Setting up an all-wireless home network connection Mac-PC.

[FMiguelez]

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Hello.
Now that business is slow like hell, I'll finally have time to set up this home network.

All I'm really interested in, at this point, is being able to play music wirelessly from my MacBook Pro, or from my fiancee's PC (both with iTunes) into my home theatre system.
Also, we want to be able to look at pictures from iPhoto in the big screen, and perhaps YouTube stuff as well.

Ideally, I'd be able to access her playlists in iTunes or albums in iPhoto on her computer from mine, and she'd like to do the same from hers. So we can access (not copy) each others' stuff... well, only whatever we want to share.

I've been looking at this Apple TV thing, but it seems overkill. It looks great, but I'm not really interested in recording stuff from TV or downloading movies, and I don't want to deal with synching issues (music, calendars, contacts, etc).
Besides, I'm looking at the most cost-effective solution I can find.

http://www.apple.com/appletv/

Oh, also, I'd like to see if I could implement a NICE pair of WIRELESS speakers. It could even be one of those speaker/iPod docks, since it would be for family reunions, or just so that I can take downstairs the speakers with me (or anywhere else).

I should mention that I have a new and unused Time Capsule. Maybe I can use it for this?

I hope you can recommend the proper gear, or give me a couple of good ideas.

Thanks, my friends.

[robstudio]

Hey FMiguelez,
I do exactly this with an airport router and an attached airport disc. I'm able to 'stream' aif music files, to multiple machines, both wired and wireless, mac and pc. Best results will be using all wireless 'n' devices. G will be fine if you're only 'streaming' mp3's....(yuck...) Be sure to download the airport utility for the windows boxes. Once you install the utility the win boxes will see the airport disc, the same as the macs. You should be able to use the new sharing in itunes to share the library itself. I haven't gone this far as I use cog and win media player to play music. On top of this, I have the airport disc partitioned and my laptop time machine backups go to the same disc (different partition). I've had this setup for over a year and I love it. Thought about adding an apple tv myself, but the windows box connected to the tv as a media centre does more, for less. Keep us posted on your planned set up and good luck!!!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

All you need to know:

http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/

[kgdrum]

All you need to know:

http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/

this is the best way to play itunes into a stereo via airport express:
take optical out of the airport express and run it into an upsampling dac:
run that into the stereo to wired speakers.

if you want an relatively inexpensive alternative,check this out.
http://www.sonos.com/?gclid=CNaU3MWXrp4CFchn5QodJ2l0pg
CR200+BR100+ZP90
,run the ZP90 into a dac
run that into the stereo to wired speakers.


wireless speakers suck and the analog output of the airport express or the Sonos is bad as well,bypass the analog output of both, take digital out into a dac and you will get better results.
Good Luck
KG

[emulatorloo]

My poor man's version is something like this:

Existing Airport base station (the second one I think)

A used old imac g3 600 w Airport card next to my stereo ($50? 75? - I got it at a university computer surplus store) with a Phillips Aurillium PSC805 "aurillium" USB audio interface ($25? closeout - you see them on ebay still, work great w Core Audio). Digital out from philips into receiver.

I have had this for a while, now thinking about getting a refurb airport express mainly to get faster wireless networking.

[FMiguelez]

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Thanks for the answers, guys!

Yesterday I spent the WHOLE day doing research about this. Since my networks knowledge was very limited, I had to start with the basics.
But I've learnt a lot, and it's all very interesting. The WONDERS of technology!!!
I used to DREAM about being able to do just this when I was little... and now it's reality!

Thought about adding an apple tv myself, but the windows box connected to the tv as a media centre does more, for less. Keep us posted on your planned set up and good luck!!!

Apple TV looks very interesting. I just need to determine if my ISP is fully compatible with Airport Express. I know they currently are not compatible with UPnP or NAT-PMP.
For instance, it's been a nightmare getting iChat's screen sharing feature to work between my parents and I due to some lack of support of something...

So I need to figure out if I can incorporate Airport Extreme to the current network, or if I least I can set a separate Wi-Fi network (with no internet connection) just for music, photos and movies.
Testing this will determine my next move.

All you need to know:
http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/

I came across that yesterday, and it seems to be EXACTLY what I'm looking for.
INTERESTINGLY enough, Apple almost forces you to buy the Export Express for this, even if you have Time Capsule of Airport Extreme. The only things Apple offer with an audio connection is AE and Apple TV... so even if I have Airport Extreme built into the Time Capsule, I STILL would need to buy this Airport Express thingy... smart marketing move!

I found these sites very informative, especially for a networking newbie, like myself:

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/home-network.htm

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/dsl.htm

http://communication.howstuffworks.com/ ... puting.htm

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/vpn.htm

http://www.macworld.com/article/140436/ ... rking.html

http://www.macworld.com/article/143741/ ... ccess.html

this is the best way to play itunes into a stereo via airport express:
take optical out of the airport express and run it into an upsampling dac:
run that into the stereo to wired speakers.

if you want an relatively inexpensive alternative,check this out.
http://www.sonos.com/?gclid=CNaU3MWXrp4CFchn5QodJ2l0pg
CR200+BR100+ZP90
,run the ZP90 into a dac
run that into the stereo to wired speakers.

Awesome. I will check that out too

wireless speakers suck and the analog output of the airport express or the Sonos is bad as well,bypass the analog output of both, take digital out into a dac and you will get better results.
KG

Why do wireless speakers suck? Because of network issues, or they are usually pretty bad sounding?

I have had this for a while, now thinking about getting a refurb airport express mainly to get faster wireless networking.

Yes, especially the newer ones with the latest firmware (802.11n). My current network, for instance, supports only a, b and g (not n). And since I'm pretty security-paranoid, I want to make sure I have GREAT security in my network.

[kgdrum]

.

Thanks for the answers, guys!

this is the best way to play itunes into a stereo via airport express:
take optical out of the airport express and run it into an upsampling dac:
run that into the stereo to wired speakers.

if you want an relatively inexpensive alternative,check this out.
http://www.sonos.com/?gclid=CNaU3MWXrp4CFchn5QodJ2l0pg
CR200+BR100+ZP90
,run the ZP90 into a dac
run that into the stereo to wired speakers.

Awesome. I will check that out too

wireless speakers suck and the analog output of the airport express or the Sonos is bad as well,bypass the analog output of both, take digital out into a dac and you will get better results.
KG

Why do wireless speakers suck? Because of network issues, or they are usually pretty bad sounding?

both are correct you need real speakers hardwired into an amp.
wireless speakers,even the best sound horrible
the analog output of the airport express is horrendous as well.
the only Ipod dock I can recommend is the Wadia 170(the only dock on the market that takes digital out of the Ipod)run that into a dac and it will sound great!
if you have any questions,please don't hesitate.
KG

[FMiguelez]

both are correct you need real speakers hardwired into an amp.
wireless speakers,even the best sound horrible
the analog output of the airport express is horrendous as well.
the only Ipod dock I can recommend is the Wadia 170(the only dock on the market that takes digital out of the Ipod)run that into a dac and it will sound great!
if you have any questions,please don't hesitate.
KG

I see. I thought the AE's audio connection was digital, like my Mac Book Pro's.
But I'll check out that iPod dock you mentioned.

Thanks for the answers, guys!
This is going to be fun