NEW - Airport Express

Since it's wireless USB does it HAVE to be printing? Or could it be burning? Or something else? That'd be cool!!
 
Well, I don't think you can use it for fileserving or disc burning but just network printing. However, even if it would, I think the connection would be too slow for the burner. You might have to go down to 1x burning and you can say bye bye to your CD-R if you get some connection probs..
 
Airport Express needs some better marketing materials because it's still unclear to me if it's a transmitter or if it needs a transmitter's signal to carry (such as the Airport Base Station). From what I read it sounds like it extends the range of your wireless transmitter and does not serve as a transmitter itself.

Anyone have solid facts/proof on this one? :)
 
Doesn't need a Base Station. Connect your Cable/DSL modem to the Ethernet port and you're online. Pretty clear in Apple's description;

AirPort Express uses the 802.11g wireless standard to deliver blazing data rates — up to 54 Mbps.(3) It supports both Macs equipped with an AirPort Extreme Card and Wi-Fi-compliant 802.11g Windows PCs, as well as Macs with the older AirPort Card and 802.11b Windows PCs. Everyone in your family can surf the web wire-free because AirPort Express provides simultaneous wireless Internet access via your DSL or cable modem for up to 10 computers.

http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/
 
I have been to that very same airport express page, but what's not clear is that you need some type of transmitter for it to work wirelessly on its own. You mentioned plugging it in to a Cable/DSL modem, and that seems perfectly logical, but I wonder (and others have asked this same question) whether the Express can be used without a Base Station or some other wireless transmitter hooked up to your high speed connection?

The reason for my confusion occurs as you start adding more Express stations around your house to expand your "audio areas" and your wireless coverage. Could you, say, have one Express station on one end (of a large house, say) and your internet connection on the other end of the house (not connected with any wires) and not have a transmitter hooked up to your high speed internet?

Basically, is the Express a small version of the Airport Base Station?
 
Randman, I appreciate the answer. It was much shorter than my question! (Getting burned out on work!)

I wonder why apple would create a product that seems to directly compete with its own Airport Base Station? Why buy a Base Station at all if the Express does all the same things and a little bit more?
 
I think Apple brought this out as a small portable base you can take anywhere. It can be used as a Base or to extend the range of a Base Station.
 
Since a few posters commented on having something to transmit video/images... here is something macgeek posted on the home automation thread:

http://www.elgato.com/index.php?file=products_eyehome

EyeHome seems able to transmit video wirelessly and this is all making me crazy - I want something that will do a mix of the two devices - EyeHome and AirPort Express!!! :) I guess I will just have to buy both! Still, I think it is very safe to assume Apple has more to add to this - remote control and more media sharing wirelessly. I can't wait!
 
Natobasso said:
Randman, I appreciate the answer. It was much shorter than my question! (Getting burned out on work!)

I wonder why apple would create a product that seems to directly compete with its own Airport Base Station? Why buy a Base Station at all if the Express does all the same things and a little bit more?
Click to expand...

It doesn't directly compete...

The Extreme only has the one ethernet port (i.e. i couldnt' use it liek i have my base station now) and it can only serve 10 addresses.



I'm just cheesed off I can't use airTunes with the second AE base station i just bought off eBay!!!
brand new
(i couldn't wait unitl mid july)

I'll buy a express when they come out hehe
 
Someone, could you just fill me in on Airport Express. I don't understand what it is supposed to do for business travellers - why the Express? It's just a base station that's portable and has audio port, right? And does Apple, as they mention, really expect us to buy one for every stereo in the house?

Sorry if I seem really ignorant, networking and stuff isn't really my strong point of knowledge.
 
Often hotels have ethernet jacks in their rooms. They recommend AP Express for business travelers because it is super portable, and they can plug in the ethernet line to the base station, plug it into the wall, and be online wirelessly (without being impeded by a cord). They do expect you to buy one for every stereo you want music streamed to wirelessly-- just as it is with other (wireless) digital media stations. Many companies, including Linksys, Roku, Slim Devices, and Motorola to name a couple, manufacture similar devices, although Apple's AP Express is the only unit that is headless, and is directly controllable wirelessly through iTunes.
 
Apple's marketing on this product has been crappy thus far (in my opinion) but the long and short is the Express is a portable, limited version of the Airport Extreme. Express has 10 possible wireless connections whereas the AE has 50. The Express has iTunes capabilities (play it in different rooms) and a print sharing USB port.

Check out www.apple.com/airportexpress for more info. Hope that helps! :)
 
Just a note: Airport Extreme also has USB printer sharing. Additionally, it has a second ethernet port so you can connect to both a wired network and an Internet connection (e.g. Cable modem).
 
It's not Apple's marketing that's crappy, really, it's the product's non-focus. It does several things (and probably does them good). There are several user focus-groups here.

a) PowerNomad. PowerBook user who wants to be free of cables wherever she or he goes. Put that AP Express into a power outlet and a free ethernet port (whether that's on a router, a switch, a hub or directly into an ADSL- or cable modem. You've already set your AP Express up to pick up an IP automatically and to share it with your PowerBook, so you're ready to go.

b) System administrators. Use AP Express boxes to extend the reach of your wireless network. They work as repeaters out of the box. Ready to go.

c) Music. This kinda doesn't fit the marketing focus of a) and b) but will be the main focus of home users. They not only get the AirPort Base Station they've always wanted (and cheaper, too), but they now also can play all of their 'tunes ot their stereo without having to use an iPod (like I do) for that.

Now how do you market this? It's not quite clear whom to target 'most'. But then again, it's almost a self-seller. People acquainted with TCP/IP & WiFi are drooling already. They'll get two or three of those as repeaters throughout the house, where they'll also hook several stereos to them.

People who wanted an AirPort Base Station but found them to be too expensive will buy them because they're cheaper and "can do more". Although that's a bit of a misconception, that's nothing for Apple to worry about. Apple _will_ have to worry about the sales of AP Extreme Base Stations going down a bit, I guess.
 
macgeek said:
However, the problem still remains, if you want to use the Airport Express Hub to connect to the Internet, you can't connect it to your wired LAN... not without another router. Most ISPs now store your MAC Address, so you can't just hook your cable/dsl modem into a regular network hub/switch. I had that exact setup (before Apple added a second ethernet port to its Airport Hubs) and it stopped working once Comcast decided to store MAC Addresses.

So, if your ISP does not store MAC Addresses, you can set it up so that your modem is connected to a wired network hub that also has a ethernet connection to your Airport Express Hub. Set up the Airport Express Hub as your router and you're set. The only trick is getting your Airport Hub to grab an IP if your ISP doesn't provide static IPs.

If your ISP DOES store your MAC Address, you have a few solutions:
1. Make everything connect wirelessly.
2. Buy a router or set up another machine (that has 2 network cards) as your router and connect your modem to that router/machine. NOTE: You will need to add your own firewall as well.
3. Buy an Airport Extreme hub to use with your Airport Express Hub.

I'm not suggesting you don't know this information. I'm merely adding it for everyone's benefit because there were questions. I'm also open to other suggestions if I've missed something.
Click to expand...
I know this is off-topic, but maybe it'll be interesting to somebody...

I just got hooked up to Comcast cable high-speed internet and both a serviceperson on the phone and a technician verified that you could use a ROUTER with no sharing limits. You could not use a HUB or a SWITCH. The thing Comcast cares about is the WAN connection doling out multiple IPs on hubs or switches, which a router does not do (if configured as a DHCP server of course). In addition, the key to getting service from Comcast is having an "authorized cable modem". This is what the installer does with the "sas" proxies and all the rest.

My equipment includes the Comcast-provided Motorola cable modem (SURFboard SB5100), a Linksys Router (BEFSR81) acting as a DHCP server and a graphite Airport Base Station. My G4 and the ABS is plugged into the router and our iBook connects to the ABS. Everything works swell.

Anyway, I think "AirTunes" looks pretty cool--if only we had a nice stereo system! I was planning on eventually getting a TiVO with the home media option to get iTunes to our TV.
 
serpicolugnut said:
I've been hoping Apple would release something like this for the last year or so. Now all Apple has to do is make a "solution" for quality iPod output in your automobile, and enable make the next gen iPod WiFi enabled to bypass the computer altogether.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I'm still waiting...
 
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