Airport Express installation with O2 B/Band

PJ1200

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Jan 4, 2008
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I note there is a separate thread (http://whathifi.com/forums/1/141089/ShowThread.aspx) regarding the woes of AX, but I didn't want to hijack it!

My problems are very similar to Charlie's.

I have had an AX for over 18 months, originally using a Netgear router and adapter connected to another ISP. This ISP fell into problems and my internet went down. Co-incidently this was exactly the time when I had problems with my AX. I believe this to be because I was using the AX as a client to connect to my existing network in order to play itunes to my hifi.

I moved to O2 b/b and this is working well with my Netgear adapter streaming wireless to to the O2 b/band II box.

I thought that I should now attempt to re-register my AX to the system, with my aim of streaming iTunes from my PC (upstairs) to my hifi (downstairs) using my O2 box as an existing network and the AX as a client to that network. Simple enough I thought - especially given I don't remember having any issues with my previous ISP/Router connection. I am wrong.

During my first attempts I did manage to get the AX to connect to my hifi, however it meant disconnecting from the internet and connecting to the AX. Further I'm fairly sure that the light was flashing Amber when doing this (!????!) This was not ideal (and having read around a bit, I guess the AX was set up as a base station which is why I had to log off my internet network (O2) and connect to the AX). So I deleted this connection and reset the AX.

Now I have completely mixed success with the AX. Sometimes using the Airport Utlility or the Assistant the computer can find the AX and other times it can't!! This usually co-insides with a soft reset. However I can not configure the AX to join my exisiting network (ie O2) for love nor money!

Last night I brought the AX upstairs with the view of trying to connect the thing using the ethernet cable. Again this worked with mixed success. When the utility program did find the AX I used this to select 'join existing network' from the Airport menu - inputted my O2 b/b name. I then tried to input the security but note the O2 security to be only 64 bit encryption... the AX only has 40 bit or 128 bit options!?!? (being a 6 key code or 13 key i believe). The code for my O2 box is neither. I therefore left it - and surprise surprise it doesn't work!

The only thing that has been constant is the flashing amber (of death) light!!! I've done searches which appear to offer solutions, but when I try them nothing seems to work!!

Any ideas? Do I need to change any settings on my O2 router?

All I want to do is stream music from iTunes to my hifi downstairs. I don't want to use the AX for anything else!! HELP!

Many thanks in advance.
 

PJ1200

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Having done some further research, I found this page, which appears to exactly describe my problem

http://www.simongbrown.com/blog/2004/07/30/2_hours_to_setup_airport_express.html

It would appear the issue lies with entering the WEP password. Mine (off the top of my head) is something like C8887FU47 (so 9 characters). Any idea how I firstly input my WEP key into the AX utility successfully. Secondly, there appears to be some configuration to do around the Internet tab on the utility - ie entering static ip address info. From memory mine is allocated automatically!?!? Does that make sense?

Hopefully the above will help further, just need to work out how to input the WEP key and sort out the Internet tab correctly....any ideas?
 

John Duncan

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I'm fairly sure it asked for my WEP key (actually mine is set up to use WPA, but the principle's the same) during installation of AX........

But it should allocate an IP address automatically yes, unless you've specifically set up your router to use fixed IP addresses.
 

John Duncan

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I'd recommend WPA anyway, is much more secure. Especially now I know your password
emotion-2.gif
 

PJ1200

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Right - sorted!
What a palaver!! But finally sorted it all out!
It would appear that the AX (as we know) has two functions - as a base station or as a client (piggybacking onto an existing network). When you reset the thing (as I, and others, have to do constantly) it becomes a base station and thus is visable when you scan for it using wireless connections.
The problem I had was trying to get it to join my existing network (O2 B/B) and when I updated the AX it wouldn't work. However in doing so it obviously becomes a 'client' and thus you can't scan for it wirelessly!
So the key is, once you reset the AX, you need to make sure you set it up correctly. This is not easy, but for me it was a case of using the Utility and on the 'airport' tab, selecting 'join an existing network'. Then entering the name of the network (in my case O2wirelessxxxxxxx) and then entering the security settings. The issue I had was that O2 use a WEP key on a 64 bit encryption, where the AX shows either 40 bit or 128 bit!! I (using the links above on the apple website) found that 40 bit is the same as 64 bit. So entered my 10 key code (no $ or ox as some suggest) and it worked.
So all is working now! I am having a small issue with connecting to the internet where my wireless adaptor is not playing ball, but hope this to be just a temporary glitch!

Why is it that when you sort something and all is working perfectly then you turn the pc off and come back to it, that it (for no apparent) reason doesn't work as well!! Ruddy computers!

Anyway - hope that helps...Thanks to those who helped out. Much appreciated.
PJ
 

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