Technology Apple

A Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Apple AirPort Express

Introduction to Setting Up AirPort Express Base Station

The Apple AirPort Express base station allows you to share devices such as speakers or printers with a single computer, wirelessly. The possibilities for cool technology projects this introduces are exciting. For instance, using the Airport Express, you can connect speakers in every room in your house to one iTunes library to create a wireless home music network. You can also use AirPrint to wirelessly send print jobs to printers in other rooms.

Whatever your goal, if you need to share data from your Mac wirelessly, the AirPort Express makes it happen with an electrical outlet and a little configuration. Here’s how.

Start by plugging the AirPort Express into an electrical outlet in the room you want to use it in. Then go to your computer and, if you don’t already have the AirPort Utility software installed, install it from the CD that comes with the AirPort Express or download it from Apple's website. The AirPort Utility software comes pre-loaded on Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) and higher.

Install and/or Launch AirPort Utility

  1. Once the AirPort Utility is installed, launch the program. 
  2. When it starts, you’ll see the new base station listed on the left. Make sure it is highlighted. Click Continue.
  3. In the fields presented in the window, give the AirPort Express a name (for instance, it it's located in your home office, maybe call it "office" or "bedroom" if that's where it is) and a password that you'll remember so you can access it later. 


  1. Click Continue.


  1. Next, you'll be asked whether you're connecting the AirPort Express to an existing network (choose this if you already have a Wi-Fi network), replacing another (if you're getting rid of your old network hardware), or connecting via Ethernet. 

    For the purposes of this tutorial, I’m going to assume that you’ve already got a wireless network and that this is just an addition to it. Choose that option and click Continue.


  1. You'll see a list of the available wireless networks in your area. Select yours to add the AirPort Express to. Click Continue.
  2. When the changed settings are saved, the AirPort Express will restart.
  3. When it restarts, the AirPort Express will appear in the AirPort Utility window with the new name you gave it and will be ready to use. 

To learn more about AirPort and how to use it, check out:


Apple’s Airport Express base station is a terrific addition to iTunes. It allows you to stream music from your iTunes library to speakers throughout your house or print wirelessly. But what happens when something goes wrong? Here are some AirPort Express troubleshooting tips:

If the Airport Express has disappeared from the speakers list in iTunes, try the following:
  1. Make sure your computer is on the same Wi-Fi network as the AirPort Express. If it's not, join that network.


  1. If your computer and the AirPort Express are on the same network, try quitting iTunes and restarting it.

    You should also make sure you have the most recent version of iTunes and, if not, install it.
  2. If that doesn’t work, unplug the AirPort Express and plug it back in. Wait for it to restart (when its light turns green, it has restarted and connected to the Wi-Fi network). You may need to quit and restart iTunes.
  3. If that doesn't work, try resetting the AirPort Express. You can do this by pressing the reset button on the bottom of the device. It's the small, soft plastic, gray button. This may require a paper clip or other item with a small point. Hold the button for about a second, until the light flashes amber. 

    This resets the base station password so you can configure it again using the AirPort Utility.
  4. If that doesn’t work, try a hard reset. This erases all data from the AirPort Express and lets you set it up from scratch using the AirPort Utility. This is a step to take after all others have failed.

    To do this, hold the reset button for 10 seconds. Then set the base station up again.

     

    Want tips like this delivered to your inbox every week? Subscribe to the free weekly iPhone/iPod email newsletter.

    SHARE
    RELATED POSTS on "Technology"
    The Takeaway on iLife '11 Software Suite for Mac
    The Takeaway on iLife '11 Software Suite for Mac
    How to Gift Music and Movies from the iTunes Store
    How to Gift Music and Movies from the iTunes Store
    Review: Army of Darkness Defense
    Review: Army of Darkness Defense
    How to Download Music Using iTunes
    How to Download Music Using iTunes
    How to Set a Password for Your iPhone Apps
    How to Set a Password for Your iPhone Apps
    Can You Put Games on the iTouch?
    Can You Put Games on the iTouch?
    Docking Station for an iPhone
    Docking Station for an iPhone
    Does iPod Touch Have 16G?
    Does iPod Touch Have 16G?
    How to Add Contacts From an iPhone to an iPad but Not From the Computer
    How to Add Contacts From an iPhone to an iPad but Not From the Computer
    How to Set Up Bell South SMTP for an iPod Touch
    How to Set Up Bell South SMTP for an iPod Touch
    Dungeon Hunter 4 Shows Dark Side of In-App Purchases
    Dungeon Hunter 4 Shows Dark Side of In-App Purchases
    How to Make Speakers for an iPod
    How to Make Speakers for an iPod
    How to Remove the Disk Mode From an iPod
    How to Remove the Disk Mode From an iPod
    How to Get Pictures Onto an iPod Nano Touch
    How to Get Pictures Onto an iPod Nano Touch
    How to Connect an Apple Shuffle to a Compaq Presario 6000
    How to Connect an Apple Shuffle to a Compaq Presario 6000
    How to Sync Pictures Into an iPhone
    How to Sync Pictures Into an iPhone
    How to Download Photos on an iPod Classic
    How to Download Photos on an iPod Classic
    How to Access Earthlink With an iPhone
    How to Access Earthlink With an iPhone
    How to Download Songs From Windows Media Player to an iPod
    How to Download Songs From Windows Media Player to an iPod
    How to Use Media Player to Load Music to an iPod
    How to Use Media Player to Load Music to an iPod

    Leave Your Reply

    *