Effective range of Airport Extreme network?

it depends on your antenna, of course... airport's standard antenna goes 150 according to their specs, that's about in line with my experience with antennas that size... over an open distance you could go farther. get a directional antenna and you can go much farther, someone made one out of a tin can that can go for miles (not the pringles can one, which isn't good), industrial dishes can do these distances as well...

basically, try it out, and if the reliability or speed disappoint you, get an external antenna. It will plug right into the airport card, and it's usually not difficult to find a hole for the small cable--

pnw

And it is all in the placement. I put my Cable modem and wireless router in the attic between my computer and where I typically use my laptop. I have great signal to both of them.

In my old house the computer was wired and my laptop was wireless. There I barely got signal in the front of the house.

I have a client with an airport extreme, and he has great signal around his house, but as soon and you go outside you have no signal. The metal mesh in his walls for the stucco is killing the signal.

So I guess the answer is depends.

-mmathis

I get pretty good reception in a balloon-construction house. Though the Interference Robustness is off (completely killed the range).

The attic works great for me as well. I put mine up there. There is absolutely nothing to stop the signal. All the signal has to do is pass through the ceiling.

Originally posted by bmull
The attic works great for me as well. I put mine up there. There is absolutely nothing to stop the signal. All the signal has to do is pass through the ceiling.

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I have been running in the attic only for 2 months now. Have you lost hardware to heat?

My attic is easily 120 during the afternoon in the middle of the summer, but now we are starting to cool down. I didn't lose anything, and August is our hottest month.

I too live in Louisiana...Slidell. I know about heat. Mines been up there for five months with no problem. I guess we'll see if it hangs in there.

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Maybe this will get us an Apple Store

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What does that Robustness setting do anyway?

NOLA Mac Represent!

I'm holding down the 13th Ward New Orleans Apple Crew...

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Originally posted by carletonmusic
What does that Robustness setting do anyway?

Click to expand...

-carletonmusic

One sets it on both ends of the wireless if one uses an AEBS, the base station, and the computer.

It is supposed to make the RF less likely to be interrupted or interfered with when using a microwave or 2.4ghx cordless - the same frequesny band as 802.11b/g.

I believe it does this by double redundant packeting - which would halve your range.