[ipad] What is Airserver and do I need it?

[SimpleSi]

What is airserver - where is it installed - I'm assuming its a mirroring product but which way does it mirror (if it does at all - maybe its a file sharer!)

 

Simon

[Michael]

You install AirServer (a small client) on a Windows PC. Providing the iPad and PC are on the same subnet (wired or wireless), the PC will automatically advertise itself to iPads. You can then mirror iPad 2 or iPad 3's for example on a PC connected to a whiteboard. It also supports audio, so you'd hear it out of your existing PC/whiteboard set up.

[Domino]

...

 

Let me google that for you

[SimpleSi]

Sorry should have said - what does that load of twaddle mean on the airserver website - what does it ACTUALLY do and do I need it!

 

Si

[Michael]

Sorry should have said - what does that load of twaddle mean on the airserver website - what does it ACTUALLY do and do I need it!

 

Si

 

Installs itself as a Windows service or process and advertises itself to iPads.

[SimpleSi]

I mean that webpage is talking about mountain lions -Im' working in a school not a zoo!

 

Simon

[SimpleSi]

Installs itself as a Windows service or process and advertises itself to iPads.

 

And once the IPad has noticed it?......

 

Si

[Michael]

And once the IPad has noticed it?......

 

Si

 

You don't need any Apple Macs, just a Windows PC and an iPad. Once the iPad's detected the PC, you can then join or pair with it. Optionally it can be password protected. Everything you then do on the iPad is displayed in a window on the Windows PC. Of course if it's connected to a whiteboard, then you can show the iPad on the big screen

[dhicks]

And once the IPad has noticed it?......

 

It can be a little bit of work getting the iPad to notice the AirServer client - there's 3 or 4 different packages to install before AirServer itself (Bonjour, Bonjour Print Services, a .Net install, accelerators for video), and you need to make sure your network's firewall settings are set such that assorted ports are available for AirServer to use. Performance does seem good, though, with video seeming smooth even running over wireless, and you can mirror multiple devices to one screen - we've had four iPads on one projected screen at once.

[truebluesteve]

We have around 90 PCs with Air Server on it for the staff with iPads and they love it! It's pretty easy to install and costs an awful lot less than Apple TV.

[dhicks]

We have around 90 PCs with Air Server on it for the staff with iPads

 

How do you manage the 90-long list of PCs that pops up when an iPad user wants to select an AirPlay device? Do you just trust that the staff will pick the correct item from the list, or is there some more cunning method available to give specfiic iPads a more limited list of AirPlay devices they can connect to?

[SYNACK]

Apparently Aerohive stuff has a bridge mode that allows you to use that Apple rubbish accross subnet boundries despite the amature attempt at a protocol they(apple) use this can help with the long lists.

[truebluesteve]

Apparently Aerohive stuff has a bridge mode that allows you to use that Apple rubbish accross subnet boundries despite the amature attempt at a protocol they(apple) use this can help with the long lists.

 

I sense that you are not a big lover of the Tech from Cupertino!

[DrCheese]

Thanks for mentioning this, We get a lot of visitors/staff now who want to hook up their iPads to our projection systems in the hall. Unless I keep a bunch of 30pin/lightning connectors around I couldn't do this before without buying an AppleTV.

This will be perfect

[Spuddyboy]

I have been looking at this recently and I have been very impressed with it.

 

I have also had a play with Avahi to enable airplay when iPads are on seperate VLANs to the PCs that Airserver is running on.

[ConradJones]

I sense that you are not a big lover of the Tech from Cupertino!

 

hmmmmm

 

Professional Apple Hater extraordinaire