on the desired profile, and then, click OK to apply the new profile and restart the AX.

Just remember to switch to the desired configuration profile before removing power from the AX.

Bear in mind that every hotel has an authentication process when you connect either wirelessly or by ethernet cable i.e I plug in the ethernet cable, launch Safari and get the hotel's login page.


Once your AX is providing a basic wireless network, your iPad should be able to reach the hotel's router at which point you would typically get these "authentication" pages within the web browser. These are not something that would necessarily be unique technically ... only the login credentials would be different.

If I was to simply plug in the room's ethernet cable into the AE and launch Safari on the iPad/iPhone, would the same thing happen?


Pretty much. As mentioned in my earlier reply, if you reconfigure the AX as a bridge, it should accommodate most situations that you will encounter. In this configuration, the AX will "pass-thru" the information from the hotel's router and be broadcasting its own wireless network for your iPad to connect to. One thing you may want to do, is to enable wireless encryption so that uninvited "guests" won't be able to take advantage of your wireless network.

Apr 29, 2010 11:25 AM in response to Tesserax

I am having an issue setting up profiles on my new AX. I have latest airport utility and I go under manual set up and then click on base station and I don't have any options about setting up profiles. It is driving me nuts! Is there something else I need to do to set up profiles? I went through all menus and I don't have any options with managing profiles or setting up new ones. I am stuck, any ideas?? I am trying to have a profile for home, work and travel. Thanks!!!

Apr 29, 2010 12:25 PM in response to jhever

My guess is that you were looking at the Base Station tab at the center of the screen, correct?

Post back if you need more information about this feature.

One note....When Tesserax writes in his instructions "....then click OK", I think he means to say click the "Active" button to the right of the name of the profile. (There is no "OK" button)

May 3, 2010 12:45 PM in response to mabelata

If you have an AirPort Express 802.11n, Model A1264....

You are probably looking in the wrong place using AirPort Utility. Please do not look at the Base Station tab in the center of your screen.

Tesserax's instructions were to look at the Base Station menu item

(it's at the uppermost top of your computer screen to the right of the Apple icon).

Click the Base Station menu, then select Manage Profiles.

Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

Jun 6, 2010 4:46 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Stupid question, I can see the Air Port Express on my iPad...it shows up as Matthew's Network. I think I have all of the settings the way you said to have them in this thread.

However, last night I changed the signal from 2MHz to 11MHz or whatever unit it is (I remember changing it from 2 to 11) and also the renew key every 60 days instead of minutes or something (why don't ask, I have no idea what I was doing) and now I can no longer see the darn thing with my Desktop that has a wireless N card and antenna.

Jun 6, 2010 5:27 PM in response to Matthew110607

Suggest that you do a factory default reset on the AirPort Express (AX) and start over.

Power down the AX
Hold in the reset button and while you continue to hold in the reset button, plug the AX back in to power
Keep holding the reset button until you see the amber light begin to blink more quickly, hold another second or two and then release.

This will get the AX back to default settings. Important...the AX is broadcasting a network with a name like +apple network xxxxxx+ at this point, so you will need to "find" this network on your computer and log onto it so that AirPort Utility can "see" the AX and you can reconfigure it.

Airport Express and iPad in a hotel room

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