APPLE AIRPORT EXPRESS SETUP EXTEND WIRELESS NETWORK MAC OS X
APPLE AIRPORT EXPRESS SETUP EXTEND WIRELESS NETWORK FULL
APPLE AIRPORT EXPRESS SETUP EXTEND WIRELESS NETWORK FREE

APPLE AIRPORT EXPRESS SETUP EXTEND WIRELESS NETWORK FULL

In 802.11n, the radio system can use varying amounts of power across the multiple antennas used to send out data to 'steer' a signal (think of multiple cue sticks hitting a pool ball to control how it caroms), and create separate data streams at full throughput across different paths in space. The AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule models (since 2009) have one advantage in the radio department over the Express. Competitors have offered relatively inexpensive simultaneous dual-band gateways for years, but those models lack Mac-specific features, such as Wake on Demand. That's a significant improvement, and makes the Express a much better value, especially compared with equipment from competing manufacturers, such as Linksys. Having both bands available at once in the 2012 AirPort Express (a feature added in 2009 to the Extreme and Time Capsule models) allows your network to perform at the highest possible speeds no matter how distant a device is from the base station while it remains in range of a signal.

(The 5GHz band offers much greater throughput but only at closer distances than 2.4GHz.) All iPad models, the Apple TV, and all Mac models released since 2006 can use either 2.4GHz or 5GHz. This is also true of a fairly large amount of newer equipment that supports 802.11n, but only for 2.4 GHz connections, which includes all iPhones and iPod touch models with 802.11n, many smartphone and handhelds, and even some newer computers. While the previous AirPort Express (2008) supported 802.11n networking, you had to make a choice to set the Express to use either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band available for 802.11n, not both at the same time (known as simultaneous dual-band).Īll older 802.11b and 802.11g gear can connect only using 2.4GHz channels. (While Lion can still use 5.6.0 to access features in all previous 802.11n base stations, those released from 2007 to 2011, 6.1 is absolutely required for the new Express, and Lion can't use 5.6.1.) With Leopard and Snow Leopard, AirPort Utility 5.6.1 must be installed to configure an AirPort Express with Lion, the minimum version is now 6.1.

APPLE AIRPORT EXPRESS SETUP EXTEND WIRELESS NETWORK MAC OS X

Apple currently has two chains of utility software in Mac OS X to provide legacy support for features it removed in a software revision, but which are still available in hardware. While any Wi-Fi device may connect to an AirPort Express network, Apple only allows configuration via AirPort Utility, whether on iOS, Windows, or Mac OS X in Leopard, Snow Leopard, and Lion.

APPLE AIRPORT EXPRESS SETUP EXTEND WIRELESS NETWORK FREE

(Try the free NetSpot mapping program to help with that task.) As with all base stations, you may need to try out an Express, and even move it to different locations, to determine if it can cover the area you need. The Express compares favorably to two different models of Extreme in use in the same house.

The new Express provided excellent signal strength across my 90-year-old house, which requires three base stations to cover its modest size due to materials in walls and the floor between the main story and basement that block signals. It's extremely difficult to offer generically useful advice when testing the range for a base station, because every home and office varies in what blocks or reflects wireless signals.

Apple airport express setup extend wireless network