AirPort Extreme?

[Randman]

I've recently upgraded to a G4 iBook. It came with an AirPort Extreme Card but I have a regular AirPort station. Is it worth the price to upgrade to an Extreme station? I'd have to sell my other AirPort so that would defray the cost, but I'm wondering if it's still worth it.
The new iBook does seem a little slower using the regular AirPort than even a clamshell graphite G3 I have (both have 10.3.2) with a regular AirPort card.
Is there a way to tweak the G4 settings to get more out of the Extreme card? If I do get an Extreme station, will the older card still work ok with it?

 

[marook]

Is there a way to tweak the G4 settings to get more out of the Extreme card? If I do get an Extreme station, will the older card still work ok with it?

Well, the short answer to that, is: Only use Extreme clients! If the AEBS has .11b clients assosiated, it has to make a 'bridge' between the .11b and .11g(Extreme) networks, and that makes it scale down the speed.

If you connect your Extreme client to a normal ABS, it runs .11b, not .11g.

All the details are here: http://www.apple.com/airport/

Hope it helps,

 

[Krevinek]

Well, it all depends on what you are doing with your network. If you are shuffling large files around I think it would be worth the upgrade to the Airport Extreme base station, or a good 802.11g station from a 3rd party. However, if you are mostly connecting to the internet, then the extra speed isn't going to do you a lick of good. One of the problems with 802.11g-based systems I have seen is that signal acts a little more bizarre than with just straight 802.11b. Your signal is a little more touchy, and so depending on where you are, it will feel slower.