Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Screw the new airport extreme...

wakerider017

wakerider017

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Sep 20, 2006
1,790
1
US of A
Now this is what I am talking about.

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...632665&pagename=Linksys/Common/VisitorWrapper

Wireless n router with 10/100/1000 switch. Complete with the wonderful linksys firmware that is oh so versatile.

Yummy.

Sorry guys it may not be an :apple: product....

But when it comes to a home network I am more about function than beauty.

EDIT: Just for the record I will be waiting for the final draft of n to be released before I purchase any n wireless networking product.
 
I

islandman

macrumors 6502
Sep 13, 2006
356
0
Nice stuff! Very cool. I got an Airport Extreme already, but this looks good too. My old Linksys (802.11g) was given to a coworker. I could always just have 2 access points in the house :).
 
wakerider017

wakerider017

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Sep 20, 2006
1,790
1
US of A
islandman said:
Nice stuff! Very cool. I got an Airport Extreme already, but this looks good too. My old Linksys (802.11g) was given to a coworker. I could always just have 2 access points in the house :).
Click to expand...

Airport Extreme does have it's ups too. I am very envious of the usb port on the back that can serve as a Print/HDD server.

Just trying to figure out why Apple left out the gigabit. Puzzling. Additionally I love how easy it is to adjust settings in my Linksys WRT54G. I can forward a port in a matter of moments.
 
rogersmj

rogersmj

macrumors 68020
Sep 10, 2006
2,161
1
Indianapolis, IN
wakerider017 said:
Now this is what I am talking about.

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...632665&pagename=Linksys/Common/VisitorWrapper

Wireless n router with 10/100/1000 switch. Complete with the wonderful linksys firmware that is oh so versatile.

Yummy.

Sorry guys it may not be an :apple: product....

But when it comes to a home network I am more about function than beauty.

EDIT: Just for the record I will be waiting for the final draft of n to be released before I purchase any n wireless networking product.
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat -- waiting for an N-final router with gigabit, and I love my Linksys hackable routers. Networking = all about functionality. I would never buy a crippled :apple: networking product.

wakerider017 said:
Airport Extreme does have it's ups too. I am very envious of the usb port on the back that can serve as a Print/HDD server.
Click to expand...

The print server could be handy, but I always have one of my machines turned on anyway. As for the file server, that's why I run a real server. Gives me unlimited expandability (currently 1.6TB across 6 hard drives), and the ability to run things like FTP/SSH, Apache, MySQL, backup scripts, etc.

Aside from the high price, the fact that Apple left out gigabit will guarantee I will never buy an APX. That was the dumbest move ever, considering the wifi can now outpace the 100Mbps ethernet connections. That's like putting the $99 special sale tires on a Bugatti.
 
mkrishnan

mkrishnan

Moderator emeritus
Jan 9, 2004
29,776
15
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Diatribe said:
What is puzzling me is why Apple didn't include 2 USB ports. I am sure enough users would like to connect a printer AND a HD.
Click to expand...

I think one question will be what Apple's next follow-up product is, as right now, it's either 802.11g + Airtunes or 802.11n + NAS. Especially with Time Machine, the line between home / prosumer / whatever is blurring, as the NAS features of the AEBS are really going to be appealing to a lot of home consumers, although I'd guess they'd also want Airtunes.

A hub is certainly a solution to the problem you highlight, although... it does defeat the whole visual elegance of the Apple products.... :( I haven't been paying such close attention, but is the AEBS the same footprint as the Mini? There's a hub that looks like the Mini, right? And there're several hard drive enclosures that do as well. So you could have a tower of little white and silver squares. :D
 
Sayer

Sayer

macrumors 6502a
Jan 4, 2002
981
0
Austin, TX
Not to rain on everyone's anti-APX parade but:

Wireless networking's theoretical speeds are just that, theoretical. Real world conditions and protocol overhead drop actual speeds substantially. Draft n APX was clocked at 90 Mbit. And wireless clients all share the same bandwidth, which means adding clients cuts individual client bandwidth down.

Ethernet is full duplex 10/100/1000 Mbit, wireless is not full duplex. So again, the theoretical speed is not truly representative of real world speed.

And unless you are streaming HD video all over the place, most networking is mostly infrequent bursts as you load an un-cached web page or fire off an email check. Or play network-based games (Xbox, PS3, PeeCee).

No one said you *had* to buy an APX. Steve Jobs will not come to your house/business and smash your Linksys router and shove an APX on you. I have had several Linksys routers and recommend them to others. Despite the fact that I have been a Mac user since 1985 and own Apple, Inc. stock, I don't buy only computer Apple products.

That's great that you like Linksys, but I don't care that you simply hate the APX and try to justify it with another non-Apple product that is designed to cover a much wider marketplace than what Apple is targeting.
 
weg

weg

macrumors 6502a
Mar 29, 2004
888
0
nj
bartelby said:
That Linksys looks like something from a 1970s episode of Dr. Who!!!
Click to expand...

Maybe.. alas, I've found out that Apple's design sometimes impairs functionality.. I'm speaking about the miserable WiFi reception of my Powerbook :(
 
Mydel

Mydel

macrumors 6502a
Apr 8, 2006
804
664
Sometimes here mostly there
mkrishnan said:
I haven't been paying such close attention, but is the AEBS the same footprint as the Mini? There's a hub that looks like the Mini, right? And there're several hard drive enclosures that do as well. So you could have a tower of little white and silver squares. :D
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly! I was thinkink about buying HD mini style and belkin USB hub ( http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=199956 ). The only disadvantege is number of power adapters you have to put somewhere :rolleyes:
 
skunk

skunk

macrumors G4
Jun 29, 2002
11,758
6,107
Republic of Ukistan
Mydel

Mydel

macrumors 6502a
Apr 8, 2006
804
664
Sometimes here mostly there
skunk said:
I've got my APX connected to the USB hub which is part of the MicroNet MiniMate 500GB drive, and a USB printer plugged into that. Works fine, and has the same footprint.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Great dea. this way I can get rid of at least one power adapter (hate those things). Do you think its gonna work with any hard drive with multiple USB ports??
 
A

aristobrat

macrumors G5
Oct 14, 2005
12,292
1,403
mrogers said:
I love my Linksys hackable routers. Networking = all about functionality. I would never buy a crippled :apple: networking product.
Click to expand...
#1. Isn't it true that very few of LinkSys routers can run hacked firmware, especially the more recent models? Do you know for sure if any of LinkSys's pre-802.11n routers can?

#2. Have you used the new AirPort Utility? It gives you way, way more access to settings and performance data in all models of Airports (not just the new Extreme model) that Apple previously hid from users.

Aside from the high price, the fact that Apple left out gigabit will guarantee I will never buy an APX. That was the dumbest move ever, considering the wifi can now outpace the 100Mbps ethernet connections.
Click to expand...
I haven't seen a benchmark/review yet that shows a consumer-model access point that can move pre-802.11n data faster than 90Mpbs. Where are you getting your info that wifi can outpace 100Mpbs ethernet connections?
 
skunk

skunk

macrumors G4
Jun 29, 2002
11,758
6,107
Republic of Ukistan
mkrishnan said:
Pictures? :D
Click to expand...

ae.jpg
Happy to oblige.
 
skunk

skunk

macrumors G4
Jun 29, 2002
11,758
6,107
Republic of Ukistan
Mydel said:
Thanks! Now last question :p .... Whats the shortest USB cable you ever encountered??? So I can decrease amount of all that junk behind that stack??
Click to expand...
The MiniMate comes with a 5" one. All that "junk" is four ethernet connections, two power cords and a USB printer cable.
usb.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom