Airport Express/ Itunes

[is0lde]

Hello.

I am new to this forum. I hope someone can offer me advice.
I had a Dell running Win2000 and Itunes. I was happily streaming my Itunes wirelessly to my home stereo via the Airport Express without any problems.
I have now upgraded my PC to an XP system. I have also decided to introduce WEP onto my wireless network because I fear my neighbors might me hogging my network.
Since then I have been experiencing a lot of Audio Dropping.
Is it because of the security feature? Or XP?
I read on one Forum that setting my wireless card and AE to the same transfer speed might solve the problem., but I don’t know how to do that on XP.

Anyone any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Ric]

Hi there and welcome !

Just getting my dinner so a quick answer !

Have a read of this, and see if you can see what version of firmware your Express is using...

http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/airportextremefirmwareupdate57forwindows.html

...more after dinner !

regards

Ric

 

[is0lde]

Hi Rick, Thanks for your reply.
Hope you had a good dinner!
I did not have any issues with the original Firmware.
Come to think of it, i did update the Firmware to 6.somthing. and since then I have been having the problems.
Do you think I should revert to the old firmware? If so, do you know how I do that?

Thanks a million!

 

[Ric]

Hi there,

I wouldn't revert ! You can download and run the updater this will check whether you need it or not...it may not have 'took' properly.

Does it skip audio if you revert to an open network without wep on ?

regards

Ric

 

[is0lde]

Hi Ric,

yes it skips out without the Security feature enabled aswell.

I have run the updater, and it seems to be fine.

is0lde....

 

[Ric]

Have found this http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108065

Seems like it's a known problem.

Maybe turn down the encryption...

What makes you think that someone else is using your Network ?

Regards

Ric

 

[is0lde]

Hi Ric.

I have turned off all encryption, and left it back as un unsecured network.
I am not sure if anyone is using my network, but some days i would lose alot of my bandwith speed. I figured it was maybe because someone else was piggybacking.

I have also tried changing the channels.
Maybe its the powermanagment feature of my Wireless?

Any ideas?

 

[Ric]

Hi there,

What type of wireless card have you got in your PC ?

Maybe try running something like Netstumbler to see if there are any other networks locally to you...this will allow you to see what channels they are running and you can change yours accordingly...Netstumbler only works with certain cards.

regards

Ric

 

[is0lde]

Good morning Ric.

I ran the netstumbler last night and Identified the other networks to be running on channel 11 and 6. I set mine to run on 1. But still same trouble.

I did think of trying to install a seperate Wireless card on thru my PCMICA slot, but i have been unsucessful so far.
Maybe my wireless card is cutting out the uploads. I have DU meter which gives me a visual read out of the UL/DL activity. Maybe its not the Airport at all but the Wireless card or Itunes itself.?!!?
Below is the Specs i have.
Its a Sony Vaio VGN S4VP
Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology with Intel® Pentium® M processor 750 (1.86 GHz) and Intel® Pro/Wireless 802.11b/g
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional with Service Pack 2
80 GB (Serial ATA 2*40 GB, 5400 rpm) hard disk drive
Memory: 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM
13.3" WXGA (1280 x 800) X-black LCD screen
NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6200 with TurboCache™ graphics chip supporting 128 MB
Ethernet network (RJ-45), built-in 92 V / 90 V (56 Kbps) data / fax modem (RJ-11), Wireless LAN IEEE802.11b/g, Bluetooth® technology
Double Layer DVD±RW drive

Regards,

Is0lde

 

[Ric]

Does it cut out if you don't use you computer, ie just play the songs and don't do anything else on it ?

regards

Ric

 

[is0lde]

hi Ric,

Yes it dose.
I have reinstalled Itunes 4.7, and the Audio still drops out. So Far I have not yet been able to revert to the old firmware on the Airport Express, which could still be the possible cause.

I have been looking on how to do a firmware rollback, but no luck.

 

[is0lde]

I traced back my steps.
I installed itunes 4.7 and found i still had the same problem with Airport Express Firmware 6.3.
I then reverted to 6.0 in the AE, and found the solution.

SO i figured it was the Firmware. I then upgraded my itunes back to 6.whatever, and all was well.

But, Then I configured the AE to bridge my router and my laptop, and set up a static IP, the Audio drops came back.

the current config i have now is Itunes (Latest V), AE v6.0 with a static IP, running on B bandwidth, channel 8, Network Robustness.

I dont know what the problem was, it could have been the bandwidth, or something with DHCP on the AE. when DHCP was disabled, i would get Audio Drops.!!

Hope this helps!

 

[Ric]

Hi there

Glad you've got it working, probably best keep an eye on the Apple pages for any future Firmware updates.

If any one else needs to reset their firmware in an Airport Express try this...

Back to Factory Settings.

1) Unplug the AirPort Express from the power outlet.
2) Press and hold the reset button.
3) Plug AirPort Express back into an AC outlet (still holding the button).
4) Continue holding the button until you see the light flash green four
times, which should happen after a few seconds.

5) Release the button.

Regards

Ric