Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (Simultaneous Dual-Band) (MC340LL/A) Review

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(More customer reviews)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!

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Apple M8799LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port Review

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(More customer reviews)Got this primarily so we could work anywhere in the house on our PC laptops. Granted, a Linksys wireless router would have been cheaper, but the Airport Extreme also serves as a wireless print server and that (plus the fact that our primary computer is a Mac) was what sealed the deal for us. Our cabling setup is:
Cable modem -> Linksys Wired 4-Port Router -> Airport Extreme -> Lexmark Optra E312L
Our laptops use Linksys Wireless-G cards and get good reception throughout the house. Our G4 and PS2 are hooked directly into the wired Linksys Router for their connectivity. The trick to using it with an existing router is to turn off the NAT addressing feature of the Airport Extreme so that it acts only as an Ethernet "bridge" to the wireless computers; the Linksys router assigns all the IP addresses for everything on the system including the PC laptops. The PCs can print wirelessly to the laser printer via the Airport and so can the Mac. Bonus!
Setup was very quick - about 15 minutes to get everything plugged in. The hard part was getting the security set up correctly (and yes, you'd better secure your wireless network) as the format for passwords was different on the Mac vs. PC platforms. Had to do some Web searches to find out how to make them speak the same language (hex). Has worked flawlessly since then. If I had to do it over, would buy it again in a heartbeat.

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The AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port is compatible with the industry-standard 802.11b wireless networking protocol, which means all AirPort products, as well as Wi-Fi certified 802.11b wireless products. For higher performance you will need to have both the Airport Extreme Card and the AirPort Extreme Base Station. The range of AirPort Extreme is up to 50 feet at 54 Mbps and up to 150 feet at 11 Mbps. The Base Station can be used in conjunction with an Ethernet connection (such as with a cable modem, DSL modem, or Ethernet network) through the integrated Ethernet port, or with a telephone line through a modem.
The AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port also supports USB or Ethernet wireless printer sharing. Just plug in a compatible USB or Ethernet printer and with Mac OS X on your computer you can quickly and easily print. You can use the new USB port to attach a USB printer or use the 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN port to plug in an Ethernet printer directly into the base station.
With the new AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port, up to 50 users can work and play on the Internet simultaneously up to 150 feet away from an Ethernet connection or a phone line. The Base Station comes equipped with a built-in firewall to protect sensitive data on your computer and the ability to secure transmissions with support for 128-bit encryption.
The AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port lets you manage the range of your wireless network. An external antenna port is provided for you to attach an external antenna. There are two types of antennas available: an omni-directional and a directional, which extend the range of the AirPort Extreme base station. There is also a software feature that allows you on reduce the size of your wireless network, down to just a single room for extra privacy.

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Apple MB763LL/A AirPort Extreme Dual-band Base Station Review

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(More customer reviews)Hi All,
True to my gadget envy, I acquired one of these dual band extreme base stations to see if they held up to the hype. Sure enough, Apple has improved an old mediocre product with a new more powerful hardware engine and improved software abilities.
Features:
802.11 A/B/G/N DUAL Band radios at 2.4ghz and 5ghz simultaneously.
Gigabit Ethernet ports 1x Wan and 3x Lan.
Guest wireless network.
Disk sharing via USB connected drive.
Access to shared disk via MobileMe (apple mobile me subscribers on os x).
The box comes with the router, the power cord, software cd, and documentation....limited documentation.
Time to test.
Setup: Setup of an apple base station is unlike any other in that you cannot access the setup portal via your web browser. You must install the Apple Airport utility (both mac and windows) in order to set the router up. The software is built very well and provides the typical ease of use known to MAC users. You simply walk through a setup wizard and define simple options for your internet connection, your wireless network, etc, etc. NOTE: When setting up your wireless networks you are able to hit the options button so that you can define a 5ghz network as well (example, main wireless network called wifi, the 5ghz is called wifi (5ghz)). Very easy to setup and get going. You are also able to easily define a SECURED (wpa/wpa2) guest wireless network....which simply means that if you have a visitor they can use wi-fi but not get to any of the computers on your home network. Very Secure....and a great feature to boot.
I was using the old Apple Base Station and kept switching between it and a d-link wireless n router.... I got one of these primarily due to dual band and guest access.
Yes, there are other routers out there that can do this for a bit of a lower cost...but the elegance of the Apple Airport Utility make this a router that can be setup without too much hassle. The software will also identify problems in the setup and have you correct them before it uploads them to the router. These abilities alone make this a router for the non-geeks to be able to setup a robust networking environment at home.
Wireless: As I mentioned before, I am comparing this to an older model apple base station that was single band and worked in the N range. Also compared this against a D-Link DIR-655 which is a 2.4ghz Wireless N router. The section on speed below will detail my wireless experience.
Speed: I have Comcast cable modem service which gives me about 15-25mbps down and 2mbps up....I live in an area where there are probably 5-10 subscribers...so my speed is generally GREAT and never experiences a slow down. The first thing I do when I play with a new router is do a speed test....the new base station is comparable to the others and gets the same exact download/upload speeds over ethernet. There is one exception....using the wireless on this unit yielded BETTER results then the older model and the d-link. Normally when doing a speed test over wireless I get about 12-15mbps and 2mbps up....with this router I was able to successfully hit the 20mbps mark and 2mbps UP. WIN WIN!!!! So I figured that this may be an anomaly and thus proceeded to test a download from Microsoft - a 3.4gb file - which normally downloads anywhere between 900kpbs and 1.2mbps. Surprise.....with the new base station I stayed at 1.3mbps and it did not hiccup even once. The same was true when downloading via a wireless connection, albeit the speed was 1.0mbps....faster then I have ever gotten before. WIN WIN again!
Disk Sharing - Not much to be said here...I attached a Western Digital USB hard drive 320gb and shared it. You simply go into the Airport Utility software and setup sharing of the hard drive and define which password should be used. You can either use the password for the router or setup a separate password to use with Disk Sharing. Speed is dependent upon wired or wireless. I tested while transferring 3 files...one was 2mb one was 100mb and one was a 2.5gb file. The two mb file of course went over before I could blink...the 100mb transferred over in about 3-4 minutes...the 2.5gb took about 15 minutes. The first transfer test was with ETHERNET connectivity. I did the same tests over wireless and found that the times doubled...naturally since wireless is a bit slower I expected that and had no issue with the times.
Mobile-Me - I have not tested the mobile me features just yet but will be testing them in the days ahead and post my results here.
So far I feel this router has hit perfection and will now find a permanent spot in my home...at least until something better hits.
Please do leave me comments with suggestions on the review and or any questions you may have.

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The sleek, easy-to-use AirPort Extreme Base Station with simultaneous dual-band support is the perfect wireless access point for home, school, or small business. It offers fast, 802.11n Wi-Fi access for Mac computers, PCs, and Wi-Fi devices such as iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV.

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Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Portable USB Adapter ( WUSB54GP-BP ) Review

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(More customer reviews)I only give this device four stars because it is not the absolute best USB client device on the market. It only offers about 32 milliwatts (mW) of output power, which is disappointing since it is the type of USB client you are unlikely to use while on battery power so preservation of battery life, through lower output power levels, doesn't make a lot of sense.
In addition, the antenna is a simple 2 dBi gain antenna, giving less than 50 mW total output power. However, with these complaints it is VERY important to consider the price: less than $30. That's a great price by any standard.
In my tests, this device was able to maintain consistent connections with a Linksys WAP54g access point up to about 60-70 feet. After that point it began to be very inconsistent. This was inside a building structure with walls and such. In the open air tests (in my yard with no walls or obstacles) this distance expanded to 140-170 feet.
I hope this helps you in your decision making.
Tom Carpenter, Author, Father, Techno-Geek, and Self-Development Junkie


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Combines two new, blazing fast technologies -- USB 2.0 and Wireless-G -- to connect your desktop or notebook to a wireless network at up to 54Mbps, without opening the case.Connect your USB-equipped desktop or notebook computer to a wireless network at incredible speeds with the Linksys Wireless-G Portable USB Adapter.By incorporating two new, blazing fast technologies -- USB 2.0 and Wireless-G -- the Adapter delivers data rates up to 54Mbps (5 times as fast as 802.11b), without the trouble of opening up the case of your desktop computer.To install, simply plug the Adapter into any available USB port.(It's compatible with both USB 1.1 and 2.0 ports, but 2.0 will yield the fastest speeds.)You can plug it directly into your PC and adjust the tilt-and-swivel connector and swing-up antenna for best reception, or use the included USB Extension Base to put the Adapter anywhere you'd like, up to six feet away.It gets its power through the USB connection, so no power cord is necessary.The included Setup Wizard walks you through configuring the Adapter to your wireless network settings, step by step. The Wireless-G Portable USB Adapter is also compatible with the Wireless-B (802.11b) network standard, with data rates up to 11Mbps.And your wireless communications can be protected by 128-bit encryption, so your data stays secure.The Wireless-G Portable USB Adapter's high-gain antenna lets you put your computer almost anywhere in the building, without the cost and hassle of running cables.Now you don't have to drill holes in your walls and climb through the attic or cellar to get connected to the network.Once you're connected, you can keep in touch with your e-mail, access the Internet, use instant messaging to chat with friends, and share files and other resources such as printers and hard disk storage space with other computers on the network

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Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (Gigabit) MB053LL/A Review

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(More customer reviews)I own an iMac G5, a Nintendo Wii, an Airport Express, a Nintendo DS, a HP Printer, and an XBox 360, and this thing works flawlessly with all of them. I can't speak for Windows based PC's, but the Airport Extreme was a breeze to setup on the Mac. The new Airport layout does most of the work for you and all you have to do is click when it tells you to. So simple a caveman could...well, you know.
*One note: If you install it, it says its working, but you're still not on the internet, then restart your cable provider's box and when it comes back on you'll be up and running. This didn't happen to me, but it did happen to a friend of mine. Just thought I'd pass the word.

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AirPort Extreme Base Station - now with Gigabit Ethernet. Blazingly fast and secure, the Wi-Fi base station offers the perfect solution for home, school, and business. It sets up in minutes on Mac computers or PCs, and even supports your Wi-Fi devices such as iPhone and Apple TV, so you can surf the web, send email, exchange photos, and share a printer or hard drive. Featuring next-generation 802.11n wireless technology, it offers up to five times the performance and twice the range of networks created with the earlier 802.11g standard. The AirPort Extreme Base Station is based on an IEEE 802.11n draft specification and is compatible with IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network, and other factors. Range will vary with site conditions.

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Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station - Wireless access point - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet - 802.11b/g Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been using Linksys BEFW11S4 802.11b router for few years now. Other than somewhat short range, it has never let me down. After looking at cheaper alternatives, I bought the AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBS) as my second WiFi router.
Pros:
- Looks really really really cute... and small, too
- Better signal strength than Linksys BEFW11S4
- Innovative USB printer support
- Superb AirPort Admin Utility and tight Mac OS X integration
- Bridging with other WiFi station via WDS (for expanding the range)
- Wall mountable (comes with wall mounting kit)
- AOL and RADIUS server support
Cons:
- Susceptible to signal loss (i.e., when using the microwave oven)
- Pricier than most 802.11g router
- No web-based configuration interface
- Only 1 LAN port
When you run the AirPort Admin Utility for the first time, it might detect an older firmware and proceed to upgrade itself automatically (if you let it, of course). The new firmware (5.0.4 as I write this) fixes WiFi connection drop issue. For some strange reason, the problem persisted until I manually downloaded and uploaded the latest firmware. I've tinkered with the channel selection to get the optimum results. Running the microwave oven may cause WiFi connection to drop still, however.
The AirPort Admin Utility is a pleasure to use, which is also full of features. Among the options are choosing among 11 WiFi channels; operating in 802.11b, 802.11g or mix mode; setting the transmission power from 10 to 100%; setting up Internet via DHCP, static IP, PPPoE, or AOL DSL; and mapping ports. You can improve security via 40-bit or 128-bit WEP, create a closed network by hiding SID (Station ID), and add access control (MAC address filtering).
By the way, if you are running Windows, go to Apple's web site and download the AirPort Admin Utility for Windows. It does not specify AEBS, but trust me... it works.
Oh, did I mention how beautiful AEBS is? I tucked my ugly Linksys where no one can see (which probably hinders WiFi broadcast), but not so with AEBS. Located on the front are beautiful metallic Apple logo and three graphite status indicators (WiFi, power, and Ethernet). Located on the rear are reset button, 100/10BASE-T WAN port, 100/10BASE-T LAN port, USB printer port, and AC power adapter port (very long power cable is included). If you need more than one LAN port, you will need to mate AEBS with an Ethernet hub.
The signal level's stronger than Linksys BEFW11S4. I get full signal virtually everywhere in my apartment, including those where Linksys frequently gave up. If you need greater range (larger house), consider bridging ABES with another ABES via built-in WDS support (Wireless Distribution System) or purchase ABES with Modem and Antenna Port (and one of few external ABES antennas available).
Finally, I must mention its built-in USB printer port. Hookup one of many supported printers via USB and you will be able to print wirelessly via Mac OS X's Rendezvous feature. Neat!

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