“One problem with routers in general is that something that should be easy to configure ends up being more complex than it’s worth. That’s a key reason why routers may be among the products most often returned to consumer electronics stores,” Gene Steinberg writes for The Tech Night Owl. “Customers just give up, or stick with the lousy router they get from their ISP. Now, with the Cisco Connect app, a Linksys isn’t that hard to set up, but the interface is overloaded with far too many steps, and the sort of experience that reminds me of a poor copy of Windows.”
“So when I had a chance to test the new 802.11ac savvy version of Apple’s AirPort Extreme, I jumped at the opportunity. Flat is out, tall is on. The upgraded model appears completely redone as a 6.6-inch tall rectangular tube, with curved edges,” Steinberg writes. “Connection features are identical to the previous version, consisting of a single Gigabit Ethernet WAN (or Internet) port, plus three Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports (for your local gear). There’s also a USB 2.0 port for a printer or network hard drive.”
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Steinberg writes, “The setup process was amazingly quick… Within seconds, Apple’s minimalist AirPort Utility app recognized the new router, and gave me the easiest setup screen of all. I merely had to enter network names for the router and the Wi-Fi network, along with passwords for each (defaults are already there for both). I clicked Next, waited a minute or two, and I was connected. End of setup! A similar routine is offered in the Windows version of AirPort Utility, and for iOS gear, such as your iPhone or iPad. No, folks, there is no Android version… If you are in need of a new router, consider the initial cost against the ease of setup.”
Much more, including Gene’s specific router issues, in the full article here.
Related articles:
PC Mag reviews Apple’s new 802.11ac AirPort Extreme Base Station: As gorgeous as a router can get; ‘just works’ out of the box – June 28, 2013
Pure Speed: Apple’s new 802.11ac AirPort Extreme benchmarks – June 28, 2013
802.11ac wireless networking: What it is and why you want it – June 17, 2013
Teardown: Apple’s new AirPort Extreme is extremely easy to disassemble – June 12, 2013