Remotely control AirPort Express with a laptop

Nov 22, '04 10:00:00AM

Contributed by: pboehi

Here is how you can remotely control AirPort Express with your AirPort equipped Powerbook. First, download the SlimServer software (free, open source) and install it on your main machine which runs iTunes and has your MP3 collection on it. Follow the installation instructions to get it running.

When the server is running, enter http://localhost:9000/stream.mp3 into iTunes on your main machine. If it doesn't work right away, open your Browser and enter http://localhost:9000 to see the browser interface of the SlimServer. There should be a pop-up menu at the top of the page where you select your main machine as host for streaming music. Have another try with iTunes. When everything is running, select the AirPort Express station in iTunes where you would like to have your music playing. Check the "Network" control panel of your main machine and write down its IP address. It should be something like 192.168.1.123, where 123 will be different (of course, if you've set up your own IP numbers, they may be totally different).

Grab your AirPort-equipped Powerbook or iBook, enter the address http://192.168.1.x:9000 in your favorite browser, and you should be able to access the browser interface of the Slim Server running on your main machine. Now go to the room where your AirPort Express is playing, sit next to it with your PowerBook, and control the streaming music with Slim Server. This software not only lets you start, stop and skip tracks, it also lets you search for artists, albums and songs which are managed in playlists.

My friends have been deeply impressed...

[robg update: Yea, I goofed ... I completely overlooked the use a shared library feature, as noted in multiple comments below. However, I'll leave this hint up as evidence that yea, I make mistakes every once in a while :). ]

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