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Wi-fi help -- anyone have an Airport Express?

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Mitch E., Jan 2, 2010.

  1. Mitch E.

    Mitch E. Member

    I know this is kind of an off-beat question, and I'm not sure anyone can help, but I've been having a hell of a time researching this on the web, Best Buy, etc.

    I am in the market for a (non-Mac) wireless router that will work with an Apple Airport Express, hopefully with a price tag of less than $75. My goal is to use the router in the traditional fashion (modem>ethernet>router>PC. We have a laptop and Ipod touch that need the router. However, my ultimate goal is to connect the Airport Express to my stereo upstairs and stream ITunes from my PC. The problem is not every router will communicate with the AE. From what I can tell, I need a router with WDS (wireless distribution system), but I haven't been able to find a WDS router that I can confirm will work with the AE.

    So, anyone have an Airport Express and use it to stream music? And do you use it with a non-Mac router? I really don't want to spend the money on the Apple Airport base station.
     
  2. MacDaddy

    MacDaddy Active Member

    You could buy a second AirPort Express to use as your wireless router and use the other Express with your stereo for streaming (and also extending the range of your wireless network).
     
  3. Smash Williams

    Smash Williams Well-Known Member

    Considering they seem to cost $90-100, that blows his budget.
     
  4. Mitch E.

    Mitch E. Member

    A second AE wouldn't work, unfortunately. They have only one ethernet port, so after I hook it up from the modem, I have nothing to connect to my PC, which does not have a wireless card.

    I have a Buffalo router in mind, which has WDS, and I hope works. I'm not sure if anyone else here has the capability of streaming music from their computer to stereo, but if I get this to work I may never leave the house. If I can do it, and then add the "Remote app" on my IPod touch, I will 1) stream music from my ITunes to my stereo. 2) control it with my IPod touch. The idea of controlling 40 gigs of music from my couch is appealing. Am I a loser? Yes. Do I care? No, because I will be controlling my music catalog from my couch.
     
  5. Gomer

    Gomer Active Member

    I've been using AE for music streaming for five years. Works great. Been on Linksys routers and nary a problem, though I must say the new N-rated AE works a billion times better (G-rated one had some choppiness issues).

    As far as which router would work with it, I had no clue there were potential issues there.

    Good luck though. The thing works fabulously for me, always has. I'm even at the point where I stream to two AE's at the same time - one upstairs, one downstairs, to separate receiver/speaker setups. And I do use the iPod Touch's remote app, which also allows me to turn on and off the speakers throughout the house. Yes, it is incredible.
     
  6. Mitch E.

    Mitch E. Member

    Gomer, which model Linksys are you using now?
     
  7. Gomer

    Gomer Active Member

    *Pulls out router from under dusty computer table* huh, apparently it's actually a D-Link, model DIR-615.
     
  8. Mitch E.

    Mitch E. Member

    May be a stupid question, but the D-Link DIR-615 is an N-rated router, but still should work with any G routers, right? Except without the speed of an N? My AE is about three years old, so I assume it's a G, although I've never checked that.

    Thanks again for the help.
     
  9. Gomer

    Gomer Active Member

    If your router is overclocked, so much the better. Nothing to worry about. As I said, I've been using a G-rated AE for five years. Works better with the N-speed router than it did with an older Linksys G-rated router.
     
  10. 2underpar

    2underpar Active Member

    what the hell are you guys talking about?
     
  11. Gomer

    Gomer Active Member

    http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/
     
  12. Mitch E.

    Mitch E. Member

    Gomer, much appreciated. I've actually gotten more answers here than months of asking Best Buy clerks, Google searches, and other online forums.
     
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