Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (draft 802.11n)

Editors' note (July 8, 2011): This is an older version of the Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station. The current (June 2011) version of the AirPort Extreme Base Station can be found here.

Editor's note: We recently re-tested the Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station using the Mac version of IxChariot, the tool we normally use to test routers and network adapters. Please see the performance section for our updated results.

The new Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station is a wireless router based on the draft 802.11n wireless networking standard. At $180, it's on the expensive end of an already pricey group of routers such as the D-Link RangeBooster N 650 wireless router and Netgear WNR834B RangeMax Next Router, and it's based on an unfinalized wireless spec. As such, we're inclined to wait until the 11n spec is finalized (possibly some time this summer) before investing in the hardware, though it's likely that most draft 11n products will only need a simple firmware upgrade to conform to spec. Still, if you already have an AirPort-based wireless network and want to expand it, the AirPort Extreme isn't a bad buy. Its throughput speeds are in range of the competition's (though it lags), it offers a USB port for networking a printer or a hard drive, and it has features we haven't seen on routers before, such as the ability to assign specific IP addresses to devices.

Setup and ease of use
The AirPort Extreme Base Station is a compact little router that looks just like the Mac Mini and has almost the same dimensions. It's a 6.5-inch square that stands 1.3 inches tall. A single LED indicator light sits on the front edge, while the back edge houses a WAN port, three 10/100 LAN ports, and a USB port. Most routers offer four LAN ports, but no USB port. It's also one of the few routers to have no external antennas. An omission we noticed is that Apple doesn't support Gigabit Ethernet on the AirPort Extreme, a puzzling oversight, as new Mac PCs ship with Gigabit Ethernet these days.

The router is compatible with all Mac systems that have built-in 802.11n technology and those that are 802.11b/g/a-enabled. (If you're not using Mac OS X 10.4.x or later, you're out of luck with the AirPort Extreme.) In the newer systems that have 11n built in, the 11n connectivity is enabled during setup with the AirPort Extreme or by purchasing the enabler software from Apple's site for $1.99. Users of older systems that do not have 802.11n built in can connect to the AirPort Extreme, though at slower speeds. Windows users can use the installer CD that ships with the Base Station, though the minimum requirements include a 300MHz processor and Windows XP Home or Pro with Service Pack 2 installed.

Setting up the AirPort Extreme Base Station is a simple task. If you're using a compatible Mac system, simply connect the Base Station to your router via the WAN port using an Ethernet cable and power it up. In the Utilities folder, click on the AirPort setup utility to create a new wireless network and establish security settings. If you're using a PC to create a network or to join the newly created network, you'll first need to install the AirPort Utility from the included CD. Then navigate to the utility (Start > All Programs > AirPort) to enter the necessary information.

Security and Features
The Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station offers the same set of security features as most current routers. You can change your network name (SSID), which is recommended, and choose between WEP, WPA, and WPA2 security. The Base Station Extreme offers MAC address filtering and a NAT firewall. Finally, if you're concerned about your kids' Internet access, you can control their access by time. For example, you can limit access to only those hours when you are home. (Mac OS X allows for site blocking.)