Airport Extreme
Review by: Rick Chin
http://www.apple.com/airportextreme/
Price: $179

Initial reaction is a big thumbs up.

Items on the network: two 802.11n capable Macs, a 802.11n Windows laptop (ugh), a Windows desktop connected via Gigabit Ethernet, a TiVo via 100 MB Ethernet, another TiVo connected via 802.11g, and a Canon inkjet printer.

Previously, I used an Airport Extreme B/G but it’s signal wasn’t strong enough to reach the computer and TiVo at the other end of the house, so I deployed an Airport Express to create a Wireless Distribution System (WDS). This extended the network wirelessly to that computer and the TiVo. (The TiVo is plugged into the Ethernet port of the Airport Express, allowing a WPA encrypted connection into the TiVo Ethernet connection. This is a little-known trick I picked up while reading the Airport Express manual – if you’re not using an Airport Express as your primary router, you can use the Ethernet port for device connectivity. TiVo does not support a WPA connection with any third party adapters – they only have WEP. Now TiVo makes a TiVo-branded wireless adapter that supports WPA, but it is overpriced and wasn’t available at the time I was setting this up.)

I configured the new Airport Extreme N to only allow 802.11n computers to connect (the two Macs and the Windows [ugh] laptop). I took the old Airport Extreme B/G, configured it into Bridge mode and plugged it into one of the Ethernet ports on the back of the Airport Extreme N. This makes the Airport Extreme B/G get it’s Internet connection from the Airport Extreme N. Then I reestablished the WDS between the Airport Extreme B/G and the Airport Express. This allows the (slower) devices that only support 802.11b/g to connect to that signal. (This configuration is not necessary, but I had the equipment and separating 802.11n from 802.11b/g will make the 802.11n computers faster since the Airport Extreme N radio won’t have to pause as it switches speeds in mid-stream.)

So now I have three 802.11n computers connected wirelessly, a Windows desktop and TiVo connected via a Gigabit Ethernet switch into the Airport Extreme N, and a TiVo connected wirelessly via 802.11g using a higher level of encryption than TiVo provides natively.

I had planned on using the 5 GHz radio in the Airport Extreme N, but apparently the 5.8 GHz phones in our house interfere and cut down the Airport range, so I switched the Airport Extreme N to the 2.4 GHz radio (we don’t have any 2.4 GHz cordless phones), and the range was so good, the “distant” Mac now connects directly back to the Airport Extreme N AND has FULL signal strength. With the Airport Extreme B/G, it would only get 1 or 2 bars and often lose the signal completely.

The wireless Canon printer sharing works as expected, as it did with the old Airport Extreme B/G. I haven’t tried using the other big feature of the Airport Extreme N: AirDisk, essentially a poor man’s Network Attached Storage (NAS). I don’t have a compelling need for that feature yet – ha, I’m already saying “yet” - dang these things have a way of giving you ideas. (If you want to know about NAS, contact me – I can answer most any question you have since I recently finished a big storage project.)

OK, all that’s great, but what about the speed? One word: GREAT. The distant Mac (a Core 2 Duo iMac 24&rdquo jumped in download speed from an average of 140 KB/sec (1.12 Mb/sec) to 1400 KB/sec (11.2 Mb/sec), a huge increase for that computer. The Mac close to the base station (a Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro 17&rdquo changed less, about three times faster, so far maxing out at 1200 KB/sec (9.6 Mb/sec). I know, that’s not logical, but I’ve consistently found the 24” iMac faster than the MacBook Pro.

I may go back and experiment with the 5 GHz setting, which supports a feature called Wide Channels for 802.11n clients, making them even faster and see if the 5.8 GHz phones are really the problem. I’ve taken the extra step of manually configured the channels for each base station on the 2.4 GHz frequencies to avoid overlap interference (there are only three interference free settings in the 2.4 GHz range).

The new Airport Utility is “one million” times better (in an Austin Powers/Dr. Evil voice) than the old Airport Admin Utility. The amazing ease of setting up a WDS is almost worth the price alone. I’ve done it in a bunch of routers and it’s never been easy, although Apple’s implementation was always easiest. This time it was easy, logical, and almost omniscient. I expected to be asked more questions but instead found myself watching the screen as the Airport Utility did all the steps I was prepared to do. Bravo. Even a person who has never setup a WDS before could do this. If you can spell WDS, you can do it.

I think Apple should make the 802.11n firmware update available for free, but in my case, it didn’t matter because I was going to buy the Airport Extreme N anyway.

The write up on the Macintouch web site about the Airport Extreme N was not encouraging. They saw little speed increase but liked the new AirDisk feature. Many people are wondering if there is a wireless problem with the Mac Pro desktop they used in testing. My experience, along with others, has been overwhelmingly positive. There have been people who haven’t seen much improvement. I’d be interested in seeing how they set their networks up.

I agree that the Ethernet ports should Gigabit (10/100/1000), not just 10/100; the difference would have been pennies and the throughput on the wired network would be state-of–the-art. It might have made the Airport Extreme N run a bit hotter (maybe not), although it’s only mildly warm in normal use. The competitors are only 10/100, so it might be a bit unfair to expect it of Apple, but Apple is expected to have a higher level of innovation.

If you are already using wireless and don’t have a 802.11n capable Mac (currently only Core 2 Duo Macs are 802.11n), the Airport Extreme N only makes sense if you need the extra range. If you don’t have a wireless router, the Airport Extreme N is the nicest draft-N router I’ve used (I’ve tried about half of the available models at the office). If you have an 802.11n capable Mac, I certainly recommend this product.

And don’t forget Apple TV is coming, also relying on 802.11n...