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The new AirPort Extreme is the perfect wireless solution for home, school, and small business. With higher speeds and greater range, the AirPort Extreme Base Station offers super fast wireless network access throughout just about any home, office, or classroom. And with simultaneous support for 802.11b/g and 802.11n bands, all your Wi-Fi devices can get the best possible wireless performance and range.  | Apple Airport Extreme
At a Glance:
- Simultaneous dual-band support for 802.11b/g and 802.11n
- USB 2.0 port for sharing a hard drive or printer
- Three Gigabit Ethernet ports
- Easy guest networking
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The sleek Airport Extreme has Ethernet ports and a USB 2.0 port. | Simultaneous Dual-Band Support
Some Wi-Fi devices use the 2.4GHz wireless band, including iPhone, iPod touch, and devices using 802.11b/g. Other devices can use either 2.4GHz or the higher-speed 5GHz band, such as the latest 802.11n-based Mac computers and Apple TV. Instead of choosing one of the bands, AirPort Extreme operates simultaneously on both bands, and your multiband devices automatically use the best available band. This means all your Wi-Fi devices get the fastest possible wireless performance and the best possible range. In addition, AirPort Extreme reduces the possibility of interference from appliances and cordless phones that use the 2.4GHz band. Even Faster Performance Than Before
Based on the IEEE 802.11n specification, AirPort Extreme uses a technology called multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) to transmit multiple data streams simultaneously. The result? AirPort Extreme delivers data transfer speeds up to five times those of 802.11g wireless networks - while achieving up to twice the range.1 And improvements in antenna design give you up to 50 percent better Wi-Fi performance and up to 25 percent better range than with the previous-generation AirPort Extreme Base Station.2 Share an Internet Connection with up to 50 People
Up to 50 people can all share the same Internet connection, exchange files using the file-sharing capability built into Mac OS X or Windows, access local and remote file servers, annihilate the competition in multiplayer games - anything a typical network user can do, plus a number of things that are decidedly not typical, such as wireless storage and printing.3 Share a Hard Drive with Everyone
AirPort Extreme can turn your external USB hard drive into a drive you can share with all the users on your network and access securely over the Internet. This feature - AirPort Disk - is a simple and convenient way to share files among everyone in your family, office, or class. How does it work? Just connect the external hard drive to the USB port on the back of your AirPort Extreme and - voilà - all the documents, videos, photos, and other files on the drive instantly become available to anyone on the secure network, Mac and PC users alike. It’s perfect for file sharing, collaborative projects, and more. 
Connect and share a USB printer and hard drive with everyone on the network. | You can set up password-protected accounts for everyone on the network or allow read-only access to certain files and folders. If you’re using Mac OS X Leopard, you’ll see the drive in your Finder sidebar, where it’s always available for accessing files and folders. For Mac OS X Tiger and Windows users, a simple-to-use AirPort Disk Utility provides a variety of setup options, including setting the disk to become available whenever you connect to the network. Wireless Printing
With wireless printing through AirPort Extreme, it’s almost like having a printer in every room of the home or office. AirPort Extreme uses the Mac- and PC-compatible Bonjour networking technology to let everyone on the network take advantage of one centrally available printer. Wirelessly, of course. (Wireless printing over USB requires a compatible printer and Mac OS X v10.2.7 or later or Windows XP (SP3) or Windows Vista (SP1).) Set up is as simple as plugging the printer into the USB port on the AirPort Extreme Base Station and adding it to the printer list on your Mac or PC. That's it! 
Easily set up a guest network for visitors. | Guest Networking Offers Access for Guests
It’s easy to allow guests to use your Internet connection without sharing your password or giving them access to the rest of your network. Simply enable the guest networking feature using the AirPort Utility application and create a separate Wi-Fi network just for your friends. You can set up this guest network with a different password or with none at all. Your primary network - including your printer, attached drives, or other devices - remains secure. Compatible with 802.11a/b/g
All currently shipping Mac systems support the next-generation 802.11n technology in the AirPort Extreme Base Station. And AirPort Extreme is compatible with Mac computers, PCs, and wireless devices such as iPhone and iPod touch that use 802.11a, b, or g technologies. You can also rest assured that AirPort Extreme works with other certified 802.11n products. Three Wired Ethernet Ports
For computers and network devices that don't have wireless or need the consistency of a wired connection, the Airport Extreme has three Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. The Apple Airport Extreme measures 6.5 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches. It is backed by a one-year warranty. What's in the Box
Airport Extreme, power supply with cord, printed and electronic documentation, Software (AirPort Utility for Mac and Windows, AirPort Disk Utility for Windows, Bonjour for Windows).
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1Based on a comparison with Apple’s 802.11g products. Comparison assumes AirPort Extreme network with 802.11n-enabled computer. Accessing the wireless network requires an AirPort- or AirPort Extreme-enabled computer or other Wi-Fi Certified 802.11a/b/g/n-enabled computer. Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network, and other factors. Range will vary with site conditions.
2Based on a comparison with Apple’s previous-generation 802.11n products. Comparison assumes AirPort Extreme network with 802.11n-enabled computer. Accessing the wireless network requires an AirPort- or AirPort Extreme-enabled computer or other Wi-Fi Certified 802.11a/b/g/n-enabled computer. Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network, and other factors. Range will vary with site conditions.
3Wireless Internet access requires a wireless-enabled computer, a base station or other access point, and Internet access (fees may apply). Some ISPs are not currently compatible with AirPort Extreme. Wireless printing over USB requires a compatible printer and Mac OS X v10.2.7 or later or Windows XP (SP3) or Windows Vista (SP1). |
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 Continues to be gold standard for easy wireless |
| Review Date: November 9, 2009 |
| Reviewer: M. J. Mccaffrey, Conn., United States |
This review is going to mention a number of products--because a wireless network is all about infrastructure and integration. I purchased the AirPort Extreme to pull a number of other devices together, so I hope shoppers considering it will find this kind of review useful.
Since 2001 I have used the original AirPort (graphite), the AirPort Extreme (2003) with modem, and a host of Netgear and Linksys wireless routers to set up 802.11x networks at work and at home. The latter work well in their applications, and this review is not intended to knock any of them.
Apple M8209LL/A AirPort Base Station
Apple M8799LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port
But at home, I'm not a masochist. I want my networking system to work with my gear, and I don't want to spend hours setting it up and more hours dealing with changes to my system.
When we replaced our home theater system after an equipment meltdown (thankfully insured), I wanted to add a Logitech Squeezebox to the receiver, streaming music from a ReadyNAS Duo. The problem was that the older AirPort Extreme was in our office at one end of the house, and didn't have the range to reach the family room where the Squeezebox receiver is located.
Netgear ReadyNAS Duo 2-Bay (Diskless) Desktop Network Storage RND2000
Logitech Squeezebox Duet WiFi Internet Radio
My first thought was to add an AirPort Express as an extender--plug it in at a suitable halfway point and allow it to extend the network. This was only half the solution, because the most recent AirPort Express is an 802.11N-centric device, and it proved to be nearly impossible to set up a stable Wireless Distribution System (WDS) with the older AirPort Extreme.
Apple Airport Express
The solution turned out to be recognizing that, gradually, all of the wireless devices in our home now support at least 802.11G, and our computers all support 802.11N. On AirPort devices that also support 802.11N, it turns out that Apple has developed a much simpler way to link AirPorts in an extended network.
The new AirPort Extreme arrived two days ago. Installation was classic Apple: open, remove plastic cling wrap, and plug in. Using AirPort Utility, I entered the new base station and network passwords, and needed to reset my cable modem to allow it to recognize the new MAC address it was feeding. (I should also note that AirPort Utility allowed me to view the settings of the OLD AirPort while I was setting up the NEW AirPort.) Installation took a grand total of 12 minutes, including slitting the packing tape on the shipping box.
The second step was setting up the AirPort Express. This involved setting a base station password, naming it, and then following the three step procedure in the Help menu for "Extending a Wireless Network." The steps are: Click a checkbox in the AirPort Extreme's settings to "Allow This Wireless Network To Be Extended," choose a popup menu item in the AirPort Express's settings to "Extend a wireless network", and tell the AirPort Express which network it is extending along with password.
Once settings are saved, the network is extended. Using the 802.11N standard still involves a small hit in networking speed, but because of the greatly increased throughput it's not as large a decrease as in earlier versions.
This kind of configuration would have involved multiple instances of changing IP addresses, network SSIDs, and finger-crossing with other routers. (Believe me, I've done it successfully, and I plan for a two-hour session, even with known configurations.)
With the AirPort Extreme and Express, it just happened. My Squeezebox is now happily streaming music to the receiver, TiVo is receiving streamed programs from Netflix with (almost) no rebuffering--a huge improvement--and both my spouse and I are happily living in the 21st Century!
TiVo TCD652160 HD Digital Video Recorder
TiVo AG0100 Wireless G USB Network Adapter for TiVo Series 2 and Series 3 DVRs
As I said at the top, I don't want to spend hours tearing apart and troubleshooting my network at home--home is for relaxing and enjoying time with friends and family. The AirPort Extreme is ideal as one building block of that equation. |
Network Moron Friendly
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| Review Date: November 27, 2009 |
| Reviewer: S. Chadwick, Mt Pleasant, SC USA |
| Ah jeez, what can I say. I can do most anything with a computer, Apple or PC, but when I try to configure a network, gremlins keep any of it from working. When my Netgear "lost its settings" spontaneously, they were kind enough at technical support to offer to fix it for me for 99 bucks. When I declined they offered up that I might go to their website for support tips. But I had spent too many hours when I first bought that router, I was done. So I purchased this router and it is just like other reviewers have said: plug it in, stick in the disk, answer a few simple questions, and it's done. THIS is how consumers LIKE computers to work. Bemoan the higher price tag if you want, but I will pay a little extra for things that just do their dang job and don't aggravate me NEEDLESLY! |
Great Home Networking All-In-One Router, WiFi AP, NAS, & Print Server
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| Review Date: November 12, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Recovering SWO, Virginia Beach VA, USA |
Purchased from a military exchange.
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT:
REQUIRED:
Management Utility requires a downstream computer running a recent version of Windows or OSX.
NOT DESIGNED TO BE MANAGED FROM A LINUX CLIENT.
PROS:
-No integrated web server for modifying device settings (must use AirPort Utility)
-Manual Setup option includes all of the necessary tools to secure your network
-Integration of External Hard Drives via integrated USB Port is SUPER easy (just plug it in)
-Supports USB Hubs for more drives/printer sharing (I haven't tried this)
-Supports Full US 101 Keyboard Character Set in Passwords/Pass Phrases
-Works great in a "Double NAT" network environment
CONS:
-Only three integrated "downstream" ethernet ports
-Only one status light for system health
EXCRUCIATING DETAILS:
NETWORKING:
I purchased this router to better secure my mixed-platform network and aid our family's transition from WinXP to Mac. I ran the initial setup from a "Wired" PC and went immediately to the Manual Setup. Transition of all of my network devices from my older subnet to the new subnet was painless once I got over my own boneheaded mistakes. Throughput on the wireless side of my home network was increased significantly (as advertised) vs. my older Linksys Router. I've retained the older subnet to support some WiFi devices that can't support the latest security protocols. Despite the Armageddon like proclamations about "Double NAT-ing" I've experienced absolutely no problems with our internet enabled devices accessing the internet.
AIR DISK:
For me this was mostly painless, but there are some limitations worth noting. AEBS does not support NTFS, however this is a non-issue (keep reading to see why). AEBS supports FAT32 and HFS+ (FAT32 is grossly inadequate for modern hard drive sizes and hard drive image archival).
PLEASE NOTE: If using an AirPort Extreme Base Station, even for a Windows environment, I recommend that you get a disk preformatted for HFS+ (Mac OS Extended). This will give you all of the advanced storage capabilities of a modern file system and the AEBS comes with software that will translate the HFS+ disk into FAT32 for your Windows PCs. SOME LEGACY SOFTWARE (in my case Ghost v9) will self-impose a 4GB file size limitation (part of the FAT32 specification), but Windows itself will roll with it.
TIME MACHINE WITH AIR DISK:
There is a procedure for enabling an AirDisk for use with Time Machine. It's a NON-SUPPORTED/UNDOCUMENTED FEATURE
of the AEBS. The process is very simple and requires no advanced knowledge (just a normal ability to follow instructions). I won't list the process here because this is a product review ("google" Time machine and AirPort Extreme). For me (once I followed the process) it's working like a champ. However, don't call Apple for help with this as it's not officially supported.
OVERALL:
I think this is a great product for any networking environment that includes Macs. Windows adherents should also give this product a close look. |
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