AirPort Express network on IBB?

luckat

I'm using the Irish Broadband wireless system and want to set up an AirPort Express network. Has anyone done this who'd be kind enough to post instructions?

I plugged in my Ethernet, sound and printer-USB cables to the AirPort Express and plugged it into the power socket, then went through the setup utility, but didn't know what to put for "router address", so let it set itself up manually.

The AirPort Express was flashing an orange light, and attempts to connect to the net, print or play tunes failed.

flywheel

hi, take it you are using Breeze (line of site) product as you have an ethernet cable, you should have been provided with the following info by IBB:
IP Address, Subnet Mask, Gateway Address and DNS address

Using the latest version of the Airport Admin Utility (check for updates) you choose Internet, Connect using Ethernet and enter the details. You use the Gateway in the 'Router Address' field.

Then you check if it works...

If it does work think about changing your admin password, creating a closed network, enabling WPA (if all your equipment supports it) or 128bit WEP if not, configure the access control list, if using DHCP and NAT limit the numbers of IP addresses available...

try this document for an explanation of all that:
Designing Airport Networks [PDF]

.

luckat

Thank you very much for this detailed explanation, DubWireless. I'll try it all in the morning.

luckat

This isn't working. The Airport Setup Utility and Airport Admin Utility now claim they can't find any AirPort at all. And I still haven't found out how to nuke the names and settings of the old, failed attempts at networks from System Preferences.

luckat

I've been trying and trying this, reading the "helpful" Apple pdf - Apple has obviously hired some Windows manual writers to write it. For instance: "Select how you would like to share your Internet connection, then click Start. You can choose to share your Internet connection with AirPort-equipped computers, computers with built-in Ethernet, or both."

I feel like the man in Black Books who just keeps reading and re-reading the tax form out loud with tears in his voice, obviously hoping htat it will start to make sense if he reads it often enough.

The comptuer's multiplicity of setup "assistants" (hah!) are no more helpful. For instance, they tell me that I have a DSL modem if I have a phone connection. They tell me that they can't find a working AirPort card, then that the AirPort card is sharing an internet connection with other computers. It asks me if I want to join "trusted Apple network blahblahseriesofjumbledlettersandnumbers", then it tells me it can't find any base station (even when I'm sitting with the base station in my lap, plugged into an extension lead.

I think I'll ring Apple tomorrow and see if they can make any sense out of this hames of a technology.

parsi

(apologies in advance for the Windoes-ness of this but it might help).

I had difficulty setting up the airport express in XP. The manuals and howtos were a bit flakey. What ended up working was to :

1. come off my own wireless network and conect wirelessly to the express,
2. Use the express admin utility to upgrade its firmware to the latest version (don't know it offhand) which supports wep,
3.Use the admin utility to input the paramaters of my own network, let it reboot and it connected.

It worked perfectly then. The main thing was to disconnect from my own network and join the expresses network - this alowed comms between the PC and it. Prob much the same idea for a mac.

ZENER

Perhaps a quick list of the hardware/software/OS you're using might help.
I still can't figure out if you're even using a Mac or not !!!
If so, then which one, does it have an Airport or Airport Extreme card, what version of Mac OS are you using ?
Are there windoze machines/laptops involved in your network.

ZEN

luckat

Zener, I'm using a G4 PowerBook running Panther. It has an AirPort card. I'm trying to set up the wifi network purely so that I can use the computer in other parts of the house (and garden), and print and play music remotely.

I also want the network to be secure, limited to whatever MAC address I give it, and to whatever new MAC addresses I might add if and when other family members want to use it with their iBooks.

The wireless base station is an AirPort Express, just bought new from Apple Ireland.

The first time I tried to set up a network, with the Ethernet, sound jack and printer USB cable plugged into the AirPort Express, the Setup Utility said I needed new firmware for the AirPort card. I said OK to that, and it went on with the process; I started to put in the various numbers for DNS and so on, then came to "router address" and didn't know what that was, so I set it to Automatic. It went on, finished up and said it now had a working network - except that when I tried to print, play tunes or access the internet, I got error messages or the tunes played only on my computer.

Actually, I'm beginning to wonder if I just got a dud AirPort Express, because the computer seems to detect it at some times and not at others. But then it also says I don't have an AirPort card, and I know that I do, and that it is (was) working, because we were using it a couple of months ago to allow internet access to another Mac.

ZENER

You mention that you can't find the Airport unit using the Airport Utility, when this happens is the wireless symbol beside your clock (top right of screen) greyed out ? Are there any networks listed in the drop down menu that results from clicking on the symbol ?
Have you set the TCP/IP prefs to automatic in order to join the same subnet as the Airport unit. I found that this is required before you can configure it or see it.

Maybe a factory reset may help:

Also delete any previously created networks to get back to the beginning.

I'm sorry if this stuff is obvious to you, I don't know your abilities, but sometimes it's better to start over again.

Updating the Airport firmware and software on the PB is also essential to ensure smooth running and the availability of the security features you mention.

ZEN

luckat

Radik Novak in Irish Broadband solved this for me, by giving me the correct router address and IP gateway address and showing me how to enter them in the right fields. He cut straight through a problem that had Apple support struggling for two hours (though they were also very helpful), and myself struggling for the weekend.

I've dealt with Radik before, and if anyone's looking for someone who applies intelligence and courtesy in large doses, and solves problems fast, he's the man. He's actually way too good to be in tech support, excellent though he is at it.

Anyone who's doing this in future - phone IBB for your gateway (which I knew) and also your router address. Then when you've entered them in the Network preferences and AirPort Setup Utility (or Admin Utility), unplug your IBB gadget from the wall for about a minute and a half, then reconnect it and off you go.

I'm going now to lie down with a cool cloth on my brow for a few hours.

luckat

And thanks for all the help and patience here too. You have been very helpful.

flywheel

luckat wrote:

phone IBB for your gateway (which I knew) and also your router address. Then when you've entered them in the Network preferences and AirPort Setup Utility (or Admin Utility), unplug your IBB gadget from the wall for about a minute and a half, then reconnect it and off you go

hi, in what corresponding fields did you enter these (different?) gateway and router addresses?

luckat

I entered the IBB gateway address where it says IP Gateway in the AirPort Admin Utility Internet section, and the IBB router address where it says Router Address in the same section. I think also in the System Prefs under AirPort, though I was so shagged and confused after hours talking to tech support and hours more trying this and that myself that I'm not altogether sure.

flywheel

hi, haven't seen Gateway mentioned on the Airport Admin Utility, when setting up for an Ethernet based manual config it has always listed fields for:
IP Address; Subnet Mask; Router Address; DNS Servers (2)

I'm curious that IBB gave you two different IP addresses one for 'Router' and one for 'Gateway', when they installed and later changed my IPs they left me 5 values:
IP Address; Subnet Mask; Gateway; DNS #1; DNS #2

e.g. (with sample IP/Gateway)
IP Address: 62.231.3x.56
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.240
Gateway: 62.231.3x.52
DNS #1: 62.231.32.10
DNS #2: 62.231.32.11

what did the extra Router address they gave you look like?

flywheel

luckat wrote:

I entered the IBB gateway address where it says IP Gateway in the AirPort Admin Utility Internet section, and the IBB router address where it says Router Address in the same section...

hi, you had a chance to look over those settings again (re previous post)?

Thanks.

Urban Weigl

"Gateway" and "Router" are the exact same. They're just different labels for the same thing, hence the confusion. Microsoft tends to use the term "Gateway", whereas Apple tends to use the term "Router". But they are the same thing.

flywheel

thanks, although reading the second post in the thread that was kinda covered already

trying to work out how someone at IBB gave him two IP addresses one called gateway and one called router... perhaps the Subnet Mask or the actual IP address has been mixed up in there but trying to check with the original poster what the story turned out to be...

luckat

Sorry, I probably wasn't clear.

I am now fighting tooth and nail with the printer, which refuses to print in A5 - or rather, it prints, but with the text drizzling off the left and bottom of the page.

I think my HP LaserJet 1200 drivers have gone rogue, or maybe my Printer Setup Utility, which keeps listing *two* "model names" for HP LaserJet 1200 when I go to Add Printer.

I've now been trying to mend this for about 16 hours and am completely confuzzled.