At Macworld, Apple introduced the new AirPort Extreme wireless networking solution. It’s based on 802.11n, and according to Apple, offers twice the range and five times the performance of their previous AirPorts.

In addition to the network performance, the new AirPort Extreme Base Station features connections for networked computers, printers and a USB hard drive, letting it be used as a wireless media server.

For people with multiple computers and large media files, the combination could be an easy way to share and backup files.

With the ability to operate in either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz wireless frequencies, AirPort Extreme reduces the possibility of interference from appliances and cordless phones that operate in the 2.4 GHz frequency. AirPort Extreme is backward compatible with Macs and PCs using previous generation 802.11b/g wireless technologies.

The AirPort Extreme Base Station features a new design that is 6.5 inches square and 1.3 inches tall, and a built-in USB port allows users to print wirelessly to a USB printer or turn any external USB hard drive into a shared drive so they can share files or backup data from multiple computers on a network. New AirPort Utility software included with every AirPort Extreme makes it easy to set up a secure, wireless network for up to 50 simultaneous users. Users can also set security restrictions, including Internet access limits on their childrens’ computers.

Features:

• 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking;
• MIMO (Multiple In Multiple Out) smart antennas;
• dual-band antennas for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies;
• three 10/100 Ethernet LAN ports;
• one 10/100 Ethernet WAN port;
• one USB port;
• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA-2), 128-bit WEP encryption; and
• a built-in NAT firewall.

Pricing & Availability

The new AirPort Extreme Base Station will be available in February for a suggested retail price of $179 (US). Nearly all currently shipping Macs support 802.11n when updated with 802.11n Enabler software, which ships with the AirPort Extreme Base Station.

via PC Pro