Apple AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi Card with 802.11n operates in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously and offers great performance and range for all your Wi-Fi devices. Today, wireless network users request for mainly two things - higher speeds and greater range. The AirPort Extreme Base Station brings on both fronts and offers superfast wireless network access throughout, anywhere you want.
Some Wi-Fi devices use the 2.4GHz wireless band, including iPhone, iPod touch and devices using 802.11b/g. Few devices use either 2.4GHz or the higher-speed 5GHz band, such as the latest 802.11n-based Mac computers and Apple TV. But instead of choosing one of the bands, the AirPort Extreme now operates simultaneously on both the above mentioned bands and your multiband devices automatically uses the best available band. Hence, all your Wi-Fi devices get the fastest possible wireless performance and the best possible range. Also, AirPort Extreme cuts the possibility of interference from appliances and cordless phones that use the 2.4GHz band.
Built on the IEEE 802.11n specification, AirPort Extreme uses multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology to transmit multiple data streams simultaneously. This makes AirPort Extreme carry data transfer speeds up to five times those of 802.11g wireless networks, while attaining up to twice the range.
(Note: Based on a comparison with Apple’s 802.11g products. Comparison assumes AirPort Extreme network with 802.11n-enabled computer. Accessing the wireless network requires an AirPort- or AirPort Extreme-enabled computer or other Wi-Fi Certified 802.11a/b/g/n-enabled computer. Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network and other factors. Range will vary with site conditions.)
Up to 50 people can share the same Internet connection, exchange files using the file-sharing ability built into Mac OS X or Windows, access local and remote file servers defeat the competition in multiplayer games. You get so many features along with wireless storage and printing.
{Wireless Internet access requires a wireless-enabled computer, a base station or other access point, and Internet access (fees may apply). Some ISPs are not currently compatible with AirPort Extreme. Wireless printing over USB requires a compatible printer and Mac OS X v10.2.7 or later or Windows XP (SP3) or Windows Vista (SP1).}
It is easy to let guests use your Internet connection without sharing your password or giving them the access to the rest of your network. You have to simply enable the new guest networking feature using the AirPort Utility application and create a discrete Wi-Fi network just for your friends. You can set up this guest network with a changed password or with none at all. Like this, your primary network, plus your printer, attached drives or other devices, remains secure.
All the new Mac systems support the next-generation 802.11n technology in the AirPort Extreme Base Station. This AirPort Extreme is compatible with Mac computers, PCs, and wireless devices such as iPhone and iPod touch that use 802.11a, b or g technologies. Moreover, AirPort Extreme works with other certified 802.11n products as well.
With the setup assistant built into iOS and OS X, the set up and management of your Wi-Fi network is very easy. With just a few taps or clicks from your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Mac, it is done. For the simplest setup, all you need to do is plug in your AirPort Extreme and connect it to your DSL or cable modem. Then select your AirPort Extreme in Wi-Fi settings in iOS, or from the Wi-Fi menu in OS X, and follow the instructions. The setup assistant does the rest. In less time than it takes to make a cup of tea, your network is ready to use.
Wi-Fi setup in iOS -
1. In Wi-Fi Settings, tap your AirPort base station to create a new network.
2. Select Create a New Network, give it a password and tap “Nextâ€ÂÂ.
3. Now you’re connected to your new network. Tap “Doneâ€Â and you’re up and running.
After your network is set up, AirPort Utility for iOS and OS X let you manage and monitor your AirPort Extreme from your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Mac. It’s easier than ever to view the status of your Internet connection or add base stations to create a larger network. And if you want to do more, such as add a shared USB printer, it’s just as easy.
AirPort Extreme can turn your external USB hard drive into a drive you can share with all the users on your network and access securely over the Internet. This feature — AirPort Disk — is a modest and convenient way to share files among everyone in your family, office or class. Just connect the external hard drive to the USB port on the back of your AirPort Extreme and all the documents, videos, photos and other files on the drive instantly become available to anyone on the secure network, Mac and PC users alike. It is flawless for file sharing, collaborative projects and more.
You can set up password-protected accounts for everyone on the network or permit read-only access to certain files and folders. If you are using OS X Leopard or later, you will see the drive in your Finder sidebar, where it is always available for accessing files and folders.
If you want to exchange files over your wireless network and still have access to a wireless printer, just connect a USB hub to AirPort Extreme and attach your devices to the hub. Share both - a printer and a hard drive, multiple printers, multiple hard drives, or a combination.
You can print documents, photos and more from any room in the house to one central printer. If you want to print a business letter from the living room, or your son wants to print his school report from his bedroom, taking each computer into the den simply to print something is troublesome, and buying a printer for every room is expensive. With wireless printing through AirPort Extreme, it is almost like having a printer in every room of the home or office. AirPort Extreme uses the Mac- and PC-compatible Bonjour networking technology to let everyone on the network take advantage of one centrally available printer.
Just plug the printer into the USB port on the AirPort Extreme Base Station, add it to the printer list on your Mac or PC, and you’re good to print, without a single cable tethering anyone’s computer to the printer. If you want to both print and share a USB hard drive, no problem. Just connect a USB hub to AirPort Extreme and connect.
