While Steve Jobs was showing off the iPhone and the Apple TV, Apple quietly introduced a new AirPort Extreme Base Station that supports 802.11n, a networking standard that works up to five times faster and at up to twice the range of the previous version. The new base station will be available around the same time as the Apple TV.

The new AirPort Extreme Base Station marks a radical design departure from its predecessors. While the older Base Stations had a squat, teardrop-shaped design, the new model features a beveled square shape similar to that of the Mac mini and the new Apple TV. It measures 6.5 inches square and 1.3 inches tall.

Based on a draft specification of the 802.11n standard, the new AirPort Extreme Base Station is backward-compatible with the earlier 802.11g standard and works with 802.11b- and 802.11a-based devices. 802.11n uses a technique known as multipleinput, multiple-output (MIMO) to achieve faster performance and a longer range. While 802.11n offers seamless connectivity with older products, the performance of an 802.11n network will slow down if you connect slower devices to it. Newer Macs specifically Core 2 Duo iMacs (excluding the 17-inch 1.83GHz model), Core 2 Duo MacBooks and MacBook Pros, and Mac Pros include compatible hardware, but it must be enabled through software that’s included with the new Base Station.

The Base Station also lets you share USB-based printers and hard disk drives with the network, and it can support a hub, so you can attach multiple devices. Software included with the device lets you create password-protected accounts or limit access to certain files and folders. The device itself can support as many as 50 users at once.

The Xbox 360 can do more than just play video games. When connected to a network, you can stream images, music, and in some cases video to your Xbox 360. If your network includes an Internet connection, you can download games and demos from Xbox Live Marketplace and play against other players via Xbox Live.

Unfortunately, networking your Xbox 360 isn’t always easy. After all, most of us don’t have Ethernet in our living rooms, and running a cable across the floor isn’t the most atheistic solution. Microsoft’s Wireless Network Adapter lets you connect your Xbox 360 to your home network from nearly any room in your home, and it does so without the need to string Ethernet all over the house.

The Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter offers support for the three major wireless network standards and several different security standards, making the adapter compatible with any existing wireless network you might already have in place.

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Continue from Part 1

The Wireless Network Adapter includes two tabs that fit perfectly into the two slots on the back of the Xbox 360. Once connected, plug the Wireless
Network Adapter’s cable into the USB port on the back of the Xbox 360 and swivel the antenna so it points straight up.

After connecting the Wireless Network Adapter, power on the Xbox 360 and use the D-pad to select the System tab. Select Network Settings followed by Edit Settings. If you haven’t configured any security options on your wireless router, your Xbox 360 may automatically connect to your network. Press B to return to the previous menu.

To configure your wireless settings, select Wireless Mode. In most cases, your router will broadcast its SSID and you’ll see your network listed. Select your network from the list. If your network doesn’t appear, select Specify An Unlisted Network and provide the proper SSID. Next, select the security method you use. Options include WPA2, WPA Passphrase, 128-bit WEP, 64-bit WEP, and No Security. Enter the key or passphrase from your wireless router. When finished, the Xbox 360 should connect to your wireless network. Select Test Network Connection in the System tab of your Xbox 360.

Once you’ve finished configuring your network, press B to return to the Network Settings screen and select Test Xbox Live Connection. If you’ve configured a PC to share media with your Xbox, select Test Media Connection. If you fail a test, select More Info to find out what you need to do to solve the problem.

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When Microsoft’s original Xbox emerged, it featured an integrated Ethernet port that let you play against other players through a special Ethernet cable or via Microsoft’s Xbox Live. The Xbox 360 includes an integrated Ethernet port as well. Unlike the original Xbox, the Xbox 360 lets you do more than just play games online. With the Xbox 360 you can stream digital images, music, and video from other PCs. If you’re dying to get your Xbox 360 connected to your home PC, but reluctant to string an Ethernet cable across the living room floor, Microsoft’s Wireless Network Adapter is the way to go.

The Wireless Network Adapter supports virtually all wireless network standards available today. That means if you already have a wireless network in place, the Wireless Network Adapter should be compatible with it. If you’re new to wireless networking, however, you should understand the basic differences between wireless standards.

Microsoft recommends using 802.11a. This standard has a top-speed of 54Mbps under ideal conditions. What makes 802.11a advantageous is not its speed but the 5GHz frequency it uses to send and receive data. Few wireless devices use this 5GHz band, making 802.11a less susceptible to interference.

802.11b and 802.11g are more widely used than 802.11a. Both operate in the more crowded 2.4GHz band, making them more susceptible to interference from cordless phones, Bluetooth-enabled cell phones, microwave ovens, and even Microsoft’s own wireless controllers. 802.11g is theoretically as fast as 802.11a although interference from other devices may reduce the network’s performance. 802.11b operates at a much slower 11Mbps. 802.11g speeds
can fall to 11Mbps when an 802.11b device connects to the network.

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The best thing Skype’s Internet phone service has going for it is its price: Calls are free. Usually, however, to make and receive calls, you must be attached to your PC. Now, new handsets permit you to roam around your house while connected to a Skype account. Logitech’s impressive Cordless Internet Handset is one such device.

Essentially the handset looks and operates like an ordinary cordless phone, but above its keypad is a sixline color LCD that displays all of your Skype contacts and call logs. Its base station links to your PC via USB; Logitech says that the product will offer clear calling at up to 164 feet away. I traveled just over 200 feet from the base station and still had a great connection.

Installing the phone was more difficult than it ought to have been, however. The setup software failed to start automatically, forcing me to dig through several menu layers to start the process manually. Then, after the program and drivers were activated, you need to reboot my system, to activate the newly installed driver.

Once successfully installed, the Skype-certified phone performs the various functions of Skype’s desktop application directly on your receiver. A dedicated Skype button below the phone’s keypad displays a scrollable list of your contacts, allowing you to see who is online and available to talk.

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TV used to be so simple. You sat down on the couch, grabbed the remote control, and watched your favorite shows when they were on. Today it’s anything but simple. You have to make sense of HDTVs and LCDs and DVRs. As if all that weren’t enough, now you face a wave of “placeshifting” devices, too: gadgets that allow you to watch your TV even if you’re not in the same room or building as the set.

Hava Wireless HD offer some excellent features because of its easier setup and better video quality. Hava Wireless HD are similar to the Slingbox AV, a popular place-shifting device. Like the Slingbox, the Hava let you watch your TV from any Internet-connected computer, and even from certain portable devices. The devices work via a hardware component that you attach to your TV and video source and then connect to your home network, and include a software component that you install on your computer.

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New Intel Wireless Product Extends Networking Speed and Range
New Compatibility Program for Intel Centrino Users with Wireless-N
Full news here

Linksys Unveils New Products for Home and Offices
Introducing Wireless-N, Storage Network products and more
Full news here

SMC SMCWBR14-N 802.11n (Draft 1.0) Wireless Broadband Router
SMC Networks has just released wireless equipment based on the Draft 1.0 specification of 802.11n. Previous releases from other vendors have left something to be desired, so just how well has SMC done here?
Full review here