Airport Extreme Power Cord: A Game-Changer for Home Networking

When it comes to Wi-Fi networking, many devices hop from one channel to another in a preset pattern, which can lead to interference and slower transmission speeds. Apple's AirPort Extreme Base Station is designed to work around this issue by using the 5GHz band, which is practically empty compared to the 2.4GHz band.

The 5GHz band offers faster transmission speeds and less interference than the 2.4GHz band, making it an ideal choice for home networking. However, not all devices can use the 5GHz band. Bluetooth equipment, cordless phones, and other devices typically operate on channels that are a few megahertz wide, but they don't stay on them continuously.

Wi-Fi devices, including Apple's AirPort hardware, stake out subsets of the spectrum available in each band, using 20MHz channels of the 85MHz available in the 2.4GHz band or the 550MHz available in the 5GHz band in the United States. This can also cause interference with other devices that operate on different frequencies.

One solution to this problem is to use home power-line networking, which carries data across a home's electrical wiring. This can be done by plugging a power-line adapter into an outlet near an interference-free spot and running an Ethernet cable from the adapter to your base station's WAN port.

Another alternative is to move the base station to another location in your house or office if interference is particularly bad in one part of the space. Apple's Core 2 Duo laptops, iMacs, and Mac Pro can also use the 5GHz band with the build-to-order wireless option.

In conclusion, the Airport Extreme power cord offers a convenient and reliable way to connect your devices to the internet without worrying about interference or slow transmission speeds. With its ability to operate on the 5GHz band and its compatibility with other Apple devices, it is an ideal choice for home networking.

Airport extreme power cord