TiVo Community Forums Archives - Hot dang! I can get rid of the ethernet cable running down the hall!

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Hot dang! I can get rid of the ethernet cable running down the hall!
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Posted by: DocNo

http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/

And I can stream iTunes to the stereo sitting next to the Tivo too... ahh......

EDIT: I know about the Linksys and other wireless bridges, but I want WPA support. Linksys has been promising it for 6 months, but still nothing. Don't have to wait any longer....

Posted by: dalee18

Well, you do have to wait until july :) They're taking orders now, but it'll be july before they ship.

Now, if only that had wired ethernet ports...

Posted by: DocNo

quote:
Originally posted by dalee18
Now, if only that had wired ethernet ports...

It does - that's what I'm plugging the Tivo into :)

Posted by: dalee18

No, it doesn't. If you're going to use this as your only router you'll need a wireless card for tivo. The wired port shown is to hook it to your cable modem or dsl modem. You cannot connect wired devices to the airport express.

Posted by: cwoody222

Are you sure? I'm pretty sure you can.

Posted by: dalee18

quote:
Originally posted by cwoody222
Are you sure? I'm pretty sure you can.

Yes, I'm positive. Take a look at the specs:

http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/specs.html

The airport express clearly lists "no" under 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN port

Posted by: BoyScout

Yes, but in the picture just above the specs it clearly indicates that there is 1 10/100 Ethernet port (pointing to what looks like an RJ-45 jack).

So, either the picture and description are wrong, or the spec is wrong. I vote for the spec since it would be silly to have an RJ-45 on the unit for anything else but ethernet.

Although, the picture might not be of the shipping product...........

Posted by: dalee18

quote:
Originally posted by BoyScout
Yes, but in the picture just above the specs it clearly indicates that there is 1 10/100 Ethernet port (pointing to what looks like an RJ-45 jack).

So, either the picture and description are wrong, or the spec is wrong. I vote for the spec since it would be silly to have an RJ-45 on the unit for anything else but ethernet.

Although, the picture might not be of the shipping product...........

As I said in my initial reply to this post, the port in the picture is of the WAN port for connecting to your cable modem or dsl modem. So you cannot hook your computer to that port.

Posted by: BoyScout

....uhhhhhhh, why not????

Also, why wouldn't you be able to connect the ethernet port up to a switch and use this thing as it says it is, a wireless bridge?

The only difference between WAN and LAN is that they are on different subnets (in this case since the "WAN" is Ethernet), but there is nothing saying that the WAN can't have several hosts.

Posted by: ccwf

quote:
Originally posted by dalee18
As I said in my initial reply to this post, the port in the picture is of the WAN port for connecting to your cable modem or dsl modem. So you cannot hook your computer to that port.

NAT can be disabled, allowing the AirPort Express to route (and perhaps even bridge) between the wireless network and WAN port just like the current AirPort Base Stations can do. There's a thread discussing the AirPort Express over in the Happy Hour with comments from forum member and Apple employee btwyx. See there for more details.

Posted by: dalee18

I realize this, but my statement remains true, if you are talking about the product by itself. The reason I got mildly ticked off was that people wouldn't believe me that the port shown in the picture wasn't intended to be used as a wired port to connect things to. I wasn't trying to say it couldn't be done; just that this was not the main use of the port. Geeze.

Posted by: alaan

what about using the usb?

Posted by: ccwf

The AirPort Express USB port is for attaching a network printer.

Posted by: BoyScout

quote:
Originally posted by dalee18
I realize this, but my statement remains true, if you are talking about the product by itself. The reason I got mildly ticked off was that people wouldn't believe me that the port shown in the picture wasn't intended to be used as a wired port to connect things to. I wasn't trying to say it couldn't be done; just that this was not the main use of the port. Geeze.

Wow, I didn't think you were pissed. Sorry. I didn't think I had that much power over someone. ;)

I was just pointing out the errors on the specs page. The picture with the arrow pointing to it also says "10/100BASE-T Ethernet - Intelligent port for connecting to DSL or cable modems or a local network.

So the "spec" obviously contradicts itself.

Posted by: farleyruskz

quote:
Originally posted by dalee18
You cannot connect wired devices to the airport express.

quote:
Originally posted by dalee18
Yes, I'm positive.

quote:
Originally posted by dalee18
So you cannot hook your computer to that port.

quote:
Originally posted by dalee18
I wasn't trying to say it couldn't be done; just that this was not the main use of the port. Geeze.

Where, exactly, were you not trying to say it couldn't be done?

Posted by: dalee18

I was making the (apparently incorrect) assumption that most people would buy the product to use by itself. I don't know a single person outside of the people in my office (I'm a network administrator) who would a) care enough to do this AND b) be competent enough to do it. I was speaking about the out of the box, supported function of this product.

Posted by: DocNo

quote:
Originally posted by dalee18
a) care enough to do this AND b) be competent enough to do it. I was speaking about the out of the box, supported function of this product.

Hmm, knowing Apple's penchant for perfecting turn-key operations of products like this, and their previous success with Airport, I can see many people havning multiple one's of these for the music sharing alone. I know I am already thinking of getting at least one for a stereo on each floor of my house. Compentency will have little to do with it. Between their auto-config utilities for the wireless products, and rendevous for the logical device sharing, I would imaging adding one (or more) of these to your network will be a peice of cake.

Using one while on travel would never have occured to me until I did some more reading about them. I think once word gets out, this will be the second wireless revolution for Apple, much like the original Airport set the standard for wireless use in PC's for home users.

Posted by: BoyScout

To be fair, I must admit it WOULD be more desirable to have multiple ethernet ports on this device.

Posted by: minhi

just fyi, these things will only work as a bridge to an apple airport extreme base station. per the apple company line it will not bridge to third party access points. so if you're thinking about hooking tivo into the ethernet port, you'll need to bridge to another access point to get out to the internet--which means you need to buy the very expensive apple base station!

i'm still trying to figure out why people are excited about this? my tivo today has no wires, dlink usb 802.11b to my belkin access point.

Posted by: DocNo

quote:
Originally posted by minhi
these things will only work as a bridge to an apple airport extreme base station.

Not true:

http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=07341

Apparently Buffalo sations can. There are no standards, but Apple uses WDS which apparently some vendors like Buffalo support it.

People always like to dig on Apple for being proprietary - yet they have contributed numerous standards, or embraced standards and caused them to take off - like Wireless or USB. Standards that had been around for years, and just sat there...

Why are people getting so excited? As a wireless bridge or extender, your right - it's fairly unremarkable. But it has two other unique featres. As a portable base station it has the whole size thing licked. If you travel allot, size REALLY matters. But the most interesting and unique feature is the audio sharing. This is the cheapest high quality solution that I have seen so far. I have been wanting a solution like this, but been on the fence. At this price point, I think I will leap off and enjoy audio on my stereo - get two and I can have audio on two floors in my house at the same time, wirelessly. Good stuff....

Posted by: cwoody222

So - can I or can't I use this to wirelessly connect my TiVo? ;) Seriously. I'm confused now.

Whether it's the intended main function or not - will it work out of the box to do that?

Posted by: BoyScout

I would have said yes, since it is 802.11g and it also states that it can "extend your existing wireless network". However, I don't have one, so I can't confirm that. The specs are sketchy at best.

Posted by: minhi

quote:
Originally posted by DocNo
Not true:

http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=07341

Apparently Buffalo sations can. There are no standards, but Apple uses WDS which apparently some vendors like Buffalo support it.

People always like to dig on Apple for being proprietary - yet they have contributed numerous standards, or embraced standards and caused them to take off - like Wireless or USB. Standards that had been around for years, and just sat there...

Why are people getting so excited? As a wireless bridge or extender, your right - it's fairly unremarkable. But it has two other unique featres. As a portable base station it has the whole size thing licked. If you travel allot, size REALLY matters. But the most interesting and unique feature is the audio sharing. This is the cheapest high quality solution that I have seen so far. I have been wanting a solution like this, but been on the fence. At this price point, I think I will leap off and enjoy audio on my stereo - get two and I can have audio on two floors in my house at the same time, wirelessly. Good stuff....

thanks for the link i didn't know about the buffalo solution, but still it's not as good as being able to bridge to any access point.

and i too was excited about the airport express, but then i realized, hey if i'm playing music from my computer upstairs to my stereo downstairs--what if i want to fast forward? then i got less excited, i can just plug my ipod directly into my stereo then.

small is cool too, but for travelling a lot of the hotels i go to still do not have wired ethernet in the rooms! and those that do usually have wireless anyway! so this would be a lot more useful to me if it had a modem in it as well.

to cwood22, apple claims that it will only extend your existing wireless network if you're using an apple basestation. think about it, if you plugin your tivo into the ethernetport (using a USB ethernet adaptor) you'll need to talk wirelessly to something to get out to the internet. if you believe apple, that will have to be another apple basestation.

if all you want to do is get the tivo wirelessly on the net, 802.11b/g router + usb 802.11b adaptor is all you need.

Posted by: ccwf

quote:
Originally posted by minhi
thanks for the link i didn't know about the buffalo solution, but still it's not as good as being able to bridge to any access point.

True, but there are no products that will do that.

Posted by: funnyesq

Okay...I'm just learning about this "networking" thing...so perhaps someone will explain all this in simple easy to understand, idiot proof engish....

The AirExpress....looks nice. Is it a router? Is it only an adapter?

If I haven't networked my PC to my tivo yet....what do I need? I was told router + adapter for each item I want in the network, i.e. an adapter for the tivo.

I want to be "wireless" because I have an upstairs and a downstairs and don't want wires all over the place.

I have an iPod too. and an iTrip. (I love the iTrip, but confess that sometimes there is static when playing iPod music with the iTrip on my stereo since it uses Radio frequencies...at least I guess that's why there is some static). Would an AirExpress be better for this purpose? Is it only playing iPod music as opposed to iTune music on my PC?

How does the fact that HMO is now included with tivo? Is music from PC to Stereo better with an AirExpress or the same with HMO?

Thanks (sorry to be such a dummie).

Posted by: cwoody222

Hmmm... let's see here. If you've already got an iTrip you can already pump all your music from your iPod (which could, theoretically, be all the music from your iTunes if you wish and if you have enough room) to your stereo. But you get some static. So, what's another way?

HMO will let you stream all your MP3's (but not AAC files) to your TV. If your TV is hooked up to your stereo system you can test it to see if it's better than the iTrip. If you want to use HMO wirelessly you need to buy a wireless router and 1 access point and 1 USB dongle. The wireless router will sit next to your PC. THe access point will be near your TiVo and connected to TiVo via a short cable. The cable will connect to the USB dongle, which connects to your TiVo.

The AirPort Express's MAIN purpose is to let you (via wired or wireless) stream music from your iTunes directly into your stereo. You connect your Mac or PC to the AirPort Express (either via wired or wireless), plug the AirPort Express in near your stereo and connect it directly to your stereo via an Audio In jack.

Secondary features are wireless printing via a USB printer port in the Express and creating or extending the range of a current wireless network. If you have a laptop with a wireless card in it you can also use the Express to connect wirelessly. This is helpful in creating little mini-wireless-networks in hotel rooms and such.

Debate is still going on about what, if any, limitations there will be used it's used with other non-Apple wireless networking products and whether the Express will be able to act as a wireless access point to connect non-wirelessly to a device such as your TiVo (but there are cheaper devises that let you do that now anyway).

I hope that answered everything.

Posted by: nathos

Just to clarify, AirPort Express will definitely do wireless-to-ethernet bridging, so you'll be able to use it to connect your TiVo (or Xbox or whatever) via Ethernet to your wireless G network. You may need to use another AirPort Express or Extreme to connect to your ISP.

Trust me ;)