Performance
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Our testing shows that the AirPort Express is actually among the slowest 802.11n devices. Its speed is still plenty fast for streaming music or HD video, but even under the best conditions, at close range on a 5.0GHz 802.11n-only network, it hit 66Mbps, or just barely faster than the Time Capsule in slower 2.4GHz mode. If you have demanding networking tasks in mind, with many users all streaming various kinds of media at once, for example, you will likely want a more robust 802.11n product.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
We also found that the AirPort Express takes a significant hit compared with other 802.11n devices when you use it at 70 meters, or the theoretical limit of the standard. At the 5.0GHz frequency, Apple's Time Capsule is actually near the top of its class at range, posting an impressive 42.27Mbps from 200 feet. The AirPort Express loses more than half of that throughput, coming in at only 18.4Mbps. Its long-distance 2.4GHz performance is lower still. At those speeds, your HD streaming experience would suffer, so if you intend to work the AirPort Express into a media-streaming situation, you will want to keep the various components fairly close together.
Service and support
Because the AirPort Express is so easy to set up, chances are the clearly written manual is all you'll need to get up and running. If you screw up the network settings, you can always try again through the AirPort Utility, although it's possible that novices may need to look up some of the trickier networking terms. Apple covers the AirPort Express with a one year parts and labor warranty, as well as a year of 24-7 toll-free phone support, a welcome boost over the typical 90-day phone support we're used to from Apple. You can also find a fair amount of support resources on Apple's Web site, including the active Apple forum.
Find out more about how we test wireless network adapters.
