Striving to be the person my dog thinks I am.

The Apple AirPort Express is a great device to send iTunes audio output to any room within the range of your wireless network.  This is a quick, real world guide to the installation and configuration.

Before You Begin  Unbox the AirPort and remove it from the staggering amount of packing material it comes in.  Apart from the hardware itself, the only other thing in the box you really need is the installation CD.  Everything else can go straight to recycling, because all the documentation is available online.  You will also need the name (SSID) you assigned to your wireless network when it was set up.  If you use encryption on your wireless network, you’ll also need the password for it.  Also, If you intend to connect your AirPort to your home stereo, make sure you have the right cable.  One other thing; don’t panic at the number of steps.  If everything goes right, you’ll be done in about 10 minutes, total.  With all that in mind, here goes;

A  Install the Apple AirPort Utility (AAU) from the CD that came with the AirPort.  Just put the CD in the drive — it should start the install procedure automatically, and about the only thing you have to do is Accept the license agreement.  This is important — read this agreement in it’s entirety, and only when you’re absolutely satisfied you’re OK with it, press the Accept button*.  You can install the AAU on any PC on your network, but it will be easiest if it’s on a machine within close proximity of your network hub, or on a laptop you can temporarily relocate near the hub.  You’ll see why, in a second.  If it asks you whether you want to download the latest version of AAU, that’s a step you can likely skip this step for the time being.

B  Plug the AirPort into a power outlet near your network hub.  Then — and this is the only real trick in the whole installation — use a standard network cable to temporarily connect the AirPort to the hub (no kidding).  The network port on the AirPort is on the side that will eventually face the floor. 

C  Start AAU, and you will screen which looks something like the one on the left (click for larger image).  If this the second or subsequent AirPort you’re installing, the existing ones will be displayed on the left, and the status lights will be green.  If this the first AirPort, it will be the only one shown on the left and the status light will be yellow (as it will be on the AirPort hardware itself).  The new AirPort will be called Base Station, followed by a string of more-or-less random characters that uniquely identify the AirPort.  This is just a temporary name until you have a chance to give it something more descriptive, described in the next step.  There is nothing much more to do with this screen other than press the Continue button.

D  Give the new AirPort a name which reflects where the AirPort will be located.  You can actually name it whatever you want, but keep in mind this name will show up on the drop-down list in iTunes, described a few steps below.  Also, assign a password and make a mental note of it.  Actually, don’t trust your memory — write it down and put it on a Post It on the front of your monitor, like everybody else does.  This password will be used if and when you make configuration changes to the AirPort somewhere down the road.  When you’ve entered this information, click the Continue button.

E    These steps assume you’re configuring your AirPort to connect to an existing wireless network, so simply leave the top option  checked, as shown, and click the Continue button.

F  As noted in the previous step, it’s assumed you’re connecting your AirPort to an existing wireless network, so check the second option, and click Continue.

G  On this screen, type in the name of your wireless network, or you may be able to select in from the drop-down list by clicking the down arrow.  However, if you network does not broadcast it’s name (it really shouldn’t), it won’t show in the drop-down list and you’ll have to type it in yourself, as shown in the example to the left, in place of MyHomeNetwork.   If your network is using encryption (it really should), click the Wireless Security: drop-down list, and select the particular type of encryption you’re using.

H  This screen will vary a little  depending on what kind of wireless encryption you are using.  The example shown to the right is for WPA2 Personal encryption, which requires you also provide the Wireless Password: (twice!)  Once you have entered these correctly, then click the Continue button.  You’ll be able to double check these entries in the next step.

I    All this screen does is display the settings you provided in the previous screens, and gives you an opportunity to change them by clicking the Go Back button.  You can also display the passwords you entered by clicking Show Passwords.  Otherwise, click Update, and the configuration of the AirPort is complete.  However, there are still a few more things you need to do.

J  This dialogue box will appear as you soon as you click the Update button in the previous step. It’s simply provides a warning that network services won’t be available during this update. You wouldn’t think that this update would affect other devices on the network, but it seems to. Double check that anybody using your home network has saved their work prior to clicking the Continue button on this screen.  Once you click this button, you will see…

K  a progress bar, as shown. This will take no more than a few second to update the AirPort with the configuration settings you entered earlier.

L  If your installation runs the same way mine did, this screen will appear, and will display an error message. Above all, no weeping, please. I’m fairly sure this is a bogus message, based on the fact that the AirPort is still connected to the hub with a cable, and it’s also attempting to connect to your wireless network wirelessly.  Therefore, it seems to be an expected outcome, at this point.  Note, also, your new AirPort, and its new name will appear on the left hand side of the AAU display.  Or at least it should.

M  You’ve finished with the configuration of the AirPort, so you can disconnect it from your hub, and relocate to its permanent location. Even if you don’t move the AirPort, permanently disconnect the network cable, and unplug it from power, wait a few seconds, and then plug it back in again. When you plug it in, the status light on the AirPort will flash yellow as it makes a connection to the wireless network, and then the light should go to a steady green.

N  This next step may or may not be necessary, but I’ve found it’s sometimes necessary to power cycle the network hub, as well. Particularly if the AirPort status light continues to flash yellow, you will want to power cycle the hub, at which point the AirPort status light should go to steady green. If it does, then you really are done with the configuration process.

O  Finally, connect the AirPort to the speakers or stereo to which you intend to stream the iTunes music. If you have self-powered speakers (such as you would attach to a computer), the cable from these speakers should plug directly into the bottom of AirPort. If you’re connecting to a home stereo, you may have to obtain a cable with an mini-phone jack on one end, and two RCA connectors on the other.  (You did read Before You Start, right?)

P  Now, launch iTunes on any computer on your home network.  All copies of iTunes will recognize the presence of the new AirPort, but only one of them will be able to use a given AirPort at any one time. You will notice right down at the bottom right hand corner of the main screen, there is a new drop-down list. It’s circled in red on the picture to the left.  (Click for larger image).  If you click on the drop-down, you will see the usual My Computer, for your computer speakers, but there should now also be an additional selection, which is the name you gave to the AirPort assigned in the steps above.  If you select the name of the new AirPort, iTunes will now play through the speakers connected to the AirPort. Don’t forget to turn the stereo on, that’s to which the AirPort is connected (and don’t ask me how I know).  You also have the option of selection multiple speakers as well.  You really haven’t lived until you’ve run Won’t Get Fooled Again, at full blast, through every set of speakers in the house.  Almost lifts the place off the foundations, just the way The Who originally intended.

That’s it.  As noted at the outset, it takes way longer to explain, than actually do.  If you have any questions or comments, please don’t provide them below.  And keep those cards and letters coming in, and no wagering.

*Actually, just click the Accept button without reading it like the rest of us.