Airport Express with Airport vs. Extreme

[sandman42]

Does anybody out there REALLY know if the new Airport Express will extend the range of an Airport (802.11b) base station, or does it only do this with an Airport Extreme (802.11g) base station?

I've searched previous threads and see a lot of confusion about this. I've scoured Apple's web site and I see wording that could be construed either way, so I don't know what to conclude.

I'm using an Airport equipped iBook with an Airport Base Station. Will I get any benefit from the 'bridge' function? Airtunes and wireless printing are probably enough for me to buy one, but I'd like to know whether I can also use it as a range extender. Thanks!

 

[LeeTom]

I don't REALLY know, but I would bet $100 that it will work. The b/g setting is separate from the function settings in the airport extreme firmware. It will just do it at b speeds.

If anyone wants to take that bet, get ahold of me.

Lee Tom

 

[LaMerVipere]

Sorry to hijack your thread man, but I figured someone who reads this might know...

how far away from the airport extreme base station does a cordless phone have to be?

the phone uses a 2.4GHz signal like AE

i heard if they are too close to one another the wifi is rendered useless!

thanks

 

[sandman42]

I've heard that if bunch of people start discussing a totally unrelated topic the original thread is rendered useless!

Just kidding around -- I hope you get your answer, but I want mine too!

 

[iJon]

it can only extend the range on the airport express or extreme station. before only the airport extremes could be bridged. someone owes me a $100

iJon

 

[osprey76]

I looked at the Airport Base Station manual (it's easy to find on amazon.com) and it doesn't say anything about bridging to other Base Stations. So, I would guess bridging is limited to AE only since both pieces of gear probably have to support bridging.

 

[iJon]

well ill do this before the abundance of people say prove it iJon or whatever. here you go, straight from the front page of the ae express page.

iJon

 

[sandman42]

Thanks iJon,

I saw that, but Apple is frequently sloppy with their wording about stuff like that, so I don't always read too much into it. Consider the attached file from the fine print on the 'Tech Specs' page for the Airport Express.

But the fact that only 'Extreme' systems were capable of bridging before is the most compelling evidence I've heard so far. The truth will come out when we actually get our mitts on the little devils, but I wanna know now!

 

[PlaceofDis]

Sorry to hijack your thread man, but I figured someone who reads this might know...

how far away from the airport extreme base station does a cordless phone have to be?

the phone uses a 2.4GHz signal like AE

i heard if they are too close to one another the wifi is rendered useless!

thanks

to answer your question they can be as close as you want them to be, you are just going to have to go and change the channel on the Airport Base Station so that the phone and AEBS do not interfere with one another