Today Apple announced an updated Airport Express base station supporting the 802.11n wireless standard (technically draft n, almost a standard) that every other Apple product to date currently supports. Like all Apple gadgetry it’s sleek, somewhat overpriced and somewhat feature-lacking compared to other competitors in the arena. The ability to directly share a printer over USB or steam iTunes music to any set of speakers in your house is nice, but the Airport Express is far from a networking champ.
I used to have an Airport Express before my sister jacked it (that base station has since died – average life span of the last gen ones was about 18 months, after that power supply would pop and die). It was small, had an alluring green power LED and got me online wirelessly. In fact, many MacBook Air users travel with Airport Express base stations rather than being tethered to the USB Ethernet dongle in yet-to-be-WiFi’d hotel rooms.
Unfortunately, the Airport Express is not a Linksys router.
Linksys gained a cult-like following when they released their WRT54G series of routers. They may be flaunting the ugliest router design since SMC Networks’ first Wi-Fi routers in the early 2000’s but WRT54Gs are utterly cheap and utterly hackable. First off, there are some obvious differences between the WRT54G line and the Airport Express. The WRT54G is not an 802.11n wireless router (with the exception of the mediocre WRT54GX series).
I always hated Apple access points because they don’t use an intranet configuration website. Instead, you must install their Airport Utility to configure settings. It makes installation a bit longer right out of the box and you can’t adjust settings easily on every computer on the network without the software. Most non-Apple routers let you access an intranet site to quickly change settings. The WRT54G goes one step further and indirectly facilitates flashing the firmware with Linux-based firmware such as DD-WRT, Tomato, HyperWRT, OpenWRT and more.
DD-WRT, for example, lets you alter the signal transmission power (and even overclock), considerably boosting the wireless range, in addition to throttling bandwidth for specific applications/IPs and monitoring bandwidth. Those with larger houses that need dousing with Wi-Fi will appreciate that DD-WRT lets you setup additional access points as repeaters.
Then there are hardware mods such as power over ethernet utilizing an unused pair of wires on the WAN line so the access point only uses one ethernet cable (or you can buy it). This makes it easy to mount in odd locations. Oh and let’s not forget the endless antenna mods; the WRT54G has two easily replaceable antennas.
Networking Tip – Multiple APs, One SSID
If you want to cover a massive area with a single Wi-Fi network, get a few WRT54Gs, give them all the same SSID, same encryption and use non-overlapping channels. Computers on the network will be smart enough to switch to another channel when the signal on the current one dies from them going too far away from the current channel. Most people use channels 1, 6 and 11 for this as they are adequately spaced apart. You might have to assess your floor plan a bit and the range of each access point so the same channels don’t overlap.
When would you want to do this over using a Wi-Fi repeater? Using a Wi-Fi repeater is okay for one access point but each router hop adds latency to the network transaction and each repeater adds more load on the original access point. Any setup of larger scale would benefit from using multiple APs. The only issue is you will need to spread out the WAN to each AP and that would require something like a managed switch.
Overall
If you don’t need to stream music wirelessly to another set of speakers, don’t need the smaller form factor of the Airport Express for traveling, are smart enough to use Ethernet for large file transfers (hence no real need for 802.11n), use Wi-Fi for general purposes, enjoy getting insane bang for your buck and indulge in a bit of hacking, then the Linksys WRT54G router is for you. It’s the only router I recommend to friends and family, even if they won’t be hacking it.
What router do you use at home? How has it been treating you? Chris and I have a WRT54G in our garage and it has been serving up signals to my room on the third floor with no problems for quite a while.
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I used a WRT54G for awhile, and after it died, the next 3 replacement WRT54Gs crapped out within weeks. I’ve been using a Netgear G router, but it needs constant restarts when torrenting. I may go back to Linksys soon.
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I have a Zyxel P-335U, not quite satisfying because the lack configuration options but it does the job. Think I will get a Linksys WRT54G when I move out. Maybe I will set up some Linux router to do the job and be a little bit more configurable and does the things I want done.
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In my house we have one Airport Extreme and a series of Airport expresses set up as relays. This is setup works pretty well and since we’re only 4 people the load isn’t too bad.
On a side note: I think our ISP is throttling our connection (due to the 135GB of bandwidth we used last month), is there anyway of finding out if they are throttling the connection or whether it’s just a little slow without calling them?
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I have a 500GB Time Capsule as my main router, a 1st Generation AirPort Express as a Print Server and a Black MacBook circa this past October. I may stop by the Bellevue Square Apple Store and hit up one of my former coworkers for a discount on the new AirPort Express. Though I think it is perfect for what it is, it’s still a bit over priced at $99.00.
We have 3 of us living in the house all running separate Operating Systems: OS 10.5 (me), Ubuntu Linux and XP/Vista all seamlessly printing wirelessly through the AirPort Express.
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I have 2 WRT54G’s in my place. I have had nothing but trouble with my Airport Extreme, but they just released an update so I’m going to try it. I think I might try the AP Express for streaming iTunes to downstairs.
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I’ve been using a Belkin F5D7230-4 for about four years and I’ve been fairly pleased with it. When I moved apartments about 6 months ago, I got horrible wireless reception in my living room when sitting on my couch. It’s not that far away from the router (25 feet, 3 walls), but I think something in the wall construction or my TV setup is causing interference. The fact that I have a MacBook Pro is also compounding the problems, as it is a lot more sensitive to signal quality than my girlfriend’s MacBook.
About a month ago, I updated the router to DD-WRT and it’s been quite nice. The QoS stuff in DD-WRT makes the change worth it alone. I bumped up the transmit power of my router, and it didn’t solve my wireless issues in my living room, but it did make them happen less often. I also tried using my Airport Express to extend my network range via WDS and placing it in my living room, but it had its own series of issues. I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to try next, but I think I may relocate the Belkin to another part of my apartment, and see if I can work around that “dead” spot near the couch.
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You don’t have to install Airport Utility as it comes in the Utilities folder on every Mac.
I too think Apple routers are overpriced, but they’re a much better experience out of the box than Linksys. Desktop app (Airport Utility) experience is much more straightforward than Linksys’s web interface.
I guess Im looking at this from more of a “general public” point of view than hacker’s.
I’ve always been a Linksys guy until my last Linksys router. It totally sucked (even with latest firmware, etc.), so now I’m on the TimeCapsule and loving it.
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Therein lies the problem, it’s a targeted solution only for Macs. Every comp has a web browser though.. but yeah the UX of the app is better than an ugly web config site.
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These days i’ve got a cheap D-Link router, but I’m not very fond of it. It changes settings on it’s own and offers very mediocre range. I must commend the router on it’s reliability though; every year my wireless router breaks about a week before Christmas. This past Christmas was the first year that a router didn’t break on me.
Before this router though I had a cheap-o Trendnet router and damn was that thing good. Great range, easy set-up, $20 WITH a USB receiver.
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I use my handy dandy linux computer…. it’s a full firewall, router and webserver, and it even has a GUI.
After reading this again, I don’t think it’s fair the LinkSys Router was compared to the AirPort Express. An opinion comparing the two was made early on and when you get to the bottom and it’s stated (paraphrasing): “If you don’t need a router that does what the AirPort Express was targeted as, buy this instead, it’s cool and you can hack it.”
You should have compared the LinkSys and the AirPort Extreme instead, rather than comparing it to something people normally use as a secondary router/on the go router.
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Stammmoney: I see what you mean. I only own Macs so didn’t consider PCs. As far as web config site uglyness… it’s not even that it’s just ugly, but also the fact that the front page throws so many numbers at you… my mom/girlfriend/etc would totally be confused. Where as new Airport Utility even has a guide/wizard type thing (I think?).
</apple_whore>
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Linux with DNSMasq (Static leases and local DNS), Radvd (IPv6), UPnPd (UPnP support), and IPTables (whatever you need) FTW. That said, the Airport Utility is something I’ve seen tech-n00bs use to setup a secure wireless network – something I’ve yet to witness with a Linksys or web-based interface.
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There’s nothing like a good Cisco product and at home I too have a WRT54G. I’ve had a couple crap out in the years I’ve been running them but in retrospect they are a bulletproof product.
The only bummer is my newest one that I picked up a couple months ago no-longer has the removable antennas. I think that’s a bad move on their part, I can’t use my bigger externals now that are designed for this very router.
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I was in the market for a new router, I was thinking about the base station model and to tell you the truth the USB printer option is very big for me because I have computers in my house so I thought it would be ideal to centralize all the printing jobs.
I think I might stick with my Lynksys WRT54GS because it is an amazing router with lots of options, thanks everyone for their inputs and recommendations.
Alex Palma
http://maxthemac.com
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another happy Linksys user here. The WAG354G (modem-router) came bundled with my DSL connection and never disappointed me. I had for some time a previous gen AEBS, which worked fine. Linksys is standard choice!
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Hi Paul,
Use a Linksys WRT54G, great router it’s now almost three years old and still works great.
Can you explain further about Networking Tip – Multiple APs, One SSID.
By the way Happy St Patrick’s Day.
Luke
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I use asus wl-500g. Linux based hackable with 2 USB ports.
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@luke that’s really all there is to it. you have your internet WAN line from your cable modem or whatever you have, hook that up to a managed switch, then connected a few ethernet lines from that switch to the WAN ports on several APs, configured as mentioned above. At least that’s the gist of it. I have yet to find a real reason to build out such a network myself.
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I have purchased two Linksys WRT54Gs myself, and bought a third for a friend. I have never had any problems and as far as I am concerned there is no brand in routing besides Linksys.
The only thing that could get me to change my mind is the Time Capsule, but that is because of its network drive capabilities. Meanwhile the WRT54G has been serving me for nearly four years and I have no complaints.
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I have been using a NETGEAR WGR614v7 for over a year and a half without any problems. Its connected to 2 laptops and a desktop with a wireless PCI.
It has a really good range throughout the house extending 3 floors.
BTW, coming to linksys, the wireless PCI card is linksys and its the only thing that has been giving problems. It has crashed xp twice !!
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I’m using an ISP-supplied 2Wire wireless DSL router, which is the next best thing to a Linksys router, as far as I’m concerned.
You totally left out the fact that you by hacking the WRT54G with one of the open source firmwares, you just made your $100 router a $400 with the ability to create VLANs, advanced security policies, bandwidth throttling.
This would come in great so you can create a “guest” wifi VLAN on your network for friends/family to connect to and keep it isolated from your internal network.
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I still use my trust old WRT54G v2.0 DD-WRT :)
Rock Solid stable, although coverage are has fallen behind other new routers.
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I really tried to love the Airport Express. I put up with it for far too long and then finally switched back to the WRT54g. What a sad sad day walking out of Best Buy with that router. But what can I say… its form is ugly but its function is impeccable.
I found out last week that a friend of mine had the exact same story. He tried the Airport for a while and then finally made the switch back to the WRT54g.
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While the Linksys WRT54G is a great router, I think it’s worthwhile to note that the DD-WRT firmware supports or about 175 different router models. There is a complete list on their site. That said, going with the most common model from the largest manufacturer has great merit when it comes to compatibility with third-party firmwares. . .
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Do you recommend a 802.11n wireless router ? I read that the linksys routers that support this new draft are no good at all. I`m looking for a good wireless router to which i could plug in an external hard drive (like the airport expreme, or the Linksys WRT350N). If i cannot find this kind of router, i`ll buy a D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N(witch is really good at the 801.11n draft) and put myself together a 200E computer with a 250gb internal hard-disk.
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I’ve been using WRT54G routers at my apartment and my parent’s house for years with very few issues. My sister and I were getting IP conflicts on our laptops for a while, but I updated to the latest firmware and it eliminated the problem. These things are rock solid. I don’t think I’ve ever had to restart one (except when I updated the firmware, of course.)
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I use a SonicWall TZ-180 at home (not that I can afford it, it’s a work perk…)
It’s a very nice box for people who aren’t afraid of very advanced and very granular configuration.
As for the aesthetics of Linksys boxes (which I like, BTW)… That’s what they make drop-ceilings for…
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I have been using a Linksys WRT54G for a few years and have never had a problem.
What kind of hacking have you done to this device? What are the benefits?
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I’ve been using an Airport Extreme for about a year and so far I really like it. I don’t think I’ve had to reset it at all and it fits nicely on my desk with no ugly antennas sticking up. Is it a little overpriced, probably so. But so far I’ve been a happy purchaser. I share the HP printer with my wife’s dell laptop via the APE.
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WRT54G w/ DD-WRT, been using it for 3 years and it’s still going strong…
Well, check out WTR54GS, and yup that’s NOT a typo. TR is a travel router and you CAN put DD-WRT on it as well that makes it a potent little devil that blows the SOCKS OFF Affphle-Schtroodel (for the Hicks in Mid West including LA –Apple)
I have recently (3 weeks) switched the home wifi router. I’ve had an inexpensive Belkin router (the one with 2 antennas) before and I didn’t need to restart it not even once, and I use advanced configuration (WPA, Port forwarding, constant torrent traffic from 3 machines…).
But I needed a network drive, so I decided (after quite some article/posts… readings on the net) to go with Airport Extreme and a Western Digital My Book (500GB) external USB drive.
The experience is GREAT so far. No restarts needed, no dropouts of the network drive, 100% satisfaction.
But everyone I have asked at work that has the WRT54G router had bad experiences with it and it’s normal for them to restart it once a week.
Just thought I should mention this, since the posts above are all positive on the above mentioned router.
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Airport Express really looks good for the USB printer connector but I’ve been using Linksys for several trouble free years with a WinXP machine and two Macs. I’m sure setting up the Macs would be a snap but I dread setting up the Windows machine to use another router. Anyone have experience configuring a Windows machine with the new Airport Express?
Grumble. Has anyone noticed how foolish it is of Apple to have two VERY different products with almost identical names? I had just written a reply about some of the cooler features of the Airport EXTREME which you, inexplicably, completely ignored in your post… until I realized that you were talking about the Airport EXPRESS.
Grumble.
Anyhow, I use a Belkin Pre-N, which gives fantastic reception, but I have to go up four flights of stairs to reboot it about once a week. Lusting after an Airport Extreme now that it supports disk sharing (basically, I want Time Capsule with a Drobo, and now I can have it!).
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I use an Airport Extreme-N. I used to use a Linksys WRT54GL with DD-WRT, but I just couldn’t tolerate the lack of 802.11n any longer. I have since then also tried the Linksys WRT350N with the RC6.2 DD-WRT firmware, but it still bugs me that it lacks the dual radios in comparison the the AE-N which also does 5GHz. I also had some problems with the WRT350N crashing quite a bit. I only use the AE-N as an AP though in my house, my router/firewall of choice is a custom-built Astaro Security Gateway with RAID hard drives.
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Paul!
You are writing about WLAN!
I think you covered all the important parts of WLAN. This will stream more than iTunes songs, it will stream full HD video to anywhere in the vicinity. However, Apple’s product lacks Gigabit ethernet attached to the 270Mbps Wifi, so the wireless is faster than the wired! This means that you can transfer between clients faster than to the gateway.
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Had 2 wrt54g’s using openwrt / dd-wrt and both are bricked. Recently got given a AEn and I like it. Solid signal, adjustable power output, 5GHz, Pre-N, PIN wireless access for guests. I personally don’t mind the Airport utility as I really don’t change settings that often! No more changing page and forgetting to save changes!
I have used an Airport Express for about 4.5 years now and have never had any problems. Prior to that I used a Linksys router and even the Linksys helpline couldnt help me. As soon as I unboxed my Airport Express it worked within minutes and the ability to stream music through it was a revelation (at the time). I have since added extra Airport Expresses in each room and have attached speakers to each one and have labelled them (by room name) so I can play music in each room at the same time (or just in one particular room if I want). Since then I have also added the Time Capsule as my base station and all of these additions have taken me less than a few minutes to sort out. I personally would never revert to another make of router by choice.
Got a cheap TrendNet ARB454 or words to that effect. Been using it for two and half years now and it’s pretty reliable. Never had any problems with it and only reset it twice in its lifetime. Got it on sale for about $30.
Gonna be getting a new Macintosh to add to my old 12” PB and thought that I’d upgrade to a draft-N router to gain the benefits of the built in wireless N in the new Macs. I use my wireless for all my online computing as the broadband cable is in an odd place on my second floor. Seeing I was going with Apple, my first thought was to look at an AirPort Extreme. Thing that made me wonder is if it’s worth and extra $80 on top of that of some other “name-brand” Draft-N router such as Linksys/Belkin/D-Link. Any thoughts?
I downgraded from a newer WRT54G (v8) to a snazzy WRT54GS (v2.1), complete with antenna booster kit, courtesy of a Craigslist deal. I went backward specifically to have enough room to flash it with Tomato, which I prefer to DD-WRT (I’m a sucker for the animated SVG bandwidth graphs – they keep me from exceeding my Comcast cap). I’ve got a few judicious QoS rules, but I haven’t had any problems with it at all, and that’s with 24/7 excitement from the low-power xubuntu server in my closet, which is acting as a Tor relay, along with lots of torrents. DNS lookups, SSH, and http are all prioritized by QoS, so I don’t notice much drag using other machines on my network to surf, download, etc.