Stream Music and Movies across Your Home - iConnected: Use AirPlay, iCloud, Apps, and More to Bring Your Apple Devices Together - page 43

Test Your AirPlay Network
With all your AirPlay devices in place and connected to the network, perform a quick test using
an iOS device or a laptop.
If you need help connecting your AirPlay speakers, consult the manual that came with your
device. Many speakers offer an iOS app to help with setup while others need to be connected directly
to your router or computer via Ethernet during installation.
Connect your iOS device or laptop to your wireless network and move to the speaker or Apple TV
furthest from your router. Head to the Wi-Fi section in the Settings app on an iOS device or turn on
Wi-Fi on your laptop if it isn't on already and look for wireless hotspots. If your main wireless router
can be detected, you shouldn't have any problems connecting to your AirPlay devices.
If you can't find your wireless router on the list of available networks, your next step is to extend
your Wi-Fi router's range. Most electronics stores offer Wi-Fi range extenders for minimal cost but, if
you have a spare AirPort base station or a wireless router with range-extending features, you can
quickly extend the range of your existing network to cover the Wi-Fi blank spots. The free AirPort
Utility software for iOS, Mac, or Windows is required to use an AirPort base station as a range ex-
tender; for other routers, you'll have to read the manual for your router to learn how to use it as an
extender, also called a bridge. (Usually, all you need to do is turn off DHCP on the extended router
via its settings, which are usually accessible via a web browser.) The methods all differ but it
shouldn't be too tricky to perform.
TIP: Of course, if you can move your router to a new location so its signal covers your whole
home (somewhere in the middle, ideally), you can save a little time and money.
Once everything is in range and set up according to the instructions for each device, you can
make sure all your AirPlay devices are available by double-tapping the Home button on your iOS
device to open the multitasking dock and then scrolling to the left until you see playback controls and
the AirPlay button (see Figure 3-1). Tap the AirPlay button ( ) to show all available AirPlay
devices, and make sure all your speakers and other devices are available.