Product Reviews

The AirPort Extreme looks a bit like a Mac mini that has been driven under a low bridge. It has the same slab-like, minimalist styling and the same footprint, so you could easily stack them. At the rear is a Wan Ethernet port for connecting an ADSL or cable modem, and a USB port that lets you connect a storage device or a printer. There are only three Ethernet ports for connecting wired devices on your network, though; many routers have four.

Usefully, you can attach a hub to the USB port and use it to connect multiple storage devices and printers at once. Although the Mac OS doesn't support universal plug 'n' play (UPnP) for accessing shared network devices, you should still be able to connect to a network-attached storage (Nas) device that mimics a Windows shared folder.

The AirPort Extreme is extremely easy to configure. Once powered up, its single status light flashes amber while you install Apple's AirPort Utility. Also included on the setup disc is the 802.11n Enabler, which is part of the default installation for compatible Macs.

Once the software is installed, you run the AirPort Utility to configure the base station. In its default Assist Me mode, the program takes you through creating or joining a wireless network, and setting up its security level from a choice of none, WEP or WPA2. You can also configure access passwords for the router and any connected storage devices. There's a chance to review your settings before applying them to the AirPort, which then reboots and displays a solid green status light.

The AirPort Extreme is designed for PC and Mac users, and although it doesn't have a web-configuration interface, Apple supplies PC software in the box. Like the Mac software, this comprises the AirPort Utility and the AirPort Disk Utility, which detects and mounts USB storage devices inserted into the

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base station's USB port. PC users also get Bonjour for Windows, enabling them - like Mac users - to discover and print to a printer plugged into the USB port. We had no problems using the port to access HFS (Mac) or FAT 32 (PC) partitioned USB storage devices, or to print from an HP laser printer.

The default setup may be a breeze, but it doesn't allow you to make more advanced settings. We wanted to confirm that our wireless network was operating in 802.11n mode. Rerunning the AirPort Utility and selecting Manual Setup displayed a summary of our base station's settings and opened up the full range of configuration options. You can use this mode to make advanced wireless settings or control firewall options, such as network address translation (NAT) and port mapping.

We were able to confirm that the initial setup had created an 802.11n network, and when we conducted our speed tests, they left little room for doubt. It took just one minute eight seconds to copy our 200MB set of test files from a wired Nas to our MacBook.

Although the base station's default 802.11n radio mode allows compatibility with 802.11b and 802.11g devices, the default channel is 13. Wireless devices correctly configured for the UK should support channel 13, but those configured for other regions, such as the US, may not. Our Intel Centrino notebook couldn't detect our network, showing that this channel isn't the wisest default choice.

After changing the wireless channel, our notebook connected to the network without a hitch and took two minutes 50 seconds to copy the same 200MB file set. Repeated pings between the notebook and Mac averaged out at only a millisecond or two, with no lost packets after two minutes. If you don't have any older wireless devices, however, it's worth changing the AirPort's radio mode to one of two 802.11n-only settings. In the 5GHz-only mode, the 200MB copy took a scorching 57 seconds.

If you want a fast, wireless network for 802.11n-capable computers, the AirPort Extreme is a stylish choice that's easy to get up and running. The excellent configuration software is available for both Mac and PC, but it's a shame that there's no browser-based equivalent. Although the base station is undoubtedly a good product, with the useful ability to act as a print and storage server, it's more expensive than other wireless routers, and only suitable for those with a separate Ethernet ADSL or cable modem.