Are All Airport Cards Equal?
- Thread starter ghyde
- Start date
symphonix
Scratch & Sniff Committee
The new airport base stations have significant differences to the older ones (the new ones have a snow-white appearance while the old ones are dark grey on top). This from the Apple site:
New Features
Q: What features have been added to the new AirPort Base Station?
A: The AirPort Base Station has been redesigned inside and out, and it now offers improved security and compatibility. These features include the following:
America Online compatibility
128-bit encryption
Firewall protection
Second Ethernet port (10/100BASE-T)
RADIUS authentication
Cisco LEAP client support
Support for up to 50 users
Q: Why did Apple add a second Ethernet port to the base station?
A: For home users, not only does the second Ethernet port give you the ability to share your single Internet connection with your wired computers as well as your wireless ones, but it also puts them all behind the protection of the built-in firewall. In schools and businesses, the second port is an excellent way to extend an existing network or create a new one.
However, older airport cards are fully compatible with the current standards. A software update will allow the card to support 128-bit encryption. So, while the base stations have changed, the cards are still the same.
New Features
Q: What features have been added to the new AirPort Base Station?
A: The AirPort Base Station has been redesigned inside and out, and it now offers improved security and compatibility. These features include the following:
America Online compatibility
128-bit encryption
Firewall protection
Second Ethernet port (10/100BASE-T)
RADIUS authentication
Cisco LEAP client support
Support for up to 50 users
Q: Why did Apple add a second Ethernet port to the base station?
A: For home users, not only does the second Ethernet port give you the ability to share your single Internet connection with your wired computers as well as your wireless ones, but it also puts them all behind the protection of the built-in firewall. In schools and businesses, the second port is an excellent way to extend an existing network or create a new one.
However, older airport cards are fully compatible with the current standards. A software update will allow the card to support 128-bit encryption. So, while the base stations have changed, the cards are still the same.