Is Airport Express better than my current router?

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Hi guys, i was just wondering if Apple's Airport Express is superior to the router/modem i have now, which is the Siemens Speedstream 6520 (SG :: Siemens SpeedStream 6520 DSL Wireless Router). I would like to know if Airport Express will get me faster browsing and downloading speeds than my current router. I am running a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Macbook Pro (not sure of the year, i'm going to guess 2009). I know little about networking so any advice would be helpful, thank you.
 
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It depends on if your ISP is the bottle neck or your router. I went from 10 mbps to 100 mbps, from my isp. my home network is seriously fast. Im using a TP-LINK Router with range booster and I can get my network half way down block now!

I think you would be better off with the airport extreme, i use an express for a print server....
 
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It depends on if your ISP is the bottle neck or your router. I went from 10 mbps to 100 mbps, from my isp. my home network is seriously fast. Im using a TP-LINK Router with range booster and I can get my network half way down block now!

I think you would be better off with the airport extreme, i use an express for a print server....

Not sure what you mean by that first part, can you please elaborate :)
 
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I looked at that option as well. The reason I didn't pull the trigger is because you lose a lot of the advanced options other routers offer. (ie. DHCP Reservations)

With that being said, not everyone needs the advanced options, and if you have a small network in your home, then you could easily be happy with Apple's offering. If you need to control your network more tightly, as I do, then it may not be an option.

The way I researched it was simply doing a Google search for reviews of the Airport Extreme. Many of the tech sites offer an alternative which may help with your selection.

You should base your choice on your specific needs and environment.

Just my 2 cents. :)
 
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He means you will only be as fast as the service you pay for ,the router will not make it run any faster and if set up correctly not any slower.
 

dtravis7


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I hope you mean Airport Extreme and not Express. The Express is really made to get iTunes in other rooms. Some use it as a router but it's not an Airport Extreme.

Don't know too much about that Siemens router to really tell you an honest opinion. I do know that the Airport Extreme is a very good router with excellent WiFi range.
 
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chas_m

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I've owned and tested dozens of routers. Nothing beats the Apple routers, they win by a country mile -- particularly in the area of setup, managing and maintenance (or not having to do that as the case may be).
 
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He means you will only be as fast as the service you pay for ,the router will not make it run any faster and if set up correctly not any slower.

Actually I think he means it depends on if the speed issue is the ISP itself, or the router.

A poor router, incorrectly set up, cheaply made, a crap mode etc, CAN slow down your wireless network. So can a router that only supports say, 802.11A or B when you have 100Mbs connection coming out of the wall. So the router could be the bottleneck if it old or incorrectly configured.
 

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