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Usefullness of Apple’s Airport Express

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I recently purchased an Apple AirPort Express in order to listen to my iTunes music on my home stereo. The initial setup I had was the AirPort Express joined to my main wireless network. I was able to configure the AirPort by connecting to it wirelessly from my Mac and running the AirPort configuration utility to join it to my existing network. This configuration worked great.

Eventually, I was able to plug the AirPort into my wired network. I set it up as a separate access point that I could use in a different area of the house and also used it to pipe some music to my stereo. This worked even better because there was no more wireless connection between the AirPort and the computer that was streaming music.

At this point I really looked into the AirPort setting and found it to be a pretty useful device. Besides from being wireless N compatable and using channels in the 5GHz range, it was also able to:

  • Use the AirPort as a router for an internet connection and share the connection wirelessly.
  • Operate as a wireless access point on an existing network.
  • Extend another wireless network.
  • Become a client of another wireless network in order to stream music wirelessly.

This turned out to be an incredibly useful, and tiny, device. It is also nice that Remote on an iPhone or iPod touch is able to control remote speaker volume and select which speakers music is played from.

Apple 27-inch iMac

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Apple 27-inch iMacSo, on Friday (10/23) I headed to the apple store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago to pick up a new 27-inch iMac. I like being an early adopter so I knew I wanted it as soon as it was announced. As soon as I bought it, I hopped in a cab to take it home. The packaging is pretty slim like all Apple products but since the computer itself is big and heavy, the box is big and heavy.

At home, I connected it to my wireless network and everything was working smoothely. I installed all software updates along with some additional software. Then, suddenly, I had to internet access. I checked my list of wireless networks and it wasn’t showing any. I restarted the computer and they all came back and I was immediately connected to my home network.

Then it happened again. I called Apple tech support and they had me boot up to the Snow Leopard DVD to test the wireless card and then reinstall all of Snow Leopard. The problems seems to occur when lots of data is being transmitted wirelessly such was when using Skype or watching videos on Hulu.

Apple tech support keeps insisting I restart my router and change my router’s security. Apparently telling them that no wireless networks at all show up even though I live in a condo in downtown Chicago doesn’t mean anything to them. Tech support set me up with a Genius Bar appointment with my brand new iMac so we’ll see how that goes. I’ll keep this post updated as I learn more about the tech support process at Apple.

Update: Apple just replaced the iMac after showing the person helping us at the genius bar what was going on. It would not show any wireless networks and also crashed twice.

Update: The new one we got has dust behind the screen. We’re going to pick up a new one tonight.