Extreme!

So those pesky AirTunes drop outs just got too much and I shelled out for an AirPort Extreme.

Like I suggested a few posts ago, by harnessing the technology that is WDS (Wireless Distribution System) I can avoid having to send an AirTunes signal around the world for a shortcut, and route it directly to the AirPort Express instead. The result? My music never cuts out... just pure uninterrupted musical loverlyness.

Setting it all up was a little troublesome, mainly the connection of the AirPort Extreme to the previous router (which is now basically just a DSL modem)... but alas, I got there in the end.

Other bonuses include: the stronger wireless coverage around the house; the availability of the printer across the network; and, the inherent extra layer of security, right?

And the snags? My sister's Windows 98 laptop went crazy over the combination of WPA with two base stations of the same SSID... I had to switch WPA off (I didn't attempt WEP... something to save for a rainy day), so, we now have no wireless security apart from the old MAC address filtering. Also, the AirPort Extreme doesn't sport any IP reservation system, so in order to use my iBook's webserver, I had to set up its IP manually (rather than via DHCP) and forward incoming traffic on port 80 to that IP. If I then want to join a wireless network elsewhere I have to remember to change my location setting away from 'Home'.

The AirPort Extreme is a nice bit of hardware... typical Apple design and so on. Setup though an actual application is a nice touch too.