# Amazon Echo basic questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 4, 2018, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-basic-questions/823971 "2018-11-04T16:11:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-basic-questions/823971/1 "2018-11-04T16:11:50Z")
I tried Googling for answers but I have specific questions that need sorting out. I have a (2nd Generation) Echo in the living room. I would like the capability to expand the coverage within my home; specifically, the basement. If I get an Echo Dot, I believe that will (only?) provide music? Does it function merely as an additional speaker? Can you ‘talk’ to it, or must you be near the main Echo to issue commands? Suppose I get three Dots. Am I then able to play music on, say, just two of them but not the third? Or must they all obey any prompts given? Can I ask the Dot to tell me the weather or to play Jeopardy, or are these main-component functions. Can I connect the Dot - or the main device - to external, regular stereo speakers? Thanks, mmm ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-basic-questions/823971/2 "2018-11-04T17:09:58Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I tried Googling for answers but I have specific questions that need sorting out. > > I have a (2nd Generation) Echo in the living room. I would like the capability to expand the coverage within my home; specifically, the basement. > > If I get an Echo Dot, I believe that will (only?) provide music? Does it function merely as an additional speaker? Can you ‘talk’ to it, or must you be near the main Echo to issue commands? Echo Dots are fully capable, they just have smaller speakers but can do anything other Echos can do (except for video, of course). > [@](#): > > Suppose I get three Dots. Am I then able to play music on, say, just two of them but not the third? Or must they all obey any prompts given? They are independent but I believe you can configure them to all play the same music. You can also play separate streams via separate providers. I can play Amazon Prime music & TuneIn Radio (free) on two different devices. Multiple Amazon Streams requires a Family Plan on Amazon Music. > [@](#): > > Can I ask the Dot to tell me the weather or to play Jeopardy, or are these main-component functions. As above, each is independent. > [@](#): > > Can I connect the Dot - or the main device - to external, regular stereo speakers? Yea, but that shuts off the internal speaker. You can connect via Bluetooth or hardwire to a powered speaker or audio system. This might help. [Amazon.com Help](https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_bc_nav?ie=UTF8&nodeId=202150290) ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-basic-questions/823971/3 "2018-11-04T20:45:04Z")
Here is another link with information about different music streams to different Alexa devices. [https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=15730321011](https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=15730321011) ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-basic-questions/823971/4 "2018-11-05T00:58:54Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Suppose I get three Dots. Am I then able to play music on, say, just two of them but not the third? Or must they all obey any prompts given? By default, the Echo closest to you will play media when asked. Note that this doesn’t always work correctly. Sometimes I’ll be standing 4 feet from the Echo Show in the kitchen, but the original Echo in the bathroom will respond, despite being around two corners and down a long hall. You can name your devices and tell it to play music on a particular device, e.g. “Alexa, play X in the bathroom”. You can also create groups of devices and tell it to play on a specific group. And because they all also operate independently, you can play different media in different rooms.