- Simultaneous dual-band 802.11n: AirPort Express lets Wi-Fi-enabled devices connect to your network on the 2.4GHzand 5GHz wireless bands. Which means every connected device automatically uses the best band available for the fastest possible performance.
- AirPlay takes the music from the iTunes library on your computer or iOS device and sends it wirelessly to any connected stereo or speakers in your home (audio cable sold separately). Play music on one set of speakers - or if you have more than one AirPort Express connected to speakers, play your music from iTunes on all of them at the same time.
- Compatibility and security: AirPort Express is compatible with devices using the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n specifications. So no matter what Wi-Fi device you're using, it willwork with AirPort Express. AirPort Express also features a built-in firewall to protect your network from malicious Internet attacks.100-240V AC, 50-60Hz. Input current: 0.2 amp
- Easy Wi-Fi setup using iPhone, iPad, or Mac: Connect your DSL or cable modem to AirPort Express and create your new wireless network in just a few taps from your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. If you're using OS X Lion, use the built-in AirPort Utility on your Mac. Setup is just as fast and just as easy.
- Print wirelessly from any room: On the back of AirPort Express is a USB port that's made for your printer. Just plug it in and instantly, it's like having a printer in every room. And since AirPort Express works with Mac and PC, everyone in the house can take advantage of one centrally available printer
FORM FACTOR the device looks sleek and is probably exactly the same size as Apple TV. Doesn't take up much space. It comes with a power cord that needs to be attached, unlike the previous generation AE which had the power outlet prongs built in. The addition of the power cord somewhat reduces options in terms of where the device can be placed in the house. If you don't mind the cable showing, you can place it anywhere in the house. But if you want to install this say in the living room where cables would look unpleasant, you're better off installing it somewhere else in the house (or behind furniture where it can't be seen). Not a major issue but one worth mentioning.
SET UP I had this device up and running in probably less than 5 minutes, it is that simple.
1. After plugging in the device to a power outlet, wait for the device's light to turn from amber to solid green, indicating that it is ready for use. There is no need to connect this to the router with an ethernet cable.
2. Open Airport Utility on the Mac (Applications -> Utilities -> Airport Utility). If you are using a PC, the Airport Utility for Windows will need to be downloaded first.
3. Inside Airport Utility, the AE Base Station will appear for configuration. This, I think, is a rather important step depending on what you're looking to use this device for. If you are looking to boost Wi-Fi signal in the house, select the "Extend Existing Wireless Network" when setting up this device. This will essentially connect the AE to your main wireless router to boost signal. If however, you don't care about boosting Wi-Fi signal and care more about setting up a network for guests to access, you can select the "Create New Wireless Network" for this device. Under both options, you can still use the device for Air Play from your Apple devices.
4. You can then proceed to name the Airport Express device and set up a password in the Airport Utility set up. If you are setting up multiple devices in the house it is useful to name each one individually so that you know which device to connect to later when using Air Play (e.g. AE Living Room, or AE Basement, etc). Now the device should be up and running and you will notice a significant improvement in Wi-Fi signal around the house.
5. Once the initial set up is complete, you can also download the Airport Utility App to your iPhone/iPad/iPod to manage the configuration of the AE station straight from the handheld device, if required.
AIR PLAY The AE device comes with a built-in 3.5mm audio out jack. You can use any 3.5mm to RCA cable to connect the device to the input of your stereo. Once this is done, play a track on your handheld, it will initially stream on the handheld itself. Now, go into the "Now Playing" part of the iPod and next to the track forward button, you will see a small icon. Clicking on that icon will give you the option of changing the sound output device from the handheld to the Airport Express. Select the AE device at this point and music will stream from the stereo (moment of truth!). You can change tracks and control volume right from the iPod!
COMPARISON TO APPLE TV If you are looking for a device only for Air Play, Apple TV may perhaps be a better option because it has the ability of streaming audio and video from the iPod, connects to iTunes or Netflix for online streaming services, and allows online gaming. It has an HDMI out and also comes with a remote that allows you to manage the device and what is being streamed on it. However, note that the Apple TV does NOT come with a standard 3.5mm audio jack, it comes with an Optical Audio jack, which might not connect to all stereos. Check for cables that would be able to connect your stereo to the HDMI or optical audio jack. If that doesn't work, Airport Express is the better alternative because it has a 3.5mm audio jack and almost all stereos connect easily to this through a 3.5m-Dual RCA cable. In addition, Airport Express serves as a Wi-Fi repeater that Apple TV doesn't.
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UPDATE 12/28 Recently discovered a neat feature. If you have more than 1 Airport Express, or if you can have AE and an Apple TV, you can stream music from iTunes to all devices at the same time using your PC/Mac. This is a great way to play the same music in different rooms if you have the devices connected to independent speakers. Can't do this from a iPhone/iPod/iPad (they let you stream only to one source at a time), but this feature is supported on PCs and Macs. Thought it was really cool!
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In an effort to prevent many from wasting hours of time trying to setup their 2nd Gen Apple Airport Express, here are some basic instructions to follow:1. The Airport Express can't connect to your home wireless network without first being authorized to do so. To accomplish this, you must first connect it by wired ethernet patch cable to your home router/modem.
2. Once connected, power it on by plugging it in to an electrical outlet. If you previously attempted to connect to the Airport Express wirelessly (without a patch cable), consider doing a hard reset by holding in the reset button while powering the device on.
3. With it connected to your router, install Airport Utility for Windows on your Windows PC. On a Mac, the Airport Utility should automatically launch when your Mac detects the Airport Express on your network. If Airport Utility doesn't automatically launch from your Mac, search for it from the search bar (top right of OS desktop).
4. From the Airport Utility software, the Airport Express Base Station should appear at left. Choose this device and the configuration menu appears on the right. There are numerous options for setting up your Airport Express. If you plan to place the Airport Express somewhere else in the house (like next to your stereo receiver in the living room), the most important option to choose is "Connect to an existing wireless network". You will then be prompted for your home network's name chosen from a dropdown list along with your home network's password.
5. Choose the other configuration options including changing the name of your Airport Express, providing a password to connect to your device (recommended), and extending your home network through the device. This last option is a good one as it essentially acts as a signal repeater for your home wireless router/modem. If your home router/modem signal is weak in certain areas of the house or outside, placing the Airport Express in a different room or floor of your home will extend your wireless signal -very cool and useful feature.
6. When properly connected to your wired or wireless network, the LED on the front will be solid green. Complete the Airport Express configuration and, if you plan to place the device someplace else in the house, simply disconnect the ethernet patch cable and the power cord. Relocate the device and plug it in to another outlet anywhere in the house. Within a minute, the LED should turn green again indicating that it has reconnected to your home wireless network.
7. At this point, the device can also be reconfigured wirelessly from an iPod, iPhone, or iPad via the Airport Express utility which can be downloaded for free from the App Store.
Now for a brief review... I purchased the Airport Express specifically to stream music from an iPhone/iPad to a stereo receiver. An Apple TV does the same thing for the same $99 price but the Airport Express has a 3.5mm output jack that the Apple TV does not have. With a 3.5mm to dual-RCA cable (red and white), I have my Airport Express connected to the AUX input on my stereo receiver. Works perfectly. If you have a home theater receiver with a spare HDMI or Toslink (digital optical) input, you can achieve the same result with an Apple TV. In fact, I would recommend the Apple TV over the Airport Express because of the additional features offered by the Apple TV. Know your available inputs on your receiver before deciding whether the Airport Express or the Apple TV will meet your needs. Also keep in mind, the Apple TV will not act as a wireless repeater if that feature is important to you.
Read Best Reviews of Apple AirPort Express Base Station (MC414LL/A) Here
Pros:+ Extremely easy set-up.
+ Better performance and range compared to the prior generation Airport Express.
+ Audio port for Airplay streaming and a USB port for network printing (unchanged from prior generation).
Cons:
Not as well suited for travel as the previous generation (slightly larger form factor and it now requires a cord instead of just plugging into an electrical socket).
No Gigabit Ethernet.
Set-Up:
To set-up all you have to do is turn the Airport Express on by plugging in the power cable and open the Airport Utility on your Mac or iOS device (you will need to install this if you are using a Windows PC). It should detect the Airport Express (wirelessly) and guide you through the set-up process step by step. If not open the Airport Utility on you computer manually. If it still does not "see" your new router then use an ethernet cable to plug it in to the computer. There will be options to create a new wireless network, connect to an existing network, and to extend a network. Even if you don't know anything about networking, you shouldn't have any problems getting started.
Design:
It is the same size as an Apple TV, so it is still quite small, but now requires a cord instead of plugging directly into an electrical socket.
Performance:
Compared to my previous generation AirPort Express this router has improved performance. The wireless speeds are excellent and the addition of the simultaneous dual bands has definitely improved performance over the previous generation. The range is more than adequate for a medium sized home.
UPDATE: I have noticed that many people use these as wireless repeaters to extend their network for better coverage. The Airport Express works great for that, but keep in mind that by doing so the total bandwidth (or potential speed) of the router will be cut in half. Usually this will not make any difference when on the internet because the slowest part of your internet connection is usually the internet provider (cable/dsl company), but local wireless file transfers (for example, backing up via Time Machine or copying files from one computer to another over the network) will be much slower. Just Google "wireless repeater performance" to get more information.
Connectivity:
There is now an additional Ethernet port allowing for both wired and wireless connections. The Ethernet ports are both capable of 10/100BASE-T speeds (no gigabit Ethernet). Similar to prior generations there is a USB port that can be used to hook up a printer to be used on your network. Note that the USB port does NOT support an external hard drive like the Airport Extreme or Time Capsule.
The audio port is similar to prior generations capable of optical output with an optical cable or analog output with a regular 3.5mm cable. I use this optical cable to stream digital music via Airplay to my receiver it sounds awesome and works perfectly from iTunes and iOS devices.
Summary:
If you plan to use this as your home router and don't want to spend the extra money for an Airport Extreme it is a great performing router with easy set-up, small form factor, and excellent features such as network printing and Airplay audio streaming. However, compared to the prior generation, this is no longer as easy to take with you while traveling for secure wifi in hotels. For travel I would give this 3/5 stars, for home use 5/5 stars considering the price and performance.
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This router is absolutely fantastic; It greatly exceeded my expectations. Not only did it drastically expand my range and speed (going from a Motorola Surfboard g/n modem/router combo), but it is incredibly stable and easy to use. I can now use mutliple devices simultaneously without interference or lag (up to 50 according to Apple). Plus, the 2.4ghz frequency can be used at the same time as the 5ghz, which means my girlfriend can use her iPhone 4S on 2.4 while I am enjoying the faster 5ghz frequency my iPhone 5 can utilize -my previous router made us choose one and stick to it (guess which one I was stuck using...). And it could be just our imaginations, but speaking of iPhones, both of us have noticed that our phones appear to get an additional bar of service in our home when connected to the Apple Airport network (hers is Verizon, I'm AT&T). Maybe it's an Apple device thing, or maybe it's wishful thinking, but we both noticed the boosted cellular signals right away... Regardless, the WIFI signal now reaches every corner of our one story three bedroom house without signficant degredation, which is something my Motorola Surfboard never even came close to acheiving.Two final positive points about this router: First off, you can run 3 wireless access points simultaneously; 2.4ghz, 5ghz, and a 2.4 guest access point that is not part of your home network. Secondly, you can use this router for airplay via a 3.5mm headphone jack in the back of the device that allows you to plug in computer speakers, or, in my case, a 3.5mm cord running to my home theater, which allows us to stream any source of music (pandora, iTunes, Spotify, etc.) from any device in the network (laptops, ipads, iphones, etc) to our living room sound system. These were not selling points for us, but might be for some, and the airplay feature proved to be a very useful and appreciated "bonus".
This is said often on Amazon, but I sincerely could not recommend this device more. If you are (like I was) sick of laggy connections, poor signal range, dropped and spotty connections, and CONSTANT rebooting of your router to keep your network passably stable, do yourself a favor and buy this router. You will thank yourself.
P.S. This review was written from a PC. I am not an Apple fanboy.
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I live in a 3 story house and my main computer, a Mac Pro Desk top is on the third floor along with my router, the Airport Extreme. But I start losing signal strength on the first floor around the dining room area so I bought this Apple Express to extend the signal to the first floor. I put the Airport Express at the half way point, which is the second floor living room area, I plugged it in, opened the Airport Utilities on my Mac, when my computer found the device I clicked on the Express icon and chose "Extend a wireless network" from the drop down menu, typed in my network name and password and that was all there was to it, easy peasy. I took my IOS devices and my Macbook Pro lap top downstairs to the dining room and my signal strength was all the way up, and I walked around the first floor and it was all the way up. I can go to my backyard and sit by my waterfall and Koi pond and get WiFi reception. If you need to boost your signal strength around your house and you already have an Airport Extreme, do yourself a favor and buy the Express to extend your signal throughout your house. I highly recomend it and would definately buy again. Thank you for reading.
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