Airport Express (Model with 802.11G +54MBPS Mac/PC and Set Up Issues

Question

Hi,
We have a 4 Mac and 1 PC Household. Cable Internet Service by Roadrunner.Cable model (owned) connected to a D-Link 802.11G wi fi router (by ethernet from cable modem)in the family room , then out to a Imac (the half moon base and LCD screen with a airport card also in the family room and the closet computer to the D-Link
router, (we did add a D-Link antenna to the router ? about 10 months ago (a D-Link ANT24-0700 (Version 1.2)and a HP 4 in 1 printer attached via USB to the Imac
,a eMac 1.25 ghz 1Gb ram with airpot card also connected wirelessly (no printer attached on the same floor but in a ajoinging room about 20 feet from the Router, and another eMac 1.0 Ghz 1Gb ram with airport card in the upstairs part of our house (a bedroom) and no issue with Internet connection (it has a Epson 3in 1 printer attached via USB, and a MacBook Pro with 802.11N wireless card in side , bought for a Christmas/Birthday Present and also for college.It to has no issues with the Internet where ever it may be in the house. Our sole PC a HP tower with a added D-Link WDA -2320 Range Booster Desktop Adapter (802.11G) and we added a D-Link Antenna same model as the other a ANT24-0700 to help with Internet access which it did as well as adding some ram to increase page loading time etc. It does not have a printer attached. I will get to the Topic Area now
The Airport Express. I was not involved in the set-up as I was laid up due to a bad back and post major knee surgery , But I always (especially recently) wondered why the light was amber and blinking. I read through the manual and also
Apple.com support and MacFixit.com (which is under construction and moved to part of Cnet.com)and then went to the Airport Express Discussion area (sorry for being so wordy) I need a Twitter account to post!) We have a network name for the D-Link and the computers all were added and it also supports a Xbox 360, a Sony PlayStation 3 and a Nintendo Wi (in online use without issue) but..
A network was also as it appears to myself) for the Airport Express and under the half moon bars showing connection strenght (there is our D-Link network "phoenix" with security protection WPA2 I believe) as I have set up the router, We had a Apple Base station prior that was ? 802.11B (a half moon white unit) still have it in the box ) So for normal daily use, checking e-mail and internet use all of the computers use the "phoenix" or D-Link supported Router 802.11G
and The other network calld Apple Network with numbers and letters after it (and hopefully security) password is unknown , The Airport Express is set up connected via USB to a HP B&W laser printer which has saved quite a bit of money on ink, To utilize that printer you must switch from "phoenix" The D-Link router network to the Apple Network (followed by letters and numbers) The Imac and the eMac in the family room and a ajoing room (after switching to the Apple Network
can than print to the lasr printer. The eMac upstairs and the HP Windows XP Professional software can not print to the laser printer (yet the HP PC shows it as a individual network and a strong signal, equal to the Internet connection from the D-Link, and the eMac (after switching under the half moon (not the proper name I am sure) to get to the Apple Network to print , it will not print, yet it shows a 5 bar signal, same as the D-Link connection. I do believe we have two seperate networks (but do not understand why the two Mac's in the family room can print to the laser printer by simply switching networks and then file and print. ** One other 9probaly major item is that it states to set up the Airport Express with a Mac With OSX 10.4 or later (at the time of set up, we had the Imac and two eMac's all running Panther OSX 10.3.9 9which they continue to have installed) We obtained the HP Tower and Monitor and HP 4in 1 printer ust before Christmas in 2008 and the MacBook Pro in Mid December 2009 (current model and running Snow Leopard 10.6. The HP Tower runs Windows Xp Professional (Service Pack 3) so the MacBook Pro which is much more mobile , could be used to do the set-up, or the HP Tower coulf be moved temprarily, I do recall if Router changes (at least with The D-Link You need to be connected by Ethernet to the Mac
that would be doing the set up/configuration of the router (and it runs OSX 10.3.9 and is a older Mac (with 80Gb Hard drive that is partioned for OS9 and OSX as well , it is under a Ghz processor wise and less than 1 Gb of ram as the last ram slot required a seal to be broken and 256mb of ram (?) could be added
it has 768 mb of ram but knock on wood running well. We use Lacie external drives
on the Imac and both eMac's and need to get external drives for the HP PC as well as the Mac Book Pro (15" screen)
I apoogize if I repeated myself, and rambled but I wanted to (in one post) to explain our set up and network configuration
Questions
1) if indeed it is that the two networks is true and a set yp that is not correct
can the Airport Express be configured without opening up the router (when ever that happens it seems one computer is unable to get online and each time its a differnt one a Mac or veen the PC
The PC under My Computer and Networks clearly shows the wto distinct and seperate netwoks with strong signals and the distance is not far (it is through a floor as the other emac and the PC are upstairs and cabling by ethernet is not a option
2) If I need to open the router would I add the Airport Express as a client as if it was one of the computers or gaming systems on the network? (adding the Mac adress or IP address (not sure how you find the Mac address) and its been while since the router was opened up for any additions or work on it.
3) would it be on the same channel as the router or not ?
4) Hopefully with proper configuration the light will stay on (and green) on the A/E and the eMac and HP PC will be able to print to the laser printer. Currentlt
when anything needs printed from the PC its put on a Flasg Drive and plugged in tothe Imac and the the Apple Network is selected and data printed, The eMac upstairs has the option of using the attached Epson 3 in one or doing the Flash stick work around.
I would be verya appreciative if some one took a look at the set up above and advised me of what is right, what is not right* and what to do to fix things up
I would imagine after proper set up, delete the Apple Network from the PC and eMac upstairs and ? all of the computers as we should have one base station (the D-link and the spoke (the A/E connected by UBS to the A/E (it may be ethernet but the cable connection from the A/E to the HP laser printer is correct (the rest of the A/E set up ... Please , tell me where it is and where it should be
and ? any idea why we can print to the laser printer down stairs and not up stairs ? it did mention printer set up with Panther as possible, page 43 of themanual we have un chaper 5 Tips and Troubleshooting (under whn your printer isn't responding) (we do not have the interfereance listed in the manual,
our phones are land line, one 900 mghz and the others 5.8 ghz
It is possible to move the A/E and laser printer if that would help the two computers (desktops) upstairs) bt the distance is way less than 150 but their is a floor and ? duct work (metal ) but I think here is a place to stop typing and let some of the experts on the discussion forums take a look.
one lst note (as the lap top will be going off to college in the fall (runnning Snow Leopard, and the other 3 Mac's run Panther OSX 10.3.9 should the HP PC windows Xp Professional be the computer to set up the air port express and the Airport Utility proram installed & would this conflict with the current Router (set up by a Macc running OSX 10.3.9 (Panther) i.e (should both set ups be on the same computer?) but actually aThe D-Link is OSX10.3.9 compatible (and 802.11G) and set up requires ethernet connection to a Mac (You type in the numbers and . etc and password as administror and you are in, or should the admin be on the same cpmpuer for the router and A/E ?
(and considering a Airport Extreme Base Station as well as dual frequency simulataneus and 802.11N (for the laptop now) and future, or wait. The 802.11
in theory would broadcast farther..?? even if computers had 802.11b(our Mac Desk tops and the PC 802.11B card
Thanks Again!!!
Many, Many Thanks
amnienttales

Answer 1

William Boyd Jr.
Hello again,
D-Link Router is model DGL-4300 (along with a D-Link ANT24-0700 Omnidirectional
7dbi Antenna . Our Cable Internet ISP (Roadrunner) provides consumers with dynamic ISP address's . All Mac's have Airport Cards and The Hp Tower XW4550 has a D-Link Rangebooster G Desktop Adapter WDA-2320 (also with a D-Link ANT24-0700 Omnidirectional 7 dbi Antenna (the PC OS is Win XP Pro Service Pack 3) The 3 desktop Mac's run OSX Panther 10.3.9 , The 15" MacBook Pro OS is OSX 10.6 Snow
Leopard (not sure what is after the .6 (right now) D-Link's website is
http://www.dlink.com , I have configured this router multiple times in the past.
also added as clients on the network (Utilizing the D-Link Router) are a X-Box 360, Sony Play Station PS3, and a Nintendo Wii all of which have on line ability
and enables online video game play with any one online.
As mentioned prior the Airport Port Express is Model A1084 Part No. M9447OLL/A
which is USB conected to a HP LaseJet B&W , model 1020 and some how the two computers near it can switch to the Airport Express Network from the D-Link Router based Network and print wirelessly to the A/E connected LaserJetPrinter
I realize I will need to reconfigure the D-Link Router and add the A/E as a client. I will try first to use the Airport Utility and see if I can do anything
Utilizing it (adding it to the D-Link network, I think its unlikely but worth a try but* the password is unknown but I have a few guess's as to what it may be.
I do have the necessary admin and network paswwords to cconfigure the D-Link Router,
1) * If the the A/E Utility experiment fails and I need to re-configure the router * do I need to (as per the Airport Express Set Up Guide (Use a Mac with OSX 10.4 or later or a PC with Win Xp Home or Professional (have a desk top PC that has the specs) and The Mac Book Pro meets the Mac Spec's)
If I can not get a password to work on the A/E I would reset it using the reset button
And before plugging in the A/E , connect the appropraite cables in our case a USB cable to the LaserJet Printer then plug in the A/E
2) I would then connect by Ethernet from Either the Mac Laptop or The PC to the D-Link router (if not the router will not set-up correctly)
3) The one question that puzzles me is that we are not using the A/E as a base
but a client
in two sections(Using Airport Express , connecting a Printer via USB
and use Airprt Utility to create a new network or join a new newWireless computers using Mac OSX 10.2.7 (Tiger) or later or a PC with Windows XP and it then goes in to the steps of ising the printer for both a Mac and a PC (using Bonjour on the CD that came with the A/E (this appears to contradict needing to use Mac OSx 10.4 or a PC with Win Xp set the A/E up for use as a printer
(joiing a new network or existig one)
And in Chapter 5 Tips and Roubleshooting= Your Airport Express Status Light Flashes amber & Your Printer is not responding (it is flashing amber and the printer does not respond to the two computers upsstairs (one Mac running OSX 10.3.9 & One PC running WinXp and its states to make sure the printer is selected
in the Printer list o client computers, to do this on a Mac using OSX 10.3 or later , open Printer Set Up Utility and follow steps and if a PC with Windows XP , Open Printers and faxes and then follow steps
in Closing ? can I configure the A/E Utility with a Mac using 10.3.9 as above or
? Per Chapter 1 Getting Started use a Mac with OSX 10.4 or later or a PC with Windows Xp Home or Professional
Perhaps I am taking the tips and trouble shooting and Printer Set up out of context or does the getting Started Computer specs contradict them or are they
for use if the A/E was going to be a Base Station and not a client..
Will keep at it,
ambienttales