AirPort Express Setup Guide Contents 4 9 12 13 15 21 23 Getting Started Plugging In AirPort Express 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 to Share a USB Printer Extending the Range of an Existing AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express Network 26 Setting Up AirPort Express 32 Setting Advanced Options 33 AirPort Express on the Road 35 Tips and Troubleshooting 42 Learning More, Service, and Support 44 AirPort Express Specifications 3 1 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, 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 2000 wireless computer. 4 · Set up a wireless connection to your Ethernet network. AirPort and AirPort Extremeequipped Macintosh computers or Windows XP or 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 you can store settings for up to five different locations. Getting Started 5 About AirPort Express AirPort Express has three ports, located on the bottom side: · Ethernet port (G) for connecting a DSL or cable modem, or for connecting to an existing Ethernet network · Analog and optical digital audio stereo mini-jack (-) for connecting AirPort Express to a home stereo or powered speakers · USB port ( ) for connecting a compatible printer to AirPort Express Status light AC plug adapter USB port Reset button Ethernet port 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. 6 Getting Started About the AirPort Software AirPort Express works with the AirPort software included on the AirPort Express CD. AirPort Setup Assistant Use the AirPort Setup Assistant (or the AirPort Express Assistant if you are using Windows XP) to set up your AirPort Express to connect to the Internet, play iTunes music on your home stereo or powered speakers, and share a printer. You can also bridge your AirPort Express to your existing AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express wireless network to extend the range of your network (WDS). AirPort Admin Utility AirPort Admin Utility is an advanced tool for setting up and managing AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express base stations. Use AirPort Admin 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. Getting Started 7 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 v10.3 or later · iTunes 4.7 (included on the AirPort Express CD) or later 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 · iTunes 4.7 for Windows (included on the AirPort Express CD) or later You need iTunes 4.6 or later 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. Note: If you are using Windows 2000, use AirPort Admin Utility for Windows to set up your AirPort Express. The AirPort Express Assistant is not compatible with Windows 2000. 8 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). Once 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 Getting Started 9 When you plug AirPort Express into the wall, the status light flashes green and then glows amber while it starts up. Once 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 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 Admin 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 Admin 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 38. AirPort Express is completing its startup sequence. There may be a problem starting up. AirPort Express will restart and try again. Solid green Flashing amber Solid amber Flashing amber and green 10 Getting Started What's Next After you plug in AirPort Express, you use the AirPort Setup Assistant on a Macintosh computer to set it up to work with your Internet connection, stereo, USB printer, or existing network. If you are using a computer with Windows XP, use the AirPort Express Assistant to set up AirPort Express. If you are using a computer with Windows 2000, use AirPort Admin Utility. See "Using AirPort Express" on page 12 for examples of all the ways you can use AirPort Express, and information about how to set them up. Then see "Setting Up AirPort Express" on page 26 to find out more about the setup process. Getting Started 11 1 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. 12 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 like web browsers and email applications. What It Looks Like DSL or cable modem G Ethernet port to Internet Using AirPort Express 13 How to Set It Up 1 Connect your DSL or cable modem to your AirPort Express using the Ethernet port (G). 2 Use the AirPort Setup Assistant on a computer using Max OS X, or the AirPort Express Assistant if you are using a computer with Windows XP, to create a new network. (See page 26 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 one another through AirPort Express. 14 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, 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 or Line Out port Computer with iTunes Stereo receiver Toslink-to-mini digital fiber optic cable or Mini-stereo-to-RCA cable or Using AirPort Express 15 How to Set It Up 1 Connect your AirPort Express to your home stereo or powered speakers using a digital fiber optic cable or analog mini-stereo-to-dual-RCA connected to the stereo mini-jack (-). Note: You cannot use powered USB speakers with AirPort Express. Use only powered speakers with a stereo mini-jack connector. 2 Use the AirPort Setup Assistant for Mac OS X or the AirPort Express Assistant for Windows XP to create a new network. (See page 26 for more information.) 3 Open iTunes on your computer and choose your stereo or speakers from the speakers pop-up menu in the lower right 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: Do not connect AirPort Express to the phono jack on your stereo. 16 Using AirPort Express 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. What It Looks Like AirPort Extreme Base Station DSL or cable modem to Internet Line Out port Stereo receiver to Ethernet port Using AirPort Express 17 To join the wireless network, use the AirPort status menu in the menu bar on a Macintosh. On a computer using Windows XP or Windows 2000, 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. There are also other ways you can connect your AirPort Express to your home stereo. Line Out port Stereo receiver DSL or cable modem to Internet If your computer has an AirPort Extreme Card installed, you can use AirTunes to play iTunes music on a stereo connected to your AirPort Express. 18 Using AirPort Express You can also connect your AirPort Express to the Internet and provide Internet access to computers that join the network. Connect your AirPort Express to your home stereo, and computers on the network with AirPort Extreme Cards or computers with compatible 802.11g cards can use iTunes to play music on the stereo. Ethernet port Line Out port DSL or cable modem Stereo receiver to Internet Using AirPort Express 19 Optional Audio Cable and Power Cord You can purchase the optional AirPort Express Stereo Connection Kit with Monster Cables to connect your AirPort Express to your home stereo or powered speakers. The kit includes analog mini-stereo-to-dual-RCA connectors, a Toslink digital fiber optic cable, and a power cord. Mini-stereo-to-RCA cable Toslink-to-mini digital fiber optic cable Power cord · Connect the analog cable to your home stereo if it uses standard analog cables. · Connect the digital fiber optic cable if your stereo has a digital Toslink port. · Connect the power cord if you are setting up your AirPort Express away from a power outlet. 20 Using AirPort Express Using AirPort Express to Share a USB Printer When you connect a USB printer to your AirPort Express, all of the computers on the wireless network can print to it. What It Looks Like Shared printer USB port Using AirPort Express 21 How to Set It Up 1 Connect the printer to the AirPort Express USB port ( ) using a USB cable. 2 Use the AirPort Setup Assistant for Mac OS X or the AirPort Express Assistant for Windows XP to create a new network or join an existing one. Wireless computers can print to the printer using Mac OS X v10.2 ...