[serandip]

Here is what I have:
2 Airport Express units
1 500 MHz iMac DV SE with NO airport card and connected to the internet via modem.
1 1.33 GHz powerbook G4 17" with airport extream card.

Here is what I want to do:
My iTunes library is on the iMac with no airport card. I would like to stream this music via airtunes to a setreo in another room.

Here is what I tried:
Connected the iMac to one of the AE units via ethernet and plugged it in to a wall socket.
Connected the second AE unit to the stereo (in different room) via mini to RCA cable.
Used the powerbook to set up both AE units.
First I set up the AE connected to the iMac as the main base station and created a new network.
Then I set up the second AE unit connected to the Stereo to connect to the wirless network I set up in the step above. I also checked the option to 'extend the range of my wireless network'.

Here is what I got:
My powerbook can see both AE units and iTunes on the powerbook shows both AE units as possible places to send music to.
The iMac (via the Airport Admin Utility) shows only the AE connected to the iMac via the ethernet cable. iTunes on the iMac shows only the AE connected to this machine. I can share my internet connection wirlessly to the powerbook (i.e my internet connection on the iMac is shared with the powebook).

So it seems like the iMac does not see the second AE unit. Is it anyway possible to get the iMac to see this second AE unit and then stream music ?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[serandip]

Went back home yesterday and fiddled with the settings on both Airport Express units. Gave it a rest and attacked it again in the morning. Sucess. Here is what I ended up doing. May be of help to others,

I set up the Airport Express unit (using the Airport Admin Utility) connected to my iMac(no airport card) via ethernet as a WDS source. Here some of the setting:

Under the Airport Tab: Set it up to create a new network (named it network1). Gave it passwords etc. Named the unit. Set the channel to 1. Tunred on 'iTunes via ethernet'.

Under the Internet Tab: Set up connect to internet using 'ethernet'. IP address 192.168.2.2, subnet 255.255.255.0, router 192.168.2.1 (these values were actually already there since I had selected set IP using DHCP option).

Under the Network Tab: unchecked (tunred off) distribute IP.

Under the WDS Tab: turned on both options setting it up as a main base station. Under the econd option added the airport ID of the second Airport Express unit (see below). To do this I cliked on the button with the '+' sign and then added the airport ID manually.

Under the Music Tab: unchecked the option since I would not have any speakers attached to this Express unit.

I set up the second Express unit connected to my stereo in another room (using my powerbook). Here are some of the settings:

Under the Airport Tab: Set it up to create a new network (named it network 2). Gave it passwords etc. Named the unit. Made sure that the channel was the same as the one used when I set up the first unit (see above). Turned on iTuned via ether net (not sure if this is really needed).

Under the Internet Tab: Set up to connect using Airport (WDS). Entered the Airport ID of the previous unit as the Host WDS. Set TCP/IP manually. Entered IP as 192.168.2.3, subnet as 255.255.255.0 and router as 192.168.2.1

Under the Network Tab: unchecked (turned off) distribute IP.

Under the WDS Tab: Set it up to use WDS as 'remote base station'. Entered the IP of the previous unit as the main station (this should already be entered if it was entered in the Internet Tab?).

Under the Music Tab: Checked the option since I want to send music to this unit. Named the speakers.

Updated both Express units. And now it all works. My iMac ( has not airport card) is connected to a Airport expres unit via ethernet. The second Express unit is in another room connected to the stereo. Now my iMac sees both express units. I can stream music from iTunes to the stereo. I can use my powerbook (which has a airport extram card in it) to stream music to the stereo as well. In my powerbook under the airport icon in the menu bar there is only one network (network1) although set up seperate network names for the two units (not sure why, but don't really care). I can share my iTuned library between both computers and play songs from my main library (on the iMac) using my powerbook (so the powerbook is essentially my remote!). Printer sharing too.

Excellent.

Sound quality is great (connected the express to the stereo using mini-RCA cable via the LD sound in ports on the stereo. The stereo is a pioneer VSX 452, old). Not drop outs so far.

All of this was possible thanks to many posts, here at MacNN, as well as MacWorld etc. Played with the settings, as suggested by others, until it worked.

Hope this is of help to others.

Sajith