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Digital Lifestyle
Internet, Networking, and Wireless
My review of the Airport Extreme router (with Verizon Fios)
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<blockquote data-quote="NJRonbo" data-source="post: 454702" data-attributes="member: 25262"><p>Yesterday I bought the new Apple Airport Extreme routers that</p><p>are ungodly expensive (like everything else Apple sells).</p><p></p><p>Did I need a new router? No, not really. To date I was using a Belkin</p><p>Pre-N wireless router that was quite powerful and actually did a really</p><p>good job of covering my entire home -- even providing adequate signal</p><p>strength to my back deck for those times I wanted to sit in the sun and</p><p>surf the Internet.</p><p></p><p>So why did I buy this Apple router? Well, a few co-workers bought one</p><p>and were gushing over the fact that they found it to be a lot faster than </p><p>the routers they had previously owned. They also bragged about the fact</p><p>that a printer or external drive could be plugged into the router's USB </p><p>port and be made available to every single computer on the network. </p><p></p><p>I think it was the capability of having an external drive hooked to </p><p>the router that could be accessed from my wired desktop and wireless</p><p>laptop that pushed me over the edge.</p><p></p><p>Setting up the router was fairly easy, which surprised me because</p><p>routers generally are the most tedious of computer peripherals to </p><p>try and set up. Instead of using a webpage to set up the router (as</p><p>is the case with most), Apple uses a setup assistant that is software </p><p>installed and embedded in the Utilities folder.</p><p></p><p>I had some initial problems setting up the router due to my own</p><p>ignorance. I placed a call to Verizon Fios who told me that</p><p>the Apple router would not work with their service because the IP </p><p>address is meant to communicate with their routers, and when it does</p><p>not, the address is not renewed. Had I listened to that "bull" the </p><p>router would be on its way back to Apple. However, I was determined</p><p>to get this router working and simply set it up the way I did my </p><p>Belkin and it WORKED!</p><p></p><p>I was also able to easily add my Airport Express module that operates </p><p>my wireless printer to the network.</p><p></p><p>So, I am certain you guys are wondering if $179 buys you a </p><p>better router or not. Well, my initial findings is that the Apple </p><p>router gave me the same coverage as my Belkin Pre-N modem. </p><p>Signal strength was just as strong across my home. What I did</p><p>notice, however, was increased speed. Web page loads were </p><p>noticeably faster with the Apple router. It was if my system </p><p>suddenly got a nice kick in the pants.</p><p></p><p>I should stop here and say that I am using the "N" standard </p><p>across the board. I downloaded the software update for my </p><p>Mac Pro weeks ago to make it fully "N" compliant. </p><p></p><p>I then hooked up an external hard drive to the router using the</p><p>USB connection. You need to tell the Apple router whether you </p><p>wish to share this drive across the network. I told it to do so. </p><p>Like a charm, the hard drive appeared as an icon on my wireless </p><p>laptop and wired desktop. </p><p></p><p>The only problem I have with accessing that hard drive wirelessly</p><p>is that the connection is not very fast. I tried to access the drive </p><p>from my laptop and play some stored videos. My laptop had a </p><p>hard time playing those videos as the connection was obviously not</p><p>fast enough. So, it seems that while you can probably access and</p><p>transfer small files easily over the network, the connection absolutely</p><p>is too slow to even stream video content off of the hard drive.</p><p></p><p>All in all, I'm happy with the Apple Airport Extreme router for its</p><p>improved web browsing speed and ample signal strength within a</p><p>very large home. It's extremely easy to set up. The only minor </p><p>disappointment I have is over the rather sluggish remote access to</p><p>the external hard drive. I suppose this is to be expected, though I</p><p>would think the simple art of "streaming" videos off of it would have</p><p>worked much better.</p><p></p><p>Overall, a great router but extremely overpriced. Most people with</p><p>small homes/apartments/townhouses would fare just as well with a </p><p>$90-$100 Belkin or Linksys.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="NJRonbo, post: 454702, member: 25262"] Yesterday I bought the new Apple Airport Extreme routers that are ungodly expensive (like everything else Apple sells). Did I need a new router? No, not really. To date I was using a Belkin Pre-N wireless router that was quite powerful and actually did a really good job of covering my entire home -- even providing adequate signal strength to my back deck for those times I wanted to sit in the sun and surf the Internet. So why did I buy this Apple router? Well, a few co-workers bought one and were gushing over the fact that they found it to be a lot faster than the routers they had previously owned. They also bragged about the fact that a printer or external drive could be plugged into the router's USB port and be made available to every single computer on the network. I think it was the capability of having an external drive hooked to the router that could be accessed from my wired desktop and wireless laptop that pushed me over the edge. Setting up the router was fairly easy, which surprised me because routers generally are the most tedious of computer peripherals to try and set up. Instead of using a webpage to set up the router (as is the case with most), Apple uses a setup assistant that is software installed and embedded in the Utilities folder. I had some initial problems setting up the router due to my own ignorance. I placed a call to Verizon Fios who told me that the Apple router would not work with their service because the IP address is meant to communicate with their routers, and when it does not, the address is not renewed. Had I listened to that "bull" the router would be on its way back to Apple. However, I was determined to get this router working and simply set it up the way I did my Belkin and it WORKED! I was also able to easily add my Airport Express module that operates my wireless printer to the network. So, I am certain you guys are wondering if $179 buys you a better router or not. Well, my initial findings is that the Apple router gave me the same coverage as my Belkin Pre-N modem. Signal strength was just as strong across my home. What I did notice, however, was increased speed. Web page loads were noticeably faster with the Apple router. It was if my system suddenly got a nice kick in the pants. I should stop here and say that I am using the "N" standard across the board. I downloaded the software update for my Mac Pro weeks ago to make it fully "N" compliant. I then hooked up an external hard drive to the router using the USB connection. You need to tell the Apple router whether you wish to share this drive across the network. I told it to do so. Like a charm, the hard drive appeared as an icon on my wireless laptop and wired desktop. The only problem I have with accessing that hard drive wirelessly is that the connection is not very fast. I tried to access the drive from my laptop and play some stored videos. My laptop had a hard time playing those videos as the connection was obviously not fast enough. So, it seems that while you can probably access and transfer small files easily over the network, the connection absolutely is too slow to even stream video content off of the hard drive. All in all, I'm happy with the Apple Airport Extreme router for its improved web browsing speed and ample signal strength within a very large home. It's extremely easy to set up. The only minor disappointment I have is over the rather sluggish remote access to the external hard drive. I suppose this is to be expected, though I would think the simple art of "streaming" videos off of it would have worked much better. Overall, a great router but extremely overpriced. Most people with small homes/apartments/townhouses would fare just as well with a $90-$100 Belkin or Linksys. [/QUOTE]
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My review of the Airport Extreme router (with Verizon Fios)
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