Apple's AirPort wireless networking technology lets you surf the Internet from almost anywhere in your home or business, and enables schools to provide Internet access to multiple students without installing expensive cabling.* With AirPort-enabled Macintosh systems, it's a snap to exchange files or play multiplayer games at data transfer rates of up to 11 megabits per second. And because AirPort uses radio waves for communication, it can even work through walls.
Since AirPort antennas are built into all new computers from Apple, all you need to add is an internal AirPort Card for each AirPort Card-ready system you want to bring onto your wireless network, and an AirPort Extreme Base Station. The AirPort Extreme Base Station is compatible with all versions of AirPort.
With AirPort-enabled Macintosh systems, it's a snap to exchange files or play multiplayer games at data transfer rates of up to 11 megabits per second.*** And because AirPort and AirPort Extreme uses radio waves for communication, they can even work through walls.
AirPort Extreme is compatible with all AirPort products, as well as Wi-Fi certified 802.11b wireless products. This means that the range of AirPort Extreme is up to 150 feet at 11 Mbps, just like the original AirPort.
Using the new AirPort Extreme Base Station, up to 50 users can work and play on the Internet simultaneously up to 150 feet away from an Ethernet connection or a phone line.** And your new Base Station comes equipped with a built-in firewall to protect sensitive data on your computer and the ability to secure transmissions with support for 128-bit encryption. The AirPort Extreme Base Station is compatible with AOL (USA only) Internet access if AOL is your ISP. The base station also supports AOL parental controls.
With the AirPort Extreme base station it is also possible to manage the range of your wireless network. An external antenna port is provided for you to attach an external antenna (Best configuration only). There are two types of antennas available: an omni-directional and a directional. With these antennas you can extend the range of the AirPort Extreme base station. There is also a software feature that allows you on reduce the size of your wireless network, down to just a single room for extra privacy.
AirPort Extreme also supports wireless bridging. This features allows you to add a satellite base station to the one connected to your wired DSL, cable, or Ethernet network. This is another way to extend the range of your network and double the number of users you can support.
The AirPort Extreme base station comes in two configurations. One configuration includes a 10/100BASE-T LAN port, a 10/100BASE-T WAN port, and a USB port. A second configuration includes the already mentioned ports, plus a v.90 built-in modem port, and an external antenna port.
* The Airport Extreme Base Station is compatible with all versions of AirPort only at 11 Mbps data rates. To achieve wireless data rates higher than 11 Mbps you need to have both an AirPort Extreme Base Station and an AirPort Extreme Card.
** Wireless Internet access requires AirPort Card, AirPort Base Station, and Internet access (fees may apply). Some ISPs are not currently compatible with AirPort. Range may vary with site conditions.
*** For higher performance you need to have both the Airport Extreme Card and the AirPort Extreme base Station. The range of AirPort Extreme is up to 50 feet at 54 Mbps.
