AirPort networking

   

AirPort is a wireless networking protocol from Apple Computer designed for their Macintosh computers. It is based on the IEEE 802.11b (also known as Wi-Fi) standard and has been certified to be compatible with other 802.11b devices. According to Apple, AirPort is capable of speeds up to 11 Megabits per second and distances of 150 feet from the base station. The current version support encryption up to 128 bits. AirPort Extreme is the new generation of AirPort, and is based on the IEEE 802.11g specification, and is fully compatible with all 802.11b and 802.11g devices.

Three Generations of AirPort

There have been 3 products from apple whose name is AirPort:

AirPort

AirPort first debuted on July 21 1999 at the Macworld Expo in New York. An AirPort card was sold as an optional accessory with Apple's iBook line of notebooks and the AirPort base station was also introduced. The AirPort allowed transfer rates up to 11 Mbit/s. Antennas were integrated into the displays of iBooks, so reception was very good. Apple was the first manufacturer to embrace 802.11b wireless networking. The AirPort card was later added as an option for almost all of Apple's product line, including PowerBooks, eMacs, iMacs, and Power Macs. Only Xserves do not have an AirPort option. The first AirPort ("graphite') was based on the Lucent WaveLan PC-Card and used an embedded 486 processor. The second ("snow") has a Motorola PowerPC 860.

The original AirPort card was discontinued in June, 2004.

AirPort Extreme

On January 7th, 2003, Apple Computer introduced AirPort Extreme, based on the 802.11g specification. AirPort Extreme allows data transfer of up to 54 Mbit/s, and is fully backwards-compatible with the thousands of existing 802.11b (AirPort) base stations in coffee shops, retail stores, offices and homes. All of Apple's current computer models, with the exception of the XServe, have a slot to insert an AirPort Extreme card, and all models of PowerBook and iBook now ship with a card standard. The Extreme cards, however, do not work in older Macs--the Airport bus cannot support the new faster transfer rate. However, an Airport Extreme base station can communicate both with newer 802.11g-based devices and the older 802.11b AirPort cards. The AirPort Extreme runs on an AMD Alchemy Au1500 processor which is based on the MIPS architecture.

AirPort Express

On June 7th, 2004, Apple Computer introduced AirPort Express, based on the 802.11g specification. AirPort Express is an AirPort base station, which currently holds the title of smallest base station in existence, and includes Audio-out, USB for remote printing and ethernet-port. AirPort Express supports AirTunes functionality, which allows audio to be streamed over wireless network to the AirPort Express, which outputs the audio through its audio-out to stereos, for example. AirTunes functionality requires iTunes 4.6, or newer. Audio-out supports digital optical and analog output. AirPort Express can also be used to easily expand wireless coverage via WDS-bridging. The processor in the AirPort Express is not yet known.

AirPort Base Station

An AirPort base station can be used as a fully-featured LAN and/or to connect to the Internet. Some base stations have a modem and all have an Ethernet port. Some AirPort Extreme base stations also feature a USB port to connect a printer, meaning that that printer can then be seamlessly used as a network device. The newest Airport Extreme base station also supports Power over Ethernet.

Other Meanings of AirPort

AirPort also describes several products including the AirPort base station and AirPort card. AirPort Extreme features bridging, which allows a single Base Station to link with another AirPort Extreme Base Station in order to increase the signal strength (previously, each base station had to be connected to a hard internet line). A software base station for AirPort and AirPort Extreme also exists, meaning that one can turn a computer with a hard internet connection into a wireless network server as long as it has an AirPort card.

The current version of AirPort software is 4.1 (3.1.1 for Mac OS X 10.2). The current firmware version of AirPort Extreme is 5.5. The current firmware version of AirPort Express is 6.1. AirPort software 3.2 or newer include WPA encryption support.

AirPort is most often used in portable computers such as the iBook and PowerBook, though some people use this technology on stationary computers because they find it easier than running wires throughout their house.

External links


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