Airport Express Problem

[harveymt]

Im getting skips with my Airport Express. After thinking it had nothing to do with the network I tried firewalls etc, but turns out it is likely to be the network as when I put my netbook beside the router the skips disappear. The router is up on the 2nd floor and Express on ground floor. I'd rather not move the router as I plug various things into it up there.

I have the Express set up to join my network, if I change that to extend my network will it work exactly the same way? But, by extending the network should that stop the patchiness that I think is affecting my playback?

 

[Anonymous]

Haven't tried that, though I don't think it would help as it sounds like you need to boost your signal by putting a repeater in before the AE in your network, say around the 1st floor.

 

[John Duncan]

Yep that's quite a long way for the signal to travel - I think you need a wireless extender...

 

[Dan Turner]

You could buy another airport express and put it in between and configure it to 'extend a wireless network'. I'm not sure what a dedicated wireless extender costs, but another AE is relatively cheap and it may facilitate another zone that you could play music in as a bonus.

 

[Anonymous]

I you do a google seach for something like airport express skipping I am sure you will get lots of hits. There are a lot of entries on the apple forums. I ended up sending my AE back as the skipping was drivig me mad.

Sorry I don't have a solution for you.

 

[Anonymous]

Different problem here as everyone has said. This is a strength of signal issue.

 

[John Duncan]

Dan Turner:You could buy another airport express and put it in between and configure it to 'extend a wireless network'. I'm not sure what a dedicated wireless extender costs, but another AE is relatively cheap and it may facilitate another zone that you could play music in as a bonus.

You could, but an extender would cost about 30/40 quid, whereas the AE is now up around the 80 quid mark. So if you don't want that extra zone capability, the extender is the better bet.

 

[harveymt]

I've had a play with the position of the router. If I place it in the middle floor by the phone point I can get great signal downstairs in the front room on the netbook. As long as the signal strength remains Very Good or Excellent I can stream to Airport Express ok. If I move 3 or 4 metres into the kitchen the signal strength drops and the skips reoccur. Unfortunately, leaving the router here means my desktop upstairs won't connect due to a low signal.

I definately need my signal boosted. My in-laws got the same Sagem router from Sky and their house is exactly the same. You have to pick and choose where you sit to get a connection.

I had planned to get an N router (second hand off auction site is fairly cheap) but after a quick Google it seems that Sky don't let you use your own router? The information is a year or so old, so just wondering if this is still correct? There appears to be a way to get round this which I don't think I can post here but as an alternative workaround can you plug an N router into an ethernet port on the Sky router and connect to the internet through the N network into the Sky router? If that makes sense.