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Apple’s all-New Airport Express
Although not part of the official WWDC announcement, Apple quietly announced an overdue update to the AirPort Express, a Wi-Fi base station that, besides acting as a wireless Internet access point, offers several other useful features. Setng up a new Wi-Fi network is no longer the technical feat it used to be, thanks to an easy to use built-in setup assistant in iOS, and an Airport utility available in OS X. Once a network is set up, the utilities allow for managing and monitoring the unit from an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or a Mac.
The main feature that has been inherited from the AirPort Extreme is dual-band 802.11n support, allowing iPads and Macs to connect over a 5 GHz network, while the iPhone can connect simultaneously over 2.4 GHz. It’s also possible to use the unit to extend the range of an existing AirPort or Time Capsule based network for longer range Wi-Fi. The box features LAN and WAN Ethernet connectors, a USB port and Apple’s analog/optical audio connector.
As already mentioned, the AirPort Express can provide additional functions. Utilizing AirPlay, music from iTunes libraries on any computer, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch can be beamed wirelessly to the base station. Simply connect the AirPort Express to a powered speaker and a whole-house music experience is created. Connecting a USB printer to the USB port on the rear of the unit delivers wireless printing, allowing everyone in a household to access a central printer.
For safe and secure Internet access, the base station includes a built-in firewall that is automatically turned on, creating a barrier between the network and the Internet. With the guest-networking feature, a separate Wi-Fi network can be set up just for guests. The AirPort Express is also compatible with devices using the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n specifications. Finally, for situations where wired communication is required, the 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN port can be used to connect to a desktop computer. If additional ports are needed, an Ethernet hub can be attached.
| Wireless Protocols | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n |
| Compatibilty | Interoperable with 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n-enabled Mac computers, iOS devices, Apple TV, Windows-based PCs, and other Wi-Fi devices NAT, DHCP, PPPoE, VPN Passthrough (IPSec, PPTP, and L2TP), DNS Proxy, SNMP, IPv6 (6to4 and manual tunnels) |
| Frequency Bands | Simultaneous dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz |
| Radio Output Power | 20.5 dBm maximum (varies by country) |
| Interfaces | 802.11n wireless 10/100BASE-T Ethernet WAN port for connecting a DSL modem, cable modem, or Ethernet network 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN port for connecting a computer, Ethernet hub, or networked printer USB 2.0 port for connecting a USB printer 3.5-mm audio mini jack for analog or optical digital sound Built-in power supply |
| Security | Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2) WPA/WPA2 Enterprise2 Wireless security (WEP) configurable for 40-bit and 128-bit encryption MAC address filtering NAT firewall 802.1X, PEAP, LEAP, TTLS, TLS, FAST Time-based access control |
| Users | Over 50 |
| Channels | Channels 1-11, 36-48, and 149-165 approved for use in the United States and Canada Channels 1-13, 36-64, and 100-140 approved for use in Europe and Japan Channels 1-13, 36-64, and 149-165 approved for use in Australia, Hong Kong, and New Zealand |
| Agency Approvals | FCC Part 15 Class B, Canada RSS-210, EN 300-328, EN 301-489, EN 301 893, ARIB STD-T66, RCR STD-T33, AS/NZS 4268: 2003, UL 60950, CSA-C22.2 No. 60950 |
| Elecrical/Environmental Requirements | 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz; input current: 0.2 A Operating temperature: 32 to 95°F (0 to 35°C) Storage temperature: -13 to 140°F (-25 to 60°C) Relative humidity (operating): 20% to 90%, non-condensing Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet Maximum storage altitude: 15,000 feet |
| System Requirements | Mac Setup and Administration From an iOS device: iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 5 or later and the AirPort Utility app From a Mac: OS X Lion 10.7.3 or later and AirPort Utility 6.1 OS X 10.5.7 or later and AirPort Utility 5.6.1 Wireless Device Access Any Wi-Fi-enabled device that uses the 802.11a/b/g/n specification Shared Printing with a USB Printer USB printer OS X 10.2.7 or later PC Setup and Administration From an iOS device: iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 5 or later and the AirPort Utility app From a PC: Windows 7 or later and AirPort Utility 5.6.1 Wireless Device Access Any Wi-Fi-enabled device that uses the 802.11a/b/g/n specification Shared Printing with a USB Printer A USB printer Windows XP (SP3), Vista (SP1), Windows 7 |
| Dimensions | 3.9 x 3.9 x 0.9" (98 x 98 x 23 mm) |
| Weight | 8.5 oz (240 g) |
Comments
I have the airport express router set up in my house, but I need to connect my sony pc to it.....what do I need to do this?
If your Sony computer has a wireless card, simply choose the AirPort from the available wireless networks, and enter your password. If your PC does not have wireless, you can use an Ethernet cable to make the connection.
Any version available for 10.8?
THe 10.8 airport utility sucks. I cannot see the internal ip addresses of my wired clients.
That is a missing feature of the new Airport Utility. There are a few apps available in the App store that will provide you with that information. For free, you can use LanScan. It simply will scan the network for active connections, and will list the IP, and MAC addresses. For a more detailed scan, I would recommend iNet. (There is also an iOS version of this app that works very well)
Can the Airport Express be used for printing from an iPad or iphone to a non-airplay compatible wireless printer? I hate to throw away a perfectly good printer.
Thanks.
No. The Airport Express does not make a non AirPrint printer compatible with the iOS. You do not have to throw away the printer as long as you can leave a computer powered on. Ecamm developed software for both the Mac, and PC that will allow you to print to non AirPrint printers from your iOS device.
Is the WAN port on the back of the Airport express only intended for connecting to a wireless router? My router is in the basement but my audio equipment is in my living room, however i do have a Ethernet plug that is wired to the router. Can i use the Ethernet cable to connect via the WAN port? Can the new Airport Express play apple lossless files effectively over a WiFi connection? If I connect the Airport Express directly via Ethernet port will that improve the playback of apple lossless format files?
Hello -
The WAN port typically connects to your modem, but you can connect to your router as well. You may create a Double NAT by doing so, however. Double NAT is a scenario where multiple routers on network are doing network address translation. Common example is a Cable or DSL modem to which a Wi-Fi router is connected. Both modem and router have NAT enabled. Computers on the network are connected to Wi-Fi router. Even if port forwarding is setup on the Wi-Fi router, the computer is not accessible from the internet because the WiFi router itself doesn't have a public IP address. It has a private IP address within the network of DSL/Cable modem. The new Apple AirPort Express will effectively play Apple lossless files over WiFi. A wired ethernet connection will not improve the playback of these files, but wired connections are almost always more reliable. If you have additional questions please let us know via e-mail: AskBH@BandH.com
I own an Airport Express. The new one continues to have the same design flaw (in my opinion) like the previous generation, it can sustain 600Mbps wirelessly but the Ethernet port can do up to 100Mbps. Why not provide an 1Gbps Ethernet port ?
The only probable explanation (in my opinion) is that Airport Express is designed exclusively for wireless use, and although the fast Ethernet port would be a nice addition, most of the users will not need it or use it, and therefore it would probably be an unjustified cost for Apple to add this feature. My two cents...
Hello -
Apple has not offered any reasons behind offering what is commonly known as the Fast Ethernet port on their Airport devices. Perhaps the next iteration of this product will provide the elusive 802.3z Gigabit Ethernet Standard.
Hi guys,
anyone that knows if they are about to announce a new Time Capsule as well??
best regards
Hello Cato -
Keep an eye on this In Depth area of our website for the latest Apple products. We will keep you informed of any official Apple developments as they are announced.