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Tuesday, January 09, 2007, 11:00 pm
Macworld: High-quality images of Apple's AirPort Extreme w/ 802.11n
Had it not been for the press release beamed out over the news wires, it would have been easy to overlook Apple's announcement of new AirPort Extreme wireless base stations on Tuesday.The wireless networking device completely escaped the company's opening keynote presentation by chief executive Steve Jobs.
Just like Apple TV, the similarly shaped device won't be available to ship until sometime in February. And like iPhone, there only about two of these puppies inside Apple's booth at this week's Macworld Expo.
The updated base stations will fetch $179 and include 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking, MIMO (Multiple In Multiple Out) smart antennas, dual-band antennas for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies, three 10/100 Ethernet LAN ports, one 10/100 Ethernet WAN port, one USB port, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA-2), 128-bit WEP encryption, and a built-in NAT firewall.
Photos follow:
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Previous Comments View All
Had it not been for the press release beamed out over the news wires, it would have been easy to overlook Apple's announcement of new AirPort Extreme wireless base stations on Tuesday.
The wireless networking device completely escaped the company's opening keynote presentation by chief executive Steve Jobs.
Just like Apple TV, the similarly shaped device won't be available to ship until sometime in February. And like iPhone, there only about two of these puppies inside Apple's booth at this week's Macworld Expo.
The updated base stations will fetch $179 and include 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking, MIMO (Multiple In Multiple Out) smart antennas, dual-band antennas for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies, three 10/100 Ethernet LAN ports, one 10/100 Ethernet WAN port, one USB port, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA-2), 128-bit WEP encryption, and a built-in NAT firewall.
Photos follow:
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Guys you might want to make use of the auto-levels tool in Photoshop, last time I checked the base station wasn't a tinge of pink.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rawhead 
Why, oh why, are the LAN/WAN (at the very least, the LAN) ports not Gigabit?????
Makes no sense when (1) all shipping Macs now sport Gigabit Ethernet, and (2) the wireless protocol (802.11n) is FASTER than the wired ports. WTF. So let's say I want to use the previous version iMac that doesn't have 802.11n but does have Gigabit Ethernet as a base server for ?TV via AirPort. Instead of being able to tap into the full potential of 802.11n, the maximum throughput is going to be 100Mbit/sec. That's lame, especially when competing products from Linksys and I'm sure soon from Belkin et al. sport 10/100/1000-Base LAN/WAN ports.
I guess we in the US can find some consolation in the fact that 99% of us don't have to worry about an internet connection that will saturate the 100Base-TX WAN port, but users in developed countries (Japan, Korea, etc.) who have FTTH exceeding 100Mbit/sec will find this less appealing still. As sexy as this looks (and I'm definitely snatching an ?TV when it comes out), and dare I say the relatively competitive pricing for an 802.11n unit, I will probably seek out a 3rd party alternative when I go on the market 2~3 months from now. Sigh.
Why, oh why, are the LAN/WAN (at the very least, the LAN) ports not Gigabit?????
Makes no sense when (1) all shipping Macs now sport Gigabit Ethernet, and (2) the wireless protocol (802.11n) is FASTER than the wired ports. WTF. So let's say I want to use the previous version iMac that doesn't have 802.11n but does have Gigabit Ethernet as a base server for ?TV via AirPort. Instead of being able to tap into the full potential of 802.11n, the maximum throughput is going to be 100Mbit/sec. That's lame, especially when competing products from Linksys and I'm sure soon from Belkin et al. sport 10/100/1000-Base LAN/WAN ports.
I guess we in the US can find some consolation in the fact that 99% of us don't have to worry about an internet connection that will saturate the 100Base-TX WAN port, but users in developed countries (Japan, Korea, etc.) who have FTTH exceeding 100Mbit/sec will find this less appealing still. As sexy as this looks (and I'm definitely snatching an ?TV when it comes out), and dare I say the relatively competitive pricing for an 802.11n unit, I will probably seek out a 3rd party alternative when I go on the market 2~3 months from now. Sigh.
Do you honestly think 802.11n can outrun 100 BaseTX Full-duplex? At MAX, 802.11n runs at bursts of 70 mbit. Nowhere near the wirespeed of 100 base T. That would be a huge stinking waste of hardware putting a gig port on it. To insist you need gig in this case just shows what a moron you are.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ecking
No gigabit...wtf?
It'd be pretty awesome is appletv could also act as an airport extreme, except that it didn't have any more ethernet ports so everyone had to connect wirelessly. They wouldn't have to change it physically to do that but oh well.
No gigabit...wtf?
It'd be pretty awesome is appletv could also act as an airport extreme, except that it didn't have any more ethernet ports so everyone had to connect wirelessly. They wouldn't have to change it physically to do that but oh well.
OMG; another person who has no idea what they're talking about. 100 base T is about 1.5 times faster than 802.11n. The wireless is going to be the slowest link in the chain. Not the wirespeed. Please go cry about something worthy, like why there's no gig port on Apple TV.
Quote:
Originally Posted by damoof
That would be a huge stinking waste of hardware putting a gig port on it. To insist you need gig in this case just shows what a moron you are.
That would be a huge stinking waste of hardware putting a gig port on it. To insist you need gig in this case just shows what a moron you are.
We're insisting because Apple has made a big push in all of computers to implement gigE, this product contains a switch, and that switch doesn't support gigE. So why include the switch if it's not gigE. I mean, the old AE base station lacked a switch completely. It's just stupid, especially considering the cost of gigE over 10/100 is negligible at this point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arty50
We're insisting because Apple has made a big push in all of computers to implement gigE, this product contains a switch, and that switch doesn't support gigE. So why include the switch if it's not gigE. I mean, the old AE base station lacked a switch completely. It's just stupid, especially considering the cost of gigE over 10/100 is negligible at this point.
We're insisting because Apple has made a big push in all of computers to implement gigE, this product contains a switch, and that switch doesn't support gigE. So why include the switch if it's not gigE. I mean, the old AE base station lacked a switch completely. It's just stupid, especially considering the cost of gigE over 10/100 is negligible at this point.
The switch is probably built into their Draft-N chipset so they threw it in as a "freebie" rather than buy a GigE switch component. Same likely for Apple TV which also lacks GigE. For example the Sigma chipset used in IPTVs for decoding includes 10/100 support as a base function.
Eh...the only port I'm likely going to use is the WAN port and maybe the USB port for a USB drive if that works. There is the vaguest remote chance one of the ethernet ports might go to a Vonage or Verizon VOIP box.
Vinea
You're missing Apple's point... they're both devices that are wireless. Read that? Wireless. Less wires, means go get yourself a gigabit hub, why waste your money on this $200 wireless router, when you can go get a hub and a regular old ass wireless router for wireless clients on your gigabit network?
Jesus. I love Apple, but sometimes Apple fans are steeeupid.
Anyway, suppose I want to couple that with a DSL modem. What would you recommend that's small and reliable?
Quote:
Originally Posted by sentient_robot
You're missing Apple's point... they're both devices that are wireless. Read that? Wireless. Less wires, means go get yourself a gigabit hub, why waste your money on this $200 wireless router, when you can go get a hub and a regular old ass wireless router for wireless clients on your gigabit network?
Jesus. I love Apple, but sometimes Apple fans are steeeupid.
You're missing Apple's point... they're both devices that are wireless. Read that? Wireless. Less wires, means go get yourself a gigabit hub, why waste your money on this $200 wireless router, when you can go get a hub and a regular old ass wireless router for wireless clients on your gigabit network?
Jesus. I love Apple, but sometimes Apple fans are steeeupid.
Huh? So if they're just concerned with wireless capability, then why include the switch? The lack of GigE is retarded and there's no logic to refute that.
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No gigabit...wtf?
It'd be pretty awesome is appletv could also act as an airport extreme, except that it didn't have any more ethernet ports so everyone had to connect wirelessly. They wouldn't have to change it physically to do that but oh well.