Yes Express needs 11n. Yes Extreme/Capsule need AirTunes. AppleTV would be a nice wireless bridge. In your table all boxes should be a "YES"!

Someone mentioned running two wireless networks, one with the express and one with extreme. This will work, and you can set the Express to work as a pass-through, meaning the Extreme handles the DHCP stuff. effectively one network, two wireless connections - N and G.

Also, if you just want to utilise the Express' AirTunes and Printer ports, you can turn off it's wireless and hook it into the Extreme. The Extreme will still assign the Express an IP address and thusly the Express will be on the network ready for you to use AirTunes/printer port.

Currently we have a duel network thing going here, with a Netgear N router (not compatible with my Mac -dropouts constantly) acting as the main router, and DHCP server with an Express connected to it to host the G network. I'm running G but it works. We also managed to have two Express' set up with WDS to further the range of the G network, however one of them died..

There's currently no ethernet there for the AirPort Express to use, and I'm not sure if hooking it to a Time Capsule's ethernet port makes the AirTunes capability available at all since, to use AirTunes, my computer has to see that AirPort Express on the network. I don't think the Time Capsule will suddenly start advertising itself as an AirTunes destination.

I've got one here at the hacienda. I'll test this out, but I seem to think that it's a bonjour service, so, offered where-ever you are on the network.

Can you configure an AirPort Express to not operate with a wireless network at all, but still be a valid ethernet to stereo bridge for AirTunes to use?

There's currently no ethernet there for the AirPort Express to use, and I'm not sure if hooking it to a Time Capsule's ethernet port makes the AirTunes capability available at all since, to use AirTunes, my computer has to see that AirPort Express on the network. I don't think the Time Capsule will suddenly start advertising itself as an AirTunes destination.

Dan Semaya said on February 29, 2008:

Add an Airport Extreme or Time Capsule and run it on a different network, a/n compatible (5 GHz) while still maintaining your existing b/g (2.4 GHz) network. That's what I'm doing and its working fine.

I don't think that will solve any problems - it will only add an expense of another AirPort Extreme. I'm also replacing my base unit, so my "existing network" won't exist anymore.

My TV area unit should be able to: a) get online (for the DVR, Xbox, etc.), and b) be on the same network as everything else, and c) run at 802.11n speeds.

If Apple had an AirPort Express that did 802.11n, I'd be home free. Or if AppleTV did ethernet bridging. I'd even settle for items 2 and 3 on my solutions list.

Mark Rakes said on February 29, 2008:

Your #3 above will work. … The extremes will still slow down the 11n network somewhat (compared to NO 11g machines), but you'll still see a throughput improvement on the 11n machines.

From what I've read/heard, I thought the spec called for 802.11ng devices/networks to drop to 802.11g whenever a "g" device joined the network.

Carl said on February 29, 2008:

Apple needs to make the AppleTV into a combo TimeCapsule/Airport Express. If they did that, I might buy one. As it is, I'm sticking with my old Airport Express for the time being.

I'm not even asking for that - it'd add unnecessary expense to someone who wanted a Time Capsule or an AppleTV. Leaving them separate is fine.

I'd be happy as a pig in you-know-what if the AppleTV simply supported bridging. I'd just take the AirPort Express out and plug in an AppleTV. I'd have n speed all the time unless someone brought a g-only device over and used it, which would be rare.

Jason Young said on February 29, 2008:

I think Apple's only issue here really is that the Apple TV doesn't bridge. (okay, having an Express that did N would be nice)

Okay, having an AirPort Extreme and/or Time Capsule act as an AirTunes destination would be nice. And now we're back up to three issues.

And there is no AirPort Extreme in my future network. I plan to give that - and the 12" PowerBook - to the in-laws. They still need the modem.

So all I've learned since leaving to run errands is that I can run two networks. The point remains: I shouldn't have to. This stuff should work together. The four items I've listed above would each greatly simplify things.

Cable ->

AirPort Extreme (802.11n in n&a mode) -> (n) -> AppleTV & MacBook Pro (802.11a/b/g only).

AirPort Extreme -> (ethernet) -> AirPort Express -> (802.11g in b&g mode) -> iPhone & eeePC.

The AirPort Extreme (The Biggest Tree, my "available in 5 cities world wide!" wireless network) does the NAT+DHCP, the AirPort Express (cancer_radiation, I wasn't feeling creative that day) is purely an AirTunes and access point, doing no NAT or DHCP or the like.

However - when I first set the network up it was APE in 802.11n+g mode, which did 100Mbps+ to the AppleTV (limited by walls, more than g being around), and ~54Mbps to the MacBook Pro, APX and other devices.

I switched to the current setup because there is so much 2.4GHz noise around my house (I see 9 wifi networks in my menu) that frequent (every few minutes) increases in latency would cause drop outs of streaming audio to the airport express.

Hook to the TC to the cable modem - Hook the AirExtreme to the TC - run two different wireless networks - one N (5GHz) - one G (2.4GHz)

I think Apple's only issue here really is that the Apple TV doesn't bridge. Everything else seems logical.

(okay, having an Express that did N would be nice)

*MY* issue is that my wife's macbook is pre-N - now that stinks for helping my argument for getting the TC

802.11n comes in two flavors: 11NA (5Ghz - 802.11a compatible), and 11NG (2.4Ghz - 802.11b/g compatible). The Time Capsule, running in 802.11NG mode (and not setup to run as "11n" only), will allow the AirPort Express units to work as normal (I have a couple of Expresses running that way here at my house talking to an AEBS in 11ng mode). The extremes will still slow down the 11n network somewhat (compared to NO 11g machines), but you'll still see a throughput improvement on the 11n machines.