AirPort Express setup help

[bigboss]

I bought an AirPort Express to make my Sonos AirPlay enabled. I want to connect this to my existing BT Home Hub 2 network.

Sonos wants to connect to the AirPort Express via Ethernet port, but I need the ethernet port to connect AirPort Express to BT Home Hub (unless this can be done wirelessly).

Any help will be appreciated.

 

[John Duncan]

You don't need the Sonos to connect to the AX's network at all. You need to setup the AX using the airport utility it comes with, and tell it to 'join existing network', and give it the credentials for the network created by the home hub. Then your phone and the AX will be on the same wireless network and you can beam from your phone to the AX, which needs to be plugged in via it's headphone socket to an aux in on the Sonos (hopefully it has one or you're SOL). The USB and Ethernet sockets serve no audio purpose.

Pics of Mumbai to come btw :-D

 

[bigboss]

Thanks for that. So I'll connect the AX to the wireless extender via ethernet port, & use a jack to phono cable to connect it to ZP90, right?

Eager to see the pics & learn of your experience in Mumbai, apart from the "Delhi Belly" you seem to have got! Did my suggestions help? Which restaurants did you manage to visit?

 

[John Duncan]

You don't need to connect via ethernet at all because it has wireless N built in (though some find it helps on initial setup).

None at all basically! Location of hotel in relation to anything interesting, together with long days and a day lost to the voms ended up precluding any site seeing or extracurriculars at all really. Will do a full TR on the original thread...

 

[bigboss]

So how do I connect AX to my router wirelessly? That's what I tried initially.

 

[John Duncan]

Plug it into the mains (obv). Run the airport utility that comes with it on your pc and follow the steps. When it asks you to 'create a new network' or 'join existing network', get it to join the existing one - you'll need your wifi password, and you're probably using wpa2. Should be straightforward - recent firmware updates make wireless setup more reliable - but I've had to hard reset a few times (paperclip in the reset button on the bottom while you power up) before getting it to work.

 

[bigboss]

As soon as AX is connected to the network, internet connection is lost! Any ideas?

 

[Anonymous]

Seems a bit odd especially as from lurking here a lot I know you know the stuff.

I assume you've bought a new AE rather than a second hand one. Older ones are less functional.

The AirPlay functionality on sonos is clunky and I don't bother, instead i use the line in function which I think requires 1 further button push when you want to use it!

My AE is set up to extend my network and that is done unconnected to the sonos. Maybe the extending network option will work for you. If it does you just need the right cable to go from the 'headphone' socket on the AE to the 'line in' on the sonos

Then line in on the sonos will work when you send to the AE AirPlay.

Good luck!

Mark

 

[Juzzie Wuzzie]

BigBoss - I think you're AEX is trying to create a network (without an internet connection from your modem) rather than join your current network (in which case it will just extend it). I'd reset it and start with a rebuild - uploading the most recent firmware for it.