macphersont's Full Review: Apple AirPort Express Base Station with 802.11n an...
As a frequent traveler, I am constantly searching for items that will enhance and simplify my road life. To put this succinctly, this device is one of those products that make my life easier when I am on the road, and also enhances my wireless network at home.
Many, but not all hotels offer wireless service in the room. Older hotels (even in the 4 and 5 star range) only offer wired internet access, often due to the structure of the building making it impossible to effectively provide wireless access throughout. In those cases, you are often tethered to a desk that is uncomfortable to work with. Or in some cases the signal provided is so weak, as to be untenable.
Starting with the physical attributes, this device fits easily into a regular laptop bag, being less than 1 pound, 6"x4"x1" in size. This makes it absolutely perfect for portability. The device is also well constructed and rugged in design, handling the effects of air travel very well. It plugs in nicely to standard North America outlets, with easy to access ports for USB printing, and wireless AirTunes (check the Apple site for more details on this great feature).
Setup is a breeze for both the computer savvy and technically challenged as well on both Windows based and OSX based systems with the provided software. It supports wireless N speeds, and has all of the standard features one would expect in a wireless router, including WPA2, WPA Enterprise, RADIUS support, WEP and etc. It can be used to bridge an existing wireless network to extend its distance, can be used as a NAT-Bridge device to plug into an existing NAT network (great for hotels) or can be used as a stand-alone to plug directly into your ISP modem as the primary router (provided you don't want any wired connections to the router such as a network printer).
For at home use, if you can plug it in nearby your stereo, AirTunes is very nice. Essentially it puts your entire iTunes library easily on your stereo without having to deal with Media extenders or etc. While it doesn't provide you with the ability to browse the music, if you set up a playlist, it can provide hours of musical entertainment for a party.
All in all, there are few products that I have been this impressed with. I have suggested it to all of my coworkers who are road warriors like myself and they have all thanked me for taking one for the team and coming out with a great product suggestion.
One note for those that would use this for USB printer support. Not all printers are supported this way, check on http://www.ifelix.co.uk/tech/8013.html for an unofficial but very good list of supported printers.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 99 Driver Availability: Windows, Linux, and Mac
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