Airport Express and iMac

For 18 mos my iMac G4 connected wirelessly to my internet through my airport express basestation. Played music from iTunes through my stereo which was wired into my base station. In OCT 07 I upgraded to OS 10.5 and added a macbook to the network. No problems. Could print from the laptop through the iMac (to which the printer was attached); could network between the two computers. On 25 DEC for reasons I cannot fathom (no changes to the system that I know of), my iMac quit connecting to the wireless network. I moved the base station closer (right next to the iMac) and that briefly worked, but then that stopped. Meanwhile, I can connect with my macbook from anywhere in the house. I installed a new airport extreme card in my iMac and even replaced my base station with a new one. Nothing. I do have (and have had with the old card and base station) intermittent connectivity (sporadic email downloads, stock or weather updates on my dashboard, load most of page in safari); the wireless icon shows 4 bars, identifies my network by name, and shows time connected, but I am not connected. I am sporadically asked for my WPA password. I am at a loss and can't keep hauling the iMac to where I can hook it up to my modem by ethernet.

Many people have said that Airport Expresses are the main causes of music dropout. However, I conducted a little test with my iMac which has all the music on it. This is connected to my router via powerline networking. The AX is connected to the router wirelessly. When music is played to the AX, the music will intermittently dropout. Very annoying.
So, as a test, i used my notebook which is connected wireless to my router. However, all my music is resident on my iMac in the study, so rather than copy it, i share it out whereby the notebook discovers all the shared music via the network. Then I played a couple of tracks, feeding my music through to the same AX which is attached wireless also.
Guess what, no drop out, solid connection, and only breaks for a moment if there is heavy network access. it works extremely well.
So what am I trying to say here is that the imac and AX cannot play a tune flawlessly when accessed directly, whereas the notebook, communicating wireless through the to the imac, then to the AX is perfect! Bizarre? thought so!

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Airport Express and iMac connection cuts out all the time

I have an Airport Express set to 802.11n with b and g compatibility. It is connected to a DSL modem with a static IP address via an Ethernet cable. I use a MacBook Air in the same room as the AE. In another room, I have a 24" iMac (Intel). The iMac is always connected to the AE network as is the MBA. Everytime I make a connection to the iMac (via Screen Sharing or other), the connection cuts out after awhile. There is no interference with the iMac connection, the AE is using a channel no one else around me is using, it just suddenly stops receiving any packets from the AE. I have to open Safari, wait for a website not to load, click on the Network Diagnostic button, go through the reconnection process to the AE network and then it comes back and tells me all is OK. The energy saver is set so the computer never falls to sleep and it is not related to the screen saver coming on.
It just stops sending data to the iMac. All firmware and software are up to date. I have the same problem when using Back to My Mac outside the home. Sometimes I can connect and sometimes I can't.
Can anyone help?

Hi, Thanks for the suggestions. Here are the answers to your questions:
Channel selection is on Automatic. I have tried switching channels on both my DSL router (and it doesn't go to the channel I select!) and on the AE. Performance is the same.
iMac still drops connection even if MBA is not logged onto the network.
Screen Sharing's performance is poor, even if iMac is receiving other internet data (Safari or iTunes downloads)
MBA always has a good connection
Each machine is using 10.5.5. This problem exists only in the last couple of months when my DSL provider (all Linux) changed some of their configurations.
I will try to do the terminal exercise today. So far this am and last night, no dropped connections. Go figure!

Advice? Networking Airport Express, old iMac and ethernet converter/switch

Got an old iMac (266 mHz, OS 10.3.9, 384M RAM) I'm trying to get wireless and network with wife's laptop and (in a few weeks) a new MacBook. Internet is from a wireless provider (Clearwire.net) and its modem hooks into iMac's ethernet port. Works great.
Also have an Airport Express and I see two options here: Get an ethernet converter for the iMac or an ethernet switch that would connect to the Airport Express and the iMac (Clearwire modem, iMac and Airport Express are in same room, so wire connections not a problem).
The latter is cheaper (switch vs. converter), but would tie me down to that room. How much of a hassle would it be to network the iMac through the converter since it doesn't have an Airport card? Can I set up Airport Express through the Airport Assistant software in OS 10.3.9 on the iMac even though it doesn't (and can't) have a card?

All I can tell you is how I have my home network setup and hopefully that will give you some ideas. I have DSL at home which came with a DSL modem / Wireless router made by Westell. I have an eMac running 10.3.9 which I have an Airport Extreme card installed. I have my old "Grape" tray-loading iMac running OS9.2.2 for which I purchased an Ethernet-to-WiFi bridge device. And finally I have an ancient Windows ME running laptop on which I have a USB-to-WiFi device (I got it in a trade). All three of these I was able to setup and configure to access the internet via the DSL wireless router.
So to answer one of your questions, yes the Ethernet-to-WiFi bridges work fine, are OS independent, do not require drivers, and won't tie up your valuable USB port instead using the Ethernet port you likely are not using anyway.
However, the one thing I have not bothered to do is to share the computers with each other. In other words, all of them can connect to the internet but none of them are set up to see the others or share files. For what little sharing or file moving I need to do, I just use an USB Flash drive, which all three computers can see/use fine and transfer stuff that way if I need to.
Hope that at least helps a little with your quest,
Patrick

I play music on my hi fi via an airport express attached to my iMac. Since installing maverick the sound quality is terrible and I get frequent distortion, which never happened before. I have reset the airport express and reconfigure my wireless settings.

I play music on my hi fi via an airport express attached to my iMac.
Since installing maverick the sound quality is terrible and I get frequent distortion, which never happened before.
I have reset the airport express and reconfigure my wireless settings. I have also used Ethernet on its own but still get the same sound problems.
I would love to turn itunes sound off as you used to be able to do, but this I believe can't be done.
Has anyone else been having the same types of problem, and better still has anyone got the answer?

When the AirPort Express Base Station (AX) is connected by Ethernet, you will find an option in the AirPort Utility, labeled: Enable AirTunes over Ethernet on the Music pane. Just select this option to allow streaming iTunes via the AirPort's Ethernet port. You should also be able to disable the AX's wireless so that it shouldn't interfere with the nearby TC.

Itunes will not stream to airport express from iMac. It will work from and HP laptop any reason why?

Problem with Itunes on the iMac. I bought airport express to setream music to my stereo. When I set it up on the iMac (using an ethernet connection) it dropped my internet connection on the router. When I use the Wifi it just times out. I tried using the airport express from my laptop, it worked just fine. I called apple for support and they have not beeen able to help, and I am now 79 dollars in the hole because they suggested I call cisco. I have also spent 6 hours on the phone. any Help would be appreciated.

I got it to work. Turns out there are a few steps that should be taken during the install of ariport express. We have 4 users on our iMac, one being the Administrator, one a guest, and 2 users. After I closed all the applications for each users and logged them off, I was able to connect sucessfully to Airport Express and stream music to my Stereo. Seams simple, but someting we did not look at in my 6 hour marathon yesterday trying to find the reason it did not work.

My home network has an Airport Extreme w/Time Capsule as the base and then an Airport Express and a second Airport Extreme to reach different areas of the house. Is there a way to use the second Airport Extreme for file storage on this network?

My home network has an Airport Extreme w/Time Capsule as the base and then an Airport Express and a second Airport Extreme to reach different areas of the house. Is there a way to use the second Airport Extreme for file storage on this network? Network is administered through an iMac running OS X Yosemite 10.10.2. Ideally, would like for the second Airport Extreme hard drive to appear on the list of devices in the Finder window.

Ok.. gottcha
The problem is network wise.. Yosemite is about equal to tin cans and string.. pathetic.
Here is my usual set of instructions to get anything working on Yosemite.
The best way to fix problems is a full factory reset of all the AE in the network.
Factory reset universal
Power off the AE.. ie pull the power cord or power off at the wall.. wait 10sec.. hold in the reset button.. be gentle.. power on again still holding in reset.. and keep holding it in for another 10sec. You may need some help as it is hard to both hold in reset and apply power. It will show success by rapidly blinking the front led. Release the reset.. and wait a couple of min for the AE to reset and come back with factory settings. If the front LED doesn’t blink rapidly you missed it and simply try again. The reset is fairly fragile in these.. press it so you feel it just click and no more.. I have seen people bend the lever or even break it. I use a toothpick as tool.
Then redo the setup from the computer with Yosemite.
1. Use very short names.. NOT APPLE RECOMMENDED names. No spaces and pure alphanumerics.
eg AEgen5 and AEwifi for basestation and wireless respectively.
Even better if the issue is more wireless use AE24ghz and AE5ghz with fixed channels as this also seems to help stop the nonsense.
2. Use all passwords that also comply but can be a bit longer. ie 8-20 characters mixed case and numbers.. no non-alphanumerics.
3. Ensure the AE always takes the same IP address.. this is not a problem for AE which is router.. it is a problem for AE which is bridged.. you will need to set static IP in the main router by dhcp reservations or use static IP in the AE which is tricky.
4. Check your share name on the computer is not changing.. make sure it also complies with the above.. short no spaces and pure alphanumeric..
5. Make sure IPv6 is set to link-local only in the computer. For example wireless open the network preferences, wireless and advanced / TCP/IP.. and fix the IPv6. to link-local only.
6. Now mount the disk of the second AE in finder... manually.
Use Go, Connect to Server and type in the AE ip address.
SMB://10.0.1.2
Where you will replace that address with the actual address. The network resource should be discovered and then it will request the password.. type that in and make sure you tick to save it in your keychain.
There is a lot more jiggery pokery you can try but the above is a good start.. if you find it still unreliable.. don't be surprised.
Do as much as you want of the above... not all of it is necessary.. only if you want it reliable.. or as reliable as Yosemite in its current incarnation can manage.
The most important thing is point 6.. mount the disk using direct IP address and not names.. dns in Yosemite is fatally flawed.
See http://arstechnica.com/apple/2015/01/why-dns-in-os-x-10-10-is-broken-and-what-yo u-can-do-to-fix-it/

Itunes freezes when streaming music to airport express and to loewe air speaker at the same time?

Hi,
(first post )
I was recently offered a Loewe Airspeaker. I already had an Airport Express connected to a hi-fi system.
The Airport Express + hi-fi is in the living-room and the Loewe Airspeaker is in our bedroom.
Both are connected to my network via wifi.
I was trying to stream music from my iMac to both the Airport Express and the Loewe Airspeaker.
When doing this, I am able to get the same tune on both devices, but iTunes systematically freezes
=>music continues to be streamed but interface on the iMac gets the endless multicolor wheel !
Has anyone seen anything similar before, for ex. is there a similar issue when streaming music to 2 different Airport Express?
Any idea on where this is coming from?
Any idea on how to prevent this?
Thx in advance
Rodolphe
A few precisions on the configuration:
the iTunes library and corresponding music are located on a Mac Mini configured as a media server.
The iMac connects to the mac mini via wifi (shared folder). Home network is organized via an Airport Extreme.
Both computers run Mac OS 10.7.2 Lion and are up to date.

Well, repying to my own post... Might have found the solution: I tried to do the same with a Macbook Pro 2010 using the very same setup. And it worked perfectly! No freeze, no nothing.
One explanation I see:
my iMac is dating back to May 2007, a Core 2 Duo 2,16Ghz with 2 Go of RAM.
So the computer's characteristics (or the Wifi component or the combination of all of this) might be not robust enough to allow streaming to those 2 devices...
Anyone's got anything to add?

AirPort Express and Canon MX310

Hello
I am trying to setup my Canon MX310 via AirPort Express:
Today i bought the AirPort Express and everything works fine. But printing does not work at all: I usually connected my printer directly via USB to my iMac. When i did that the first time, the driver for the printer was downloaded and i was able to print. Today, i connected the printer to my AirPort Express, deleted the printer from the printer list (because it is not connected directly via USB to the iMac) and tried to print. But it does not work. There is no printer to select from the list. I already downloaded several drivers but there are still no printers available. What do I have to do now? Do I have to download a driver first? Or should the iMac detect the printer automatically when it is connected to AirPort Extreme via USB?

Connect the Canon to the USB port on the AirPort Express
Open System Preferences (gear icon on the dock)
Open Print & Fax
Click the + (plus) button at the bottom of the printer list
Does your printer appear in the list of devices?
If yes, click on the name of the printer to highlght it, then click Add at the lower right
If so, your printer may not be compatible, or you may not have the latest drivers from Canon.
Refer to Apple's Printer Troubleshooting Guide for more details:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1253

Airport Express and Canon Pixma IP4500 wireless printing

Hello,
I bought an Airport Express and set it up as an additional wireless network at an 5Ghz N mode. It's conneted to a Linksys Wireless router modem/router. Internet connectivity is fine from both iMac 24 and MacBook. Both use OSX 10.5.4.x
Airport is set up via USB with a Canon Pixma IP4500 inkjet. When connected directly to the iMac, it prints fine. When I connect the IP4500 to the Airport Express, I get an Error 300 - basically saying the printer is not responding.
The whole point of the Airport Express was a faster network for both wireless printing and playing iTunes wirelessly from the MacBook.
Any tips on what could be a common problem for this printer?
Thanks

I had a similar problem
I had to "add a new printer", so one printer refers to the directly connected printer and the other refers to the printer connected to the airport (bonjour).
Greetings.

Sound breaking up on Airplay if I stream to Airport Express and Apple TV

I have recently bought an Airport Express and latest Apple TV. Both are running nicely on my network, and I can use Airplay to stream music to either from my iMac, but if I try to stream to both then the sound breaks up? Can anyone advise why and how to fix this? Could it be my wireless network isn't up to it (11g)
Many thanks for any advice!

I am not sure this is entirely relevant but since I found these discussions helpful when I had a similar problem here is my two penn'orth.
We have a complex system with two Airport Extremes and 4 Airport expresses of various vintages. One of these was an old (meaning 'g' only & needs Airport Utility 5.6 to service) one, but this had wireless set to 'off' and only served to stream sound to the house HiFi. This one and all but one of the others were roamed (that is Ethernet cable connected), as is the Mac Mini House server (other machines are WiFi).
Breaking up (& other intermittent network issues) only seemed to start with Maverick. I solved this very persistent problem by replacing the old Express with a new one (in fact replacing one of the others and using that). I could conjecture that this had been the only node on the network not capable of GE (though some devices like webcams are not either), but I do not see why this was important.
I still think this rather strange - even the presence or absence of high-data services like eyeTV Netstream made no difference. But having solved it I should not complain - though it would be nice to understand it. It would also be nice if the Airport Extremes included a sound port...
All the Airport devices had been carefully set up according to Apple's default recommendations - so yes some might use 5GHz, though shutting this down did not help. (they still are).
Hope this helps someone!

Using Airport Express and Extreme Together

I have the old Airport Express and have just bought the latest Extreme. I'm sure Extreme will work fine with my iMac but am not so sure it will work with my G4 Powerbook as it does not have the recommended software requirements. Is there anyway I can setup a network using both the old Express and the new Extreme?

Welcome to the discussions!
Your old AirPort Express is a "g" wireless device while your new AirPort Extreme is a newer and much faster "n" wireless device.
If you are asking if you can use your old AirPort Express to "extend" the wireless from the AirPort Extreme using wireless only, the answer is yes....BUT....your new AirPort Extreme will drop down to old "g" wireless levels if you do this.
The setup procedure for this is quite difficult and frustrating for many users. To get an idea of what is involved if you want to try this, see this link for the procedure:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2355832&tstart=0
IF...you are able to connect the AirPort Express to your AirPort Extreme using an ethernet connection, the setup will be much easier to accomplish and your AirPort Extreme will maintain faster "n" speeds on the wireless. Post back for more details if that is a possibility.

Airport Extreme and iMac G5

I just setup my new Airport Extreme base station and was successful connecting to the my Intel iMac and a Windows PC to the networks. It was so easy - each computer saw the Extreme network. But my G5 does not even see the new Extreme wireless network. I've tried using Aiport Utilities, but the rescanning still does not bring up the new Extreme wireless network. I plugged in an old Airport express and the G5 sees it. But that doesn't help me...I need it to connect to the new Extreme. Thanks for any help.

dbul, Welcome to the discussion area!
Do you have the AirPort Extreme base station (AEBS) configured to operate in a 802.11g compatible mode?
Try changing the channel used by the AEBS to channel 6.

Need help with Airport Express and so on.

Ok so my main problem before getting into what I need help with here is that our MacBooks and now my iPhone 6 plus isn't staying online. Keep getting booted off and then I either have to select the network again or it will eventually go back on. If anyone has a solution or so please feel free to answer that as well. I'm running on Roadrunner with a Netgear 600 wireless router and a motorola modem. Both of which I'll leave the link to below for a better look.
My Main Question: So I'm looking at a new wireless router mainly and possibly a new modem. I know Apple products are trustworthy but how good is the Airport Express and other Airport products. Also what is the Maximum speed and Maximum data speed for the cheapest express station and if anyone knows the speeds of the other devices it would be greatly appreciated.

DSL Router to Netgear 5-port Switch and I used the switch to connect to Airport Extreme, TV, Blue-Ray DVD player and DirecTV Receiver.
The AirPort Extreme base station (AEBS) is a router so it will do what you need.
You need to reconfigure your setup. Connect the WAN port of the AEBS to the DSL router. Then connect the Netgear switch to one of the LAN ports on the AEBS. The AEBS will properly share the connection.

I have an airport express and want to know how to set up two different wireless networks. One with 5GHZ and one with 2.4GHZ so different devices can connect to either.

I have an airport express and want to know how to set up two different wireless networks. One with 5GHZ and one with 2.4GHZ so different devices can connect to either. I have an iphone 4 that will not connect to 5ghz.
thank you!

Your AirPort Express is already providing two separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, but each band is using the same wireless network name.
This is the default setup for the AirPort Express, which is recommended for most users. The theory here is that devices will automatically connect to the best quality signal based on their capabilities and distance in relation to the AirPort Express.
It is possible to assign a different name to the 5 GHz band, and then "point" devices at that network to connect. Some users swear by this option.....(I am not one of them).... but you might want to give it a try to see how it works for you.
Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
Click on the AirPort Express
Click Edit in the smaller window that appears
Click the Wireless tab at the top of the next window
Click Wireless Options near the bottom of the next window
Enter a check mark next to 5 GHz Name.....which will automatically add "5 GHz" to the network name....so you can identify it
Click Save, then click Update and wait a full minute for the Express to restart
Now you will need to "point" your 5 GHz capable devices at the 5 GHz network name. 2.4 GHz devices will connect to your "other" network name.

I have a linksys WRT54G router that we use as a base. I want to use Airplay using Airport Express and hook up my stereo to it. How can i set up my Airport express without a PC/laptop? I just downloaded Airport utility on my iphone and ipad,will that work?

I have a linksys WRT54G router that we use as a base. I want to use Airplay using Airport Express and hook up my stereo to it. How can i set up my Airport express without a PC/laptop? I just downloaded Airport utility on my iphone and ipad,will that work? And one more thing about the setup, the linksys router shich acts as a base is in a different room as the airport express which i wanted to use for airplay. So I'm hoping to hook up the Airport express via wireless signal. If i can set it up, can someone pls help me out by posting detailed instructions. Thanks so much!

The first message that AirPort Utility will display during the auto setup will be that the Express will be confgured to "extend" the network. When AirPort Utility analyzes the network further, and sees that the Express cannot "extend" the 3rd party network, the next message will indicate that the Express is being configured to "join" the wireless network.
Once the Express is configured, if you later go into AirPort Utility to check the settings under the Wireless tab, you will see that the Wireless Mode is indeed "Join a wireless network".

Airport Express and iMac

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