Apple AirPort Express Base Station (802.11n)
Manufacturer: Apple Part number: MB321LL/A
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Don't pick up a new, 802.11n-enabled AirPort Express if you're looking for superfast wireless networking performance. You should consider it, however, if you're in the market for a new Wi-Fi router that offers portability, ease of use, and the unique ability to stream iTunes over your network.
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CNET editors' review
Apple AirPort Express Base Station (802.11n) price range: $98.99 - $99.99
- Reviewed by: Rich Brown
- Reviewed on: 03/19/2008
- Released on: 03/17/2008
The good: New, faster 802.11n wireless standard; same price as the original model; audio streaming capability remains unique; imminently portable because of its small size; easy setup.
The bad: Not as fast as other 802.11n routers; can't connect an external hard drive to the USB port; no Ethernet ports for wired clients.
The bottom line: Don't pick up a new, 802.11n-enabled AirPort Express if you're looking for superfast wireless networking performance. You should consider it, however, if you're in the market for a new Wi-Fi router that offers portability, ease of use, and the unique ability to stream iTunes over your network.
Apple's AirPort Express Base Station has always been remarkable in that it is networking hardware that people actually seem to get excited about. Thanks to an update to the 802.11n wireless networking standard, this compact, easy-to-use device can now add increased wireless networking performance to its list of pros. It might not be as fast as some of the more robust 802.11n wireless devices, and at $99, it's also on the pricier side of basic 802.11n routers. Still, for its portability and its integration with iTunes, we recommend it to anyone interested in setting up a wireless network on the go, or if you're after some basic music streaming capability.
Design and setup
Aside from the upgrade to the 802.11n, Apple made no other changes to the original AirPort Express design. It remains the exact size (3.7 inches high, 1.1 inches wide, 3 inches deep), weight (.4 pounds), and shape (little, boxy) as the original model, which lends the AirPort Express a unique degree of portability. It also has the same snap-in, fold-out power plug, and it retains the same array of ports. You get one 10/100 Ethernet port to connect the AirPort Express to your main wired Internet connection, one USB port that lets you install a printer on your network, and a single audio jack that doubles as an analog and an optical audio output.
As with the original model, setting up the AirPort Express is remarkably easy. You simply plug the AirPort Express into a power outlet, install the software onto a PC on your network, and follow the basic prompts via Apple's AirPort Utility. The experience is basically the same on a Windows PC, the main exception being that it installs Apple's Bonjour network device discovery software as well, if you don't already have it. The AirPort Express supports both the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz wireless frequencies, so you can opt for the faster 5.0GHz band if you only need to worry about 802.11a/n-compatible devices.
Features
Although nothing aside from the networking standard has changed in the AirPort Express, with Apple's new Time Capsule and the older AirPort Extreme Base Station out there as well, it can't hurt to clarify the characteristics of Apple's family of networking products. All three are 802.11n capable, but the AirPort Express is the only one that offers built-in iTunes audio streaming over a direct connection. The AirPort Express is also the only one that won't support an external hard drive over the USB port, although like the others, it does support a USB printer over the network. The AirPort Express can support 10 simultaneous users, while the AirPort Extreme and the Time Capsule can both support up to 50. And where the others offer Gigabit Ethernet jacks, the AirPort Express also has only a single 10/100 Ethernet jack. That's fine, since the AirPort Express isn't intended to accept any client systems wired directly to it.
That audio out is one of the main features that the AirPort Express can hold over Apple's Time Capsule, the pricier AirPort Extreme Base Station, and indeed most other wireless routers. If you plug a set of speakers (or any audio output device) into the AirPort Express, you can then use any iTunes-equipped computer on the AirPort's network to stream music to that device. It's no replacement for a dedicated music-streaming device such as Logitech's Squeezebox Duet, but if you're OK with playing DJ through the iTunes interface on your computer, the AirPort Express can provide a straightforward way to pipe music throughout your house. Apple also still hasn't opened up iTunes' DRM to other audio-streaming hardware vendors, which means the AirPort Express and the Apple TV are still the only networking devices that can stream music from iTunes.
Because audio streaming is generally not that demanding on your networking bandwidth, the benefit of the AirPort Express's move to 802.11n feels like more of a "keeping up with the Joneses" kind of upgrade, although its wider bandwidth opens up the possibility for streaming high definition video smoothly across your network. Other vendors sell non-Gigabit 802.11n routers for between $50 and $100, which made Apple's older 802.11b/g version of the AirPort Express look dated and overpriced. The 802.11n standard certainly has its benefits. The rated specs for the standard include twice the bandwidth of 802.11g (74 megabits per second versus 23 megabits per second), and also twice the range, with about 70 meters for 802.11n versus 35 meters for the older standards. But, as you'll see from our testing, the AirPort Express's actual network performance sits on the lower end of the 802.11n scale.
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.
User reviews
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Virtually idiot-proof
by solitare_pax on May 10, 2008
Pros: Compact, simple to use, unobtrusive
Cons: No enclosed cord
Summary: It works.
I have dealt with three different wireless routers over the years - a D-Link type router/hub combo that fried after a year of use, a Linksys dedicated ...Summary: It works.
I have dealt with three different wireless routers over the years - a D-Link type router/hub combo that fried after a year of use, a Linksys dedicated wireless router which was returned because it was defective (and my brother who recommended it later had his die on him) and the Apple AirPort Express.
Very small, very compact and versatile. The one at home has worked nearly flawlessly, and when there is a big (after a power outage say) you just unplug the thing, wait a moment, and plug it back in. After a moment or two, the lone light switches from amber to green and you are ready to go again.
The one I installed at the office worked equally well with PC notebooks and Mac Laptops, so there are no cross-compatibility issues to worry about.
I should note for the tech folk that the home line is a standard cable connection - while the office line I dealt with was one-quarter of a T1 line, which is a different animal. It took a little modification to the protocols, but we got it working fine for internet purposes.
One it's set up - that's pretty much it.
Have fun.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Awesome works like a charm
by rkaufmann87 on May 25, 2009
Pros: Easy to set up and reliable
Cons: None, I'm very pleased with it.
Summary: I've had great luck with this little device, I wanted to stream my iTunes library to my home theater sound system. After the initial setup of about 10 minutes ...
Summary: I've had great luck with this little device, I wanted to stream my iTunes library to my home theater sound system. After the initial setup of about 10 minutes I was listening to music that sounded terrific. I can play anything that is on iTunes through it. I have mine set up to piggyback onto my existing network, then connected via optical cable DD5.1 to my home theater. Overall I could not be more pleased.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Perfect little base station. I love it.
by nickrandocps on January 2, 2009
Pros: Small, portable, easy install, fairly cheap for great wireless.
Cons: I wish it had another ethernet port for a small switch.
Summary: When I bought this with my MacBook, i already had an idea of what to expect. That was a quick simple installation and quick connection. Well the connection was really ...
Summary: When I bought this with my MacBook, i already had an idea of what to expect. That was a quick simple installation and quick connection. Well the connection was really quick and easy to set up on my macbook and even the older XP computer in my room. Now I get flawless wireless-N coverage throughout my entire house. I like how it is so small that if I wanted, I could just throw it in my bag with my laptop and bring it to my dads for the weekend, and it would all be quick and painless. Bottom line, I am really glad that I made this purchase.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A compact router with audio streaming capability
by stevie511 on August 11, 2008
Pros: Compact, stylish, connects seamlessly with Apple wireless devices
Cons: Difficult to connect to non-Apple wireless networks
Summary: I originally tried to set this device up on a D-Link wireless network and had numerous problems with it... problems which both Apple and D-Link failed to find a solution ...
Summary: I originally tried to set this device up on a D-Link wireless network and had numerous problems with it... problems which both Apple and D-Link failed to find a solution to. I'd had a lot of connectivity issues with the D-Link network anyway so decided to replace the the existing devices with Apple products (the Aiport Extreme which, by the way, is the simplest router I've ever set up!)
Once the Airport Extreme was set up, the Express connected almost straight away and I've no connectivity problems since. By far the easiest and most effective wireless network I've had to date.
Audio streaming to the Express is a great feature and once which works every time.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A versatile router for wireless printing, music streaming, portability
by George Wedding on March 24, 2008
Pros: AirTunes streaming of iTunes music libraries
Cons: Small size and internal antennas reduce coverage
Summary: Those who really appreciate the Airport Express use it as a supplementary access point to fill in voids in small home or business networks and to wirelessly stream music from ...
Summary: Those who really appreciate the Airport Express use it as a supplementary access point to fill in voids in small home or business networks and to wirelessly stream music from their computers to their AV Receiver sound system or wirelessly print documents to networked printers. For these uses, it is worth it's weight in gold, and actually quite affordable. At $99, the new 802.11n Airport Express also is $30 less expensive than the original 802.11g model. While it may be a bit more expensive than cheap products, Apple's configuration software makes the device a breeze to configure and maintain, and to many, this alone is worth a few extra dollars in cost.
A built-in analog/digital optical audio port and a USB port make all this possible. Add an Airport Express and a set of self-powered speakers to any room and you can retrofit a marvelous, whole-house music system into any home or office.
The Airport Express excels at these tasks.
Others just configure this diminutive device to "join any network" and carry it in a travel bag to improve WiFi connections in hotel rooms and offices while on the road. It excels at this task as well.
It's hard to say, but the reviewer doesn't spell out enough details on how the review unit was configured and tested to really know if the Express was properly set up to attain the fastest connection speed. Like most routers, the Express' connection speed is cut in half if it is configured as a bridge to join another router. But set it up as a primary router (as its' own access point and hard-wired to the Ethernet backbone of your network), and laptop and iPhone WiFi connections are quite speedy, though I have never tested it against other products. As is always the case with Apple, the user experience is so good, who wants to bother with other products? Not me.
What's more, if you purchase an Airport Express at the same time you purchase a Mac with an AppleCare extended warranty, Apple's warranty also covers the Express (or any other peripherals purchased on the same invoice as the computer)!1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Not Very Reliable
by lgoler on June 2, 2008
Pros: Itunes Streaming
Cons: Everything Else
Summary: The Airport Express works well when it works, which is 50% of the time. I bought it for the capability of being able to stream music from Itunes to my ...
Summary: The Airport Express works well when it works, which is 50% of the time. I bought it for the capability of being able to stream music from Itunes to my stereo. It was never very stable, with constant drop-outs. But worse is that the unit has now stopped working entirely, no light on the unit appears although I can't confirm that it isn't getting power because the people in the Apple Store that supposedly do "diagnostics" are completely useless. $150 down the toilet after two years, I wouldn't call that longevity for a device like this.
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Almost Perfect
by Pibley on November 22, 2009
Pros: Easy to install.
Can be used for a variety of purposes.
Quality designed and built product.Cons: Doesn't come with any cables.
Documentation could be simplified down to a page or two.Summary: All networking devices in our house are Apple so I cannot comment on how this product interacts with non-Apple networking hardware. The process to install this to our home network ...
Summary: All networking devices in our house are Apple so I cannot comment on how this product interacts with non-Apple networking hardware. The process to install this to our home network took less than 10 mins. Most of that time was spent unpacking the contents from the box, looking at the documentation, and installing the software on my wife's macbook.
We use this to connect our blu-ray player into our network. However, a neat feature of this device is that you can set it up as an extender of your wireless network. While I don't use it for that, it's cool you can use it for this purpose if you need to do so. -
Review needs update!! See Below..
Very cool product.by neilmathes on November 7, 2009
Pros: AirTunes. Great method of streaming digital music from pc to home audio.
Cons: Slightly slower connection speeds.
Summary: You guys need to update the review to include the "Remote" feature. "Remote" is an APP available for iPhone & iPod Touch that that remotely controls your ENTIRE iTunes library (...
Summary: You guys need to update the review to include the "Remote" feature. "Remote" is an APP available for iPhone & iPod Touch that that remotely controls your ENTIRE iTunes library (not just the songs synced to the iPhone/iPod) from the iPhone/iPod. Very cool!
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Music Skips
by paldiel on October 3, 2009
Pros: Compact, Multipurpose
Cons: Music skips all the time, tried everything, everything! Trash, stay away from this nightmare
Summary: If you love music then dont even think about this, other than music streams the product should work ok.
Summary: If you love music then dont even think about this, other than music streams the product should work ok.
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Easy to setup, functions as promised..
by SunDevilPilot on March 15, 2009
Pros: From the time I opened the box to the time I was streaming music was about 10 minutes. Installed on an Apple MacBook seamlessly.
Cons: None discovered so far...
Summary: I purchased the Airport Express to replace a Linksys Music Bridge I have struggled to make function on my Windows PC. I recently purchased a MacBook and wanted to stream ...
Summary: I purchased the Airport Express to replace a Linksys Music Bridge I have struggled to make function on my Windows PC. I recently purchased a MacBook and wanted to stream music to my stereo and to use my iPhone as a remote to control iTunes. Worked right out of the box with my existing wireless network.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Apple
- Part number: MB321LL/A
- Description: Easily create a wireless network at home. Enjoy your iTunes music library in virtually any room of your house. Share a USB printer without obtrusive cables. And do it all with the latest wireless technology.
General
- Device Type Wireless access point
- Built-in Devices Print server
- Width 1.1 in
- Depth 3 in
- Height 3.7 in
- Weight 6.6 oz
Networking
- Form factor External
- Connectivity technology Wireless
- Data link protocol IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0)
- Transport protocol L2TP, PPTP, IPSec, PPPoE
- Remote management protocol SNMP
- Capacity Connection / user qty : 10
- Features DNS proxy, NAT support, DHCP support, IPv6 support, Print server, VPN passthrough, Firewall protection, MAC address filtering
- Encryption Algorithm TLS, WPA, LEAP, PEAP, TTLS, WPA2, 40-bit WEP, 128-bit WEP
- Authentication Method RADIUS
- Networking standards IEEE 802.1x, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0)
Processor Memory / Storage
- Optical Storage None
- Storage Removable None
Antenna
- Antenna Internal integrated
- Directivity Omni-directional
Communications
- Type None
Expansion / Connectivity
- Expansion Bays Total (Free) None
- Expansion Slots Total (Free) None
- Interfaces 1 x USB - 4 pin USB Type A, 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45 ( WAN ), 1 x Audio - Line-out
Miscellaneous
- Compliant Standards RSS-210, UL 60950, EN 300.328, FCC Part 15, FCC Class B certified, CSA C22.2 No. 60950-00
Power
- Power Device Power supply - Internal
Battery
- Type None
Software / System Requirements
- Software type Drivers & Utilities
- Peripheral / Interface devices CD-ROM
Environmental Parameters
- Min operating temperature 32 °F
- Max operating temperature 95 °F
- Operating humidity range 20 - 90%
CNET Labs' Benchmarks
- CNET Labs long-range tests (in Mbps) 11.65
- CNET Labs maximum throughput tests (at 15 feet, in Mbps) 52.76
- CNET Labs maximum throughput tests with mixed 802.11b/g and draft N, MIMO clients (at 15 feet, in Mbps) 50.53
Manufacturer info
- Apple
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Apple products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.apple.com
- Address:
One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014 - Phone: 1-408-996-1010
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