WIFI TAGS:
Are you looking for a router to setup a WiFi computer network? Would you like to listen to your iTunes music on your stereo (or remote speakers)? Would you like to print from your laptop (or any other computer) without going to the printer and plugging in? There are WiFi routers that can do all of these things, and more.
I’ve set up, used and maintained a variety of WiFi routers from assorted manufacturers, in various small and medium-sized networks, and the ones I overwhelmingly prefer are those sold by Apple with their Airport brand name. The most common question this raises from non-technical people is: Aren’t those only for Macs? The answer is NO, they work with all compatible WiFi devices, including Windows computers.
All Apple Airport products conform to one of the widespread WiFi standards, the same series of standards that every manufacturer uses in mainstream wireless networking devices. The WiFi standards are agnostic; WiFi doesn't care what operating system you use. Any two (or more) products that adhere to the same WiFi standard should work together. Therefore, all Airport Base Stations can create a wireless network compatible with all WiFi enabled computers (Windows, Macs, Unix, Linux) and other WiFi enabled devices (iPhone, iPodTouch, game consoles, etc).
So, which Airport router is right for you?
Airport Express Base Station. For most people in a modest sized home or a very small office, this
will do everything they need, and do it very ably, with a minimum of fuss on your part. It comes with an easy to use setup program for Macs or Windows. I have found them to be very reliable. It’s slightly bigger than a pack of cigarettes. And it can do all the things I mentioned in the first paragraph. It costs a $100, sometimes less if you shop around. Later, if you buy a better Base Station, you can still use this one to connect to your stereo and/or to extend the reach of your network, or bring it with you when you’re on the road. It’s because of this versatility that I own two of these, and I love ‘em.
Airport Extreme Base Station. For a more sophisticated home or small office, you may prefer Apple’s newest Base Station (pictured at the top). It is compatible with the new faster and longer range 802.11n WiFi standard, as well as with all previous versions (a, b, and g). It lacks the capability to connect to your stereo. (You can add an Airport Express Base Station to your network, to accomplish that.) But you can connect a hard drive to it, and every computer on your network can access that hard drive to store and share files. If you have one or a few desktop computers that need to connect via Ethernet (wired network), they can connect directly to this Base Station. It may be your best bet if you’re also gonna buy the new AppleTV. It retails for $180.
Other WiFi routers. The Apple Base Stations are not the cheapest WiFi routers you can find. If you’re willing to give up the extra features (like wireless music, wireless printing, network hard drive) and Apple’s easy time-saving setup program, you can save a little money. While all WiFi routers can work with Macs, some companies make them easier to setup than others; and some companies refuse to offer technical support to their Mac customers. MacFixIt recently ranked the manufacturers for Mac friendliness.
Personally, I’ve had mixed results setting up the other routers I’ve used. When they work (more or less) right out of the box, they’re fine. But the minute they give you a problem, you want to configure them differently or enable better security, they become a lot more annoying to setup or troubleshoot. You can save $50 shopping around for a cheaper router, only to waste hours or days figuring out the arcane terminology and control panels used to configure the damn thing. I’ve learned my lesson, and will gladly pay the extra dollars to save myself time and headaches. Life’s too short to spend it learning arcane knowledge, like “SSID” is simply the name of your network. Apple’s Airport Setup Assistant sticks more closely to the English language.
Complex networks. In larger homes and offices (or adjacent buildings), you may need more than one router, if you want your wireless network to cover the entire space. Two or more Airport Base Stations, placed in different areas, can be configured to “talk” to one another, working together to form a single, seamless WiFi network. Whereas this option is usually disabled in the affordable routers from other companies. Setting up this kind of distributed network is more complicated than setting up a single router; it could easily be the subject of a whole ‘nother article. But Apple still keeps it simpler than any one else.
(Curious tech geeks can read about the large WiFi network I setup at Hearth Hill, using a mixture of hardware from Apple and other companies. But this is not a project I recommend for the average person.)
Older Airport Base Stations. As I’ve pointed out before, when Apple introduces new products, you can often find deals on the discontinued models they supplant. If they’re significantly discounted, if you don’t want the option of setting up an affordable networked hard drive, and if you don’t own any computers equipped with new 802.11n WiFi, you may prefer to pick up the older model, while they’re still available. I used two of the just discontinued model of Airport Extreme Base Stations (the version with a connector for an external antenna) in my 2 acre WiFi network at Hearth Hill, and have been very happy with them.
UPDATE: I’ve written a short and simple, illustrated explanation of where a WiFi router fits in a typical home network setup.
updated October 12, 2007
