Airport express with older airport

Question

I just received a new airport express and connected it to my stereo. But after trying a number of things, I still get a flashing amber light. I'm trying to use it as a client with a Snow airport.
Is that possible? Or does it require an Airport Extreme base station to function as a client.

Answer 1

The definitive guide to setting up a network of original Airport
with Airport Express so you can surf and play music concurrently.
You cannot do much with an original Airport, Graphite or Snow.
However at least Airport Extreme and Airport Express are backward compatable.
In addition the Airport Configuration Assistant nas changed over time such that as at Tiger
Airport Assistant will work for models of Airport.
However, Panther requires Airport Assistant Graphite/Snow.
Assuming you already have an Airport(A) network going,
and you want to add the Airport Extreme(AE).
Note all details of your existing network, name, WEP password and encryption level
etc.
1) Disconnect your Graphite/Snow base station
2) Disable any Firewall connections for now.
(Let's just make sure it works first)
3) Turn A off on the iMac
4) Turn A on on the iMac
5) Connect all cables ithat you will use to AE.
6) Plug in.
7) To be sure to be sure, hit the reset button with a pin for 5 seconds.
The light will then flash to green and the AE will re-initialise to factory settings.
(Usefull when everything gets screwed!)
8) Turn on A at iMac
9) Invoke Airport Admin at iMac
If you have done all correctly then AE will magically appear in the picklist.
If not, then, choose the A icon and connect to ip address 10.0.1.1 with a password
of "public".
10) Configure the AE to "join an existing network" as a client.
Set the password, select the speakers for music, set the encryption to only 40 bits WEP
as that is all A can do.
11) Disconnect iMac from network.
12) Power down the AE.
13) Star up the Graphite/Snow A. and connect the iMac A.
14) Power on the AE.
16) Use Airport Config Assistant to setup the AE.
You can then check all settings with Airport Config.
17) iTunes will now pick up the speakers just dandy.
18) When you put back the Firewall, then ensure
for the interface in question, usually en1, that you allow
DHCP via ports 67-68, Airport Config via port 5009,
and data packets of UDP via port 5353.
19) If you like having a physical cable connection to your PC as I do
then, just make sure that when you boot the PC, that airport
does not start up on boot, or login.
ie you want your internet to be on interface en0.
Then later start up airport on interface en1.