Jun 7, 2004 | Q
Two quick observations on the Apple AirPort Express with AirTunes, announced today:
1. Wow — waaaaay cool, integrating stupidproof music into the mix.
2. Why do all the 802.11g repeaters/bridges only work with access points from the same makers? Read the small print on the AirPort Express page: “AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express can extend the range only of an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express wireless network.” I’ve yet to see a consumer-level repeater that works with other vendors; is the WDS spec so difficult to work with that each vendor has developed an independent implementation?
is the WDS spec so difficult to work with that each vendor has developed an independent implementation?
Not really. I suspect, with a bit of tinkering, an AirPort WAP could be made to extend a non-AirPort WAP, but not simply, and Apple’s not going to offer official support for third-party devices.
I’m *REALLY* drooling over the SONOS Digital Music System. You can play music simultaneously in different “zones,” and you can control the entire system with a wireless remote, rather than toting your laptop from room to room. (Sadly, no DRM-encrypted AAC support. Maybe in a future firmware release.)
• Posted by: dansays on Jun 7, 2004, 5:00 PMI mentioned in my book, Mac OS X Unwired, that you can use some non-Apple base stations for WDS repeaters. I’ve used Buffalo equipment with no problem. I suspect that it’s just that Apple doesn’t want to promise it, lest some lawyer-happy person decide to sue when their cheap Chinese-made base station doesn’t work. I’ll know for sure when we get our own AirPort Express.
• Posted by: Tom Negrino on Jun 7, 2004, 5:33 PMGizmodo: Why Apple’s AirPort Express may unofficially extend non-AirPort networks
• Posted by: dansays on Jun 8, 2004, 3:09 PM