Airport Express Setup...

[TVH]

Has anyone picked up the Airport Express recently? Just picked up Airport Express yesterday. Trying to set it up with WinXP and iTunes 4.6. I currently have a Netgear Router (RP614) and a Netgear Access Point (WG602 54Mbps Wireless-G). To my knowledge both Netgear devices are configured and working fine.

As soon as I install the Airport Express software, I get this message:

"The Airport Express Assistant found that Windows is not allowed to manage wireless networks on this computer. This can be as a result of having a 3rd party utility that manages wireless networks. For best results, please allow Windows to mange wireless networks."

I then go to my "Network Connections" under Control Panel and I see no Wireless Networking icon there (see attached). I am clueless at this point as how to "allow Windows to manage wireless networks."

I would really appreciate anyone with networking experience to give me some advice on this. I am a novice at networking in general.

Thanks,
Tony.

[pigs_fly]

Go to Connect To ... and select your 1394 Network. A window will open called "1394 Network Connection Status" (or something similar). Select the "General" tab, then click on the "Properties" button.

A new window will open called "1394 Network Connection Properties." Select the "Wireless Networks" tab. There near the top will be a checkbox labeled "Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings." Check the box, click on "OK" at the bottom of the window, and you should be good to go.

At least, that's the way it works on my WinXP. Good luck!

[TVH]

Thanks Pigs_Fly...

[TommyMagic]

So can you use AirTunes (sending iTunes to a CD Player in other rooms) if you have a wireless network that has no Apple product in at the moment?

I have a Netgear Wireless router and laptop with Netgear wireless card. I Run XP, if i buy one of the Apple AirPort i can send my iTunes to any CD player in my house?

[pigs_fly]

Yes, no other Apple equipment is required. My setup has three PC's and LinkSys wireless equipment ... the Airport Express works just fine.

[BigIzz]

Same here. I have a Linksys wireless router, 2 hard wired PCs, a wireless laptop and I am able to use Airport Express just fine.

In fact, I can stream tunes from my main computer, to my wireless laptop and then to the Airport unit so I can be sitting in the room with my laptop and changes songs and such.

[K1W1]

The Airport Express is a nice (looking) unit but I see two major problems with it.

1. You can only have one Airport Express unit streaming music on a network at a time.

2. You must control the music from the PC with ITunes on it (probably it will at least be in another room, maybe at the other end of the house)

Products from other vendors (eg. Netgear MP101 (http://www.netgear.com/products/prod_details.php?prodID=234)) look to me like they have much more potential. At least you can control the music from where you are actually listening to it and you can have multiple music streams playing on the same wireless network.

[BigIzz]

Originally posted by K1W1
The Airport Express is a nice (looking) unit but I see two major problems with it.

1. You can only have one Airport Express unit streaming music on a network at a time.

2. You must control the music from the PC with ITunes on it (probably it will at least be in another room, maybe at the other end of the house)

Products from other vendors (eg. Netgear MP101 (http://www.netgear.com/products/prod_details.php?prodID=234)) look to me like they have much more potential. At least you can control the music from where you are actually listening to it and you can have multiple music streams playing on the same wireless network.

1. Is that really so? I know you can have multiple units but you can only play to one at a time? hmmm

2. Not a problem if you have a wireless laptop like I do. I don't even have any songs on it but I can control it from anywhere on the property. Or I can control it from either of my other two computers.

The problem with units like the one you provided a link to is they aren't all that useful with iTunes. AAc files won't work, right?

[K1W1]

Originally posted by BigIzz
1. Is that really so? I know you can have multiple units but you can only play to one at a time? hmmm

2. Not a problem if you have a wireless laptop like I do. I don't even have any songs on it but I can control it from anywhere on the property. Or I can control it from either of my other two computers.

The problem with units like the one you provided a link to is they aren't all that useful with iTunes. AAc files won't work, right?


As I understand it you can only play to one Airport Express at a time. I guess this is an ITunes thing. It is limited in that respect.

I have a wireless laptop as well but I don't really want to be using a computer in the living room to control music. The Netgear style device basically works the same as a standard stereo with remote.

Yes they won't work with ITunes or AAC files but mine are all MP3's for campatibility purposes anyway so that wouldn't be an issue for me.

All these things are in their infancy at the moment. In a couple of years we will look back at the Dinosaur Mk1 version of Airport Express and realise how far things have progressed.

[LoungeActor]

Hey PigsFly -- I have the same situation as TVH (see above) using airtunes with xp. I am getting the same prompt. (Allow windows to manage wireless networks.)

But when i go to control panel, i only see one icon under LAN or High Speed internet. It is Local Area Connection.
When i try go thru your process of trying to find "let windows manage wireless networks,,, i do not see this option.

Can you advise please? THanks

[pigs_fly]

LoungeActor,

I'm no networking expert. However, Local Area Connection -- on my computer at least -- is the WIRED connection. You should have a second icon for your wireless 802.11b or 802.11g card.

You do have a wireless card installed, don't you?

Pigs_fly