Airport extreme or airport express?

[twoodcc]

i have a mac pro and a macbook pro. as you probably know, the aluminum messes with the wireless, and therefore the signal is weak and i have a smaller range with these computers.

i currently have dsl connected to a linksys router. the range is not good enough, especially for the mac pro. in fact, you can't even use the internet on the mac pro. it gets one bar, but is basically unusable.

anyway, which one should i get? i know the express is old, but i could extend my current network, right? and i could put it in maybe the same room as one of the computers and share a printer? (the printer can't go where the current router is)

thanks

 

[roland.g]

With the newer tech of the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro which I assume both have N, I would get the Extreme. You can always connect a printer to the Mac Pro and share it or if you don't want to keep it from going to sleep, use the Extreme to extend the current network so that you can use the printer sharing where you want to. Then down the line you have more current tech. I wouldn't get an Express till they updated to N - though they may not.

 

[twoodcc]

With the newer tech of the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro which I assume both have N, I would get the Extreme. You can always connect a printer to the Mac Pro and share it or if you don't want to keep it from going to sleep, use the Extreme to extend the current network so that you can use the printer sharing where you want to. Then down the line you have more current tech. I wouldn't get an Express till they updated to N - though they may not.

oh ok. so you can use the extreme to extend a current network? how hard is that btw?

 

[roland.g]

oh ok. so you can use the extreme to extend a current network? how hard is that btw?

I haven't done it, but it is pretty easy, you just use the Airport Admin Utility to configure it. There is an assistant that helps you set up any Extreme/Express unit. The Extreme can do anything the Express can and more except for AirTunes - no audio jack.

 

[twoodcc]

I haven't done it, but it is pretty easy, you just use the Airport Admin Utility to configure it. There is an assistant that helps you set up any Extreme/Express unit. The Extreme can do anything the Express can and more except for AirTunes - no audio jack.

oh ok. well i guess that pretty much settles it then. thanks

 

[theISHkid]

I would go with the express. Extend your network... share a printer... and play with Airtunes! Good Fun!

 

[nicolasmasset]

I'm currently outweighing the same options as you, but I think I'm going to go for the express: It's considerably cheaper, it doesn't have all the needless ethernet outs I won't EVER use (which probably bump up the price), it has airtunes and printer functionality, and I have the advantage of never having seen an 801.n port in action, so I don't know what kind of range I'd be missing But what I hear of the reviews, is that the "n" range does indeed go quite further, but it "mainly" ups your data transfer speed, which doesn't have to do with internet. I think the "g" will satisfy my needs at home, and if it doesn't, I'll just buy another express (2expresses are only a tiny bit more than 1 extreme) to extend the range, AND have a second airtunes!

Ideal would be of course if they'd update the express to "n", but they probably won't, so everybody goes for the extreme.. Oh, the extreme has airdisk instead of airtunes, but an official apple employee told me it was slow as hell..

 

[JFreak]

I recommend non-Apple wireless base station / DSL router. Wireless range will better, but configuration (one time) has to be done via web interface instead of dedicated application.

I myself have a ZyXEL and have been far more satisfied with it than I ever was with the Apple Airport Extreme Base Station and Apple Airport Express that I owned.

I don't know why, but Apple's have poor wireless range.

 

[jng]

I don't know why, but Apple's have poor wireless range.

Not according to this:

http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=b8355b0a8fee2f54e496855847df7851ac073776

I love Pogue's videos. Granted this is only about N routers.

As for express vs. extreme. If you're networking your machines and will be transferring files between them, go for the extreme. You'll notice a speed difference. If it's just an internet thing, you won't notice much unless you have a high end FIOS package.

 

[twoodcc]

well just so you know, i just setup my new airport extreme! and so far it works great! i have full bars on my mac pro where i need it. (compared to 1 bar before that wasn't even usable) i'm typing this on it now

 

[kalisphoenix]

Glad to see the AE is working good for you 8)

http://www.pink-martini.org/missions/liens/link.php?m=1&l=1&u=7&k=1q5I0e5licY2VpbrMeOJ7Lhf6Vu5L

*beats you over the head with a brick*

 

[Bern]

i have a mac pro and a macbook pro. as you probably know, the aluminum messes with the wireless, and therefore the signal is weak and i have a smaller range with these computers....

I'm not sure that is entirely true. I have a MBP and use an AE in a large 2 storey house, the AE being downstairs and when I'm upstairs I still get full strength.