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Apple's New, Improved Airport
timbck2 writes: "Apple has just released a new and greatly improved version of their Airport 802.11b wireless network access point, with better WEP encryption (128-bit now instead of 40-bit), better non-Mac PC integration, and a new LAN connection port. Here are the tech specs." An anonymous reader pointed to Apple's rather bland press release as well. This is a good upgrade to the Airport, with thanks probably due in part to companies like Linksys who are making much less expensive 802.11 base stations (which work great with Airport cards, too), though lacking a modem.
While most people here probably don't use AOL, this is probably the most important change. Sure, they upped the encryption to 128-bit, increased the number of client computers it will support, and added a LAN ethernet port, but what really makes this a big deal is that it is the first time I've heard of a home router product supporting AOL. It's not too shocking to have one that will handle standard PPP connections, but to have it handle AOL's proprietary protocol is very noteworthy.
This was probably done with AOL's support; Apple wouldn't want to risk problems with AOL tweaking its protocol to block AirPorts. So what sort of terms were involved in the deal? Did AOL do it in their own interest (it seems to me that they benefit), or did Apple pay them (they also benefit)?
They have done more than add 128 bits WEP. 128 bits WEP is still easy to crack.
But Apple has added Radius and a firewall too. See their FAQ at http://www.apple.com/airport/faq/.
The thing that makes Airport so WONDERFUL is the integration on both their desktops and laptops.
:-)
/C revision of the card was secretly 128-bit. :-)
The built-in antennae make for some excellent reception on the laptops!
On the other hand, the base station, while it looks cool, isn't that impressive. I bought a Linksys wireless station / firewall / router / 4-port 10/100 switch for $159. It was well worth the cash, and the range seems better than on the airport stations.
On the other hand, the fact that it all integrates so perfectly (between Apple's airport, the Linksys, and my neighbor's PC laptop) speaks very highly of the whole thing.
--nbvb
p.s. Also, just a heads up -- Apple's been shipping a 128-bit version of the Airport *CARD* for months. The
A group of AT&T researchers broke WEP security (even the 128 bit version). See paper here. They recommend treating 802.11 connections as open and using things like SSL and SSH to protect sensitive data.
[Insert pithy quote here]
And why did other companies start making less expensive wireless base stations? Because everyone was buying Apple base stations...
Apple has been putting out an affordable wireless product for much longer than Linksys.
The original product may have had its bugs but I have ben using one for over a year now and that was just not possible with a PC (without a lot of moolah).
For $300 the new airport base gets you:
-A 50 user wireless node.
-Built-in modem that even supports AOL access.
-Connects to Cable/DSL "modems" to act as a router.
-Built-in firewall for simple security setup.
-Works with loads of different operating systems.
-Looks really, really cool. Definately beats those ugly blue boxes with flashing LEDs and antennae.
Is it just me, or should Apple marketing be pushing these to non-Apple users? This thing is incredible, especially for the cost. Steve Jobs should tell them to send review samples to the editors of all the PC magazines and web sites.
I am surprised that they did not apply the 802.11a standard that some other base station makers have recently announced for increased bandwidth over the wireless portion of the LAN. Oh well, I'll just have to wait...
802.11a isn't something you just "apply." It is a different range of spectrum entirely (5 GHz, not 2.5 GHz), requiring a totally new RF design.
It seems a lot of folks are misunderstanding the new AOL support. You see, the AirPort also has an internal modem for those without broadband. Previously, the modem could only be used to dial into a PPP account. With version 2.0 of the AirPort software, it can dial into an AOL account for Internet access (i.e., it now has a version of AOL's proprietary software in its firmware). This is not a feature that most geeks will notice, as we'll be using the AirPort's ethernet interface with our broadband connections and *maybe* the modem for PPP backup. But for those that get their Internet access via an AOL dialup, and would like to share it with their 802.11 equiped machines via NAT/DHCP, this is godsend.
perhaps I'm responding to a troll, but --
:) I may have certain objections to Apple, but I also have a lot of praise for them. Apple has a remarkably good user interface (less bad than most alternatives in most aspects), good industrial design for their hardware (the G3/G4 case is genius, better by far than the pricey Antec cases on my PCs), and intelligent focus on the user experience in general.
:) They'll either add features (like they've just done), drop prices (like the not-bad pricing on current Apple laptops), or otherwise try to make people find it worthwhile to buy their version. Or maybe they won't, and that aspect of their business will falter. OK -- no problem, at least long term.
I'm not knocking Apple -- I've liked Apple's hardware for a long time. I own and use an Apple computer, and have had a string of 'em before the current iBook (IIfx, SE/30,* Classic II, Performa 636*, powerbook 140, powerbook 240 duo, and maybe a few others in there, too). For the past several years, I've been a lot more interested in software-with-source-code-available, a category that Mac OS (excepting the Darwin part of OS X) does not fall into. OK; that doesn't mean that Apple become a bad company making bad computers, it just means that people have different preferences and interests. OK, no problem. (Several of the Slashdot authors and coders use / enjoy Macs, btw.)
For reasons outlined in some other comments, I actually prefer the Linksys AP+4-port switch to the Apple Airport, but lighten up, alright?
Apple has done more to open up home wireless networking than most of the other companies involved in it combined. The airport is functionally brilliant (wish my Linksys had a modem, I do) and for a while was the best deal in home wireless by a long shot. Right now though, Linksys and SMC (and others) are making products which for many people can bring the benefits they'd get from an Airport for much less money. So? Apple isn't dumb
If you still think my post was hard on Apple, or negative, I don't know what else to tell you. I generally like Apple, though like a lot of other armchair critics, there are a lot of things I wish they did differently. No crime in that, eh?
Cheers,
timothy
*The only real dog of the bunch, but still a useful machine.
jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5