The next great leap in wireless technology delivers on the three most important elements of networking — greater performance, more range and improved reliability. And now Apple is continuing to lead the wireless revolution by implementing this new technology in the latest Macs, Apple TV, and AirPort Extreme Base Station.
These new products use AirPort Extreme wireless technology that’s based on an IEEE 802.11n draft specification. Among its key innovations, 802.11n adds technology called multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), a signal processing and smart antenna technique for transmitting multiple data streams through multiple antennas. The results? Up to five times the performance and up to twice the range compared to the earlier 802.11g standard.1
Most new Mac computers ship with built-in 802.11n wireless support either out of the box or with the installation of enabler software included with new AirPort Extreme wireless base station (see sidebar). Older Mac computers cannot be upgraded to 802.11n, but computers using previous-generation 802.11a/b/g wireless technologies can connect seamlessly to 802.11n-based networks.
While the 802.11n technology in AirPort Extreme is based on an IEEE draft specification, Apple is working closely with industry partners Intel, Broadcom and Atheros to ensure interoperability now and in the future.
- Based on a comparison with Apple's 802.11g products. Comparison assumes AirPort Extreme network with 802.11n-enabled computer. Speed and range will be less if an 802.11a/b/g product joins the network. Accessing the wireless network requires an Airport or Airport Extreme enabled computer or other Wi-Fi Certified 802.11a/b/g-enabled computer. Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network and other factors. Range will vary with site conditions.
- The 17-inch iMac with 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo does not support 802.11n.