Airport Express on the road

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Level 2

475 points

Airport Express on the road

i just installed Airport Express on my home ethernet network to feed a WiFi Bridge. That setup works fine and other computers on the network see the Airport account.

I hopefully will be getting my WiFi iPad from the Apple Store soon and plan on using the iPad to stay connected using WiFi networks at hotels and other places on trips.

*My question is this* - The Airport Express has been configured with my Mac in the home setting. Can I take that same Airport Express unit with me, plug it into an ethernet connection at a location and create a local WiFi network. Would it have to be reconfigured with this new connection and can this be done with the iPad since I won't have my desktop Mac with me? Not having an iPad Manual, I don't know how connectivity will be accomplished.)

G4 1.8 Ghz dual Quicksilver, Mac OS X (10.5.8), 1.12 GB ram, 1.33 TB storage on 2 internal, 2 extenal firewire

Posted on Jun 10, 2010 7:24 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 10, 2010 7:41 PM in response to Derryl S

Welcome to the discussions!

+Can I take that same Airport Express unit with me, plug it into an ethernet connection at a location and create a local WiFi network.+

It will work with the ethernet port at most hotels if you have the Express configured to Connect Using Ethernet and Connection Sharing setting is set to Off (Bridge Mode). You may already have it configured this way now.

You would need to have the Express pre-configured before you go on the road as the iPad is not able to run AirPort Utility, the application that is needed to configure the AirPorts.

If you are traveling in the U.S. probably 70-80% of major hotels are now using wireless, so ethernet ports are getting hard to find. If you can find an ethernet port, you will plug in the Express and let it power up. Then open your browser and the hotel's log on page will appear with agreements and fees, etc.

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Answer 2

Derryl S Author

Level 2

475 points

Jun 10, 2010 8:47 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Looks like a catch 22. I can't configure at a location without my computer and I can't configure before I leave unless I know of all the internet routing numbers of the places I might have an ethernet connection.

(One hotel I will be staying at has WiFi free in public areas, but if you want to connect to the internet in the room you have to pay $12.95 per day for that access!!!! I am guessing WiFi won't be in the rooms.)

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Answer 3

Jun 10, 2010 8:59 PM in response to Derryl S

+I can't configure before I leave unless I know of all the internet routing numbers of the places I might have an ethernet connection.+

Not the case at all. Do you need step by step for the road configuration of your Express?

(One hotel I will be staying at has WiFi free in public areas, but if you want to connect to the internet in the room you have to pay $12.95 per day for that access!!!! I am guessing WiFi won't be in the rooms.)

Pretty typical of most big hotels these days.

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Answer 4

Derryl S Author

Level 2

475 points

Jun 10, 2010 9:23 PM in response to Bob Timmons

If I can create a generic setup on the Airport Express for traveling, that might be helpful to know.

I set up the Airport to be a WiFi addition to my current network router so I connect using Ethernet using DHCP.

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Answer 5

Jun 10, 2010 9:37 PM in response to Derryl S

It sounds like you may have few or no changes to make for the road on the Express.

Open AirPort Utility - Click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab to configure your wireless settings. You may have already done this depending on your network setup

Click the Internet icon
Connection Sharing = Ethernet (Probably set this way now)
Connection Sharing = Off (Bridge Mode)
Update to save settings

This configuration will work at most hotels that provide an ethernet port in the room. Just connect a short ethernet cable from the ethernet jack to the Express and power it up. You'll get a green light in 15-20 seconds.

Look for a wireless connection (your network) on your computer or iPad, iPhone, etc., open your browser and the hotels internet agreement page will open. That's it.

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