AirTunes Repeatedly Cuts Out...

Using an Airport Express exclusively for AirTunes; recently moved to a new place-- the distance between computer & stereo has increased, but still well within 150ft... The connection to the airport express is very spotty-- iTunes constantly loses the connection to the remote speakers-- a few seconds on, a few seconds off. Of course, as I'm writing this, it's maintained connection for a few minutes, but that's rare.
Is this a range issue or interference with some other source (from the neighbors perhaps)? Would a second airport express strengthen the signal or is this a lost cause?
Got the recent firmware updates, iTunes is up to date; have done the hard and soft resets of the airport express multiple times...

I had a similar problem with airtunes as Kumquat, I think. Airtunes repeatedly cut out. I seem to have fixed it with latest 6.3 firmware for Airport express, setting security to lowest 40WEP, turning on interference robustness, setting different channel, and setting maximum buffer in iTunes. This seems to hold even when microwave is in use, which is a first for my network.
However, I took the advice of downloading the Apple Airport management Tools which have given some interesting results.
I run two airport express unit on same network and have two Apples - one an iMac G4 (2.1) running 10.3.9 and 802.11b airport card, the other an iBook G3 (PowerPC 750) running 10.3.0 with airport 802.11b. AEs are set to 'b' only. (Computers are different software build because I forgot password for the G3)
Running airport client monitor on each gives:
G4 signal -40dB and noise -100dB with transmit rate steady at 11Mbps until I run iTunes (6.01) when transmit rate drops frequently to zero and trace looks like an irregular saw blade.
G3 shows signal strength positive ie +60dB and noise +5dB and when running iTunes (4.7) the transmit rate remains steady at 11Mbps.
I don't understand the difference between the signal strengths of each compute - why one is on positive scale and one negative.
And I don't understand why the transmit strength behaves so differently between each computer. I'm going to log on another G4 with similar hardware/software build in the next few days and see what the difference is.
You might ask why I'm bothering given that Airtunes seems to be fixed at the moment but no doubt, like many of you, I expect the problem will return and understanding more about the causes should help me when it does.
Incidently Airfoil 2.0 gave similarly varying transmit rates on the G4 so I guess that lets iTunes off the hook.

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Airtunes music cuts out periodically

Hi,
I am on a wireless network. An airport extreme is the main router, and there is also an airport express set up with speakers connected for using airtunes. Both airports are close together, and usually I use my laptop from no more than 10 ft away from either of them with no thick walls or anything like that around. A kitchen with appliances is near by, but other laptops don't have an issues.
The problem is this: periodically my airtunes will just stop for 2-5 seconds as if someone had paused the music. Since no one else has issues I don't think this is airport related. And the range can't be the issue... And it happens no matter how many applications might be open.
Does anyone know what the problem might be? Thanks.

Your may find the following Apple article helpful: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108065

AirTunes cuts out too much

I've had AirTunes hooked up for about three months now. Sometimes the connection between my Mac and the stereo goes for the whole day without a problem. Sometimes - like today - it cuts out for a few seconds then it's back on again, repeat. Also, my Airport Express wireless connection sometimes does the same thing, on/off/repeat. Sometimes my computer can't find my Airport Express closed network; but it has no problem finding the neighbors' open networks. This problem manifests itself without regard to what time of day it is, what the weather is like outside, whether or not someone is using a cellphone or the cordless phone we have, whether or not the cable TV (we have a cable modem) is on/off, whether the lights are on, distance between the computer and the Airport Express, I have checked the connections of my Airport card, Airtunes cables, etc., etc. ad infinitum.
This happens with streaming content like an internet radio station as well as with songs in my iTunes library resident on my hard drive.
I have the latest iTunes. I have the latest OS updates.
Things I have tried with "success." Unplugging Airport Express, letting it reset. Quitting and rebooting iTunes.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? Is this a specific problem that I can solve with an unknown (to me) software update/upgrade/purchase? Is there a chapter in the two OS X books I have (Tiger for Dummies and Tiger: the missing Manual) that I haven't read? Is there another book I can buy that will guide me to the right solution?
Note: I am really tired of the "just unplug the cable and let it reset" answer. That's how things are solved in a Windows world. The problem with those answers is that I might have to unplug and thus reset the Airport Express several times in one sitting!

A number of things to try:
- disable WDS. WDS will limit your range.
- drop bandwidth from 802.11g to 802.11b (G service is 50 ft, B service is 150)
- try re-positioning the Airport Express base station
- change the channel the base station uses (may be a conflict with other devices in your home).
As a last resort, you can do what I did...hardwire the Airport Express...I too was getting tons of drop outs, due to 2GHz cordless phones,microwave interference, distance and number of walls traversed.
Report back on your progress & good luck!
Rob

Airtunes cutting out wirelessly-trying ethernet connection-help

Ihave an Imac with a local wireless network to a lynksysN router-connected to a PC.( I use files betweent the PC and the Mac) I have two airport express-one for each stereo in the home and an apple TV. I get a lot of cut outs on airtunes....so since I have the abilty to wire the house I have put an ethernet cable from the Imac to the Lynksys router. Now my internet is faster on the Mac. Now how can I play my music on the Mac via the airport express devices. When I disable the airport to the router I no longer can see mutlitple speakers, or my apple TV in my itunes. All I really want is to have my airtunes work without cutting out. I know I have all the required hardware and I just don;t quite understand how to make it all work yet. Thanks

I am also streaming music using iTunes to an airport express from an airport extreme. I also have the music cutting in and out problem and may have just solved it tonight by changing the channel setting from the default automatic to a channel that doesn't seem to have interference. For me, that seems to be channel 1. Automatic was always picking channel 11 and that cut in and out.
BTW, my airport express is only 70' away, but downstairs and my floors are concrete. Anybody else have such short range?

AirTunes CUTTING out periodically... Help?

I originally thought iTunes kept pausing but now I've realized the signal to the AirPort keeps cutting out. The song keeps playing in iTunes but the signal to the AirPort/AirTunes keeps going all jerky, cutting in and out with annoying frequency. Could my AirPort be dying? I've had it for 4+ years now. I just reset it and renamed the network, etc. I've also tried deleting the file in my preferences but to no avail. Is there anything else I can do?
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Have you updated to iTunes 8?
I did and I've had many connection problems since then. It started with my AirTunes not working, then I tried all the suggestions here: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1701084&tstart=0
Some solutions worked for a short time, now AirTunes won't work at all and when it was playing it was jittery, the volume control ceased to work (blared at me last time).
All day since I updated iTunes there's been nothing but problems. I'm leaving it off now so it doesn't interfere with my Wifi connections. I have an Airport Extreme and an Express, and a few times now both devices couldn't be found (it happened while I was playing my touchy AirTunes when it was working a little bit). As long as I don't play iTunes, everything else is peachy, with no disconnections from the internet or anything.

AirTunes sound constantly cuts out on Laptop

Both me and my roommate play our iTunes through the single house stereo via AirTunes, me on my iMac and her on her MacBook. I never have problems with my playback, but half the time she uses it the sound will cut out constantly. There will be a few seconds of sound, then a few seconds of silence, on and on.
It's very annoying.
Neither of us experiences any problems or cutting out with using the internet at all, even while this AirTunes problem is happening.
We've tried setting the iTunes streaming buffer size to large. I've lowered the security on the Express to WPA only, increased the multicast rate to 11 and enabled interference robustness. We've also tried closing all other apps on her machine and installing more RAM. none of which has helped the problem.
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Thanks for the welcome!
And for the info. At first i thought this might be a good lead, since for the first time in the months since i bought the Express my iMac iTunes started having this problem as well (though this is probably just because i hardly use the AirTunes feature). But lowering the multicast rate doesn't seem to have any affect on the issue either. So i've effectively ruled out the multicast rate as any sort of cause/solution to the problem.
I've tried watching the network activity monitor when this is occurring, but see no correlation between the network activity and the periods of silence from the AirTunes.
The wiring doesn't seem to be a problem either, as i can hook up either computer to the jack going into the express and it plays just fine.
Maybe i just have a dud Express unit?

Airtunes cuts out between songs

Hello,
Sorry if this has been addressed, I've searched and found a few people who have airtunes cutting out mid-track, but mine tends to cut out at the end of a track. I have to press stop then play and it starts again - only for it to stop again after two or three tracks. It's really annoying - I keep having to get out of the bath!
I'd be very, very grateful if anyone could help. I only set up my Airtunes network last week (I have three amps set up around a pretty small flat, each with an Airport Express attached), so have only ever used it with iTunes 7.
Thanks very much!!
Mac Mini 1.42 GHZ PowerPC G4 Mac OS X (10.4.7)
Mac Mini 1.42 GHZ PowerPC G4 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Sorry, I can't off you a solution, but I have this happening too, but during songs. This didn't used to happen. What I can say:
- MacBook Pro 2 GHz & PowerMac G4 466MHz
- iTunes 7.0.1 (both)
- AirPort Express with firmware 6.3
- MacOS X 10.4.8 (both)
- Quicktime 7.1.3 (both)
The MacBook Pro is wirelessly connected to a Belkin hub that then talks to the AirPort Express wirelessly. The PowerMac is connected to the hub by cable. The wireless portion use 40 bit WEP. This issue affects both computers.
I would try with an older version of iTunes to see if that makes a difference, but I don't have access to one, though having tried out AirFoil (by Rogue Amoeba), I suspect that the issue is either with the new AirPort Express firmware update or something that iTunes depends on, since it experiences the same symptoms.

AirTunes cuts out after working

Hi all
I have a problem when using my AppleTV as an AirTunes device. Music plays from my iMac to the AppleTV for awhile, then cuts out. If I deselect the AppleTV in iTunes as a speaker, then reselect it, music once again plays for awhile then again cuts out. This is the second AppleTV that has this issue, so I suspect it's a software issue.
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AirTunes cut-outs with wired network (solved)

To whom this may be helpful,
There are several discussions about Music cut-outs when using the AirTunes, but all of these discussions were focussing on a wire-less connection.
In my case, however, I have a wired Ethernet connection from my Mac to a 4-port-router, to which the AirPort Express is also connected. I got the first cut-outs about a year ago and it has been gradually getting worse, up to the point where it would cut out after every 5-10 seconds, pausing for 5 seconds. This is when I gave up using AirTunes.
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I buyed 2 of the Airport Extreme, never got them working fine, till yesterday...
I have A Zyxel ADSL WLAN Router Switch. WPA-PSK as I wanted a secure Network. Both of the AX were connected with static IPs. WLAN was always working fine, but I had many cut outs with airtunes. I wanted a solution with lossles streaming audio with the possibility to connect my Receiver digitally. That's why I bought my first Apple hardware, as I was always told, Apple=Plug'n play. Very frustrating!
I tried other switches, Routers, WLAN adapters and cards, nothing worked. Airfoil does not support multiple speakers yet, so it's useless for me.
In the FAQ of the Airtunes, Apple mentioned to use lower security, as some Computers probably do not have enough power to stream music flawlessly. But my Computers really do have enough power! I think the AX does not have enough power to do that. So I created another wireless network with one of my AX. I set the security to WEP-40bit key and joined this new Network with my other AX. Not the best solution, as I'm now connected to the Internet or to the AX to use Airtunes. Cables could fix that problem, but then I could use a wired system instead...
I use Channel 11 for the AX WLAN (the only clean channel in my area), Multicast to 11, only G mode for Wireless and a 5 characters WEP-40 key and no WDS. Seems to work at the moment.
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How to fix iTunes skipping cutting out and repeating?

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AirTunes Repeatedly Cuts Out...

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