I may want to use my Airport Express being shipped to me with my wife's PC and Linksys router. Is there any issues using AE with a 3rd party router? The PC is wired directly to the wireless router.

Yes. One of our tech's recently came across a problem with the combination of some routers and the AirPort express. It seems that some Linksys routers will not pass the proper traffic through to the AirPort Express.

For this reason, we recommend Netgear routers to anyone wanting to use it with an AirPort Express. Otherwise, for all other situations, the Linksys works great.

Any word on the Linksys WRT54GS? That's the one I have. I'd rather know if mine has been known not to work with AE rather than fighting with it in trying only to find out otherwise.

I have used my airport express, always as an access point only, wired to a D-Link and previously to a SMC router. In each case, it worked fine. In this scenario, the router, not the express, was configured to serve DHCP.

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I am using a Linksys WRT54G and the AE as a client (for AirTunes only). It has worked flawlessly since I set it up. Never touched it since.

Depends on what you want to do. If you plan on wiring the AE to the LinkSys (the same as the PC) and use it as your wireless provider, you'll be fine. If you have it near a stereo you will be able to stream music wirelessly. If you plan on extending your existing wireless network area using the AE then you may have problems. I don't know which ones are compatible with the WDS protocols.

In the end, you can set up a hodge-podge of wireless systems that pretty much works together but you may end up switching between your various wireless networks in order to use a particular service (AE network for music streaming, Linksys for internet, etc.)

Good luck.

I was hoping to have it hooked to our stereo and also use it as a possible extension to our wireless router hooked up to our Windows PC.

If you have a WRT54G and don't mind running third-party firmware, you can do both. If you don't have this router or don't wish to tinker, you can have the AE connected to the stereo. Nothing more, nothing less...

It's the WRT54GS that I actually have (with Speed Booster). Is it risky applying a 3rd party firmware? I have already upgraded firmware through Linksys. How many times can you play with the firmware? How many 3rd party firmwares are out there and how do you know which one would work with AE?

If you WIRE your express to your other router, and set it up as a wireless access point,
- it will work as a wireless access point;
- it can be connected to your stereo, and will stream from wired and wireless devices on your network.

It's the WRT54GS that I actually have (with Speed Booster).

I am not sure if the regular WRT54G firmware applies, so you might want to Google and see what you can find out.

Is it risky applying a 3rd party firmware?

Just as risky as installing Linksys sanctioned fw, IMHO... there's always a risk that a firmware upgrade can/will fail. I killed a D-Link router through a failed firmware upgrade attempt.

How many times can you play with the firmware?

I am sure there is a finite number of times can be upgraded, but I don't know an exact number.

How many 3rd party firmwares are out there and how do you know which one would work with AE?

I believe there was an article on ArsTechnica about this exact topic. What you're looking for is firmware support for WDS.

This might be useful:

http://www.linksysinfo.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=7

I see how wiring AE to my Linksys router would work, but unfortunately, our stereo is in another room (living) than our router (kitchen/dining room). Unless I ran a long network cable, this wouldn't work. Probably using it just for streaming music would be my best bet.

IF you can do it, spring for another AE. Connect it directly to the wired side of the router and forget the wireless side of the LinkSys. You will essentiall replace the wired sided of the router with a new AE. I did this at my place for the same reasons and it works great.

The only issues will be when you want to share files between the mac and pc. Your settings need to be very carefully created in order for this to work. The only time I access the LinkSys wireless is when I want to connect a pc to my mac.

Why, Macified?

If all csonni wants to do is play music via the AE, why does he need another?

Make the AE a wireless client on the network and be done with it.

Why are you trying to make this so complex?

Because it sounds like he wants to do more than just the streaming bit. If you read my posts you'll see that I am trying to figure out what he really wants and make appropriate suggestions.

As far as I can see, he would like to extend his wireless network as well as stream music.

Given that there are currently two active AE threads to which I have responded, you might see where I am going. I'd love to keep it simple but in this case, getting more means complicating things a bit.

Because CSonni wants to use his AE for wireless internet as well. If he had 2 Airport Expresses, then he could use them for both.. streaming and as a wireless access point for internet. Otherwise.. he would have to use a really long wire to connect to do the same thing. If it's affordable.. it's a great option.

He's already got a Linksys wireless router, why is another AE necessary to give him wireless?

Mikef, what are you missing here? You said it yourself in an earlier post. Unless he wants to hack his LinkSys router he can stream music and that's it.

If he wants to use his AE to access the internet he needs to either have it connected to an ethernet cable from the wired side of the router or use the AE to extend the wireless side of the LinkSys. Oh wait, the AE won't talk to the LinkSys because he hasn't hacked the firmware.

Sorry, I just think adding another AE to the mix is absurd.

Sure it seems like overkill but the to some, hacking firmware is a no-no. If Csonni is comfortable with the hack then it may be an option.

If you want to extend your wireless network, get an extender, not another AE.

http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=0&pid=357 or similar.

Thanks for the input GuyToronto but if you follow the thread you'll see that Csonni would also like to stream music using AirTunes and no extender out there will do that.

Csonni, all I can say is sorry that this request has drawn out into a 3 page treatise on all things Airport. I hope you are able to glean the info you need out of all the posts.

Macified- I always enjoy the direction that posts can take. I always learn something. Thanks to all for the input.

What is your final decision?

I am going to install the third-party firmware on my WRT54G some day... right now, i am running hacked firmware but it doesn't have WDS support.

Okay, so I went back to the beginning of the thread, and read everything over again.

Csonni wants to

a) Have a wireless network.
b) Extend that wireless network.
c) Stream AirTunes to his stereo.

Solution:

a) Use a wireless router that will pass on the AirTunes traffic properly
b) Use a wireless repeater
c) Use an AirPort Express to stream the audio to your stereo.

3 pieces of equipment required

a) a wireless router (your Linksys should work - read here - http://weblogs.java.net/blog/inder/archive/2004/10/using_airport_e_1.html)
b) a repeater - an AirPort Express will work ( read the above link )
c) an AirPort Express to feed your stereo.

Done.