Windows 7 PCs compatible with aiport extreme base station?

[jlyanks85]

I'm getting a imac (which should be delivered here next week), but also got the aiport extreme router to go along with it. Since we needed to update the router for the wireless network at home.

Question is, will the airport extreme work fine with my sister's laptop that has windows 7?

Some places I've read it does and others it doesn't.

 

[spinnerlys]

It should, Apple says so in the product page: http://www.apple.com/airportextreme/specs.html

It may not properly work, if the wireless card/adapter on the PC is sub-standard, but I haven't had that much problems connecting to my AEBS with Windows installations.

 

[MisterMe]

Wi-Fi is a family of documented standards. Apple's wireless routers are based on the same industry-standard wireless cards as the better competition. Airport Extreme is Apple's name for its Wireless-N router. It is compatible with any 802.11a/b/g/n-compatible wireless device.

I don't use Airport Extreme because it has only three LAN ports. However, it is my understanding that Airport routers just work and are longer lived than the competition.

Read and be wise.

 

[mbmobile]

I'm getting a imac (which should be delivered here next week), but also got the aiport extreme router to go along with it. Since we needed to update the router for the wireless network at home.

Question is, will the airport extreme work fine with my sister's laptop that has windows 7?

Some places I've read it does and others it doesn't.

It does.

I have 5 in my house and I never had any problem with any Windows PC, from XP to 7.

Cheers.

MB

 

[joudbren]

Works fine for us as well. I have a Netbook with Win7 and wireless N and no issues. Matter of fact, the Netbook is actually connecting perfectly 100% of the time now, unlike my previous dual band Netgear router that the Extreme replaced. At least half the time I would have to power cycle the Netgear router in order for the Netbook to connect. Extreme has been in play now for 2 months and not a single issue or reboot. It's almost like the Extreme isn't even there which is exactly the way a good router should be working.

The Extreme is a good choice for you with the iMac as it's the only router capable of sending a wake up signal to your sleeping iMac if required. If you have or get an Apple TV and use it to share media from your iMac, this will be really useful. Then you won't have to leave the iMac on all the time. Cheers!

James

 

[pyroza]

Yes...it's just a wireless router. The Airport Extreme is very overpriced. My WRT54G has been working like a champ for around four years now. No, it doesn't have Wireless N, but seeing as how I don't do anything other than light web browsing with a wireless connection, it's irrelevant.

 

[MisterMe]

Yes...it's just a wireless router. The Airport Extreme is very overpriced. My WRT54G has been working like a champ for around four years now. No, it doesn't have Wireless N, but seeing as how I don't do anything other than light web browsing with a wireless connection, it's irrelevant.

Nonsense. The Airport Extreme is priced at US$179.00 at the Apple Store. The Linksys by Cisco® E3000 Wireless-N router is priced at US$179.99 at Office Depot. Admittedly, it can be had for less at Walmart. However, US$179.99 for the Cisco product is more than the US$179.00 for the comparable Apple product.

Make no mistake. I have nothing against the Linksys WRT54G. I own one. It was my primary router two routers ago. That's just it. This owner of non-Apple routers has owned several non-Apple [one Seimens and five Linksys] routers. After a while, they seem to go bad. Other posts in this thread appear to confirm my experience.

My primary router is now a Linksys by Cisco® E3000. I purchased it before I learned that the Apple routers are so much more reliable than the competition. If the E3000 goes bad, then I will sacrifice a LAN port, purchase an Apple router, and enjoy trouble-free network connections.

 

[drambuie]

Nonsense. The Airport Extreme is priced at US$179.00 at the Apple Store. The Linksys by Cisco® E3000 Wireless-N router is priced at US$179.99 at Office Depot. Admittedly, it can be had for less at Walmart. However, US$179.99 for the Cisco product is more than the US$179.00 for the comparable Apple product.

Make no mistake. I have nothing against the Linksys WRT54G. I own one. It was my primary router two routers ago. That's just it. This owner of non-Apple routers has owned several non-Apple [one Seimens and five Linksys] routers. After a while, they seem to go bad. Other posts in this thread appear to confirm my experience.

My primary router is now a Linksys by Cisco® E3000. I purchased it before I learned that the Apple routers are so much more reliable than the competition. If the E3000 goes bad, then I will sacrifice a LAN port, purchase an Apple router, and enjoy trouble-free network connections.

Actually, you don't really need to be concerned about less LAN ports. Just get a switch, either 1Gb/s or 100Mb/s, depending on your needs. I have a D-Link switch, and have unloaded everything off the router onto the switch, just one connection to the router. This is the best solution if you have one or more LAN printers, or scanners. You can get switches with 5, 8, 16, or 24 connections. If the router goes down, you will lose your Web and wifi connections, but your network will still be operational through the switch. Fixed IP addresses are needed as a switch doesn't have a DHCP server. I've found that fixed addresses are best.

 

[CylonGlitch]

Nonsense. The Airport Extreme is priced at US$179.00 at the Apple Store. The Linksys by Cisco® E3000 Wireless-N router is priced at US$179.99 at Office Depot. Admittedly, it can be had for less at Walmart. However, US$179.99 for the Cisco product is more than the US$179.00 for the comparable Apple product.

I have had the same experience as you. I had Linksys Routers (from 802.11b through 802.11g) and had to replace it every 12 to 18 months to keep it going. Granted it was in a hot room thus it would dry out faster then normal [#1 problem, the caps would dry out and you lose WiFi]. I switched the Airport Extreme when 802.11n was adopted. It was a breeze to setup; having a place to put in what each IP address was is just beautiful. I had it for about 4 years before replacing it because I upgraded my network connection from 4Mb/s to 20Mb/s and the old Extreme could only maintain 8Mb/s. I still run the old one at my work as a print server; been several years now, both new and old extreme are working great.

 

[MisterMe]

Actually, you don't really need to be concerned about less LAN ports. Just get a switch, either 1Gb/s or 100Mb/s, depending on your needs. I have a D-Link switch, and have unloaded everything off the router onto the switch, just one connection to the router. This is the best solution if you have one or more LAN printers, or scanners. You can get switches with 5, 8, 16, or 24 connections. If the router goes down, you will lose your Web and wifi connections, but your network will still be operational through the switch. Fixed IP addresses are needed as a switch doesn't have a DHCP server. I've found that fixed addresses are best.

Not to get on your case or anything, but I do understand switches and hubs. I actually only need three LAN ports--the exact number supplied by the Airport Extreme. I want the fourth for my laptops. I have an Acer laptop for which the Wi-Fi does not work. A hub or switch requires a power plug which are in short supply in my setup. Obviously all of these shortages have relatively easy workarounds. I would simply prefer to minimize the complexity of the rats nest.

BTW, a hub or switch does not require fixed IP addresses. A hub or switch multiplies the number of available LAN ports available on a router. The router's onboard DHCP server can assign IP addresses to the devices connected to the hub or switch.