Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station MB053LL/A [OLD VERSION]

by Apple

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches ; 1.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000UZCR56
• Item model number: MB053LL/A
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (182 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,880 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #56 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Networking Products > Modems
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Introducing the new AirPort Extreme Base Station, the perfect wireless solution for home, school, and business. As it blankets your space with a blazing-fast, secure wireless network, it opens up a world of possibilities for home entertainment, backups, printing, and more.

With the new AirPort Extreme Base Station, you and up to 50 of your friends, colleagues, or family members can enjoy a robust wireless network offering up to five times the performance and up to twice the range of networks created with the earlier 802.11g standard.

Easy as a Mac.
Setting up a network should be as easy as setting up a Mac. And it is--if you’re using a new AirPort Extreme, which features a completely redesigned setup utility. Just take the AirPort Extreme out of the box. Plug it in. Install the software, and in five minutes or less, you’re good to go.

Surf the web, chat, send email, or exchange photos from any computer or from your iPhone. Print or access a shared hard drive--wirelessly. Set limits for when your kids can access the Internet. Secure your network with a firewall and strong encryption. Even use AirPort Extreme as the perfect companion to Apple TV.

Superfast, supercompatible.
The AirPort Extreme Base Station features 802.11n,2 the next-generation high-speed wireless technology included with most shipping Mac computers and some newer PCs with compatible cards. The AirPort Extreme is also Wi-Fi Certified to work with the 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g wireless standards--which means the systems you’re already using will work seamlessly with the new base station.

Elegantly simple.
Just 6.5 inches square and 1.3 inches tall, the new AirPort Extreme features a simple, elegant design that will fit almost anywhere--your desk, a table, a bookshelf, or any flat surface.

What's in the box:
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.

Product Description

This is a solid wireless router for all-Mac and mixed Windows/Mac networks.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 109 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the best, September 28, 2007

By 

Bradley (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station MB053LL/A [OLD VERSION] (Personal Computers)

I own an iMac G5, a Nintendo Wii, an Airport Express, a Nintendo DS, a HP Printer, and an XBox 360, and this thing works flawlessly with all of them. I can't speak for Windows based PC's, but the Airport Extreme was a breeze to setup on the Mac. The new Airport layout does most of the work for you and all you have to do is click when it tells you to. So simple a caveman could...well, you know.

*One note: If you install it, it says its working, but you're still not on the internet, then restart your cable provider's box and when it comes back on you'll be up and running. This didn't happen to me, but it did happen to a friend of mine. Just thought I'd pass the word.

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, if not the best pre-N router on the market today, April 27, 2008

By 

esanta "esanta" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station MB053LL/A [OLD VERSION] (Personal Computers)

I have been using many wireless routers (Linksys, D-Link, SMC, Netgear, Siemens...) over the years, since the early days of 802.11b, but this is my first experience with an Apple router (second, really: I've just replaced my first generation Airport Extreme router with this one which has a Gigabit switch instead of the original 100BT, so this is an update of the review I posted for the original model)

There is no need to comment on the manufacturing quality, design and packaging: in typical Apple fashion, they're miles ahead of the competition. For instance, unlike all the other routers I ever used that came with a 110v only power supply, the Airport Extreme Base Station (AEBS for short) comes with a universal worldwide power supply equipped with a standard power cord.

Performancewise, it is exceptional. I have been putting it through its paces over the past few days and it's barely breaking a sweat in situations where my previous routers (Linksys WRT54G and Netgear WGN824) would progressively get slower, or just plain crash and require a reboot. Coverage is excellent, better than my WGN824's which was already quite impressive.

Apple has traditionally be doing things differently, and it shows here again: unlike most routers, which are managed by accessing a built-in web server, this router can only be configured using the "Airport Utility" configuration program. The bundled CD contains a Mac OS X and a Windows version of the utility (I can already hear groans from the Linux geeks). The utility is extremely simple to use, although I haven't tried to use the more advanced features such as setting up another router like the Airport Express as a range extender.

One problem you might run into is the lack of support for "legacy" devices: although the AEBS offers a compatibility mode with WEP devices called "WEP (Transitional)" which lets WEP and WPA coexist, this mode imposes restrictions on the keys that may not work for you (for instance you won't be able to reuse an existing 40-bit WEP key). The problem is that WEP-40 and WEP-128 are not compatible with the 802.11n standard, so you have to choose between speed or full backwards compatibility. Also, you should know that WEP-40 and WEP-128 are not very secure: there are utilities out there that can crack these keys easily.

Note that 802.11n gives a significant speed boost to the AppleTV and laptops equipped with compatible cards (such as Apple's Core 2 Duo laptops with the 802.11n enabler installed -- you can find the enabler on the AEBS CD). Unless you own one of these machines, there is no harm in switching to a non-802.11n radio mode. How? Just hold the command key (or control on Windows) while clicking on the "Radio Mode" popup in the Wireless tab of the AEBS configuration utility. Extra, non-n modes appear in the list, and once one is selected the WEP-40 and WEP-128 modes become available under Security. If you select WEP-40 or WEP-128 security, you can enter a hex key by prefixing it with a dollar sign.

The AEBS also comes with a versatile USB port, which can be used to attach hard disks and/or a printer (USB hubs are supported). Unlike other base stations or NAS boxes, the AEBS does not require that you reformat the disk; all you have to do is plug it in and voilà! Instant NAS, all your files show up on the network. Some very basic access control features are provided. I plugged in the external USB drive I use to backup my MacBook, and now I can do automated backups without having to worry about remembering to plug in the drive: it just works wirelessly. The AEBS also lets you share a USB printer.

Now that Apple has released the Time Capsule devices, they've also released a version of firmware (7.3.1) that supports Time Machine in similar fashion. Unfortunately some people complain that this feature does not work reliably for them. I've experienced a more annoying problem: the Nortel Contivity VPN software I use to connect to my office network no longer works reliably. I found out on Apple's forums that this is a fairly common complaint and a known problem, so I assume it will be fixed in the next release; reverting firmware to version 7.2.1 fixed the problem (and disabled Time Machine support).

In conclusion, this router is a fantastic performer. Although it's one of the most expensive 802.11n routers out there, its feature set, build quality, performance and top-notch customer support more than make up for the price difference. Despite a couple of quirks, I recommend it highly -- although if you need Time Machine support you're better off buying Time Capsule at least until Apple addresses the problems in firmware 7.3.1.

EDIT - Firmware 7.3.2 was released on 6/30/2008, and I have had no problems using the Nortel Contivity VPN since installing it.

61 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent wireless router.., September 20, 2007

By 

Big Bear "Shadowman" (Chicopee, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station MB053LL/A [OLD VERSION] (Personal Computers)

First, I have to comment about another reviewers statement that the Airport doesnt work with XP SP2. I set it up wirelessly for my wifes Dell that has XP SP2 on it and have no problems whatsoever. The setup was simple and as with most Apple products it walks you through the process and I had her computer up and running within 10 minutes. If you need to share a (PC) printer through the Airport, it includes Bonjour software which will walk you through the set up process for a pc and in an additional 10 minutes she was printing from the Airport as well. If you have a Mac it's even simpler. The data throughput is exceptional and I have never had a problem with a sluggish connection. The range is also pretty impressive as my wife will sometimes go out on the deck (the Airport is on the second floor on the opposite side of the house) and has never had a problem. I recently switched to this router after using a another "n" router and had quite a few problems with it. The Airport is the type of device that Microsoft has never mastered...a true plug and play device.