Airport Extreme vs. Express Range

[crazzyeddie]

I'm looking to buy either one Airport Extreme or two Airport Expresses for my house. I already have a network of two Expresses but I need to get more range out of my network. Basically, the house is made out of concrete block so wifi has issues getting through the walls.

What I'm wondering is if anyone has experience with the range of an Airport Extreme vs Express using g mode. I'm hoping that an Airport Extreme would have better range (by 25-50%) than the Express because it is a larger unit... but that is just me hoping. None of my computers have n, so thats not a factor here.

So does anyone have experience with the range of the units?

 

[IChing]

I had a Linksys and an express, but after having so much problems with the linksys I got the extreme which increased the range by at least 50 ft. all around. I haven't had one problem with it where as the linksys had to be reset all the time, plus it now takes care of printing and external hard drive chores.

The express and extreme work very well together, but now I use the express purely for streaming itunes to my stereo. The express, which I have used alone before, has only about 25% of the range of the extreme in my experience and the linksys 54 has about 60% of the range of the new extreme.

I haven't even set up the 5ghz settings for the extreme since my iMac is the only thing that can handle it on the system. Best router so far including Belkin, linksys and DLink that we have tried to extend our network system.

 

[atarin]

I haven't even set up the 5ghz settings for the extreme since my iMac is the only thing that can handle it on the system. Best router so far including Belkin, linksys and DLink that we have tried to extend our network system.

Can the iPhone connect if you setup with the 5GHz setting?

 

[IChing]

Can the iPhone connect if you setup with the 5GHz setting?

Send me your iPhone so I can test that out! I don't have one.


I really don't know if it can or not, I'm not an expert apple guy like some of the folks here. It says I can set up my iMac to run on the 5ghz on a separate configuration but every-time I try it, it ruins my set up where I can't get all the pieces working talking together.
I know it can be done but not with me. The point is, even though I'm not using it, the extreme has really extended the network with PCs, macs, printers and airtunes.

 

[crazzyeddie]

Thanks for your reply. Its very reassuring and I ordered an Airport Extreme tonight (and it shipped out already!).

To answer atarin's question, no you cannot use an iPhone with the 5ghz-only setting because the iPhone doesn't support 802.11a or n.

 

[IChing]

Thanks for your reply. Its very reassuring and I ordered an Airport Extreme tonight (and it shipped out already!).

One of the people on our network boyfriend is a big Microsoft fan even agrees that this is the best router we have had so far, since they play WOW together and are not getting the drops we had with the other routers.
Her signal is max out on her microsoft computer which she never had before too.

I hope you have the success we have had. BTW, the apple express still drops the itunes link sometimes, I like the little guy but it is no way a serious player as compared to any of the big guys.

 

[atarin]

Thanks for your reply. Its very reassuring and I ordered an Airport Extreme tonight (and it shipped out already!).

To answer atarin's question, no you cannot use an iPhone with the 5ghz-only setting because the iPhone doesn't support 802.11a or n.

Thanks! That's good to know. It would be sweet if it did.

 

[EricNau]

Thanks for your reply. Its very reassuring and I ordered an Airport Extreme tonight (and it shipped out already!).

When you get it please let us know...

I have a single express for the entire house, and I'm curious to see if replacing it with an extreme would significantly increase coverage.