Apple released an update Monday to a favorite , though under - hail , hunk of wireless networking hardware : the AirPort Express Base Station . The Modern interpretation look identical to its rectangular forerunner ( ) and boasts a single major improvement—802.11n networking versus the slower 802.11 g standard find on the original AirPort Express — as well as a few minor tweaks .
Like the Express Base Station of old , the updated edition includes a 10/100Base - T Ethernet port wine , a USB port for attaching a remote printer , and an audio - output jack that supports both digital and parallel audio . You power the thing by plugging it right away into a paries socket . For those who have n’t discovered the AirPort Express ’ wonders , its benefit include :
What’s new
Apple ’s AirPort Express
Nothing has changed in this regard after Monday ’s vent . What the latest AirPort Express bring to the table is enhanced chain of mountains and speed , as well as a few minor new features . Specifically , Apple claims that the new Express convey twice the range . If it offers the form of extended range some of us have ground from our n - flavored Airport Extreme Base Stations , this is definitely a good matter . Signals that used to peter out from a certain length now offer the strongest potential sign across multiple floors .
Similarly , a faster Express will certainly do no trauma if you presently have today ’s AirPort Extreme Base Station . And that base - station - in - hotel scenario should bring benefits as well .
Apple’s AirPort Express
( take down , however , that if you sum up an 802.11n AirPort Express to a slower internet — for example , one provide by an 802.11 deoxyguanosine monophosphate Extreme or Express Base Station — the internet will still run at the slower g - stock speed . Conversely , an 802.11n Base Station wo n’t suddenly improve the web performance of a PowerBook that contains an 802.11b / g AirPort card . )
The new Express also add supporting for a number of feature the AirPort Extreme gained when it made the leap to 802.11n . For example , like the Extreme , the Express now also supports the older 802.11a standard . And through the use of the latest AirPort Utility , it offers the same well-to-do - to - use setup procedure available to the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule .
The Express also gains the meter - based internet - access feature of speech available to the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station since its debut last year . This feature film lets you trammel the days and clock time at which each computer on your internet can get to the internet . For example , you’re able to restrain a computer ’s access to the web to workday hours .
Some may be disappoint by the Express ’ Ethernet specs—10/100Base - liothyronine rather than Gigabit Ethernet . Dry your tears : few the great unwashed would see a welfare from Gigabit Ethernet on this machine . Although we found that Gbit Ethernet did provide improved wireless - to - Ethernet transfer rate with the up-to-the-minute AirPort Extreme Base Station , the Express ’ exclusive Ethernet porthole means such benefits would be realize only if the Express wasextendingan 802.11n - only ( 5GHz ) web and the Express was acting as a wireless - to - Ethernet bridge for a reckoner with Gigabit Ethernet . ( If that made no sense to you , do n’t worry about it . The point is that you ’re unconvincing to miss Gigabit Ethernet on an AirPort Express . )
First impressions
So , to sum up , other than the beingness of the faster 802.11n networking and the trickling down of a few pocket-size features from the a la mode AirPort Extreme Base Station , there ’s not a lot to see here . Regardless , the AirPort Express was a serious bet to start with and adding greater chain and fastness scarcely diminish its advantages . We ’ll be take an official look at Apple ’s late wireless contrivance soon .
[ Senior editor Christopher Breen is the source ofThe iPod and iTunes Pocket Guide , third edition(2008 , Peachpit Press ) . Senior editor Dan Frakes oversees the Mobile Mac blog . ]
