Airport Express or Airport Extreme Base Station?

I have a first generation Time Capsule (500 GB HD) for my network. All devices on my network are working without issue. However, my Intel iMac which is hardwired has a Transmit Rate of five (not good). Now I am deciding between getting either the Apple Airport Express or the Apple Airport Extreme Base Station. I do stream video from Time Capsule to my TV in the living room. This is a distance of about 60 feet. My home is on one floor and it is about 1600 ft.². Time Capsule so the TV is almost line of sight. The Intel iMac is not line of sight from Time Capsule. There is a kitchen with a sliding wood door which is sometimes closed. The hallway from my bedroom to the living room is usually unobstructed, but sometimes I have to close the hallway door.

I am leaning towards getting the Apple Airport Express, but the Apple Airport Extreme Base Station has some unique features, i.e. guests network.

Chime in with suggestions if you have any.

Thanks.

Dictated Using MacSpeech Dictate (I see one mistake).

If your looking to extend your wireless the Airport Express should work fine.

I agree, the airport express should suffice. I have one for sale if you're looking to buy one. wireless N model. $75 shipped via UPS. PM me if you're interested.

but the Apple Airport Extreme Base Station has some unique features, i.e. guests network

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Be aware - The new Guest Network feature is available only to the simultaneous dual-band models of the Extreme N and Time Capsule. Not sure that your 500 TC has that.

Collin Bl said:

Be aware - The new Guest Network feature is available only to the simultaneous dual-band models of the Extreme N and Time Capsule. Not sure that your 500 TC has that.

Click to expand...

My Time Capsule does not have Extreme N. Does this mean that my first-generation Time Capsule will have issues with the Airport Extreme Base Station?

The Airport Extreme is $50 more than the Airport Express. I was thinking that if my Time Capsule croaks, I could use the Airport Extreme as my router. Is my logic fuzzy?

Calistoga said:

My Time Capsule does not have Extreme N. Does this mean that my first-generation Time Capsule will have issues with the Airport Extreme Base Station?

The Airport Extreme is $50 more than the Airport Express. I was thinking that if my Time Capsule croaks, I could use the Airport Extreme as my router. Is my logic fuzzy?

Click to expand...

Your thinking is correct you can do a lot of configurations just remember that
whatever is turned on and has the slowest speed everything defaults to that.I
had to correct myself on this the newest Airport Extreme Base Station with simultaneous
radios will work with g and n at the same time.

So Time Capsule will be slowing down Airport Extreme.

osxx said:

Your thinking is correct you can do a lot of configurations just remember that
whatever is turned on and has the slowest speed everything defaults to that.

Click to expand...

Calistoga said:

So Time Capsule will be slowing down Airport Extreme.

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No TC will not slow a new AEBS but TC 500 will slow to g speeds if something is on and using it as soon as the unit with 802.11g is turned off then it should
return to 802.11n if you are using the TC wirelessly and in the menu it is set
to use both g and n. Note in the setup it can be configured to use one or the other or both. While the newer units can do both simultaneously while not
slowing down your faster connection.

osxx said:

No TC will not slow a new AEBS but TC 500 will slow to g speeds if something is on and using it as soon as the unit with 802.11g is turned off then it should
return to 802.11n if you are using the TC wirelessly and in the menu it is set
to use both g and n. Note in the setup it can be configured to use one or the other or both. While the newer units can do both simultaneously while not
slowing down your faster connection.

Click to expand...

A laptop on my network using 802.11g will be the default speed for all wireless devices? This is true because Time Capsule, being the older hardware cannot be configured to do both g and n, simultaneously. Take away all wireless devices from the network running 802.11g, and then I'm back to 802.11n.

A picture is worth a 1000 words - here are my dual band choices;


Click for full size

The one above the one with blue highlight will default to the slowest unit connected to that network viz; 11b or 11g or 11n but the other network will be full time 11n

Thanks, I understand.