AirPort Express Query

At 2009-06-21 01:08 -0700 Don Power wrote:

>I've been considering adding an Airport Express to my local network
>based on my Airport Extreme (white spaceship) Base Station. I've now
>purchased Glenn's book "Airport 802.11n Airport Network, and
>discovered this sentence on page 28: "The Express N also has a USB
>port for sharing a single printer, but it can't share multiple
>printers or a hard drive. ". Since my intent was to use a powered
>USB hub with the Airport Express to drive two printers and possibly
>one scanner, the sentence is a blow to my plans. Have I
>mis-read the book? I do know that the Express has only one USB port.
>This seems to negate my plan unless a powered hub can be used

Not sure about the Express, but I know my white spaceship will not
allow me to attach more than one printer - I did try!

I suspect you may not be able to do what you desire.

regards

Rowland

Recommend you call Apple and find out what they say. Use Apple Care: 800-APL-CARE. When you find out please post what they say. Then think about putting in a suggestion. I will do the same. There is power in numbers.

At 2009-06-21 01:08 -0700, Don Power <depowerroadrunner.com> wrote:

> Tidbits Expert Readers and Lurkers: I've been considering adding an
> Airport Express to my local network based on my Airport Extreme (white
> spaceship) Base Station. I've now purchased Glenn's book "Airport
> 802.11n Airport Network, and discovered this sentence on page 28: "The
> Express N also has a USB port for sharing a single printer, but it can’t
> share multiple printers or a hard drive. ". Since my intent was to use
> a powered USB hub with the Airport Express to drive two printers and
> possibly one scanner, the sentence is a blow to my plans. Have I mis-
> read the book? I do know that the Express has only one USB port. This
> seems to negate my plan unless a powered hub can be used. Comments,
> please.

It's not the number of USB ports but the hardware and firmware inside
the Express that limit it to one printer. The Extreme N base station
also has only one USB port, but it can service multiple printers through
a hub. No Apple base station will drive a scanner.

The little manual that came with both my Extreme & Express base stations say that an USB hub may be inserted in the USB base station port. Of course, you have to do some configuring in AirPort Utility. Our house network is an Extreme/Express lash-up and it works fine. John Ferman

I was hoping to add a second printer and did not realize you could not. I have used several USB external drives with no problem and wonder why multiple printers do not work. I did buy the book also and found that if I post a comment on the book site, you will get a response from the author. They are very helpful.

On Jun 24, 2009, at 12:35 PM, MJim wrote:

> Recommend you call Apple and find out what they say. Use Apple Care:
> 800-APL-CARE. When you find out please post what they say. Then
> think about putting in a suggestion. I will do the same. There is
> power in numbers.

MJim: Thank you for your suggestion. I did call Apple and got an
answer that they could not guarantee that my plan (driving two
printers and a scanner through a powered USB hub) would work, but the
answer was not definitive that it would NOT work. I am still in a
dilemma. Is it possible that Glenn Fleishman is lurking and could give
me a more hopeful answer?
Thanks again


[If Glenn says it doesn't work in the book, I fear that's going to be his answer elsewhere as well... -Adam]

At 2009-06-21 01:08 -0700, Don Power <depowerroadrunner.com> wrote:

>Tidbits Expert Readers and Lurkers: I've been considering adding an
>Airport Express to my local network based on my Airport Extreme (white
>spaceship) Base Station. I've now purchased Glenn's book "Airport
>802.11n Airport Network, and discovered this sentence on page 28: "The
>Express N also has a USB port for sharing a single printer, but it can’t
>share multiple printers or a hard drive. ". Since my intent was to use
>a powered USB hub with the Airport Express to drive two printers and
>possibly one scanner, the sentence is a blow to my plans. Have I mis-
>read the book?

I couldn't find that on page 28 of the latest version (1.5) of Take
Control of Your 802.11n AirPort Network, but I did find the following on
page 180: "The AirPort Express is designed to attach to one USB printer
only, and cannot handle an attached hard drive." Apple's knowledge base
article HT2421 (August 2008) states that the 802.11n Express can be used
with "several printers" through a powered USB hub.

<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2421?viewlocale=en_US>

It is pretty easy to buy printers that connect via Ethernet or via
WiFi. Either of those seems to be the way to go if USB limitations get
in the way of printing. Going forward, buy those printers.

Mine (HP 2575) came with Ethernet, and a WiFi adaptor was available
for it. ("Was" because the printer is getting old, and HP may or may
not still be selling adaptors for it.)

  --John (who doesn't print much)

> No Apple base station will drive a scanner.

Sorry to butt in about the scanners, but you can connect a Scanner via Ethernet cable to the base station and it will share.

Regards
Neil

On Jun 26, 2009, at 3:04 PM, John Baxter wrote:

> It is pretty easy to buy printers that connect via Ethernet or via
> WiFi. Either of those seems to be the way to go if USB limitations get
> in the way of printing. Going forward, buy those printers.

I have two WiFi printers that I bought in February: the Samsung CLP
310 color laser and the Epson Artisan 800. Their function has been
flawless!

Anyse

Airport Base Stations solve all sorts of problems. I am able to use
my old reliable HP 4MP (an Appletalk printer) by hooking it up
through an iPrint module to one of the ethernet ports on the Base
Station. The Airport Express doesn't do this sort of stuff. However,
it does serve as a spiffy music distribution system.

Your Humble Servant
Solveig Throndardottir
Amateur Scholar

What is an iPrint module? I have an original LaserWriter that still runs, that I would love to hook up to my intel iMac. Is it even possible to do this?