801.11N Support

[DarkDTSHD]

Do Apple computers (iMac/MacBook Pro) Airport Express support the new 802.11N standard? I'm assuming the MacBook Pro laptops have builtin wireless internet support. Apple Canada's website is a little vague. I know Airport Express supports the G standard. And that Dlink has a wireless N-standard router that does support the Mac OS X. Guess my question really is...if I bought either Apple computer would I need an N-adapter?

Thanks.

 

[plinden]

Number 8 in my Google search - http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=35868

In short, they don't officially, but there are indications the wireless cards are wireless N and will probably be upgradeable with a software update.

Why do you need wireless N though?

 

[Bill Gates]

Number 8 in my Google search - http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=35868

In short, they don't officially, but there are indications the wireless cards are wireless N and will probably be upgradeable with a software update.

Why do you need wireless N though?

Wireless N is great for NAS devices and other bandwith-intensive applications.

 

[PygmySurfer]

Do Apple computers (iMac/MacBook Pro) Airport Express support the new 802.11N standard? I'm assuming the MacBook Pro laptops have builtin wireless internet support. Apple Canada's website is a little vague. I know Airport Express supports the G standard. And that Dlink has a wireless N-standard router that does support the Mac OS X. Guess my question really is...if I bought either Apple computer would I need an N-adapter?

Thanks.

I think you mean Airport Extreme, not Express. Airport Extreme is Apple's term for 802.11g, Airport Express is the tiny Airport base station that you can use to stream music from your computer to your stereo.

All computers Apple is currently shipping include Airport Extreme (it's optional on the Mac Pro, standard on every other model).

The current iMac and MacBook Pro appear to support the DRAFT 802.11n spec - however, because it's not been finalized, this could change. Also, several vendors seem to have different, incompatible 802.11n spec hardware. It is likely this will all be worked out, and current hardware will be updated to the final spec with a firmware upgrade, but there's no guarantee.

Finally, Mac OS X does not yet support 802.11n, so you won't really see any speed gains, unless you install Windows and find a working driver.

If you're in the market for a router, I'd probably buy an 802.11g router, and wait until the 802.11n spec is ratified, and hardware becomes more mature.

 

[DarkDTSHD]

I think you mean Airport Extreme, not Express. Airport Extreme is Apple's term for 802.11g, Airport Express is the tiny Airport base station that you can use to stream music from your computer to your stereo.

All computers Apple is currently shipping include Airport Extreme (it's optional on the Mac Pro, standard on every other model).

The current iMac and MacBook Pro appear to support the DRAFT 802.11n spec - however, because it's not been finalized, this could change. Also, several vendors seem to have different, incompatible 802.11n spec hardware. It is likely this will all be worked out, and current hardware will be updated to the final spec with a firmware upgrade, but there's no guarantee.

Finally, Mac OS X does not yet support 802.11n, so you won't really see any speed gains, unless you install Windows and find a working driver.

If you're in the market for a router, I'd probably buy an 802.11g router, and wait until the 802.11n spec is ratified, and hardware becomes more mature.

Ok thanks for the information. I already have a Linksys wireless G router. I currently have only PCs in my house but am planning to try a MacBook Pro laptop or a 24" iMac. Maybe both. Which is why I was asking about 802.11N support.

I suppose I can hold off on upgrading my router to a 802.11N for a while. As it is still a very new standard. Just wanted to make sure my next computer suported the new standard. So that hopefully I wouldn't have to buy an adapter alter.

No biggie.

 

[bousozoku]

Wireless N is great for NAS devices and other bandwith-intensive applications.

Only if the devices work together. How many devices that offer 802.11g + speeds work together now? 108 Mbps, 125 Mbps--802.11n will correct it with a single speed, when they actually figure out what 802.11n will be.

 

[Mlebout]

Do Apple computers (iMac/MacBook Pro) Airport Express support the new 802.11N standard? I'm assuming the MacBook Pro laptops have builtin wireless internet support. Apple Canada's website is a little vague. I know Airport Express supports the G standard. And that Dlink has a wireless N-standard router that does support the Mac OS X. Guess my question really is...if I bought either Apple computer would I need an N-adapter?

Thanks.

According to this article they do.

 

[grafikat]

My G5 has a airport card, which is 802.11g compatible. Hubby just got a belkin Pre-n which actually has solved some of his laptop connectivity issues (three story house with router on one end, livingroom on other). Anywho, I can not get my wep to work...if I turn on wep, my mac no longer sees the Pre-N router. But, if I turn it off, I can.

Another oddity: the laptop, with it's pre-n wireless card, gets a better signal, even though the mac is much closer to the router.

Wondering if the airport card will ever get updated or better yet, if there would be a firmware update.

Cheers