General Airport Extreme questions

I have some general questions regarding the dual band technology and how it relates to my specific setup. A bit of background:
I have 20Mbps cable internet and I am running the new Airport Extreme on a pc running XP to broadcast my wireless signal. I have an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPad. I also have an Airport Express that I use in bridge mode so that I can connect my PS3 in a wired fashion.
My questions:
-How do wireless networks work when you have both "g" and "n" devices? (which I do)
Does the router send out simultaneously a 2.4 and 5.0 signal for each capable device to pick up? Do the g devices pick up the 2.4 signal while the n devices pick up the 5.0? Or do all devices pick up the 2.4 signal since there are non "n" rated devices on the network? I have read many conflicting ideas on this.
- I have spoken with multiple Apple customer service people and have gotten differing advice on how to improve my devices' connectivity to the network as I have been experiencing unacceptable levels of interference on all devices.
One rep reccomended that in the Airport Utilities, under wireless options that I check the 5GHz box to setup a seperate 5GHZ network for the n devices. Another rep dismissed this idea.
Does creating this new 5.0 network keep the network signal from being bumped down to "g" speeds when "g" rated devices are connected?
How am I to better off setting my networks up so that my n devices as well as my g devices get the best performance and connectivity?
-I use an Airport Express in bridge mode with my PS3 and it seems to be helping my connections speeds. When I was connected wirelessly, the speeds would either be non-existent or unacceptable. I know the PS3 has a "g" antenna. I have the airport express connected to the 5.0ghz wireless network in Airport Utilities. Am I actally now connecting to the 5.0ghz signal and converting to the PS3 at higher bandwidth then I would be otherwise if I was connected to the 2.4ghz wireless signal?
I appologize for the longwinded post.
Any insight I will be most appreciated as I am banging my head against the wall here.
Scott

The default setup for the AirPort Extreme provides a dual band wireless network with a Radio Mode that looks like this:
802.11a/n --- 802.11n/g/b
The 5 GHz band is on the left and the 2.4 GHz is on the right of the --- dashes
Also as a default, the same wireless network name is used for both bands. The theory here is that any device will automatically connect to the best signal quality. This works great for older "g" devices because they can only connect to the 2.4 GHz band, so you know where they will be at all times. You never need to be concerned about a "g" device slowing down a faster "n" device on the 5 GHz band because the "g" device cannot even connect to the 5 GHz band.
But note that newer "n" devices can connect to either the 5 GHz band or the 2.4 GHz band. So, it's possible that you may have a "n" device and a "g" device on the 2.4 GHz band and the "n" connection will slow a bit if the "g" device is really active.
It gets a bit more complicated if you have a new iPhone, which can connect at "n" speeds, but only to the 2.4 GHz band. The new iPad can connect to either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz.
Most users are better off if they leave the settings as recommended on the AirPort Extreme. That's because each device will connect to the band with the best available signal quality. Isn't that what you really want?
If you will concentrate on signal quality, which is a combination of signal strength and low noise, you'll be fine.
Most problems arise when users think that they want to connect to the 5 GHz band because the speeds can be faster there. So, they assign a separate name to the 5 GHz network and then "point" their computer at that band. The potential issue with doing this is that 5 GHz signals are much weaker than 2.4 GHz signals.
So, if the computer is several rooms away and you have "forced" it to connect to 5 GHz, you are likely telling it to connect to a signal that is both +weaker and slower+ than the 2.4 GHz signal at that location. The signal always slows down as it moves further from the router or encounters obstructions.
As I said, most users will do well to use the default settings and let each device find the best connection automatically. With a mix of a number of devices, you'll never be able to find the single "perfect" setting. With wireless, there are always compromises. No way to avoid that, I'm afraid.

Similar Messages

Airport extreme question

This may sound like a stupid question is the airport extreme wireless card that is built into the macbook compatable with all wireless networks? Just curios because i have a router at my house and the box only mentions PC's.

yes it does support all routers. for example, i have a motorola wireless router (for pcs?) connected to my hp desktop computer. my macbook connects very very easily with the router. when i turned on my macbook after i opened it up. the macbook found the wireless router automatically!!!!!!! no problems whatesoever! i connects to it effortlessly everytime i turn on my macbook! so enjoy!
macbook Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Airport Extreme question from a possible buyer....

Hey all!
I was thinking about buying an Airport Extreme so I can wirelessly backup to my hard drive for my macbook. The price I can deal with, don't worry, but here is my question:
Can I use the Airport Extreme with my current router?
Currently, I am using a BT Home Hub (v1.0) with a belkin router (with the DHCP not set to give out ip addresses) which extends my network (perfectly) and gives out the same ip addresses the Home Hub does.
Can I replace the Belkin Router with an Airport Extreme? This is so I can extend the network and share my hard drive so that all mac users in my house can backup.
For this to work, I need to be able to disable DHCP on the Airport Extreme and insert my LAN ethernet cable into the WAN port (is that right??) and hopefully the Airport Extreme will send out the same network that the Home Hub does.
-- Can I do this? --
Reason I am asking is because I don't want to fork out loads of money on an Airport Extreme, only to find out it doesn't work and be really disappointed and have wasted £120!!
Thanks, James

Hi James,
I use a similar setup, usually without any problem. The last week has been a different story though, both in function and in Apple's responsiveness to problems. I would recommend reading the thread here before making the purchase. At the very least, it would be a good idea to wait until Apple acknowledges the problem and brings a fix forward.

Using a second AirPort Extreme: Many questions

I currently have the older A1143 AirPort Extreme (the first model with "draft N" capability). Have had it since 2007.
I want to get the newer APE model A1408 for better range, speed, and other improvements. This has the "final N" specs.
My questions are:
Can I use the older APE to extend the range of the new APE so that I have better coverage through the house?
Will using the older APE with its "draft N" spec downgrade the quality of the signal with the new APE?
Would I be better off to fork over the money for a new AirPort Express to work as a second router to extend the range of the new APE A1408? Or would the older A1143 Extreme be a better choice as a second router?
Is there a difference between "extending" with a second APE and setting up a Wireless Distribution System? In other words, is "extending" the same thing as setting up a WDS?
If this is a good idea, any general advice on setup?
Sorry for all the questions. Thanks in advance for any help.

Can I use the older APE to extend the range of the new APE so that I have better coverage through the house?
Yes, with the note that your single band AirPort Extreme (AEBS) will only be able to extend one band...probably the 2.4 GHz band...of your dual band AEBS router.
Will using the older APE with its "draft N" spec downgrade the quality of the signal with the new APE?
No, the final "N" specifications adopted were essentially identical to "draft N"
Would I be better off to fork over the money for a new AirPort Express to work as a second router to extend the range of the new APE A1408? Or would the older A1143 Extreme be a better choice as a second router?
There would be no advantage other than possibly some size and space savings using the AirPort Express. In case you want to attach a remote hard drive to the device...you can do this with the AEBS, but not the AirPort Express (AX).
Is there a difference between "extending" with a second APE and setting up a Wireless Distribution System? In other words, is "extending" the same thing as setting up a WDS?
You would definitely want to avoid using the older static WDS system because it only operates in "g" wireless mode...and on top of that, there would be a tremendous bandwidth penalty using this type of setup as well.
If this is a good idea, any general advice on setup?
Remember that the extending device can only "extend" the quality of signal that it receives if you are planning to try to configure things using wireless only. So, location is critical....ideally, you want line-of-sight or as close to that as possible between the "main" AEBS and the "extending" AEBS.
The "best" way to extend a wireless network is to connect the "main" and "extending" AEBS devices using a wired Ethernet cable connection, but that involves some drilling and other probable challenges.

A PC user's questions about Airport Extreme & Airport Express

Hi all,
I have a few questions regarding both the Airport Extreme AC and the Airport Express.
I am a PC user who is currently looking at replacing my Cisco Linksys EA4500(primary router) and my Linksys E2500(bridge router) due to the lack of regular firmware updates that Linksys fails to provide for their routers and the fact that I simply find Linksys products to be buggy.. Based on my research, Apple's Airport Extreme N and the AC versions have received excellent reviews on Amazon and I am considering purchasing both the Airport Extreme AC(to replace my Linksys EA4500) and the Airport Express(to replace my Linksys E2500).
Before I get to my questions, let me be frank in saying that I do not have a Mac(but intend to after my desktop dies) at this time but in my house we have two iPhone 4s's and one iPad 2 as far as Apple products are concerned. My computer network consists of my HP Windows 7 based desktop and HP Windows 7 laptop and I have a home ethernet in every room in the house . In addition, my den's ethernet connection is connected as Ethernet wall jack in which the connections include---->Ethernet switch------>Tivo---->Playstation 3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii/----->Samsung Smart TV---->Linksys E2500.
My questions are as follows:
1. Initial/Out of the box set up: Based on what I have read here, it is possible for a PC user to setup the Airport Extreme by downloading the Airport Extreme utility software from Apple. However I have been confused based on what I have read on Amazon in that some users report that the initial setup can only be done using a Mac. Would someone from this forum kindly clairify this for me? Can I set up the Airport Extreme with my network assuming that I have previously downloaded an installed Apple's Airport Extreme Utility for the PC?
2. Using the Airport Express as a wireless bridge: Currently my Linksys E2500 serves as my secondary router in my den in bridge mode. Can I set up an Airport Express as a wireless bridge assuming I was sucessfully in setting up my Airport Extreme? On Linksys products this is done by setting the router in bridge mode and assigning it a specific IP address within the bridge router's settings. So for example, my Linksys E2500 has a 192.168.1.1X IP address, can I do this with the Airport Extreme? Note the the intention here for the extra router in my den to provide additional wireless coverage due to the size of my home. I do not need it to provide me with the same wireless network name as my primary router, I only want to provide the back of my house with additional wireless coverage that a primary router will not provide.
3. Router Security and reliability: I would like the router that I purchase to include regular firmware updates beyond that of one year. Especially now that most modern routers have some sort of cloud set up, I wouldn't want to purchase a router today, only to find out that I wouldn't be able to update its firmware one year from now. With respect to Apple's routers, how often does Apple release firmware and typically speaking; how long will Apple support additional firmware releases for its products?
Thanks to anyone who reads and responds to my long post!

The one problem is Apple using their own automatic port opening system.. NAT-PMP which is fine for apple clients but will not work with almost anything else made which depends on UPNP ..
There are lots of hassles with PS3 and XBox live and anything that depends on standard automatic port opening for interactive internet connection.
Manually opening ports is possible but a pain.
eg
AirPort Extreme and xbox 360
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5385065?tstart=0
I do agree with John Galt that the Apple products are well made and generally great.. they did have a bad capacitor failure issue in the Gen1 and Gen2 TC which he may have forgotten about.. I have repaired about 200 of the bludgers. And there was a dedicated site to pressure apple to fix them.. with 2500 recorded dead TC.
See http://timecapsuledead.org/
See
https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modem s/apple-time-capsule-repair
And some ongoing issues.. even post getting that fixed up.
https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modem s/apple-time-capsule-repair/new-issue-with-a1355-gen-3-tc
But the AEBS had external power supply so didn't add to the heat of built in HDD and power supply in a case too small without cooling. New ones seem to have learnt the lessons of the past in that the power supply is internal but they use a fan system to keep it cool.
See http://www.ifixit.com/Device/Apple_Time_Capsule for internal construction.. TC and AEBS are now identical except for the hard disk.
An option worth considering is using a router with third party source firmware.
You are then never cut off from great updated firmware.. and you can do amazingly more with the fuller setup that includes Telnet cli and extensive interface on the GUI.
Eg Gargoyle on a Netgear WNDR3800 or even cheaper TP-Link WDR3600 or WDR4300.
These offer full QoS, not in Apple products.
Full throttling controls, not in Apple products.
Quota, not in any other products in domestic market at all.
NAT-PMP and UPNP, not in Apple products.
VPN, not in Apple products.
Multiple VLAN, Multiple IP addressing, not in Apple producs.
SMTP, which Apple removed from all their new products.. no reason why.
Log access, which Apple removed from the new airport utility.. no reason why.
etc.
If for some reason that firmware doesn't suit.. you can flash over to DD-WRT, or OPENWRT.. etc. in other words you are never again beholden to the manufacturer who after the product is EOL is also end of support.

Several Questions: Airport Extreme, Wireless Internet, AOL

I have several questions...
First does anyone know which printer brands/models are compatable with the new Airport Extreme?
Second, I recently made the switch from PC to Mac and the first time I tried to connect wirelessly to the internet, it was unsuccessful. If I wish to connect to a non Mac server, is there a special setting airport must be on?
Third, My AOL browser is going much slower then Safari and it has gotton progressivly worse! I can't even use instant messanger and it takes forever to surf the web. However, ichat and safari work just fine and my other windows computer has no problem with AOL. Is there an explanation for this?
Thanks... Answer which ever questions you know the answer to!

Regarding compatible printers:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25403
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25407
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107456
For general wireless connectivity:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303595
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106858
http://www.apple.com/support/airport/
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=2005093011343164
Suggestions from MacFixit for Fixing Airport Woes
- Try changing the wireless specification mode used by your router (or base station). Try switching from 802.11g to 802.11b, for instance.
- Disabling coconutWiFi-- an application displays you a small aqua-bubble at the top of your screen which indicates whether you're in range of a wireless network or not -- may resolve an issue where AirPort connections toggle between normal speed and dismal speed.
- Delete all stored wireless networks from the Preferred networks list, then add back any used networks via the following process:
Open System Preferences
Go to the "Network' pane
Select "AirPort" from the "Show:" menu
Click on the "AirPort" tab
Select "Preferred networks" from the "By default, join:" menu
Delete any networks from the list (using the "-" button) that you do not regularly use
Click the "Apply Now" button
- Reset the PMU.
- Turn off the Mac OS X Firewall (in the Sharing pane of System Preferences) resolved the issues in his case.
- In some cases, deleting the AirPort preferences can resolve the issue:
/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
Finally, AOL. AOL's application is a PPC-only application so it must run in the Rosetta emulation on an Intel Mac. This consumes additional RAM and CPU resources and causes PPC apps to run slower (aside from the fact that AOL is painfully slow anyway.) The problem will seem aggravated even more if you have less than 2 GBs of RAM installed. I recommend not using AOL. If they are your ISP you might consider getting a different one. You have Safari which is a far superior browser.
Why reward points?(Quoted from Discussions Terms of Use.)
The reward system helps to increase community participation. When a community member gives you (or another member) a reward for providing helpful advice or a solution to their question, your accumulated points will increase your status level within the community.
Members may reward you with 5 points if they deem that your reply is helpful and 10 points if you post a solution to their issue. Likewise, when you mark a reply as Helpful or Solved in your own created topic, you will be awarding the respondent with the same point values.

Few questions about Airport Extreme/Express

I have a few questions about Airport extreme/express:
1 Can you access hard drive trough express?
2 I have cable NOT wireless modem. What would be the best option (speed-wise) to connect to internet- connect modem to Extreme and access internet wirelessly from it? To connect modem to Extreme and imac?
3 How fast is read/ write from hard drive connected to Extreme?
4 How many hard drives can you connect to Extreme (or Express if that is possible)?
5 Can you remotely sync Ipod nano/ shuffle using Extreme?
I really hate wire clutter around my desk. What I intend to do is to connect hard drives and printer to Airport Extreme and access them remotely. That would leave empty desk:).
Thanks

1. You cannot connect a hard drive to the Airport Express USB port.
2. The speed of wireless networking is faster than the speed of most cable internet services. Therefore, you won't notice any difference in your internet connection speed between (a) a cabled connection directly between Mac and modem or (b) a wireless connection between Mac and base station and modem.
3. Apple has not published any specs on the speed of hard drive access for the Airport Extreme N Base Station. Several people have posted their own measurements (do a search in this discussion forum), and generally those results are not very good.
4. Apple has not placed a limit on the number of drives you can attach to the Airport Extreme N Base Station (with use of a hub). How many do you want to connect?
5. You cannot remotely sync an iPod using the Extreme Base Station.

Voltage specs and international question about Airport Extreme (802.11n)

I'm about to travel to Korea to teach English for a year so I'm preparing all my electronic gear for the journey and I've come to a curious question involving the Airport Extreme with 802.11n.
First of all, I'm worried about voltage (Korea runs on 220v / 60Hz). For most hard drives (and Apple hardware in general it seems) the power supply is auto-switching 100-240v 50/60 Hz, but when I looked at the official specs for the Airport Extreme (hereafter AEBS) this info is conspicuously absent. The AEBS itself runs on 12V DC power, which is listed in the specs, but the input tolerance for the AC adapter isn't mentioned. I checked the specs for the Time Capsule since the hardware is presumably very similar and it is explicitly 100-240v. Likewise the replacement power supply available from Apple is listed as 100-240v, but since it is a replacement part I'm not sure if it is the exact same make as the adapter that ships with the AEBS in North America. If someone knows the definitive specs, I would appreciate an answer.
Secondly, when I tried searching the Korean Apple site (www.apple.co.kr) for specs on the Korean version of the AEBS to see if it was the same, I discovered that the Airport Extreme isn't available in Korea (although the Airport Express and Time Capsule). Does anyone know why this is? Is it possible the Airport Extreme doesn't comply with Korean wireless standards (I know the iPhone isn't being released in Korea because of laws about middleware that must be installed on cellular phones in Korea)? It seems safe given the availability of the Time Capsule in Korea, but does anyone have any specific knowledge about the Airport Extreme or Wi-fi regulations in Korea?
Sorry if this is a strange question, but I'd appreciate insight from the more experienced/advanced Apple users out there.
-Matt Tranquada

Thanks for the response. I guess what I would like to know is if I am closer to the newer 802.11n AE base station with my laptop, will it ignore the older base station and communicate directly with the stronger signal, or does it communicate with the weaker, more distant signal. Does the laptop automatically determine which base station has a stronger signal and choose it, or is it fixed which base station the laptop communicates with?

Silly question, maybe. I want to change from Verizon DSL to cable, but cable company doesn't supply router. can I use my Airport Extreme as wireless router?

We currently have the following wireless home-network configuration, powered by Verizon DSL.
2 macbook pro’s
1 emachine
HP PhotoSmart 6122 all-in-one printer
Apple TV
Apple Airport Extreme Base Port A 1408
Westell 7500 router
Thinking I’d get wider wireless coverage throughout my 2 bedroom home, I purchased the Airport Extreme. It is connected to the router via its sole usb port. The result was only a tiny increase in speed, and no increase in coverage, so I don’t know why I have it.
We now want to change from DSL to cable, thus ditching Verizon. Our new cable provider supplies the cable box, but no router for wireless networking.
Here are my questions.
Can I use the Airport Extreme (AE) as a wireless router?
If so, how should I hook it up? Should the usb cable go from the AE to the cable box, and all the other devices connect wirelessly?
If not, how should I be using the AE to some advantage? What can I get out of the investment?
Thank you very much for your help! Beatriz

What I wrote has nothing to do with what the cable company charges for their installation. And, usually they will help with the router setup even if you supply your own router. I don't know what they will charge for the modem.
Note that you need to get just a modem. You don't want a modem/router combination. That will make using an AEBS effectively nearly impossible. You will need to ask specifically for just a standalone modem, and that you will supply your own router.

Question re: multiple wireless devices and the Duel Band Airport Extreme

I recently purchased the new duel-band Airport Extreme. Prior to that I had the single band Airport Extreme. I’m a bit confused about how it works and have spent a good bit of time trying to find the answers on the web, but nothing really addresses my specific question so I’m coming to the experts.
I have a number of wireless devices throughout my house… a couple of Roku boxes, two iPads, two iPods running Pandora, a MacBook and an older model Apple TV etc.
Both of the iPods are 802.11 G. The iPads can handle N.
One Roku is 802.11 G and the other can handle N.
I am confused about configuring the Airport Extreme. It’s my understanding that if I just go with the basic setup of creating a network and selecting Automatic for the Radio Mode and Channel that all of my devices will automatically connect to the most appropriate band for the best throughput for that particular device.
I have tried configuring the Airport Extreme as I mentioned above, as well as setting it up with the 5GHz Network Name field selected. I gave this a different name so I would be able to distinguish between the two networks when selecting one on my iPad. I will refer to the fist configuration as Setup A and the second (naming the 5 GHZ Network ) as Setup B.
When I use Setup A all of my devices show one available network to connect to. I select that network and all is well.
When I use Setup B the devices show two available networks, the original and the one I named on the 5GHz Network Name Filed.
My iPod’s ( 802.11 G ) only display the name of the first network, but my iPad’s show both, and I can select either. The signal strength on the 5GHz channel only dislplays two bars on the signal strength indicator icon, but the other network is full bars.
When I use Setup A, is my iPad, Roku and MacBook automatically selecting the 5GHz AND the N connection? How do I know that it’s not using the G band? Is it best to just go with the automatic settings and trust that I’m getting the best connections? How does it know weather to connect to the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. What determines that ?
Sorry for the rambling questions but the more I think about it the more confused I get about all of the possible combinations of connectivity possibilities.
I appreciate any attempts at making this a “teachable moment” for me :- )
Thanks !
Chuck
Message was edited by: ChuckLD

Welcome to the discussion area!
The signal strength on the 5GHz channel only dislplays two bars on the signal strength indicator icon, but the other network is full bars.
Not surprising, because the much higher frequency 5 GHz signals are absorbed much more quickly by any obstructions than 2.4 GHz signals. Everything is a trade off. In return for higher speeds, you must give up distance capability and penetration power with 5 GHz. It's not exactly true that you have to have a line-of-sight arrangement between the router and computer with 5 GHz, but many users are finding that to be the case for good, reliable performance.
How does it know weather to connect to the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. What determines that ?
The signal strength. If your computer is capable of connecting at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, it will choose the band with the higher signal strength...assuming that both bands have the same network name. The only way you can "force" a device to connect to the 5 GHz band is set it up with a different name and point your computer to that specific network.
For most users, the way to go is setup both bands with the same wireless network name and let devices connect to the strongest signal automatically.

Airport Extreme and Time Capsule – A few questions

Hey guys,
I have a Belkin Modem/Router with a USB port for storage, but I just found out it only has 10/100 Ethernet, and can only mount 1 hard drive to that storage port. Other than that, it works fine and I am happy with it. Its stated wireless speed is 300mbps, and it supports 802.11n draft 2.0.
I also just got a Mac, and was considering a Time Capsule for using Time Machine (Or, because am also considering a Drobo, just a straight Airport Extreme).
So my questions are:
1. Is there any point in keeping the Belkin to use as my modem if it’s got 10/100 Ethernet ports? Will that make the Time Capsule/APE (And hence the attached drives/devices) perform at the slower speed?
2. I don’t know if I can just “turn off” the Belkins Router abilities anyway. Assuming I can’t, will having 2 routers on my network even be possible? (Mac’s software is infinitely more user friendly, and I’d want to use it for my network).
3. Is there a limit to how many Hard Drives I can connect to an Airport Extreme/Time Capsule? (My Belkin can only share one, even via a USB Hub – it only sees the first drive.)
4. For now, my storage drives are standard HDD’s from WD and Seagate, but I am considering a Drobo (Some form of RAID storage is happening in the next few months, for sure).
In either case:
a) Will Airport Extreme recognize my External Hard Drive as a Time Machine Backup Destination? (And as a Drive to store other media)
b) Will Time Capsule recognize my external hard drive, in addition to itself (Since it’s also a Hard Drive?)
5. This page: ((http://www.apple.com/airportextreme/features/harddrivesharing.html) says: “You can set up password-protected accounts for everyone on the network or allow read-only access to certain files and folders.”
Some folders, I don’t even want to allow read only access to. Can I require a password before they can be viewed, or modified/deleted? (If I go the time capsule rout, I would want to protect the drives attached to it, and probably not the HD on the capsule itself).
6. Also, the rest of my computers are PC’s, and I was wondering if it’s possible (and safe) to set up time machine to backup to the time capsule for Mac, and allow the other PC’s to backup to it using their version of “Time Machine” too?
I know this will leave less room for mac and PC backups, but it would free up room on my Drobo / HDD’s
7. Can Time Machine backup wirelessly to other drives, such as http://shop.nextbyte.com.au/Script/MCH/Products/532195-NextByte-WDBACG0020HCHAES N-WD-My-Book-Live-2TB
Thanks so much for your help.
P.S. Can anyone recommend a good modem to use with the Airprort/Time Capsule?

No help?

Ordered the Airport Extreme Base Station - some questions if you can help?

I have a Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit IBM ThinkPad T500 laptop I need to connect, and a Windows Vista PC. The ThinkPad has a built-in wirless N card and the Vista has a Belkin N+ USB wireless adapter. Can these both find and connect to the Airport without me installing any software (Bonjour etc) on them?
Since they are using the N+ wireless cards, will they connect to the Airport at 2GHZ or 5GHZ speed? If they can connect at either speed, what controls that?
I also have a MACPro desktop. I was hoping to configure my airport using it and hoped not to have to worry about configuring the other 2 pcs.
My old router was a Belkin n+ 2GHz router. Could I use that router as a repeater with the Airport. How can I do that?
Thanks for any help on these questions.

Welcome to the discussions, Michael!
I can't help on your Windows / PC related questions, but can offer some input on the last two questions.
+"I also have a MACPro desktop. I was hoping to configure my airport using it and hoped not to have to worry about configuring the other 2 pcs."+
You will use AirPort Utility to configure the AirPort Extreme. It should already be on your Mac. Check Hard Drive > Applications > Utilties > AirPort Utility. This will also come on the installation CD.
+"My old router was a Belkin n+ 2GHz router. Could I use that router as a repeater with the Airport. How can I do that?"+
In order to "extend" a wireless network created by the AirPort Extreme(n), you would need another AirPort Extreme, an AirPort Express, or a Time Capsule. The Belkin would not be compatible with an Apple base station for this purpose.
If you connected an ethernet cable from the AirPort Extreme or used a pair of ethernet powerline adapters, then you could possibly configure the Belkin to create a wireless network, but unless it was 5 GHz capable, you would not be able to mimic the 5 GHz "main" network that the Extreme would be creating.

Airport extreme on questionable G4...how can I tell if it's been harmed?

Hello,
My nephew has a G4 desktop, 466 MHz processor that he bought an airport card for. The store selling it sold him an extreme card, saying that that was the correct one for his Mac. That was months ago and it's never worked. In fact every time he boots up the Mac with the card installed, he gets a series of flashing icons before seeing the calming gray apple start up screen.
The first flash is of a flashing blue globe icon. It flashes for about 3 times before a file folder flashes with a question mark in it. I think it's the same kind of icon for an OS 9, though my nephew's OS is 10.2.8. The file folder flashes maybe 4 times before the correct apple icon shows up and starts working normally.
I know nothing about airport cards. But I have looked in this apple forum before and have been amazed at how helpful everyone is. I came across some documentation saying that the Extreme card is good for only one kind of G4 - that with a FW 800. I am guessing that nephew's mac does not have FW800 since the processor is not very speedy. And the other posts I've read said that using such a card can harm the computer if it's in the wrong one.
I've taken the actual card out of the Mac and still get the same series of flashing icons. I don't know if my nephew's also bought the adapter that you have to manually install in the computer.
Can someone please advise me on how to stop this series of flashes, and how to determine and fix if necessary any damage done to the computer? The computer has not been used much since my nephew has been unable to connect wirelessly to the internet.
Thank you very much for your help.
Maria
Mac G4 Mac OS X (10.2.x)

lastcall26, Welcome to the discussion area!
...I am guessing that nephew's mac does not have FW800 since the processor is not very speedy...
You are correct. Your nephew's G4 466 MHz is NOT compatible with the AirPort Extreme card. That G4 requires the original AirPort card.
And the other posts I've read said that using such a card can harm the computer if it's in the wrong one.
That is also true.
I don't know if my nephew's also bought the adapter that you have to manually install in the computer.
There is no adapter.
Can someone please advise me on how to stop this series of flashes...
Open the Startup Disk preference pane and ensure that the correct OS X system is selected as the startup folder.
...and how to determine and fix if necessary any damage done to the computer?
(a) Run the tests form the Apple Hardware Test disc that came with that Mac.
(b) Install an original AirPort card and see if it works.

A few questions from someone considering whether to buy an Airport Extreme

Hi there,
I've spent the last couple of months grapping with an APPALLINGLY bad router from D-Link that has had more problems I can count on all my fingers and toes. I'm deciding between whether to replace it with kit from Netgear, Belkin or Apple. If anyone here who has Apple's net connection hardware could help me out with either of the questions below I would be most grateful and award points accordingly.
Q1.) What is the difference between the new 'AirPort Extreme Base Station' and an 'Airport Express Base Station with AirTunes'? I can't figure it out and am therefore unsure as to which I would need.
Q2.) It is essential for me that the access to the utilities or management interface (whatever you wish to call it) for the router is secure. I have a nightmare of a brother, who would do just about anything to be able to tinker with the settings to stop family members getting online everytime he gets annoyed with us, so it's essential that I can set up a password so only my dad and I can use it. Does Apple's gear allow this?
Thanks alot for your time,
Charity

Thank-you so much, that table is fantastic for comparing things. At first I thought the 'AX' was a like a range booster or repeater, but as I understand it now, it can either act as a booster for a network using another router, or it can work as your main router itself.
I have concerns about the quality, reliability and lifespan of both the AEBS and the AX, as there are some bad reviews on the Apple Store pages, so that's a risk I'll have to weigh up against the Belkin and Netgear routers by having a look around online to see which ones seem to have the better track record. Nothing can be as bad as the D-Link, that much I know for sure.
Thanks for the help.

I have several questions: 1. When I connect my Iphone using Wi-Fi what can I then do? Why won't my Iphone recognize my home network run off of Airport Extreme, and the app Nike Ipod sensor never activates.

I went to Starbucks this morning and my Wi-Fi on my Verizon Iphone connected, what does this allow me to do? My Wi-Fi does not recognize my home network from which I connect wirelessly to my MacBookPro and to my Apple TV using Airport Extreme router, why? Lastly, what do about the app NIke + Ipod not working. The sensor does not activate even after walking a half mile.

It might be best to ask only one question in each post otherwise you may never be able to mark them as solved.
I went to Starbucks this morning and my Wi-Fi on my Verizon Iphone connected, what does this allow me to do?
It should allow you to access the internet, read mail, etc.
My Wi-Fi does not recognize my home network from which I connect wirelessly to my MacBookPro and to my Apple TV using Airport Extreme router, why?
Try restarting your router (remove power for 30 seconds and restart). It may not be properly assigning an IP address to your iPhone.

General Airport Extreme questions

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for