Apple AirPort Express 5.1 User Manual

AirPort Express

Setup Guide

5 Chapter 1: Getting Started

About AirPort Express

About the AirPort Software

What You Need to Get Started

Plugging In AirPort Express

AirPort Express Status Lights

What’s Next

13 Chapter 2: Using AirPort Express

Using AirPort Express with Your Broadband Internet Service

Using AirPort Express with AirTunes to Play iTunes Music on Your Stereo

Using AirPort Express on an Existing Wireless Network to Stream Music to Your Home Stereo

Using AirPort Express to Share a USB Printer

Extending the Range of an Existing AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express Network

Using AirPort Express with Your AirPort Extreme Network

25 Chapter 3: Setting Up AirPort Express

Using the AirPort Utility

Creating a New Wireless Network

Configuring and Sharing Internet Access

Connecting to an Existing Wireless Network

Extending the Range of an Existing AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express Network

Setting Advanced Options

35 Chapter 4: AirPort Express on the Road

39 Chapter 5: Tips and Troubleshooting

AirPort Express Placement Considerations

Items That Can Cause Interference with AirPort

47 Chapter 6: Learning More, Service, and Support

Online Resources

Onscreen Help

Obtaining Warranty Service

Finding the Serial Number of Your AirPort Express

49 Appendix: AirPort Express Specifications

AirPort Express Safety Tips

Avoid Wet Locations

Do Not Make Repairs Yourself

About Handling

Regulatory Compliance Information

Contents

Getting Started

Congratulations on purchasing AirPort Express. Read this guide to get started using it.

You can use AirPort Express to share your broadband Internet access with wireless computers on your network, play iTunes music on your home stereo, and much more.

Your AirPort Express comes with AirTunes, a way to play iTunes music through remote speakers.

With AirPort Express, you can:

Create a wireless network in your home, and then connect to the Internet and share the connection with up to ten computers simultaneously. An entire family can be connected to the Internet at the same time.

Connect AirPort Express to your home stereo or powered speakers and use AirTunes to play your iTunes music on your home stereo from a Macintosh with an AirPort or AirPort Extreme Card, or a compatible Windows XP or Windows 2000 wireless computer.

Set up a wireless connection to your Ethernet network. AirPort and AirPort Extremeequipped Macintosh computers or Windows XP or Windows 2000 computers can then have access to an entire network without being connected with a cable.

Extend the range of your network by adding AirPort Express to your existing AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express wireless network (this is called a Wireless Distribution System, or WDS).

Connect a USB printer to your AirPort Express. All of the compatible computers on the AirPort network, both wireless and wired, can print to it.

Create custom profiles so that you can store settings for up to five different locations. Take AirPort Express with you on the road, and quickly connect to broadband networks, such as in a hotel room.

About AirPort Express

AirPort Express has three ports, located on the bottom side:

Ethernet port (G existing Ethernet network

Analog and optical digital audio stereo mini-jack (to a home stereo or powered speakers

6 Chapter 1

) for connecting a DSL or cable modem, or for connecting to an

) for connecting AirPort Express

Getting Started

USB port (d

) for connecting a compatible printer to AirPort Express

Status light

AC plug adapter

USB port

Ethernet port

Reset button

Line Out port

(Analog and optical

digital audio mini-jack)

Next to the ports is a reset button, which is used for troubleshooting your AirPort Express. The status light on the side of AirPort Express shows the current status.

Chapter 1

Getting Started

About the AirPort Software

AirPort Express works with the AirPort software included on the AirPort Express CD.

AirPort Utility

AirPort Utility helps you set up your AirPort Express to create a wireless network, connect to the Internet, and share a USB printer. You can also connect your AirPort Express to your existing AirPort Express or AirPort Extreme wireless network to extend the range of your network using WDS. Use AirPort Utility to quickly and easily set up your AirPort Express and your wireless network.

AirPort Utility is also an advanced tool for setting up and managing AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express Base Stations. Use AirPort Utility to adjust network, routing, and security settings and other advanced options.

AirPort status menu in the menu bar

Use the AirPort status menu to switch quickly between AirPort networks, monitor the signal quality of the current network, create a Computer-to-Computer network, and turn AirPort on and off. The status menu is available on computers using Mac OS X.

What You Need to Get Started

To set up AirPort Express using a Macintosh, you must have the following:

A Macintosh computer with an AirPort or AirPort Extreme Card installed

Mac OS X v10.4 or later

8 Chapter 1

Getting Started

To set up AirPort Express using a Windows PC, you must have the following:

A Windows PC with 300 MHz or higher processor speed

Windows XP Home or Professional

You need iTunes to play audio from your computer to a stereo connected to AirPort Express. To be sure you have the latest version of iTunes, go to www.apple.com/itunes.

You can use AirPort Express with any wireless-enabled computer that is compliant with the IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g standards. To set up AirPort Express, your computer must meet the requirements listed above.

Chapter 1

Getting Started

Plugging In AirPort Express

Before you plug in your AirPort Express, first connect the appropriate cables to the ports you want to use, including the Ethernet cable connected to your DSL or cable modem (if you will connect to the Internet), the audio cable connected to your stereo (if you will use AirTunes to play music from iTunes), and a USB cable connected to a compatible USB printer (if you will print to a USB printer).

After you have connected the cables for all the devices you plan to use, connect the AC plug adapter if necessary. Plug AirPort Express into the wall. There is no “on” switch.

AC plug adapter

10 Chapter 1

Getting Started

When you plug AirPort Express into the wall, the status light flashes green and then glows amber while it starts up. After it has started up completely, the status light glows solid green.

AirPort Express Status Lights

The following table explains AirPort Express light sequences and what they indicate.

Light

Off

Flashing green

Solid green

Flashing amber

Solid amber

Flashing amber and green

Status/description

AirPort Express is unplugged.

AirPort Express is starting up.

Note:

If you choose Flash On Activity from the Status Light popup menu in the Base Station pane of AirPort settings in AirPort Utility, the status light may flash green to indicate normal activity.

AirPort Express is on and working properly. If you choose Flash On Activity from the Status Light pop-up menu in the Base Station pane of AirPort Utility, the status light may flash green to indicate normal activity.

AirPort Express cannot establish a connection to the network or the Internet. See “Your AirPort Express Status Light Flashes Amber” on page 42.

AirPort Express is completing its startup sequence.

There may be a problem starting up. AirPort Express will restart and try again.

Chapter 1

Getting Started

What’s Next

After you plug in AirPort Express, you use AirPort Utility to set it up to work with your Internet connection, stereo, USB printer, or existing network.

See “Using AirPort Express” on page 13 for examples of all the ways you can use AirPort Express, and information about how to set up your wireless network.

Then see “Setting Up AirPort Express” on page 25 to find out more about the setup process.

12 Chapter 1

Getting Started

Using AirPort Express

In this chapter you’ll find explanations of the different ways you can use AirPort Express.

This chapter gives examples of how your setup might look, depending on how you use AirPort Express. It also gives a brief explanation of what you need to do to get your AirPort Express network up and running quickly.

Using AirPort Express with Your Broadband Internet Service

When you set up AirPort Express to provide network and Internet access, Macintosh computers with AirPort and AirPort Extreme Cards and 802.11b and 802.11g wirelessequipped computers can access the wireless AirPort network to share files, play games, and use Internet applications such as web browsers and email applications.

What It Looks Like

DSL or cable modem

Ethernet port

to Internet

How to Set It Up

Connect your DSL or cable modem to your AirPort Express using the Ethernet port (G

Use AirPort Utility to create a new network. (See page 25 for more information.)

Computers using AirPort and computers using other wireless cards or adapters connect to the Internet through AirPort Express.

Wireless computers communicate with each other through AirPort Express.

14 Chapter 2

Using AirPort Express

Using AirPort Express with AirTunes to Play iTunes Music on Your Stereo

You can connect your AirPort Express to your stereo with a Toslink-to-mini digital fiber optic cable or a mini-stereo-to-dual-RCA cable, or mini-stereo to mini-stereo cable, depending on what type of connectors your stereo uses, and use AirTunes to wirelessly play music from iTunes.

What It Looks Like

Optical digital audio input port

RCA-type left and right audio input ports

Computer with iTunes

Stereo receiver

Toslink-to-mini digital

fiber optic cable

Mini-stereo-to-RCA

cable

Chapter 2

Line Out

port

Using AirPort Express

How to Set It Up

Connect your AirPort Express to your home stereo or powered speakers using a digital fiber optic cable, analog mini-stereo-to-dual-RCA, or mini-stereo to mini-stereo (depending on what type of connectors your stereo uses) connected to the stereo mini-jack (-

Note:

speakers with a stereo mini-jack connector.

Use AirPort Utility to create a new network. (See page 25 for more information.)

Open iTunes on your computer and choose your stereo or speakers from the speakers pop-up menu in the lower-right corner of the iTunes window.

Wireless computers within range of AirPort Express can wirelessly stream music to it using iTunes 4.6 or later. Only one computer at a time can stream music to AirPort Express. You cannot stream music to more than one AirPort Express at a time.

Note:

You cannot use powered USB speakers with AirPort Express. Use powered

Do not connect AirPort Express to the phono jack on your stereo.

Using AirPort Express on an Existing Wireless Network to Stream Music to Your Home Stereo

You can also connect AirPort Express to a wireless network and use AirTunes to play music on your stereo from iTunes. Connecting AirPort Express to your existing network allows you to place AirPort Express in another room, within range of your network.

16 Chapter 2

Using AirPort Express

What It Looks Like

AirPort Extreme

Base Station

DSL or cable

modem

to Internet

Line Out port

Stereo receiver

to Ethernet port

To join the wireless network, use the AirPort status menu in the menu bar on a Macintosh. On a Windows computer, hold the pointer over the wireless connection icon until you see your AirPort network name (SSID), and choose it from the list if there are multiple networks available.

Chapter 2

Using AirPort Express

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