Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (Gigabit) MB053LL/A | One of the best, if not the best pre-N...

Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (Gigabit) MB053LL/A | So Far, So Good

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Apple AirPort Extr...

	Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (Gigabit) MB053LL/A Apple Computer Apple Computer, 2007 average customer review:based on 122 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

One of the best, if not the best pre-N router on the market today

I have been using many wireless routers (Linksys, D-Link, SMC, Netgear, Siemens...) over the years, since the early days of 802.11b, but this is my first experience with an Apple router (second, really: I've just replaced my first generation Airport Extreme router with this one which has a Gigabit switch instead of the original 100BT, so this is an update of the review I posted for the original model)

There is no need to comment on the manufacturing quality, design and packaging: in typical Apple fashion, they're miles ahead of the competition. For instance, unlike all the other routers I ever used that came with a 110v only power supply, the Airport Extreme Base Station (AEBS for short) comes with a universal worldwide power supply equipped with a standard power cord.

Performancewise, it is exceptional. I have been putting it through its paces over the past few days and it's barely breaking a sweat in situations where my previous routers (Linksys WRT54G and Netgear WGN824) would progressively get slower, or just plain crash and require a reboot. Coverage is excellent, better than my WGN824's which was already quite impressive.

Apple has traditionally be doing things differently, and it shows here again: unlike most routers, which are managed by accessing a built-in web server, this router can only be configured using the "Airport Utility" configuration program. The bundled CD contains a Mac OS X and a Windows version of the utility (I can already hear groans from the Linux geeks). The utility is extremely simple to use, although I haven't tried to use the more advanced features such as setting up another router like the Airport Express as a range extender.

One problem you might run into is the lack of support for "legacy" devices: although the AEBS offers a compatibility mode with WEP devices called "WEP (Transitional)" which lets WEP and WPA coexist, this mode imposes restrictions on the keys that may not work for you (for instance you won't be able to reuse an existing 40-bit WEP key). The problem is that WEP-40 and WEP-128 are not compatible with the 802.11n standard, so you have to choose between speed or full backwards compatibility. Also, you should know that WEP-40 and WEP-128 are not very secure: there are utilities out there that can crack these keys easily.

Note that 802.11n gives a significant speed boost to the AppleTV and laptops equipped with compatible cards (such as Apple's Core 2 Duo laptops with the 802.11n enabler installed -- you can find the enabler on the AEBS CD). Unless you own one of these machines, there is no harm in switching to a non-802.11n radio mode. How? Just hold the command key (or control on Windows) while clicking on the "Radio Mode" popup in the Wireless tab of the AEBS configuration utility. Extra, non-n modes appear in the list, and once one is selected the WEP-40 and WEP-128 modes become available under Security. If you select WEP-40 or WEP-128 security, you can enter a hex key by prefixing it with a dollar sign.

The AEBS also comes with a versatile USB port, which can be used to attach hard disks and/or a printer (USB hubs are supported). Unlike other base stations or NAS boxes, the AEBS does not require that you reformat the disk; all you have to do is plug it in and voilà! Instant NAS, all your files show up on the network. Some very basic access control features are provided. I plugged in the external USB drive I use to backup my MacBook, and now I can do automated backups without having to worry about remembering to plug in the drive: it just works wirelessly. The AEBS also lets you share a USB printer.

Now that Apple has released the Time Capsule devices, they've also released a version of firmware (7.3.1) that supports Time Machine in similar fashion. Unfortunately some people complain that this feature does not work reliably for them. I've experienced a more annoying problem: the Nortel Contivity VPN software I use to connect to my office network no longer works reliably. I found out on Apple's forums that this is a fairly common complaint and a known problem, so I assume it will be fixed in the next release; reverting firmware to version 7.2.1 fixed the problem (and disabled Time Machine support).

In conclusion, this router is a fantastic performer. Although it's one of the most expensive 802.11n routers out there, its feature set, build quality, performance and top-notch customer support more than make up for the price difference. Despite a couple of quirks, I recommend it highly -- although if you need Time Machine support you're better off buying Time Capsule at least until Apple addresses the problems in firmware 7.3.1.

EDIT - Firmware 7.3.2 was released on 6/30/2008, and I have had no problems using the Nortel Contivity VPN since installing it.

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So Far, So Good

I bought this unit because of how easy Apple products are to set up. I have a brand new Dell 1720 w/Vista and the network connected right away...I know nothing about setting up networks...but with a little computer intuition, I got through it. Connecting my WD 500GB External Drive was another story, but this is because Apple doesn't mention that external drives MUST be formated as FAT32 and NOT NTFS, which my drive was. Since the Extreme wasn't recognizing my external drive as NTFS, I had to transfer all my file to the laptop, and then reformat the WD drive as FAT32, but only after downloading some software from WD to get it back to a single FAT32 drive. I wish Apple would state that the Extreme will not recognize NTFS to begin with. Other than that, it's great, fast and nice looking.

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perfect!

I have been putting off going wireless for far too long.......ordered AIRPORT EXTREME from Amazon, at a discount no less (apple products rarely are on sale), and COUNDNT BE HAPPIER!!!!

Great Wi-Fi Base Station, but expensive

The Apple AirPort Extreme is an excellent device, that being said there are a couple of things I would like to mention.

1- If you use an Apple Computer with built in Wi-Fi, forgo the Airport Extreme's automatic channel selection for a single channel setting (I've set mine to channel #9 and have had zero disconnects and a rock solid connection for several Months).
2- Would be nice if this device was a little less expensive, but we pay a premium for an Apple product.

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apple router a bit slow

it is the only router to work with a macbook but its really slow. Apple is no real help on the phone about it either

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, page 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

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