Help setting up Airport Express please!

[keiron99]

Yesterday I got a Linksys router and have it all wired in correctly. Today I got a Apple Airport Express. When I plug the Express in and try to load the Apple software from the CD, I get the Windows error 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 manage wireless networks."

If I click OK then keep clicking Next on the Apple CD, I eventually get the message: "No Airport Express base stations have been found"

Anyone any idea what I'm doing wrong? I knew this would be more complicated than everyone told me!

 

[Nomad]

Hard to say... Next time please state Operating System and Computer information in order to help on the troubleshooting...

I guess it would be XP. I have no much experience on that as my Music Server is a Mac. I work with XP on a daily basis though.

Regarding your first Error message:

Go to the Desktop
Right Click on "My Network Places" and then select properties
Right Click on "Wireless Network Connection" and then select properties again
Select the "Wireless Networks" tab
Check the box "Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings"


However, this is more a warning than a real error. This might help Windows to find your station but we can't be sure at this point. Let's see how it goes. Good luck.


PS: Although with the led "online" I might not be at my computer so excuse any delay on future posts if required. Cheers.

 

[keiron99]

Thanks, Nomad.

Yes I'm on XP. I've tried following your instructions but can't find the "Wireless Network Connection" in Network Places!

Edit: I've found "set up a wireless network for home or office" but it doesn't offer the "Use windows to configure..." option

 

[Nomad]

That is strange indeed. Sorry to ask this question but... are you sure your laptop/computer has a WiFi card? If that's the case it should appear over there.

If you are sure your computer is WiFi ready but you don't have that icon over there I'd suggest you to run "Look for new hardware". Open Control Panel and then double click on add hardware. It will look for hardware on your system. If your WiFi card is there (as it should, I suppose) and the drivers are not installed (hence you can't see "Wireless Connection on that window I told you") then it will reinstall it for you.

Cheers

 

[Nomad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by keiron99 Thanks, Nomad. Yes I'm on XP. I've tried following your instructions but can't find the "Wireless Network Connection" in Network Places! Edit: I've found "set up a wireless network for home or office" but it doesn't offer the "Use windows to configure..." option

Wait a moment... Are you sure you "Right click" on Network Places? I'm not talking about double click. You have to right click, then wait for the menu to appear there and then select properties. Sorry if you already know but it's just that it seems odd to me.

Cheers

 

[keiron99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nomad That is strange indeed. Sorry to ask this question but... are you sure your laptop/computer has a WiFi card? If that's the case it should appear over there.

Thanks again. To clarify, I have a single PC connected to the internet via a cable modem box. I have an ethernet cable from my modem box into the router, and then an ethernet cable from my PC to my router. The only other wireless device is the Airport Express.

 

[keiron99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nomad Wait a moment... Are you sure you "Right click" on Network Places? I'm not talking about double click. You have to right click, then wait for the menu to appear there and then select properties. Sorry if you already know but it's just that it seems odd to me. Cheers

Yes I'm doing that definitely. It only shows "Dial up" and "LAN or High Speed Internet". No mention of Wireless.

 

[Nomad]

Ah, Ok. Now I understand.

Your PC doesn't have a WiFi card then and you don't have a "WiFi ready PC". It is true you have your computer connected to the Linksys wireless router but I think (pretty sure) it won't work that way.

Now I understand why you don't have that Wireless Connection on your PC. You don't have the hardware for it (a Wifi card).

I'm sorry but I'm pretty sure you won't be able to make it work with your current setup. I can't assure you 100% as sometimes there are workarounds but I'd say that I'm pretty certain it won't work (something around 95%).

I'd like to be wrong, though. Good luck. There are some USB devices that can add WiFi functionality to your computer. It might be the way to go if you don't like the WiFi card idea.

Cheers

 

[keiron99]

Thanks, Nomad. I've slept on it! I can't quite understand why I'd need a Wifi card in the PC when it is hard wired (via ethernet) to the router. This is extremely frustrating! As ever, the instructions for all these pieces of kit may as well be in Chinese as fas as I'm concerned! Why can't they write in plain English!

 

[Nomad]

It's my understanding that iTunes will look for wireless interfaces IN your computer in order to do music streaming. It won't see any and it won't work, no matter if there is a wireless access point behind a wired connection.

I might be wrong but I think that's the way it works. Now if there is a way to perform some kind of tunneling through a virtual interface or something, I can't tell. But I don't think that will be possible. I wish I was wrong.

What model of Linksys router is that? I might be able to find the english manual in PDF for you.

Cheers,

 

[keiron99]

Thanks again, Nomad. It is a Linksys WRT54GS-UK router.

When I bought it, it came bundled with a USB Wireless Network Adapter which I believed I didn't need and I've left sealed. Do you think If I plugged that into my PC it might work? (I've left it sealed hoping I could sell as new and save a few quid!)

 

[JiiEf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by keiron99 Thanks, Nomad. I've slept on it! I can't quite understand why I'd need a Wifi card in the PC when it is hard wired (via ethernet) to the router. This is extremely frustrating! As ever, the instructions for all these pieces of kit may as well be in Chinese as fas as I'm concerned! Why can't they write in plain English!

The problem is that you're trying to do something Apple didn't envision people would do, ie. use a wireless router as a wired music streaming device (instead of buying a roku or soundbridge that is actually designed for the purpose). You have to bear in mind that music streaming is definitely a secondary function in the APX.

I'm assuming you could do the setup when the APX is directly wired to your computer, ie. not through the linksys router, by using the airport admin utility that should have been installed. Not sure though. I'm fairly sure you could set it up to function wired if you could access it wirelessly once, though

/JF

 

[JiiEf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by keiron99 Thanks again, Nomad. It is a Linksys WRT54GS-UK router. When I bought it, it came bundled with a USB Wireless Network Adapter which I believed I didn't need and I've left sealed. Do you think If I plugged that into my PC it might work? (I've left it sealed hoping I could sell as new and save a few quid!)

Yes. Not exactly sure why you bought two wireless routers, but then again, I just woke up 15 minutes ago

/JF

EDIT: Also, I'd plug the linksys out of the wall for now, until you get the APX set up. I'm guessing you should set it to use external dhcp, and pretty much disable everything but using airtunes over a wired network bit. (Airport Admin utility, "Airport" Tab wireless disabled, "music" enable airtunes on this base station, enable airtunes over ethernet. That should do it, and then you can go back to wired if you want (I wouldn't!

)

 

[keiron99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiiEf Yes. Not exactly sure why you bought two wireless routers, but then again, I just woke up 15 minutes ago

You'll have to excuse my extreme ignorance here! I don't know what you mean when you say I have 2 routers.

 

[keiron99]

I have plugged in the Wireless USB adapter to my PC (to which the router itself is also connected). I have also installed all the Linksys software and I now have some icons that suggest that I do now in fact have a wireless network! Indeed at one point in installing the Linksys software, it appeared to regognise that there was an Apple Airport in the network, though the light on that is still flashing amber.

I'm now trying to install the Apple siftware from the CD. However, it tells me that "The Aisport Express Assistant found that Wireless Zero Configuration service is not running, for best results please start the Wireless Zero Configuration service". Any ideas on this? Thanks for everyone's patience and assistance!