iPhone & iMac with Airport Express (diagram)

[Tron72]

Just got a new iPhone and Airport Express. I bought the Airport Express to act as a wireless router to provide a stronger wi-fi signal to my iPhone when I'm downstairs, away from my computer. I've tried setting up the Airport Express as suggested in the manual. However I'd prefer to maintain my ethernet connection to my iMac and NOT to my Airport Express. I have Verizon DSL and the modem is a Westell 6100. Since my computer has a built-in airport extreme card, I'd like to set up my Airport Express downstairs to receive the iMac's wi-fi signal, allowing my iPhone to go online via wi-fi. (see diagram below) Any suggestions on how/if this can be done? Thanks in advance.

(note: the airport express shown is plugged in, no USB or Ethernet is connected)

 

[mgodfre3]

Why!!!!!

Well there are two options for your setup.

1)You can share your internet connection from the imac, which would allow the phone to connect, but this does eliminate the need entirely for the airport express as you can not use the airport to extend and internet connection from your imac.

2) And this is the idea I would go with, you can forget your ethernet hang ups and use the express the way it was meant to be used. Setup a wifi network to connect to you phone, imac, macbook, wii, xbox 360, apple tv or whatever else comes into your house with wifi. And consider the placment near your tv into your stereo, using the airtunes option you can play music from your imac wirelessly into your high end stereo for a party or such.

Or return the express and buy the new extreme, which can give your iphone a wireless connection, allow your imac to connect to an ethernet port(without scraficing speed) and create a wifi network for any of the aforementioned products including windoz pcs.

Good luck and post your decision for the rest of us.


BTW my current setup is
Bedroom- iMac wirelessly connected to airport extreme-N
Living Room-Airport express in WDS mode, sharing extremes connection and ethernet port with a PS3. Apple TV, Xbox 360 and Wii all connected wirelessly. As well as a Macbook and an iPhone roaming around the 1000 sq. foot apartment. Alot of signal around the house but I have a 1/2 mile range and I am in IT, so go figure.





Michael Godfrey
Denver, CO
iMac 2.16 20" Intel C2D
Macbook 2.16 Intel C2D
Apple TV 40gig
Nintendo Wii
PS3 20gig
Xbox 360
iPhone 8 gig
iPod Video 30gig
iPod Nano 2nd gen 4gig
ipod Shuffle 2gen

 

[Tron72]

Thanks for the reply. I tried omitting the airport express from the equation but found that my imac's dsl connection was slower without ethernet ...which is what prompted me to figure out a solution to keep it wired. Had I not purchased the airport express for sixty bucks at Comp USA during their going out of business sale, I probably would return it and upgrade to the Extreme. I'll have to check tomorrow to see if their closed for good to see if that's a possibility. If not, I'm sure I'll find a use for it and/or take advantage of the airtunes function. So your iPhone works well with the Extreme's N?

 

[Santa Rosa]

Think your making it way too complicated,

DSL Modem to Airport

Airport via Wi Fi to everything else.

Thats how I do it in my flat but I have an Airport Extreme & Airport Express, the Extreme dishes out the high speed internet to 2 PC's, 2 Macs a Wii and an iPhone and anything else that needs Wi Fi. The Express gives everything wireless printing all on the one network.

Just keep it simple, you are making it way to complicated and I cannot see how you are going to loose noticable speed using my mentioned setup.

Hope you get it sorted!!