Connecting Airport Express to Mobile hotspot

It may be possible. You would need to configure the AirPort Express to "join a wireless network." In this case the wireless network would be the one provided by the Mobile Hotspot. In this configuration, your MBP can simultaneously access the Internet via the hotspot and print to the printer being shared by the Express.

To set up the AirPort Express Base Station (AX) as a "Wireless Client," 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:

• Perform a "Factory Default" reset on the AX.
• Launch the AirPort Utility.
• Select the AX.
• If not already connected to the AX's wireless network, go ahead and switch to it when prompted.

AirPort Utility > Select the AX > Manual Setup > AirPort > Base Station

• Base Station Name: <whatever you wish or use the default>
• Base Station Password: <enter a desired password for the base station>
• Verify Password: <re-enter the desired password>
• Remember this password in my keychain: (optional)
• Set time automatically: (optional)

AirPort Utility > Select the AX > Manual Setup > AirPort > Wireless

• Wireless Mode: Join a wireless network
• Network Name: <type in the network name/SSID of the wireless network that you want to join or select it from the pop-up menu>
• Wireless Security: None OR, if you are using security on your wireless network:
• Wireless Security: <Select the appropriate level of security for the existing wireless network: WPA/WPA2 Personal | WPA2 Personal>
• Password: <enter your wireless network security password>
• Verify Password: <re-enter the same security password>
• Click Update to write the new settings to the AX.

What is the error message?

When configuring to "join" another network, it would be appropriate that you will no longer see the AX's wireless network because the AX is now operating as a wireless client. In this configuration, the AX will NOT provide a wireless network.

At this point, I'm not sure why the AX is not working but it may come down to an incompatibility between the AX and the Hotspot's wireless access point that is preventing it from working.

During the reset procedure for the AX, it comes to a page that asks me how I am connected to the internet. The choices are basically cable, ethernet, dial up, or "I am not connected to the internet right now", which is what I am selecting since none of the others make sense. If I select cable it takes me to a page with a lot of server info to fill in, as I recall.

Basically, the AX is expecting to be connected to an Ethernet-based Broadband modem with an Ethernet cable. There is no option for connecting to a wireless network for Internet connectivity, except for the following two cases: 1) The wireless network is provided by another AirPort and the AX is configured to extend it, and 2) You have a 802.11n AX and have configured it as a wireless Ethernet bridge. In this second configuration, the AX would "join" an existing wireless network (it doesn't, in this case, need to be one provided by another AirPort), and then, feed the Internet connection out its Ethernet port for wired clients.

What we are attempting to do here is NOT use the AX for Internet access, but just for sharing the printer. The AX normally does not have an issue doing so as all that is required is for it to join an existing wireless network as a wireless client ... BUT (again) for some reason, the AX is not joining the Hotspot's wireless network properly.

I assume that this Hotspot is a Wi-Fi network and not a cellular one (CDMA, 3G, etc.) ... correct?

Although the Mi-Fi device creates a Wi-Fi network, I believe it is limited to only wireless clients, not routers. Still I would think that the AX, reconfigured as a wireless client, should work, but I don't have one of these Mi-Fi devices to verify it. Maybe, someone else in this forum does, and can chime in.

Hi