Apple M8799LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port Review

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(More customer reviews)Got this primarily so we could work anywhere in the house on our PC laptops. Granted, a Linksys wireless router would have been cheaper, but the Airport Extreme also serves as a wireless print server and that (plus the fact that our primary computer is a Mac) was what sealed the deal for us. Our cabling setup is:
Cable modem -> Linksys Wired 4-Port Router -> Airport Extreme -> Lexmark Optra E312L

Our laptops use Linksys Wireless-G cards and get good reception throughout the house. Our G4 and PS2 are hooked directly into the wired Linksys Router for their connectivity. The trick to using it with an existing router is to turn off the NAT addressing feature of the Airport Extreme so that it acts only as an Ethernet "bridge" to the wireless computers; the Linksys router assigns all the IP addresses for everything on the system including the PC laptops. The PCs can print wirelessly to the laser printer via the Airport and so can the Mac. Bonus!

Setup was very quick - about 15 minutes to get everything plugged in. The hard part was getting the security set up correctly (and yes, you'd better secure your wireless network) as the format for passwords was different on the Mac vs. PC platforms. Had to do some Web searches to find out how to make them speak the same language (hex). Has worked flawlessly since then. If I had to do it over, would buy it again in a heartbeat.

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Product Description:
The AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port is compatible with the industry-standard 802.11b wireless networking protocol, which means all AirPort products, as well as Wi-Fi certified 802.11b wireless products. For higher performance you will need to have both the Airport Extreme Card and the AirPort Extreme Base Station. The range of AirPort Extreme is up to 50 feet at 54 Mbps and up to 150 feet at 11 Mbps. The Base Station can be used in conjunction with an Ethernet connection (such as with a cable modem, DSL modem, or Ethernet network) through the integrated Ethernet port, or with a telephone line through a modem.
The AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port also supports USB or Ethernet wireless printer sharing. Just plug in a compatible USB or Ethernet printer and with Mac OS X on your computer you can quickly and easily print. You can use the new USB port to attach a USB printer or use the 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN port to plug in an Ethernet printer directly into the base station.
With the new AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port, up to 50 users can work and play on the Internet simultaneously up to 150 feet away from an Ethernet connection or a phone line. The Base Station comes equipped with a built-in firewall to protect sensitive data on your computer and the ability to secure transmissions with support for 128-bit encryption.
The AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port lets you manage the range of your wireless network. An external antenna port is provided for you to attach an external antenna. There are two types of antennas available: an omni-directional and a directional, which extend the range of the AirPort Extreme base station. There is also a software feature that allows you on reduce the size of your wireless network, down to just a single room for extra privacy.

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TRENDnet 56K USB Data/Fax/TAM Modem TFM-560U (Blue) Review

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(More customer reviews)Bits & Bytes, S I Business Trends, August, 2008. Bill Dubovsky.

Situation: It seems that almost everyone has ubiquitous connections with the world via their Smartphone, iPhone, FiOS, cable, WiFi, WiMax or other broadband alternative. Why should we be thinking about 1980's modem technology in 2008?

The fact is that fewer laptops come with built-in modems and some of us mobile and rural users still need modems connected to our laptops for business reasons. Sensitive governmental, utility, security, financial and medical organizations, require staff to log into their systems and networks via special toll-free numbers for good reason - they don't trust Internet security and need to minimize the risk of being hacked.

Some users need a high speed modem for Internet access in rural parts of the country that don't have broadband access. A number of ISPs offer "high speed dial-up" or "DSL speeds over regular phone lines," for these customers. Other users need to send and receive faxes occasionally when they're out of the office and don't want to pay a monthly fee for an Internet fax forwarding service, and still others want the ability to broadcast voicemails and faxes to colleagues and to have their own answering machine/voicemail when they are on the road. Others just want to upload and download data from their "home system" to their remote pc on occasion. If you're a mobile or rural business person - you may still need a modem attached to your pc, and you may need a more versatile (fax, voice, data) modem than normally comes with most laptops today.

What is it?

A modem (MOdulator-DEModulator) is hardware which allows digital devices such as computers, fax machines, etc., to communicate with each other over analog phone lines or special modems that connect with other long distance media such as DSL, cable, FiOS, satellite or radio. The modem I will be reviewing is the TFM-56OU by TrendnetTRENDnet 56K USB Data/Fax/TAM Modem (V.92, Kflex56), about $30.00 on Amazon.com, and is used to connect your pc to analog POTS lines (Plain Old Telephone Service). This USB connected modem can be used with a pc or a desktop machine and is a data, fax, and voice modem which is video phone ready. Check with amazon.com for complete technical specs.

How it works:

After installing the drivers that come on the CD-ROM, simply plug this device which is about the size of the original iPod nano into any USB port on your pc. The next step is to install your fax/voice/data software or use what comes with the device. I am a long-time user of Cheyenne Bitware (now CA Bitware) and the software quickly identified the modem and installed the appropriate drivers. You can get updated Bitware software from many sources on the Internet. The main difference I noticed is that the new modem is much faster and more reliable than the one built-into my aging Sony Vaio, plus it has voice capabilities!

What you need:

A pc with a CD-ROM drive, 300 MHz CPU or above, 256 MB memory, 4 MB hard drive space and a USB port 1.1 or 2.0 and Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista.The Trendnet TFM-56OU comes with all software, hardware and cables you need to connect to your computer.

How hard is it to use?

I installed it to my MacBook Pro, using the Windows XP partition and got it working within 5 minutes. Note that this modem does not work with Mac OSX or Linux, only with Windows as mentioned previously.

Findings:

The modem worked as advertized. I always like to check the users' comments and reviews in Amazon before I buy anything, as they seem to be an honest assessment of what you can expect.

Pros: The device was a good value for about $30.00. It is small, light, comes with a cap to protect the USB connector and is easy to install if you follow the simple directions. It turns out to be much faster than my older pc installed modem, has the added voice capability which I didn't have, can be used for "high speed dialup," and seems to have fewer errors when sending faxes to lists of recipients. I also liked the fact that the modem is self-powered via the USB port - there is no need for another external power cord to plug in.

Cons:The modem is one-piece and has to be plugged into the USB port directly. It probably would have been better to connect it via a USB cable which would give you more flexibility in how to position and install, especially if you're using it in a desktop system. I was also disappointed that it couldn't be used with the Mac side of my MacBook Pro. The Apple modem is very simple and doesn't have the functionality I need. I would hope that Trendnet would develop and make Mac OSX drivers available for Mac users.

Bottom-line:

Well worth the money. I just needed a simple modem for the pc side of my MacBook Pro as a back-up fax device and was pleasantly surprised that Bitware recognized the device and gave me the voice capabilities that I have done without for so long. For more information and other user's reviews, check on the Trendnet modem by visiting www.Amazon.com. This device is not commonly available in electronic retail stores.

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Product Description:
Experience the fast Internet access with TRENDnets 56Kbps (V.90) High Speed USB Fax Modem. Simply plug it into the USB port on the PC or notebook computer for easy and fast connectivity. TRENDnets USB Fax Modem can be connected to or disconnected from the computer without turning off the system. With the highest possible data communication rates at 56Kbps/V.90, reliable error-free transmission and widespread interoperability with other users can be accomplished. TRENDnets TFM-560U provides fast and easy installation with free communication software.

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Apple MA034Z/A External V.2 USB Modem Review

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(More customer reviews)This modem could not be easier to use. You plug it in, and it is ready to go. You need to add your phone number and ISP information, which is easy to do either in the Network Preferences (under System Preferences) or in the Internet Connect application. No other configuration is required.

I gave it 4 stars because something like this shouldn't cost ~$50. I can appreciate that Apple removed it as a built-in item on my MacBook because they are not used frequently (I got by for an entire year before I needed it), but $50 was a bit steep for a modem in 2007.

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Product Description:
The Apple USB Modem is a simple, one-piece external USB modem that's perfect for people who use a dial-up connection to access the Internet and do email. It's small, light, easy to install and even easier to use.Just plug it into the USB port on your Mac, then connect your phone line to the other end. Open the networking preference panel in Mac OS X, enter your connection information, and click connect. Now you're ready to start surfing, emailing, instant messaging and more.

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Keyspan VP-24A Cordless Voip Phone Skype Compatible for Mac Or Pc Review

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(More customer reviews)With the explosion of voice over IP applications, new devices appear everyday to supposedly ease our digital life, but the abundance of "standards" and protocols makes it difficult for the end user to figure out exactly what each product can accomplish.

My biggest gripe with this specific product is that despite its name, it's NOT a VoIP phone. A real VoIP phone contains everything that's needed to hook up to a TCP/IP network (wired and/or wireless) and implements a telephony protocol such as the open standard SIP or the proprietary Skype. For instance, the Zyxel W2000 can connect to a SIP server though an ordinary WiFi access point without the help of a computer, because it has an 802.11b wireless interface and implements the SIP protocol.

Instead, this Keyspan phone is just a wireless USB handset, which requires the use of a computer to function. Many similar products have been available for over a year, but they only work on Windows. This one supports both Windows and OSX.

The small box contains the phone, a USB dongle smaller than an iPod Shuffle, an installation CD, a USB to mini-USB cord and three AAA rechargeable Ni-MH batteries. To recharge the phone, you plug it into a powered USB port. Keyspan does not provide a separate charger, but this is a minor issue since this mini-USB connector is becoming increasingly common.

The Macintosh installation adds a small application named WirelessUSBPhone, and a USB driver. The application bridges the Keyspan phone with the Skype application through the use of the Skype API.

To start using the phone, you need to pair it by pressing a tiny button on the USB transmitter while the phone is in close proximity. Once this is done, you can scroll through the contact list on your phone and call them, or you can also dial numbers directly. When calls come into Skype, the screen lights up and displays the caller name.

The sound quality is excellent. The range is also particularly good, considering the tiny size of the components and the lack of external antennas. In my informal tests it is equivalent to that of a recent good quality cordless phone. Finally, the battery life is also very good: I would estimate it to be at least 4 days of stand-by and several hours of talk time, and since it uses standard AAA batteries it's easy to keep a backup set around just in case.

If you're looking for the Skype equivalent of a SIP phone, i.e. a standalone phone that works without relying on a computer, don't buy this product. Otherwise, if you use Skype a lot and wish you could use it without being tethered to your computer, this phone is the perfect answer. Unlike competing products it comes with very high quality software and offers a Macintosh version (Keyspan is well known for the quality of its products and software). Installation could not be easier and the software functions flawlessly and transparently. After a few days with the phone I'm very pleased with my purchase.

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Product Description:
Skype brought the world a way to make free calls over the internet.It is now used by millions of consumers.ThisCordless VoIP Phone makes Skype even better by allowing you to use Skype to make and receive calls without being at your computer.While many Skype phones require you to be connected to your PC via a USB cable, the Cordless VoIP Phone uses a wireless signal that allows you to roam within your house or office while using the phone.The phone is designed with mobility in mind. The phone and the small USB receiver are easy to carry anywhere you go. There is no need to carry a bulky charging base station (commonly used by other manufacturers of cordless VoIP phones).How It Works...* Cordless phone receiver plugs into the USB port on a PC or Mac* Phone communicates with the computer over a 2.4 Ghz radio signal that works through walls and furniture* Calls are made over the PC's internet connection using Skype* Open and close Skype with a single button on the phone* The LCD display on the phone shows you who is online, as well as Skype status, battery level and signal qualityFeatures...* Make and receive PC-to-PC and PC-to-Phone calls with Skype* Outdoor range up to 300 ft; Indoor range up to 100 ft* Standby time up to 1200 hours; Talk time up to 15 hours* Recharge batteries by plugging the phone into a USB port on your PC (or with use of optional USB power adapter)* Real time volume control* Supports caller ID and speed dialRequirements:* Windows: PC with an internet connection and available USB port; Windows 2000/XP; Skype account* Mac OS: Mac with an internet connection and available USB port; Mac OS X (10.3 or later); Skype account

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