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Linksys WRT54g, AirPort Express, and iTunes Network
I have a G4 iMac and a G4 Aluminum PowerBook. I use a Linksys router/wireless port as my on-ramp for the PowerBook when I want to browse the internet from the comfort of my living room. All my music is on an external drive attached to the desktop machine (which has powered speakers), and so I was very intrigued by the AirPort Express as I want to listen to music from my stereo in the living room. Instructions I found in the Ars Technica AirPort Express Review (on the Bridging page) enabled me to configure the AirPort Express as a bridge to the Linksys router, and so allowed me to play music from either computer to my stereo.

One important step is to use the AirPort Admin utility from the PowerBook to configure the AirPort; I was not able to see it from the iMac until this was done.

The streaming of music to the AirPort is user specific. This means that I could login to my computer as one user, run iTunes and direct the output to my local speakers. I could then do a quick 'switch users' (not logout, so my music continues to play) and then login as another user. As the second user, I am able to run another instance of iTunes and direct that output to the AirPort. Voila -- one music source and two outputs, each with their own playlists! Brilliant!
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Linksys WRT54g, AirPort Express, and iTunes | 7 comments | Create New Account
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Linksys WRT54g, AirPort Express, and iTunes
Authored by: Greedo on Jul 28, '04 12:42:02PM

Hrmm ... your last point would seem to be the solution to one of the drawbacks of iTunes and the Airport Express: that you can't pipe different music to different Airport Expresses.



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Linksys WRT54g, AirPort Express, and iTunes
Authored by: sjonke on Jul 28, '04 01:49:54PM

I would be more interested in piping the same stream to multiple locations, not just different streams to different locations. You could approximate this by playing the same playlist in several different accounts, but they would be difficult to sync up. Perhaps someone could create a program that would do it via shell and applescript, starting playback with the same playlist in multiple users at the same time.

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--- What?



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Linksys WRT54g, AirPort Express, and iTunes
Authored by: macconvertdp on Jul 28, '04 11:36:53PM

I will be getting an Airport Extreme in the next couple of days (for free) and I already own a wrt54g router. So, if I am to understand this, I CAN extend my range with the new firmware available?
If so, could you write a detailed "how-to".
Thanks.
I'll post it on my blog www.macconvert.com

Pete.



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Linksys WRT54g, AirPort Express, and iTunes
Authored by: robeen on Jul 29, '04 05:51:34PM

Sorry this only slightly related: but are you able to configure your linksys box via OS X only? I have heard the wap tools can do this, but they failed compilation for me, and I have not had the time to debug.

cheers-
rob



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Linksys WRT54g, AirPort Express, and iTunes
Authored by: gourls on Jul 29, '04 08:29:23PM
So are you saying that the Linksys WRT54g is your cable modem and you hook up Airport Express to it for wireless web? Oh duh. I know all this stuff. That's cool how you can play music on iTunes on your speakers while you surf the Web in the comfort zone that is your living room. No wires, no hassle. Welcome to the 21st century.

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Brita L. Moore

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Linksys WRT54g, AirPort Express, and iTunes
Authored by: devros on Jul 30, '04 04:37:44AM

Brita, you are an idiot. A LITTLE knowledge is a dangerous thing. Many of us have linksys routers at home hooked up to DSL or cable modems, acting as our main router and wireless access point. These do a great job, but they don't have the nifty feature of streaming audio. Since the AEBS is too small and not feature rich enough in most cases to replace the linksys, it is desireable to have the two bridged to each other so that your computer sees only one network. By adding an AEBS in such a way, it not only extends the range of the home network, but allows audio streaming. Now that I know this can be done I will be ordering one ASAP.

don't comment on things you don't understand.

-dev



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Linksys WRT54g, AirPort Express, and iTunes
Authored by: ole on Aug 28, '04 03:33:58PM

If you don't comment, you don't learn! So comment for free! Ole
PS But the real thing: I can't setup my airport express to see the Linksys. Does anyone have a solution?



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