Setting up a wireless audio stream is relatively easy. Most systems use a wireless router, a wireless receiver or speaker system, and possibly a universal serial bus (USB) antenna, and remote control. Music can be streamed from a computer or mp3 player to a self-contained speaker system or an existing home stereo system.
In order to install a wireless audio stream, it is necessary to have a wireless router in the house. These devices provide a method for computers and other electronics to communicate. The computer can be connected to the router through a wireless card or through an ethernet cable. The audio system will stream music from the computer via a wireless connection. Some systems may require that software, which is provided with the wireless audio system, be installed on a computer.
Setting up a wireless audio stream with a self-contained receiver or boom box is very simple. These devices usually come with a speaker, a USB antenna, and a remote. To set up this system, a person simply needs to plug the USB antenna into the computer, sync the antenna and the receiver on the speaker, which is a matter of pressing a couple of buttons, and play the music from the computer. Remotes can be used to adjust the volume or skip tracks on a playlist, though selecting specific tracks will require a trip back to the computer. The speaker is portable and can easily be transported throughout the house or into the yard.
If the wireless audio stream is going to be connected to an existing entertainment center, setting that system up is a little more complicated. A digital audio receiver can be connected to a home stereo system through the digital or analog connections. The connection should run from the output on the receiver into the input on the stereo system. The receiver can then be accessed through one of the input channels on the stereo system.
Before setting up a wireless audio stream, a person should determine what he hopes to get out of the system. A portable system allows the listener to bring music along from room to room while a fixed-speaker system can be arranged to provide stereo sound in one or more rooms in the house. One should verify that his device can play the desired types of audio files, as not all devices can stream every audio file format.