![]() ![]() I tried it out as a wifi router, and when that did not work out, I moved it to the wireless network extender role, which it also did not do well out.Īs a primary router, it lacks the ports and basic features like uPnP, QoS, tcp/ups timeouts, packet scheduling that my cheap $40 router with dd-WRt provides.Īs an extender, it did not have as many Ethernet ports or as strong a wifi signal as my asus rt-n56u router, and wifi sync did not work. I was hoping that it would provide better WiFi coverage for my home and also make WiFi sync work. I purchased a Time Capsule that I installed last week to replace one of my old routers. Your network?ĭo you go with Apple-branded routers, or is your network set up using something different? Are you also waiting for an 802.11ac-equipped AirPort Express? Let me know.Īctually, that is not the case. Obviously you'll pay twice as much as you would with an AirPort Express, but if you're concerned about speed and you want to stick with Apple, it's the only option for you at the moment. But that network extension isn't limited to the AirPort Express - you can do the same thing with an AirPort Extreme too. ![]() Extend it does, but only at the slower speeds of 802.11n. One of the main reasons my customers get the AirPort Express is to extend the reach of their Wi-Fi network to corners of their house where the AirPort Extreme just doesn't reach. Most of the 802.11ac routers out there are much bigger, clunkier designs Apple's made the AirPort Extreme as elegant and compact as it can, given the current technology constraints. But with only two antennas and a lower-power design, that router has more more limited signal strength and bandwidth than the AirPort Extreme does - just because it's 802.11ac doesn't mean it's necessarily better than a good 802.11n router.Īpple isn't willing to compromise user experience just to accommodate a smaller design, so I don't think we'll see a device like that, but at least it can be done. Xiaomi's little 802.11ac router has two raisable antennas to improve signal strength. It's an 802.11ac router intended for mobile use - like plugging into the Ethernet jack at a hotel so you can work from your bed, or somewhere else where you might need to temporarily set up a Wi-Fi signal. Xiaomi apparently took a page from Apple's Magic Trackpad design when it designed the Mi Wi-Fi Mini (opens in new tab) (that page is in Chinese). Yang to the Apple TV's black yin, from a design perspective. It’s also possible that the firmware update may signal Apple’s intention to produce a lower-cost dedicated AirPlay 2 adapter using the AirPort Express platform.The AirPort Express, at least in its current form, isn't encumbered by those restrictions, as it's still 802.11n, so it's a lot smaller. While the original and first-generation 802.11n AirPort Express models are probably not even remotely capable of supporting AirPlay 2, the addition of the feature to the second-generation AirPort Express will be a nice boon for those who already invested in the technology. The new addition is actually a nice nod to the heritage of the AirPort Express as one of the very first “whole home audio” solutions the original AirPort Express was Apple’s first device to offer Wi-Fi audio streaming when the technology was known as AirTunes and only available for streaming from a Mac or PC running iTunes - a device and feature that broke new ground in an era when Bluetooth stereo audio was still in its infancy. ![]() Thanks to the built-in output - which supports both standard 3.5mm analog and mini-Toslink optical connections - AirPort Express users will now be able to turn just about any set of speakers - or even a stereo receiver - into an AirPlay 2 target. With Firmware Update 7.8 for the AirPort Express, the device now appears in Apple’s Home app and as an AirPlay 2 target in much the same way as the Apple TV and HomePod. The update was discovered by 9to5Mac, which found evidenced earlier this year in the iOS 11.4 and iOS 12 betas that suggested AirPlay 2 could be coming to the device despite the fact that Apple no longer even sells it. Despite announcing earlier this year that it’s officially out of the router business, Apple has pushed out one last big firmware update for its second-generation AirPort Express, adding AirPlay 2 support to the 2012 Wi-Fi router. ![]()
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