I've gone wireless!
After doing some research in to the Airport Express, I've finally taken the plunge and gone wireless! I've installed an Airport Extreme card in my iMac, a Belkin 802.11g card in my wife's PC, and connected the cable modem to the Airport Express, which is acting as a wireless router. I even connected my printer for wireless printing!
Setup was painless... on the Mac... The PC side however...
\. Well, it took a lot longer, but I think it's finally working OK now, fingers crossed. My wife is intending on getting a laptop soon, so hopefully that will be a bit smoother than the desktop install. I've tried to get her to get a Mac, but she wants to keep a PC, just in case 
.
Overall, I'm very impressed with how the installation went (apart from the PC issues), and with how it's running. However, the real test will come when I install another Airport Express downstairs so that I can stream iTunes and connect my Xbox to Xbox Live.
If you've been thinking about going wireless with an Airport Express, I can recommend it
.
Regards,
Dave.
Setup was painless... on the Mac... The PC side however...
\. Well, it took a lot longer, but I think it's finally working OK now, fingers crossed. My wife is intending on getting a laptop soon, so hopefully that will be a bit smoother than the desktop install. I've tried to get her to get a Mac, but she wants to keep a PC, just in case .Overall, I'm very impressed with how the installation went (apart from the PC issues), and with how it's running. However, the real test will come when I install another Airport Express downstairs so that I can stream iTunes and connect my Xbox to Xbox Live.
If you've been thinking about going wireless with an Airport Express, I can recommend it
.Regards,
Dave.
Comments
Originally posted by Dave Abrey
Overall, I'm very impressed with how the installation went (apart from the PC issues), and with how it's running. However, the real test will come when I install another Airport Express downstairs so that I can stream iTunes and connect my Xbox to Xbox Live.
1) Make sure that you have the range. 802.11 repeaters are still really dodgy.
2) Do not get the "driverless" 802.11 plugin for your xBox. Configuring the Airport Extreme as a wireless bridge is a much better solution.
I've been peripherally involved in some massive WiFi installations for point-of-sale hardware, much of which is proprietary and WiFi-less. The Driverless things don't work very well. (Furthermore, WiFi doesn't work very well for large installs, but that's a whole 'nother can of worms)
Thanks for the reply
1) Make sure that you have the range. 802.11 repeaters are still really dodgy.
Hopefully, range won't be too much of a problem, as our house isn't that big
2) Do not get the "driverless" 802.11 plugin for your xBox.
Sorry for the daft question, but what's that?
Configuring the Airport Extreme as a wireless bridge is a much better solution.
I was planning to use it in WDS mode. My interpretation of the support docs on Apple's site was that used like this, it would be acting as a bridge, is that correct?
Thanks,
Dave.
Originally posted by Dave Abrey
Sorry for the daft question, but what's that?
I was planning to use it in WDS mode. My interpretation of the support docs on Apple's site was that used like this, it would be acting as a bridge, is that correct?
That sounds fine. The driverless modules I speak of are available from various vendors, and are advertised specifically at people who are networking game consoles.
If range is a problem, try Value Point Networks. They sell some relatively cheap (and good) amplified WiFi equipment, as well as antennas. I have an 18dB gain Omni Directional setup from them, and I can get solid Airport (4 bars) on the beach, about 50m from the house, on my old TiBook.
Granted, I only took it out there for a test. Trust me, the beach is not a good place to get work done.
I think neighbors several houses away claimed to have seen the network. Of course, there's a WEP on there.
Originally posted by Splinemodel
That sounds fine. The driverless modules I speak of are available from various vendors, and are advertised specifically at people who are networking game consoles.
If range is a problem, try Value Point Networks. They sell some relatively cheap (and good) amplified WiFi equipment, as well as antennas. I have an 18dB gain Omni Directional setup from them, and I can get solid Airport (4 bars) on the beach, about 50m from the house, on my old TiBook.
Granted, I only took it out there for a test. Trust me, the beach is not a good place to get work done.
I think neighbors several houses away claimed to have seen the network. Of course, there's a WEP on there.
I think I know the one's you're talking about. I originally looked at a Linksys one, and someone mentioned an officail Xbox one in another thread. But if Airport Express can do the job, that's the way I'm going
I'm currently using WPA for security, as I'd read that it's better than WEP. And I'm also using MAC access control - it'll take a little configuration if someone new wants to access the network, but it's only a case of getting the MAC, adding it to the MAC access control page, and rebooting the Airport.
You live 50m from the beach? Cool
Dave.
I was playing around with it and it had an option to connect to our wireless network we have setup with a Netgear router. It connected perfectly and now shares my dads printer. Seting wireless printing through the Mac was easy - gotta love Rendezvous! Of course it was harder on my brothers Win XP machine, which included finding the address of the AE. It was impossible on Win ME though.
I just didn't think the Airport Express could connect to a non-airport network, but after re-reading the product page, it just can't extend the range of it.
Originally posted by danielctull
I got an Airport Express in my lucky bag, which I plan on using at Uni next year in my room to give me wireless internet, printing and music with my PowerBook.
I was playing around with it and it had an option to connect to our wireless network we have setup with a Netgear router. It connected perfectly and now shares my dads printer. Seting wireless printing through the Mac was easy - gotta love Rendezvous! Of course it was harder on my brothers Win XP machine, which included finding the address of the AE. It was impossible on Win ME though.
I just didn't think the Airport Express could connect to a non-airport network, but after re-reading the product page, it just can't extend the range of it.
You got a lucky bag?! What time did you get to Regent Street then?
You're right, connecting the Mac is easy, I just wish Win XP was so simple. If only I could persuade my wife to get an iBook instead of a PC laptop...
Dave.
Originally posted by Dave Abrey
You got a lucky bag?! What time did you get to Regent Street then?
You're right, connecting the Mac is easy, I just wish Win XP was so simple. If only I could persuade my wife to get an iBook instead of a PC laptop...
Dave.
I was there from 2150 Friday night, was you there at all?
In all testament to Apple, its instructions for the Airport Express for a Windows XP machine are pretty damn good.
Originally posted by danielctull
I was there from 2150 Friday night
Respect
was you there at all?
I was there on Saturday, around 2pm I think. I actually got there just before 10, in time to see the staff getting cheered on their way in
In all testament to Apple, its instructions for the Airport Express for a Windows XP machine are pretty damn good.
Connecting the XP machine to the Airport wasn't the problem, it was geting the wireless card installed in the first place! But you're right, the instructions for connecting an XP box are pretty good
Dave.