Stupid airport question:

[PruneTracy]

Hello,
this is, probably, a very stupid airport question that I think I already know the answer to.
I've got a first gen airport express (did they ever update them?) running my MBP and my girlfriend's iBook. I've been wanting to upgrade to an airport extreme with the wireless N. Now, because she's still running on G, does that mean that i will notice ZERO difference in speed? Also, can I use the airport extreme as wireless N, and send that signal to the airport express which is giving a G to her?I guess, with wireless N is it all or nothing? Does every item running on it (two computers, a Wii and an x360) have to all be N and otherwise the effects are nil? Also, can i use the airport extreme as a router? Can I hook the cable from the modem into the extreme, then run a cable out of that straight into the 360? make sense? have i gone mad?

Thanks in advance!

 

[CashGap]

I'll just answer what I'm sure of from my own installation, and leave the rest to others.

"Also, can I use the airport extreme as wireless N, and send that signal to the airport express which is giving a G to her?"

If you mean plug the express ethernet port into the Extreme, then yes. Easiest way is to use Mac filtering to restrict the Extreme to your machine.

"Can I hook the cable from the modem into the extreme, then run a cable out of that straight into the 360? make sense? "

Yes

 

[imac/cheese]

As far as I know, g devices work fine in conjunction with n devices.

 

[PruneTracy]

Okay, so here's another question. I've got the regular 6mpbs Comcast service. Will getting the wireless N airport give me a noticeable difference? also, I heard that if not all connections are N, then it defaults back to G speed. Since, I'm the only N computer in the house, does that mean I won't notice a difference? sorry for all the stupid questions!

 

[flopticalcube]

You won't notice any speed improvement as g speeds is already nearly 10 times faster than your internet connection. When in compatibility mode the Extreme doesn't drop to g speed, n speed is lowered to about twice g speed.

 

[mankar4]

Okay, so here's another question. I've got the regular 6mpbs Comcast service. Will getting the wireless N airport give me a noticeable difference? also, I heard that if not all connections are N, then it defaults back to G speed. Since, I'm the only N computer in the house, does that mean I won't notice a difference? sorry for all the stupid questions!

Wireless N will give you a great difference. I have this exact same setup. I connect at 130mbps with all my friends in my house on g. I have a way faster internet connection, as can be seen from www.speakeasy.net/speedtest.

You won't notice any speed improvement as g speeds is already nearly 10 times faster than your internet connection.

This is actually untrue. You have to think of this like parallel circuits, with a g being twice as much resistance as the n. Regardless of the fact that there equal voltage across the two, different values of current (your actual download rate) will flow to them. Sorry if you don't understand this electrical engineering analogy.

If you don't believe me, just try it out on www.speakeasy.net/speedtest.