AirPort Express
Apple Computer
Price: $129.99
Pros: Easy to setup, cross-platform, printer and music sharing anywhere in the home, can do the job of several other expensive accessories.
Cons: Sending music wirelessly without iTunes requires additional software.
by Miguel Lopez, 1st Lt, USAF
Before I get into my review, I feel the need to declare that I am a PC guy. The only Apple computer I've had was an Apple IIe, so when the time came to find a wireless hub, my first look was into LinkSys since it is what I have always used. However, my exposure to Macs has increased quite a bit in recent months. My wife, a Mac user at heart, bought the new MacBook Pro and some of my friends at work are Mac users, so they had no problem giving me the lowdown on Apple's AirPort line. After much contemplation and good faith in my Mac friends (and wife) I went and bought two AirPort Express stations to make sure my house would be covered.
The main reason I went with the AirPort Express was the additional features it came with. Unlike comparable wireless hubs, I could send music and print jobs through the AirPort to my amp and printer. I have a good size collection of MP3's and the prospect of using my sound system to play music throughout the house straight from my computer was a strong draw. So, after spending $300 plus, I couldn't wait to get home and set up my wireless system. Now, whenever I have bought soft/hardware for my computer, there is always a high probability that something goes wrong in the installation process. It's just my luck with computers.
Ahh, the installation, where everything begins....or ends. Following the simple instructions of plugging in the appropriate cable, plugging the AirPort Express into the electrical socket and waiting for the correct color on the status light, everything was up and running in about ten minutes. We setup the network through my wife's Mac. I figured it would make more sense that way, Apple-to-Apple. The Setup Assistant (located on the CD provided) walked us through the process, including type of security without a hitch. I would have to say picking a name and password for our network was the toughest part!
Next we setup my Dell Laptop through the LinkSys wireless card software I had just installed. The AirPort Express and PC wireless Software had no complications working together. The only issue is the LinkSys software itself. For awhile I had to manually connect to the network every time I turned on my PC because for some reason, it would not do it automatically. I have since tweaked the settings and it connects on its own now.
Now with both computers working, I still had the second AirPort Express to install and connect to my sound system and Xbox. I chose an optical connection for the audio to try and get the best sound possible, though mini RCA would have worked. With the Xbox connected and AirPort Express plugged in, I went back to my wife's Mac to accept the additional AirPort Express into the newly created network, in order to extend the range. The AirPort Express software walked us through accepting the second AirPort Express and extending the network throughout the house.
If there was one issue, it's the printer. We have a Dell 3100cn color laser printer. When we bought it, it was our understanding that it would work both with PC and Mac. Of course, Dell never told us that we needed to buy an additional part costing $100 bucks in order to talk to both at the same time. However, with help from Apple's Bonjour Printer Wizard, having the printer plugged into the AirPort Express has allowed to do the same thing without buying Dell's accesory.
AirPort Express is spectacular - simple to install, configure and use. It fulfills its promise of creating a wireless network, sending music to speakers or A/V inputs in any room, and even getting a printer to talk to a Mac and PC at the same time without having to buy anything else. Of course, how could I leave out my Xbox - plugged into the second AirPort and playing Halo 2 on Xbox Live as if it was still on a hard connection with no lag. It's defiantly on my "tell my friends list" for wireless network set up.
System Requirements (Mac):
* Mac OS X 10.3 or later
* Mac with AirPort or AirPort Extreme card
System Requirements (Windows):
* Windows XP, or Windows 2000
* Wi-Fi-certified IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g wireless card
* WPA support requires a Wi-Fi-certified PC solution