AirPort Extreme worth it?

Gurudefence

Gurudefence

Gurudefence

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Hello all,

I've recently converted to Apple after buying a discounted 2010 iMac. However, I'm having serious wireless issues.

I'm currently using a WRT54G Linksys v2.2 router... Unfortunately, I have learnt everything that I know about networks through trial and error. Since this is my first mac, I am stumped...

PC, laptop and XBOX 360 are all working in the house. I'm receiving a connection but it is very minimal. Router is about 40 feet away.

Would it be wise to buy the extreme? Or should I buy a more up to date Linksys?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks :)
 
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I'm not sure you can really go wrong either way. I personally have an airport extreme currently and it's been superb. The wireless reception is good and the usb port is handy (got 2 hard drives and a printer hooked up currently).

Just out of curiosity though, have you tried changing the wireless channel you're using? If there are other networks nearby you might be getting interference.
 
Thanks for the response, Dru.

Haven't changed the channel as of yet. I've noticed that there's less setup options on a mac. For example, on a pc, you have to enter which wep key you are using. You also have to enter which channel you are using. This isn't the case on a mac?

I'll play around with the channels tonight but I guess a 2005 wireless router is pretty old these days :)
 
I've got a 2007 Airport Extreme.

All I can say is that it has been flawless!

I'd buy one of the new dual band ones in a flash if this one ever dies (1000 days uptime and counting!)

Edit: Also you don't ever have to enter channel when connecting a PC to WiFi!? What OS are you using!?!?
 
Gurudefence said:
Thanks for the response, Dru.

Haven't changed the channel as of yet. I've noticed that there's less setup options on a mac. For example, on a pc, you have to enter which wep key you are using. You also have to enter which channel you are using. This isn't the case on a mac?

I'll play around with the channels tonight but I guess a 2005 wireless router is pretty old these days :)
Click to expand...

I've had a 2001 wifi router working right up till last year!

I got the time capsule and my linksys at the same time so i have 2 networks at home, 3 if i turn on the guest network in the TC.

It is nice, stable, FAST if you can receive N signal, and I have my NAS connected to it.
 
Thanks for the responses guys.

Raymond, you've lead me on nicely to my next question...

I was considering the G-Technology 1TB G-DRIVE High-Performance Hard Drive @ £145 and the Airport Extreme @ £142.... I assume that it would be worthwhile going for the Time Capsule - 1 TB @ £234.00?

Concorde; I believe I have to enter that information on my PC. That runs Windows XP Media edition :)
 
Gurudefence said:
Thanks for the responses guys.

Raymond, you've lead me on nicely to my next question...

I was considering the G-Technology 1TB G-DRIVE High-Performance Hard Drive @ £145 and the Airport Extreme @ £142.... I assume that it would be worthwhile going for the Time Capsule - 1 TB @ £234.00?

Concorde; I believe I have to enter that information on my PC. That runs Windows XP Media edition :)
Click to expand...

Weird, none of my XP machines ask for it :p

Also the Airport Extreme can be used as a Time Capsule thanks to the USB Port.

Currently running two HDs using a USB hub to stream media to the PS3.
 
Gurudefence said:
Thanks for the responses guys.

Raymond, you've lead me on nicely to my next question...

I was considering the G-Technology 1TB G-DRIVE High-Performance Hard Drive @ £145 and the Airport Extreme @ £142.... I assume that it would be worthwhile going for the Time Capsule - 1 TB @ £234.00?

Concorde; I believe I have to enter that information on my PC. That runs Windows XP Media edition :)
Click to expand...

Thats my thinking, for extra like £100 you get a 1TB HD in it which I use Time Machine into it. Rather than another HD, another power source, another lead.
 
Perhaps I'm just losing the plot :p

£287 for two pieces of hardware over £234 for one. Except for the price, is there much difference? I have heard great things regarding the G-Technology HD and strange things regarding the Time Capsule, such as it dies after 2 years or so?
 
I keep the linksys as it is my modem, i cant find the option to turn off the wifi in the linksys either but, and here is the important point of keeping your existing modem.

To keep the time capsule running at N speed wifi, everything connected to it needs go be N or it will go to the slowest denominator speed. You can of course have the time capsule broadcast another network for G speed and connect slower wifi gadgets onto that, but personally i just leave my older G devices to the linksys, and the newer N devices to the time capsule.

Not to mention if the time capsule have problems, you still have the linksys G network as backup.
 
That seems to make a lot of sense.

Seeing as the other devices work perfectly well with the linksys, there's no need for me to screw things up with them.

My only question is this; Cable modem connects to the linksys, which means no connection the the time capsule. I assume I would need a splitter or something similar?

Thanks again :)
 
You just connect a single cat5 from the linksys to the "in" socket of the TC, that's it, ask it to set up it's own wifi network instead of merge.

Really easy.
 
PardonTheWait said:
Don't get a Time Capsule, they are awful. Horrible fail rates.
Click to expand...

Didn't I read something recently about Apple publishing a range of serial numbers (and quite a huge range) which were known to have faulty PSUs and were therefore going to be replaced FoC?

/edit - Yes. Here.
 
PardonTheWait said:
Don't get me wrong, they'll fix it, I just don't like the idea of being without the drive if the router packs up, or without the router if the drive packs up.
Click to expand...

So this is the other argument, which again, is completely valid.

I must admit, I've heard very nice short-term views on the time capsule but not so many regarding the long run.

The extreme would be just as efficient as the time capsule for a router?!
 
The router part is the same - the TC is really an AEBS with a hard drive in it.

In fairness Feek is right, the big bad patch is over. It's just left me with a lingering mistrust of them, and I still would prefer a bit of redundancy, personally. Which is why I have an Extreme with a hard drive next to it :)
 
PardonTheWait said:
The router part is the same - the TC is really an AEBS with a hard drive in it.

In fairness Feek is right, the big bad patch is over. It's just left me with a lingering mistrust of them, and I still would prefer a bit of redundancy, personally. Which is why I have an Extreme with a hard drive next to it :)
Click to expand...

I have the TC with a Drobo next to it :p
 
Concorde Rules said:
I've got a 2007 Airport Extreme.

All I can say is that it has been flawless!

I'd buy one of the new dual band ones in a flash if this one ever dies (1000 days uptime and counting!)
Click to expand...

As above. I used to use the Airport Extreme connected to my Virgin Media Cable but now I have O2 xDSL and their crappy router I still use the Airport Extreme as the wireless is so much better, especially as I only broadcast in 5Ghz 802.11n thus not having to worry about channel pollution and the speed is a lot better.
 
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