Identifying Your Apple Airport: A Comprehensive Guide

Apple Airport is a line of residential gateways that combine the functions of a router, network switch, wireless access point, and NAS, as well as other functions. The AirPort Extreme was first introduced in 2003 and has since gone through several updates and design changes. The latest model, the 6th generation, supports 802.11ac networking and was released in 2013. Apple discontinued its AirPort line in 2018 but continues to provide limited hardware and software support. AirPort Utility is an application that allows users to manage their Wi-Fi network and AirPort base stations, including AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule. This paragraph introduces the topic 'What Apple Airport Do I Have' by providing an overview of Apple Airport, its history, and the relevant applications.

Apple Airport Utility

The app provides a graphical overview of your Wi-Fi network and connected devices. You can use it to change base station and network settings, set up and monitor your network, and access the AirPort Utility User Guide. It is also the only router management tool available for Apple Airport products, allowing you to configure and manage the Airport Express with simultaneous dual-band 802.11n.

The design of the Airport Extreme has gone through three distinct physical forms. The earliest models featured a round "flying saucer" shape, while later models adopted a flat rounded rectangle shape similar to the Mac mini. The 2013 model introduced a more vertical form, taller than it was wide.

In 2016, Apple disbanded the team that developed the Airport Time Capsule and Airport Extreme router, and in 2018, the company discontinued both products, exiting the consumer router market. However, as of 2023, Apple continues to provide limited hardware and software support for the Airport Extreme.

Apple Airport Extreme

AirPort Extreme is a line of residential gateways made by Apple Inc. that combines the functions of a router, network switch, wireless access point, and NAS, as well as other functions. The first AirPort Extreme was announced at the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco on January 7, 2003. It featured 802.11g wireless technology for the first time in an AirPort base station. The name AirPort Extreme originally referred to any of Apple's AirPort products that implemented the 802.11g Wi-Fi standard, differentiating it from earlier devices that ran the slower 802.11a and b standards.

The AirPort Extreme has gone through three distinct physical forms. The earliest models had a similar plastic housing to the original AirPort Base Station, in a round "flying saucer" shape. From 2007 to 2013, the devices took on a flat rounded rectangle shape, similar in layout and size to the Mac mini or early models of the Apple TV. The 2013 model had a more vertical form, taller than it was wide.

On June 21, 2011, Apple unveiled an updated AirPort Extreme, referred to as AirPort Extreme 802.11n (5th Generation). On June 10, 2013, Apple unveiled another updated AirPort Extreme, referred to as AirPort Extreme 802.11ac (6th Generation). This 6th generation model featured three-stream 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology with a maximum data rate of 1.3 Gbit/s, which is nearly three times faster than 802.11n.

The AirPort Disk feature allows users to plug a USB hard drive into the AirPort Extreme for use as a network-attached storage (NAS) device for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows clients. Users may also connect a USB hub and printer.

Apple discontinued developing its lineup of wireless routers in 2016 but, as of 2023, continues to provide limited hardware and software support for the AirPort Extreme. In an April 2018 statement, Apple announced the discontinuation of its AirPort line, effectively leaving the consumer router market. However, Apple has continued to support the AirPort Extreme.

Apple Airport Express

The AirPort Express is a wireless networking device made by Apple. It was first introduced on July 7, 2004, and has since gone through several iterations. The first version (model A1084) included an analog-optical audio mini-jack output, a USB port, and one Ethernet port. The USB port could be used for remote printing or to charge the first-generation iPod Shuffle, although this was not supported by Apple.

In March 2008, Apple introduced an updated version (model A1264) that supported the faster 802.11 Draft-N draft specification and operation in either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands. This revised unit allowed for adding Draft-N to an existing 802.11b/g network without disrupting existing connections while preserving the increased throughput that Draft-N could provide. Up to 10 wireless units could connect to this version of the AirPort Express.

In 2012, Apple introduced a completely redesigned model with a new square form factor and two Ethernet ports. On August 28, 2018, Apple added AirPlay 2 support to the 2012 AirPort Express, enabling it to be added to the Apple Home app as an audio destination.

The AirPort Express uses an audio connector that combines a 3.5 mm minijack socket and a mini-TOSLINK optical digital transmitter. This allows for a connection to an external digital-to-analog converter (DAC) or amplifier with an internal DAC. It is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems (before OS X Mountain Lion) for streaming system-wide audio.

While Apple discontinued developing its lineup of wireless routers in 2016, it continued to support the AirPort Express and provided limited hardware and software support as of 2023.

Apple Airport Time Capsule

The AirPort Time Capsule is a version of the AirPort Extreme system with a built-in network-accessible hard drive. It was first released in 2009, with the second-generation model being released in early 2009. This model offered simultaneous 802.11n dual-band operation, allowing older devices to use slower wireless speeds without affecting the performance of devices that could use higher 802.11n speeds. The second-generation model also included Guest Networking, a feature that allows the creation of a separate wireless network for guests. The hard disk storage space of each model was doubled, with capacities of 1 TB and 2 TB.

The fourth-generation Time Capsule, released in June 2011, increased the range of Wi-Fi signals. The internal Wi-Fi card was changed from a Marvell Wi-Fi chip to a Broadcom BCM4331 chip, which offered better performance. The fifth-generation Time Capsule, released in June 2013, featured a name change to AirPort Time Capsule and a redesign, with the square dimensions of the latest AirPort Express and Apple TVs, but with a greater height. This model featured the same I/O ports on the back as previous generations and came in capacities of 2 TB and 3 TB. It also introduced the newest Wi-Fi standard, 802.11ac, which offered simultaneous dual-band operation.

One of the key features of the Time Capsule is its ability to back up a system and files wirelessly and automatically, eliminating the need for an external backup drive. This feature requires OS X 10.5.2 Leopard or greater on the client computers. The backup software used is Apple's Time Machine, which, by default, makes hourly images of the files that are being changed and condenses backup images as they become older to save space. The initial backup of any Mac to the drive requires a significant amount of time, with Apple suggesting that it will take "several hours or overnight to complete". The hard drive typically found in a Time Capsule is the Hitachi Deskstar, which is sold by Hitachi as a consumer-grade product. Apple labelled the drive as a server-grade drive in promotional material for the Time Capsule.

In 2016, Apple disbanded its wireless router development team, and in 2018, the entire AirPort line of products was discontinued without replacement. Apple continues to provide limited hardware and software support for the AirPort Time Capsule as of 2023.

Apple Airport Base Station

The AirPort Base Station was a line of wireless router devices from Apple that created a network ready for access by compatible AirPort devices. An AirPort Base Station can be used as a fully-featured local area network (LAN) and/or to connect to the Internet. Some base stations have a modem, and all have an Ethernet port (some have two, one for LAN and one for WAN).

The Airport Base Station (models with a modem) is the only wireless access point officially supported by AOL's dialup service (including phone support from AOL). Some AirPort Extreme Base Stations also feature a USB port to connect a printer, which can then be used as a network device. On the Airport Extreme, this port can also be used to attach a Keyspan USB infrared remote control to control AirTunes.

The AirPort Disk feature allows users to plug a USB hard drive into the AirPort Extreme for use as a network-attached storage (NAS) device for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows clients. Users may also connect a USB hub and printer. The original AirPort Extreme Base Station, introduced in 2003, was so named because of its support for the 802.11g standard, as well as its ability to serve up to 50 Macs or PCs simultaneously.

The AirPort Extreme has gone through three distinct physical forms. The earliest models had a similar plastic housing to the original AirPort Base Station, in a round "flying saucer" shape. From 2007 to 2013, the devices took on a flat rounded rectangle shape, similar in layout and size to the Mac mini or early models of the Apple TV. The 2013 model had a more vertical form, taller than it was wide.

Apple discontinued developing its lineup of wireless routers in 2016 but, as of 2023, continues to provide limited hardware and software support. In April 2018, Apple announced the discontinuation of its AirPort line, leaving the consumer router market.

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