Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station

There’s little point in arguing against the fact that Apple has a magnificent record for producing the best-looking kit, though this can be to the detriment of compatibility, as we’ve seen with Apple’s computers (which use their own operating system) and MP3 players (which only work with iTunes). Apple is slowly emerging from this pattern though. Perhaps making the iPod compatible with PCs and opening it up to the mass market has brought home the potential of embracing the masses, while recent announcements like letting other MP3 players access music purchased on iTunes can only be a good thing.

The latest piece of kit designed for both Macs and PCs is the AirPort Extreme 802.11n, which uses the latest draft of the Wi-Fi specification to create a super-fast wireless network, and aims to make setting it up as straightforward as plugging it into the wall.

Features
The AirPort Extreme is a little different to your average router, as you might expect from Apple. First of all, it only comes with one wire, used to plug it into the wall to power it. There’s no built-in modem – Apple expects you to have an existing Ethernet connection to the internet, which is common among cable broadband users but rare among those who get their broadband via a BT line. This isn’t an insurmountable problem but if you don’t already have an Ethernet web connection, by the time you’ve got your head around replacing your modem, you may as well grab an all-in-one modem router from one of Apple’s rivals. If you are properly equipped, however, there’s also a handy USB port that can be used for sharing a printer or external hard disk.

Performance
The device uses the latest 802.11n wireless standard so you can expect peak performance out of it. The unit doesn’t have external aerials so its reception equipment is obviously built inside the device, but this didn’t seem to hamper its performance in our tests. It also happily connected to older Wi-Fi adapters we tested it with, so it should be backwardly compatible with any existing hardware you’ve got.

Ease of use
As you’d expect from Apple, all efforts have been made to make setting up a simple process, though it struck us that to make things really simple, Apple has skipped a few steps. For example, you may be able to plug this into the wall and your existing Ethernet-cabled network equipment, but this already needs to be set up – setting up a device with a modem included is obviously going to be more complicated. The device starts broadcasting its Wi-Fi presence immediately so you’ll need to use the supplied software, which is excellent by the way, to hook up to it. However, you also need to make sure the Wi-Fi on your computer is working first. In a perfect world, this should all work like a dream, though as many PC users know, things often aren’t as simple as you want them to be.

Value for money
Presuming you’ve got all the bits in place before you start, the price is about right for this kind of product and, if Apple’s design ethic is something that you’re willing to pay a little over the odds for, then you could probably argue it’s a bargain. You have to have the right kind of internet connection though, otherwise you’re likely to be disappointed or need the extra purchase of an Ethernet modem – the Apple Store (www.apple.com/uk) sells one for £40.