I have an old Airport Express that I'd like to use for streaming music, but I can't seem to find a way to configure this thing to connect to WiFi, or my Mac, running OS12.
Are these old relics simply obsolete in 2022, or is there a way to access and configure it to connect? Not sure if WiFi and the OS have moved on, leaving the Airport Express in the dust, but hoping there's still a way to use it for something besides a paperweight.
Thanks!!
Well, I have configured such a thing today (using macOS Monterey).
I have done a factory reset, connected it directly with an ethernet cable to my MacBook and voila "AirPlay Utility" found the device and I could configure it to join my existing network using WiFi. Hope this helps.
In theory all capabilities should still work in 2022. I've already AirPlayed to it - and the network printer setup, etc. should also work I guess.
Btw, I ran into some AirPlay issues - described here: Why won't Apple Music stream to HomePod A… - Apple Community
Perform a "hard reset" according to How to reset your AirPort base station - Apple Support, and determine if it appears as an unconfigured base station in AirPort Utility.
That may be easier than attempting to read the faint grey lettering on the side — which absolutely needs to be A1264 as Bob Timmons wrote. Older models will not appear and will not work with any recent macOS version.
Look on the side of the AirPort Express for the model number. It is difficult to see.....gray lettering on a white background, so you may need good lighting and reading glasses to see the model number clearly.
It will be either A 1264, A 1084 or A 1088. A 1264 would be what you want to see. What does it look like?
😕
No one likes keeping perfectly good hardware in service more than I do, but the A1084 is unfortunately quite a relic. On the other hand the A1264 models are readily available on the used market for very little money... $10 or so, whereas you can't even give away an A1084.
Slide the "duckhead" adapter off and keep it. It's more useful than the rest.
Well, not the best news, but clearly much more useful than the Airport Express. It's disappointing when perfectly good technology and design is left in the dust. Well, I guess it was good while it lasted. 😕
Thanks for the response, John.
I know it's disappointing, but the sad fact is the A1064's hardware is limited in such a manner to be incompatible with many websites or Internet services that require secure connections — and everything requires secure connections these days.
It started to become a problem with 802.11b/g - only devices many years ago, and is the reason Apple more or less abandoned them along with the original "round" AirPort Extreme fairly early in their lifespans. It took only four years before rapidly evolving wireless standards made them obsolete.
Fortunately the models that replaced them still work for all purposes to this day. They began production fifteen years ago — an eternity in the tech world. Eventually they too will become obsolete. I don't know when that will be.
It's good, but also sort of sad that technology moves along so rapidly, and these really well designed and built things become outdated and useless. I hate to discard old things that still could work well, but not with anything new.
You call it sad, Apple calls it their business 🙂
Nobody abandons old technology faster than Apple. I still have my SE/30 from the 1990s. It still works as well as it ever did (better in fact, having upgraded its RAM to its 32 MB limit), but it can't really be used for anything.
Ain't THAT the truth! I have a collection of apple laptops that can't really be used for much of anything anymore. I suppose they're ahead of the game, but now, you buy a new iMac and you have to buy adapters if you want to use USB ports.
If there's a bright side to this, I guess it's that Apple gets me to stay up-to-date with new technology. I sure wouldn't do it if my equipment still continued to work.
You have to remember what we actually used that equipment for. I did lots of work with that SE/30 including programming and designing products that paid for that Mac many times over, but I also wasted lots of time playing games like Lode Runner.
Today we have plenty more ways of wasting time.
Thanks everyone for these helpful responses. I see my model no. is A1084. That suggests, from John's comment, that this one is, sadly, past its expiration date, and won't be of any use anymore.
New Use for an old Airport Express?
