Just picked up the AEBS - How should I set up with all my devices?

Question

2010 MBP, 2006 macbook, 2 iPhones, iPad, and Netflix on the Wii.
Will want guest network, WPA2 across the board, different SSIDs for the bands, N for mbp and iPad, and usb HD for both laptops.
Any suggestions for how I should set it up with the above info? Stuff I should look into?
THANKS A TON!

Answer 1

Question - If I select the 5GHz to have it's on SSID, won't that negate the dual band benefit if I'm only connected to one of the bands?
Dual band can be confusing to understand.
The default setup of the AirPort Extreme will assign the same name (SSID) to both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. +This is the setup that most users should use because computers and other devices will automatically connect to the band with the best quality.+
So, if you have a new computer and it's relatively close to the AirPort Extreme, it will probably connect to the 5 GHz band. If it's a few rooms away, it will probably connect to the 2.4 GHz band. Why? 5 GHz signals are faster, but they are not nearly as strong as 2.4 GHz signals, which penetrate obstructions more effectively than 5 GHz.
Unfortunately, the laws of physics dictate that in order to gain something (speed in the case of 5 GHz), you have to give up something in return (distance and penetration power).
If you have an older, slower wireless device, it's going to connect to the 2.4 GHz band whether it is close to the AirPort Extreme or at some distance because it cannot connect to the 5 GHz network.
So, why assign a separate name to the 5 GHz network? The only logical reason to do this is to "force" a computer to connect to the 5 GHz band (even if the signal quality is not as good as the 2.4 GHz band). You can "tell" your computer which band you want it to connect to if you have separate names for the 5 GHz band and 2.4 GHz bands.
If you enable the Guest Network, it is also a dual band affair with both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz components. Both bands are assigned the same name (SSID) on the Guest Network and this cannot be changed. That's probably a good thing.
It will be much easier for +most users+ if they go with the default settings and assign the same name to both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. If you think about it, the computer will automatically connect to the band with the best signal quality (which is really what you want). But, depending on the location of the computer, it may not necessarily be the band with the fastest speed.
I was always under the impression the dual band meant you were connected to both a 2.4 and 5GHz connection and therefore had "dual" the speed
Your computer can only connect to one band, either 2.4 or 5 GHz. It cannot connect to both bands at the same time. Dual band simply means that the router provides a faster and not so fast network with the same name. Computers pick the best band to connect to based on their capability and location relative to the router.
Message was edited by: Bob Timmons