Claudia1000
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Airport express for airplay: is it really so easy tu install?

When our airport express arrived we did not understand at all what we could with it. Now on the website of Apple I found a document that explains what are the possibilities. But also It seems that the airport express doesnot need an installation: when it is connected to a music installation it should work directly.

My questions are:

 

1. is this true? ( we had ourselves quite a difficult installation : we created , with help from Apple support, an extra network without internet. The Imac is connected via a fixed line to the speedtouchnetwork, the Ipad uses the wifi-speedtouch network, and the airport express and imac communicate via an extra wifi network that is set up by the airport express. )

2. We have now a system that works OK for getting music of the Imac upstairs on the musicsystem downstairs. Can we use this very airport express apparatus also when we go on holiday and then  want to connect an Ipad to the hotelnetwork that has no WIFI? Are all the settings for the music kept ?

3. My question also concerns the use of an airport express for airplay in combination with Itunes on a PC.

 

I realise the question is not quite clear: I donot understand much about these things, but I would like to use it.

iPad, iOS 5.0.1, Airport express, Imac, Bose music .

Posted on Feb 15, 2012 2:11 PM

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Claudia1000

Q: Airport express for airplay: is it really so easy tu install?

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  • by Gino Cerullo,

    Gino Cerullo Gino Cerullo Feb 15, 2012 4:18 PM in response to Claudia1000
    Level 4 (1,456 points)
    Feb 15, 2012 4:18 PM in response to Claudia1000

    When our airport express arrived we did not understand at all what we could with it. Now on the website of Apple I found a document that explains what are the possibilities. But also It seems that the airport express doesnot need an installation: when it is connected to a music installation it should work directly.

    My questions are:

     

    1. is this true? ( we had ourselves quite a difficult installation : we created , with help from Apple support, an extra network without internet. The Imac is connected via a fixed line to the speedtouchnetwork, the Ipad uses the wifi-speedtouch network, and the airport express and imac communicate via an extra wifi network that is set up by the airport express. )

     

    Everything you would like to do with the AirPort Express will need some level of configuration. It is not as simple as just plugging it in.

     

    2. We have now a system that works OK for getting music of the Imac upstairs on the musicsystem downstairs. Can we use this very airport express apparatus also when we go on holiday and then  want to connect an Ipad to the hotelnetwork that has no WIFI? Are all the settings for the music kept ?

     

    The AirPort Express can save the current configuration as a profile. Once the current configuration is saved you can create another profile for a different use, for example you can create a profile for when you travel with it.

     

    Since you have little understanding about how to configure the AirPort Express, I suggest that you leave the one you have alone and buy an extra one for use when you travel. 

     

    3. My question also concerns the use of an airport express for airplay in combination with Itunes on a PC.

     

    The AirPort Express will also work with iTunes on a PC for AirPlay. Whether you can configure the PC to join the network is another question.

     

    I suggest you read this PDF

    http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/Apple_AirPort_Networks_Early2009.pdf

     

    Also the information in these web pages.

    http://www.apple.com/support/airport/

  • by Claudia1000,

    Claudia1000 Claudia1000 Feb 15, 2012 11:56 PM in response to Gino Cerullo
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 15, 2012 11:56 PM in response to Gino Cerullo

    I looked into in your links. I found a link to the document that I meant in my initial post "Wi-Fi base stations: How to set up and configure AirPort Express for AirPlay and iTunes" (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4587). Now I have a question about these options, because I donot understand the situation at home.

     

    In this document the first option("AirPort Express wirelessly streams iTunes music as a standalone device") is not identical to our use, because out AEXP distributes a wifi signal. This signal is detected as a normal network, for example also bij the IPAD in settings, WIFI. But this network cannot be used for internet.

    The Fourth option( "Connecting to an existing Wi-Fi network, exclusively for iTunes music") seems also different to our setup. The document explains that this setup is used when "Choose this configuration if the computer containing your iTunes library may be out of direct range of the AirPort Express, but is within range of the Wi-Fi network". In our home the IMAC computer cannot pickup easily the WIFI signal, and is therefore connected by the ethernetcable. We choose the separate network that is setup by the AEXP for streaming music from the imac to the AEXP.

     

    My question is now : is our solution perhaps too complicated and is it possible that we could have used the first option? ("AirPort Express wirelessly streams iTunes music as a standalone device")....... But in this option I really donot understand how it is possible that the music is transmitted from the IMAC to the musicsystem that is connected to the AEXP.