I Have "New" MBP (Mid 2009) and Would Like to Use Airport Extreme

Question

This might be a very basic question , but I do not know the answer so I came to some experts for help. I have a "new" MBP OS 10.6.4 SL. I received it about 1 month ago after the genius bar could not fix a 3 year-old MBP. At one time the Airport Extreme was hooked up when I first got the 3-year-old MBP, but I kept running into troubles with it so I purchased a Verizon MiFi2200.
I have this new MBP, I still have the MiFi2200 from Verizon which I access via Airport. I would like to try the 3 year-old Airport Extreme again, but I am wondering if having the Verizon MiFi2200 will allow me to also have the Airport Extreme. Also, I am wondering if this Airport Extreme is too old for what is currently available (and if it is secure enough). I would need to get help from Applecare. I tried once, when I first started having trouble with it, and it was way beyond my ability. I think I made things worse and I hope I did not do any hardware damage. I tried to set it up, after having it disconnected for about 2 years, and I did not call applecare.
So I am wondering if I can have the MiFi2200 installed by VZAccessManager (but turned off when I use the Airport Extreme) and the 3 year-old Airport Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi Base Station set-up at the same time. Also, is this model still OK to use (I really have no idea how long something like this Airport Extreme is good to use), and if I can use it, are there online instructions to set it up or would it be best to get Applecare's help. I would also like to know how I could find out if there have been any firmware updates or other updates for this Airport Extreme since it was last used (about 2 years ago)
thanks in advance and I apologize if my terminology is not correct or too amateurish.

Answer 1

OK, I am not following you exactly and I guess it is important to know what the existing set-up is like. Maybe you will understand my amateurish language. Before I moved in to this condo, the manager of the complex asked me if I need to use the ethernet ports in the rooms or will I be setting up a wireless connection. I said, for now I will be using the ethernet ports in the rooms of the condo. She said Ok, I will be up to your condo to put in a modem. (She could have said router or modem, I am not sure if there is a difference, but I do know the Airport Extreme is considered a router.) She opened this box that is on the wall while she said this is where the "T1" line comes into your condo, and T1 (I think I have the right term she used) is the fastest way to get around the internet. In the box in the wall is an electrical outlet (which the tiny blue modem (I will call this a modem because I am not sure what it is) is plugged into. In the back of the tiny blue modem are 5 ethernet ports and that is all, except for the power cord which connects to the side of the tiny blue modem. In the box, already screwed into place is a CAT5 ethernet strip, for lack of a better term that has 12 ethernet ports but only 4 are actually marked. I think the four that are marked are the ones that can be used, if I needed this many, but I am only using 3 and the ethernet cable goes from one of the ethernet ports on this CAT5 strip which is connected to the T1 line, and one of the 3 ethernet cables goes from the back of the tiny blue modem to one of the ethernet ports on this CAT5 strip (one that is marked as previously described) So I can hook up to the internet by using one of the 3 ethernet plugs in the various rooms of the condo or I can use the MiFi2200 from Verizon for a wireless connection. I have already told you why I prefer not to use the Verizon MiFi2200 and why I would like to set-up my Airport Extreme.
As far as wanting to use the existing ethernet ports in the 3 rooms, I do not care about that unless the Airport Extreme does not work. The manager who initially hooked up the tiny blue modem said if I want a wireless connection I do not need the tiny blue modem. If I do want to use the ethernet ports in the rooms via an ethernet cable, I need the tiny blue modem. If this is tru or if I can have one and not the other, I really did not get a sense I could or could not have both a wireless and ethernet connections at the same time.
Why would I want to plug the 3 or 4 ethernet cables that go from the tiny blue modem to the ethernet strip? The ethernet strip has about 10 ethernet ports, 3 of which are marked and I assume only those 3 can be used since there are only 3 actual ethernet ports in the walls in various room for connection.
I know this is a different set-up but when I used the Airport Extreme before, I had a cable come in to my house from Comcast which was hooked up to a modem. One ethernet cable went from the modem to the back of the Airport Extreme which after Applecare helped me set up the Airport Extreme the whole house was wireless.
In this condo, which is smaller than the house I had, why do I need all 3 ethernet cables to go from the CAT5 strip to the back of the Airport Extreme? Again, on the 12 port CAT5 strip, only 3 are labeled with some code, and those 3 go out to the wall ethernet ports.
Are you getting ready to give up on me?