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Airport Extreme, ease of use?

Morod

Morod

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 1, 2008
1,823
1,071
On The Nickel, over there....
The title pretty much sums it up. I'm moving, and the new place would benefit if I used a wireless connection. I'm looking at Apple's Airport Extreme base station as a good fit. I've never used a wireless router/network before, so I am hoping for its ease of use/dependability as a plus.
Is the Airport Extreme a good fit to go with my Mac?
Thanks for any advice!
Morod
 
It doesn't get any easier than the Airport Extreme. I have setup numerous wireless routers from D-Link, Belkin, Apple etc, and the Airport Extreme is by far the easiest. This is especially true if you are not a networking expert.

All of the other solutions have PC specific software for easy setup, or HTML interfaces with page after page of settings. This is fine if you know about things like IP addresses, netmasks, NAT, gateways, PPPoE, static IP's, etc. Not so good if you just want to know how to get a wireless connection from your MacBook to the internet.

If you have any hesitation in this area, I would get an Airport Extreme, unless you have someone to help set up another router...
 
Thanks for the advice! I simply have my Al iMac, a USB printer and my f/w backup drive that's connected to my iMac. This sounds like something even I can do, and I have absolutely no wireless/router/network experience.
Morod
 
What is the difference between the extreme with gigabit and without?

basically I want friends to be able to use wireless when they come over and I wouldn't mind being able to hear my itunes from my ipod touch on my stereo - which I guess I'd have to buy a express as well as the extreme?
 
Hackcomic.com said:
What is the difference between the extreme with gigabit and without?

basically I want friends to be able to use wireless when they come over and I wouldn't mind being able to hear my itunes from my ipod touch on my stereo - which I guess I'd have to buy a express as well as the extreme?
Click to expand...

The ethernet on the gigabit version is ... gigabit (1000mbps) vs 100mbps on the non-gigabit version. That's it. You can't stream from the touch to the express. You can only stream from a machine running iTunes.
 
Hackcomic.com said:
What is the difference between the extreme with gigabit and without?

basically I want friends to be able to use wireless when they come over and I wouldn't mind being able to hear my itunes from my ipod touch on my stereo - which I guess I'd have to buy a express as well as the extreme?
Click to expand...

The gigabit is mainly for your wired connections.

However be aware that the AEBS has issues to mount the AirDisk. I'm not sure if we are only a few users experiencing this, but as of Today nobody has refuted me. For all the other features it's a great product.
Sadly for me the AirDisk feature is a big disappointment and frustration.

I have a MacBook and the AEBS non gigabit.
________
vaporizer
 
Last edited:
Thanks- sounds like I really don't need to spend extra with the gigabit- not sure I'd see any difference on my wired tower coming in from DSL modem.

Seems silly that you can't stream from itunes on an itouch.

Problem is- my computer with itunes doesn't have a wireless card- it's an older 1.8 G5

So I'd have to get a wireless card airport extreme and express in order to stream itunes from my main conputer?
 
Apple wants to sell you a Universal Dock for your touch. The gigabit will not help your internet connection unless you have a greater than 100mbps link which would be awesome but terribly expensive.

If you have an Express and an Extreme, you could connect (wired) your G5 to the Extreme (you don't need the gigabit for that). Infact you don't even need an Extreme as any router will do.
 
Ahh thanks! Although I heard the express doesn't work too well or at least not as easily with other wireless routers.

I think I'll get the older extreme (non gigabit) and the express.

Thanks for all your help.
 
Airport Extreme - really easy to set-up. Airport Utility makes it's really smooth and straight to the point No problems setting up whatsoever but, I used to get connections problems where it wouldn't pickup my signal. I haven't had a problem ever since. ::crosses fingers::
 
only a MBA + airport extreme: only n- 2.4 Hz or n- 5 Hz ?

I have recently bought the MBA and am now experimenting with airport extreme .

as I happen to loose connection sometimes (for no obvious reason ?) I wonder what would be the most ideal set up:
In the airport extreme configuration program one can choose various options
-b/g or even
-solely "n" either in combination with 2.4. Hz or 5 Hz.

Can anyone fill me in what would be the most ideal option given that I have no other hardware to be wireless connected

THX in advance
 
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