If you can use both airport express and airport extreme as a basestation, then why would people buy airport extreme anymore if express is like $70 cheaper. There has to be some sort of differene between the two i.e. range. Also, I was thinking of getting either or. Is airport extreme really any better than the linksys or d-link models? Or is it just priced up because of its looks and it's made by Apple.
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Airport express and airport extreme
- Thread starter johng723
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Laslo Panaflex
macrumors 65816
IMHO the main difference is that Express only supports 10 computers, whereas Extreme supports 50. For home use Express is the way to go, for corporate office use, Extreme is for them.
janey
macrumors 603
gosh darn it.johng723 said:
airport express doesnt have half the stuff the extreme one does when it comes to features. and probably range. but mostly the features, to give you a clue, just look at the bottom of the express thing, and the back of the extreme base station.
plus, if you dont care about most things, get a cheapo 802.11g wifi router from linksys or something. if there's some real itching urge to get one from apple, then do whatever you want. dont get one or the other based on looks or cost. its about the features 😛
Airport Extreme Base Station:
Airport Express:
m
- one ethernet out port
- one printer sharing port
- range 150 feet
Airport Express:
- NO ethernet out port
- NO printer sharing port
- range 50 feet
m
Laslo Panaflex
macrumors 65816
Amani
macrumors member
I can't wait to get my hands on Express, but the July edition of MacWorld has reviews and references to a few other third party routers. Doesn't seem like they'll compete with Express--both in style and price. HomePod is the one that gets reviewed.http://macsense.com/
abhishekit
macrumors 65816
awesome
its f**kin great, the airtunes function!!! and only for 129!!!
i got a ****ty netgear 802.11b for 80 bucks.. 🙄
cheers
its f**kin great, the airtunes function!!! and only for 129!!!
i got a ****ty netgear 802.11b for 80 bucks.. 🙄
cheers
just a recap for me to base my decision on; if i'm a user who simply wants to connect a PB wireless to the internet and who wants to make a wireless connection with only one printer the airport express is the way to go? I'm using a normal broadband internet connection.
Are there any other differences? And by the way, with the airport express, would it be possible to use it as a wireless connection between your PB and eventually your tv so you can watch movies and/of clips from your PB? I mean, if you have your stereo connected to the tv and you have your stereo connected to your PB (wireless) woudl it be possible to also send moviefiles to your stereo and then tv instead of just musicfiles? Recap: send movie from PB to airport express, from aiport express to the stereo en then from stereo to tv? Or am i very much so wrong? I probably want a little bit too much huh! 😀
Are there any other differences? And by the way, with the airport express, would it be possible to use it as a wireless connection between your PB and eventually your tv so you can watch movies and/of clips from your PB? I mean, if you have your stereo connected to the tv and you have your stereo connected to your PB (wireless) woudl it be possible to also send moviefiles to your stereo and then tv instead of just musicfiles? Recap: send movie from PB to airport express, from aiport express to the stereo en then from stereo to tv? Or am i very much so wrong? I probably want a little bit too much huh! 😀
ronald said:
The Express doesn't look like it has the printer port on it. The Extreme is the one with the printer port.
M
ftaok said:
Sorry about that. I thought I read that in the specs yesterday.
It's looking better and better!!
m
Abstract
macrumors Penryn
Geez, guys, all the features are clearly on the Specs page at the Apple website.
And yes, if you want wireless at home, you get Airport Express. Unless you have 49 brothers and sisters, you don't need 50 connected users on one wireless station. Business may need it, though.
Anyway, Airport Extreme is a wireless router, while the Airport Express isn't necessarily a router, although more than one person can connect to the internet using it. It may not assign each user of Airport Express their own IP. I believe a router is treated like a single computer connected to the internet would be treated --- it's given an IP. If the router is given an IP, then all the computers on it are given similar IPs, but slightly different so that each computer using the router is known. However, I don't think that's what happens with Airport Express.
I don't know much about networking and stuff, so I hope that someone can clarify and tell me if what I said makes a lick of sense. 😉
And yes, if you want wireless at home, you get Airport Express. Unless you have 49 brothers and sisters, you don't need 50 connected users on one wireless station. Business may need it, though.
Anyway, Airport Extreme is a wireless router, while the Airport Express isn't necessarily a router, although more than one person can connect to the internet using it. It may not assign each user of Airport Express their own IP. I believe a router is treated like a single computer connected to the internet would be treated --- it's given an IP. If the router is given an IP, then all the computers on it are given similar IPs, but slightly different so that each computer using the router is known. However, I don't think that's what happens with Airport Express.
I don't know much about networking and stuff, so I hope that someone can clarify and tell me if what I said makes a lick of sense. 😉
mactastic
macrumors 68040
People with wireless cards already in their computers will be happy with this device for their home networks. If you have to pay $129 for the AE PLUS you have to buy wireless cards for all your computers then it might be better to pay the $199 for the AEBS and have the ability to create a wired network and a wireless network with the same piece of hardwear. Also I would expect the range to be better on the AEBS, but we won't know that for sure until some of us get our hands on an AE.
Here's my question though... Will the AE work just as nicely if I plug it into one of the ports on a 4 port Lynksis? IOW, can it function as a wireless gateway on a pre-existing network also, or does it need to be the router?
Here's my question though... Will the AE work just as nicely if I plug it into one of the ports on a 4 port Lynksis? IOW, can it function as a wireless gateway on a pre-existing network also, or does it need to be the router?
Yes, you don't know about "networking and stuff" 🙄Abstract said:
They are both routers. All routers work the same way, they either dynamically assign ip addresses or you assign each computer static addresses. The router itself also has an address. Networking, in any form, is about a pathway to get to a computer. That's why a router has to have an address (it's like telling someone at what intersection to turn.) The router usually dynamically gives ip addresses to all the attached devices. You can instruct routers how to name the systems or you can let it create its own subnet (for instance, start naming computers from 10.10.1.01 and increment for every computer attached or let it create a subset and start from anywhere--though it usually starts at a class D submask)
mainstreetmark
macrumors 68020
another point worth mentioning is that in all these claims of distance (150 feet, and so on) are all probably measured in a football field or open meadow or something.
In practice lots of stuff attenuates the signal, such as a fireplace chimney, metal wall framings, and most significantly to the Express, electrical wiring.
If you plug your Express into the powerstrip in the floor below your metal computer desk with an aquarium on it, you're just not going to get much more than a room or two away.
Extreme can live up on a bookshelf, with an optional external antenna. I'd wager they have identical internal antenna, however.
In practice lots of stuff attenuates the signal, such as a fireplace chimney, metal wall framings, and most significantly to the Express, electrical wiring.
If you plug your Express into the powerstrip in the floor below your metal computer desk with an aquarium on it, you're just not going to get much more than a room or two away.
Extreme can live up on a bookshelf, with an optional external antenna. I'd wager they have identical internal antenna, however.
redAPPLE
macrumors 68030
ronald said:
if you only have one computer, and have a small home or apartment, then the AEBS is the better bet. if you want to connect a couple of computers, especially one which will be wired, then the extreme base station is the one for you.
if you want to watch movies or clips on your tv, then you should get the eyetv from elgato systems. i think it has already a wireless thingy that would work to send movies wirelessly (but read about the elgato system if you're interested).
edit: sorry it is called "eyehome" and not eyetv.
Every single question being asked here about what's different between Airport Extreme and Airport Express is clearly explained in a chart at:
http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/specs.html
For those that don't want to make the extra click, the answers are:
1 - They have the same range.
2 - They are both full routers.
3 - They both have printer ports.
4 - Express: WAN Port Only (*), Extreme: Separate WAN/LAN Ports
5 - Express: 10 Users Max., Extreme: 50 Users Max.
6 - Express: Audio Out Jack, Extreme: No Audio Out
7 - Express: No Modem, Extreme: Modem OR Power Over Ethernet
8 - Express: No External Antenna Port, Extreme: External Antenna Port
(*) = When used in Wireless Bridge Mode, the WAN port CAN be used as a LAN port to connect wired devices. (Computer, Video Game, or Hub) But that requires an ADDITIONAL wireless router.
Essentially, the simple answer is that unless you need more than 10 simultaneous users to connect at once, or a modem connection to the Internet, the Airport Express for $129 kicks the AE Extreme Basestation's butt now, in both price and features. 🙂
http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/specs.html
For those that don't want to make the extra click, the answers are:
1 - They have the same range.
2 - They are both full routers.
3 - They both have printer ports.
4 - Express: WAN Port Only (*), Extreme: Separate WAN/LAN Ports
5 - Express: 10 Users Max., Extreme: 50 Users Max.
6 - Express: Audio Out Jack, Extreme: No Audio Out
7 - Express: No Modem, Extreme: Modem OR Power Over Ethernet
8 - Express: No External Antenna Port, Extreme: External Antenna Port
(*) = When used in Wireless Bridge Mode, the WAN port CAN be used as a LAN port to connect wired devices. (Computer, Video Game, or Hub) But that requires an ADDITIONAL wireless router.
Essentially, the simple answer is that unless you need more than 10 simultaneous users to connect at once, or a modem connection to the Internet, the Airport Express for $129 kicks the AE Extreme Basestation's butt now, in both price and features. 🙂