How can I tell if my Airport extreme is actually running at "n" speed?

I have an Airport Extreme (802.11n) with an attached HDD that I use for storing photos etc.
When I try to access the photos with my MBP it is extremely slow. (so slow and frustrating that I usually take the notebook and sit beside the HDD so I can plug it in directly ... not exactly convenient)
How can I tell if I'm getting the full performance out of the Airport Extreme?
I have an Airport Express that I use purely for iTunes. It is NOT an 802.11n model. Will the Airport Express force the Airport Extreme to run at 802.11g speeds even if it is only used for AirTunes?
Also I have two iPhones (3G and 3GS) in the apartment that connect to the WiFi network. If I upgrade my Airport Express to be 802.11n will I still get slower (g) network speeds because of the iPhones?
Is there any option other than upgrading to a Time Capsule?
thanks
jonathan

I have an Airport Express that I use purely for iTunes. It is NOT an 802.11n model. Will the Airport Express force the Airport Extreme to run at 802.11g speeds even if it is only used for AirTunes?
Any non-"n" wireless client (including the 802.11g AirPort Express), connected to a "n" network, will reduce the overall available bandwidth for "n" devices. In addition, to allow these devices to connect, your network must operate on the 2.4 GHz radio ... which has a maximum "n" bandwidth of around 130 Mbps. The 5 GHz, with dual-channel enabled, would provide your "n" clients with 300+ Mbps.
Also I have two iPhones (3G and 3GS) in the apartment that connect to the WiFi network. If I upgrade my Airport Express to be 802.11n will I still get slower (g) network speeds because of the iPhones?
Yes.
Is there any option other than upgrading to a Time Capsule?
Yes, you may want to consider reconfiguring your AirPorts for a dual-band network by connecting the AirPort Express Base Station (AX) directly to the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn) by Ethernet. In this configuration, you would have two separate wireless networks, one for the higher speed "n" clients and the other for the "g" clients.

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