5th Gen Air Port Extreme

[macher]

Hi I need a new router and I know Apple just came out with the /ac AirPort Extreme. However I can't swing the cost. How is the 5th generation extreme? We have 2 playstations, 1 iMac, 1 laptop, 2 iPads and 4 iPhones.

Is the 5th gen any good?

 

[leighrk]

5th Gen Air Port Extreme

Hi I need a new router and I know Apple just came out with the /ac AirPort Extreme. However I can't swing the cost. How is the 5th generation extreme? We have 2 playstations, 1 iMac, 1 laptop, 2 iPads and 4 iPhones.

Is the 5th gen any good?

My older (last edition) extreme was not quite good enough to provide cover all through the house. I bought one of the new ones when they first came out a month or so ago, and we now enjoy 5 bars everywhere. We run a MP, 2 MBP's, PS2, PS3, iPad, ASUS pad, 3iPhones, 4 or 5 BR/DVD players, and a few other things (like a wireless HP Printer). All work faultlessly.

IMHO, well worth the money.

 

[WilliamG]

I have the latest gen Time Capsule (same as the Airport Extreme 5th gen but with the hard drive inside). I'm very pleased with it. It has no issues with the following devices:

Sony Vaio Z2, 2012 iMac, iPad 4, iPhone 5 x2, Nexus 7 2013, HTC One, Nokia Lumia 928, Canon MX892 WiFi printer, PS Vita, PS3, XBOX 360, Nintendo DS, 3DS. I'm sure I'm missing some devices, but you get the idea.

I got it the day it came out, and it has never been rebooted. It's rock solid.

 

[macher]

My older (last edition) extreme was not quite good enough to provide cover all through the house. I bought one of the new ones when they first came out a month or so ago, and we now enjoy 5 bars everywhere. We run a MP, 2 MBP's, PS2, PS3, iPad, ASUS pad, 3iPhones, 4 or 5 BR/DVD players, and a few other things (like a wireless HP Printer). All work faultlessly.

IMHO, well worth the money.

I'm told by Apple that the newest version a/c doesn't support a lot of stuff yet.

 

[leighrk]

5th Gen Air Port Extreme

I'm told by Apple that the newest version a/c doesn't support a lot of stuff yet.

Sorry, but that sounds like absolute crap to me. I have never known Apple to diss one of their products, particularly a new one.
Now of course, if you are talking about the higher rated 'ac' spec communication protocol, then that may be correct, as most older devices cannot achieve those speeds. As new updated models are released, that will change.
Communication will occur at the speed of the other device, whether at the original 'a' or recent 'n' rating or whatever.
Overall, though, the new version provides better signal strength, better distances and faultless performance.
I told a lie earlier, when I said that I bought the ordinary Extreme. I too got a 2Tb version to allow for the MBP's in our house to be 'Time Machine'd. Specs are otherwise the same though.

 

[WilliamG]

Sorry, but that sounds like absolute crap to me. I have never known Apple to diss one of their products, particularly a new one.
Now of course, if you are talking about the higher rated 'ac' spec communication protocol, then that may be correct, as most older devices cannot achieve those speeds. As new updated models are released, that will change.
Communication will occur at the speed of the other device, whether at the original 'a' or recent 'n' rating or whatever.
Overall, though, the new version provides better signal strength, better distances and faultless performance.
I told a lie earlier, when I said that I bought the ordinary Extreme. I too got a 2Tb version to allow for the MBP's in our house to be 'Time Machine'd. Specs are otherwise the same though.

Interesting you notice better range. I don't notice any range increase in my house on any devices. Was disappointed by that, actually.

I even have an HTC One, which has 802.11AC, but I have to use 802.11g because the range with AC wasn't good enough. Hmm.

 

[kazmac]

glad to hear some real world results from 5th Gen APE

I will definitely get one when I upgrade la machine.

 

[macher]

Interesting you notice better range. I don't notice any range increase in my house on any devices. Was disappointed by that, actually.

I even have an HTC One, which has 802.11AC, but I have to use 802.11g because the range with AC wasn't good enough. Hmm.

We have 2 playstations not in the same location. Would the 802.11AC present the same problem with the range not being good enough?

 

[WilliamG]

We have 2 playstations not in the same location. Would the 802.11AC present the same problem with the range not being good enough?

No. You'd be fine. AC is unrelated at this point.

 

[Serban]

i wait for the retina macbook pro and iMac refresh that include wifi ac , and probably iphone 5s will have???
and for those products i will buy then the airport extreme and i hope to see some improvements than what i have now