Airport Extreme Radio Mode Question

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Level 1

15 points

Airport Extreme Radio Mode Question

Can anyone help with the following inquiry?

I have Airport Extreme connected to a Comcast modem, all working successfully. However, if I leave the Radio Mode on the typical 802.11 (802.11b/g compatible) a speed test shows that my download speed is just over 1Mbps, but I can access the wireless connection from all devices in my home (2 MacBook Pros, iPhone 4G and Blackberry Bold).

If I change the Radio Mode to 802.11n (802.11a compatible) then my download speed increases to about 40Mbps, which is in line with my contract with Comcast. However, under this Radio Mode I am not able to access my wireless network with either my iPhone or Blackberry.

Any advice on how to maintain the faster download speed on my computers, while also accessing my wireless network with mobile devices?

Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thank you-

macbook pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Nov 15, 2010 3:03 PM

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Answer 1

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,114 points

Nov 15, 2010 3:21 PM in response to Travis Day

Welcome to the discussion area!

You'll need to use the 802.11n (802.11b/g compatible) mode if you want "g" devices like the iPhone and (probably) the Blackberry to connect. This is a compatible radio mode that allows "n", "g" and "b" devices to connect.

It uses the 2.4 GHz band, which is unfortunately the same band that just about every other wireless network, cordless phones and wireless security systems use, so it's very likely you are picking up interference from another source.

I suggest that you try different Channel settings to see if your performance improves. Start at Channel 11 and work down.

The other 802.11n radio mode that you mentioned is on the 5 GHz band. Only "n" devices will be able to connect to this band. There are very few networks using this band...for now...so as you have seen first hand, there are far fewer interference issues on this network.

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