Apple MA073LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station Review

Having always been a Mac fan, I’ve always looked very closely at each and every one of Apple’s products, especially those outside of their traditional “Mac” line.

Similar to others, I’ve used many different routers over the years, some from Belkin, D-link, Linksys, Netgear, and others. While all have performed quite well, I’ve always ended up having some major problem with each and every one. Most of them either just “died” or eventually performance became so degraded that I had to move on. Never has the replacement been as easy to use and hassle-free as Apple’s Airport Extreme Base Station.

From the start, it’s as simple as plugging in each of your devices, opening up the “airport utility” to configure, and you’re set. Gone are the days of 192.168.1.1 in the browser to access the router’s controls. Within Airport Utility, setup is extremely easy when running through the basic setup. There are also plenty of advanced features for those seeking additional functionality. I was able to easily change my SSID, not broadcast it, and even limit connections based upon MAC addresses.

One of the other functions, which I especially like, is the ability for the base station to automatically change the channel it broadcasts on. Where I live, everyone and their dog as a wireless network, so I’ve always had to deal with potential interference. With the Airport Extreme, I’ve set it to auto, and never looked back.

One of the major reasons I found this airport appealing over previous models was the addition of the USB port and additional ethernet ports. If I had use one of the previous “snow” airport base stations, you’d always had to have purchased an additional hub to connect more than one device/computer directly. Gone are those days with this new model.

My only regret with the purchase is that Apple later came out with the gigabit version, and then later with the Time Capsule. Luckily, they did come out with an update for Leopard enabling any USB drive to be connected to the Airport Extreme via its USB port and act as a backup drive for Time Machine.

In the end, this purchase was worth every penny. I’ll definitely continue to come back to Apple for my wireless needs.

Product Feature

• Ethernet WAN port
• Wireless networking router based on the 802.11n draft standard
• Backward-compatible with 802.11a/b/g devices
• Up to 5 times faster and twice the range of previous AirPort Extreme Base Station
• USB port turns external hard drives, printers, and other devices into network resources

Apple MA073LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station Overview

Introducing the new AirPort Extreme Base Station. Blazingly fast and secure, the Wi-Fi base station offers the perfect solution for home, school, and business. It sets up in minutes on Mac computers or PCs, letting you easily surf the web, send email, exchange photos, and share a printer or hard drive. Featuring next-generation 802.11n wireless technology,(1) it offers up to five times the performance and twice the range of networks created with the earlier 802.11g standard.(2) (1)The AirPort Extreme Base Station is based on an IEEE 802.11n draft specification and is compatible with IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. (2)Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network, and other factors. Range will vary with site conditions.

Apple MA073LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station Specifications

Apple has updated its highly rated wireless router with faster speed, twice the range, a lower price, and wrapped it all up in a whole new design. The new AirPort Extreme Base Station now has extra Ethernet ports for making wired computer connections and/or sharing network printers. It even has a USB slot, for connecting a USB printer, external hard drive, or other USB device. Also, it works with both Mac and Windows machines.

802.11n is faster, and with a longer range, than 802.11g

About 802.11n
AirPort Extreme Base Station is compatible with the 802.11n draft specification, the new, all-but-finalized (as of February, 2007) standard for wireless networking, or Wi-Fi. Apple says their 802.11n is up to five times faster than the currently ubiquitous 802.11g. It uses three discreet antennas that not only double its range over previous AirPort base stations, but allows up to 50 simultaneous connections. Unless you’re an office manager, school principal or a cafe owner, you probably don’t care about that much capacity. Still, it’s nice to know you can, say, telecommute over the Internet while someone else in your household is streaming video without slowing each other down. Thankfully, AirPort Extreme is backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g devices. Apple does caution, however, that “speed and range will be less if an 802.11a/b/g product joins the network.”

And while setting up a Wi-Fi network in your home can often be a confusing, frustrating experience, consumers have learned that Apple is adept at painlessly guiding even novice users quickly through a set-up process. Apple promises that their wizard will have you up, running, and secure in the time it takes to brew a cup of coffee. It offers WPA/WPA2 and 128-bit WEP encryption, as well as a built-in firewall, which helps protect you from Internet intruders.

Sharing Features
One of the most interesting features of the new AirPort Extreme Base Station is its ability to turn almost any external USB hard drive into a network attached storage (NAS) device. Just plug the disk directly into the AirPort Extreme Base Station’s USB port, and it will be accessible through the built-in file sharing capabilities of both Windows and OS X. The AirPort Disk Utility software helps you set up permissions and passwords, keeping the disk (or parts of it) inaccessible from others on your network. You can similarly turn a standard USB printer into a network printer. The AirPort Extreme Base Station only has one USB port, but you will be able to plug both of those devices and more in by using a separately sold USB hub. Like most wireless routers, AirPort Extreme Base Station lets you create a list of devices allowed to access your network. A new parental control feature in this router, though, lets you lock out specific devices, like a kid’s computer, from connecting during certain hours of the day, such as after bed-time.

What’s in the Box
Apple MA073LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station, AirPort Utility for Mac and Windows, AirPort Disk Utility for Mac and Windows, 802.11n Enabler for Mac, Bonjour for Windows, power cord, printed and electronic documentation.

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Customer Reviews

gave as a gift – one tider –
gave as a gift to my son, he hasn’t complained but there is one that has storage.

AirPort is Awesome – Harlan Kefalas – APO, AE USA
Setup is easy and it works seamlessly without regard to OS. I have my iMac, Vista Laptop, XP Laptop (I need it for certain legacy programs that aren’t compatible with Vista), and Linux all working off the same router without any problems. Definitely the best router I’ve purchased, over Linksys and Belkin routers I’ve owned previously.

It Works, Installation’s a Breeze – Millie C. Woods – Near the home of Stealth Fighters
I am elderly, know little about puters and nothing about wireless routers, live in mountains and had to rely solely on tech support. I researched the product, found this one to be best, and Apple walked me through a simple installation. Now I go anywhere in the house with my laptop and visit my grandchildren and have the capacity for more STUFF that I will ever need.

Buy cheap Apple MA073LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 10, 2010 17:34:05

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