[crzdc0l0mbian]

I just purchased a MBP and I need a wireless router so that I can use it around the house. I was thinking about buying a airport express but when I went on the apple site to read the reviews it has over 8 pages of 1/5 star rankings.. Alot of people say it works great for a year and then dies. Is this true?

Also what do you guys use to get wireless? The airport extreme is kind of fugly looking, and $200 !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ghporter]

There's no need to buy an Apple wireless device, particularly if you don't "need" to stream your iTunes collection everywhere. You can do quite well with a third-party device, such as those from NetGear, D-Link, Linksys, etc. They tend to be a LOT less expensive.

I personally have a Linksys wired router and a Linksys wireless access point, but a lot of people do fine with a wireless router (which combines the two functions in one box).

[chefpastry]

Yes, I have also read of many AirPort Express failures. As ghporter said, you have many options when it comes to routers and they tend to be much less expensive than Apple's offerings.

Keep in mind, however, there are many poorly designed/developed products out there. I've come across routers that regularly require rebooting, some freeze on a regular basis, etc. Try checking www.tomsnetworking.com for some reviews before purchasing.

[crzdc0l0mbian]

well i have a netgear wired router that i have had for like 4-5 years that still works perfectly, i just want a wireless access point so i can use my mbp any were in my room, and use it in my apartment next semister but that I can lock so no one else can use my internet connection. When i purchased my MBP, I was in my brothers appartment and there were almost 20 unsecured wireless access points that I could use... which was scarey cause I dont want people in my network

[ghporter]

Buy a wireless access point and then secure it. There are a number of techniques you can use to do that. I have "MAC Address Filtering" enabled on mine so ONLY machines I authorize can join my network. And I run WPA security (what Apple calls "WPA-Personal") as well. Not only can unauthorized people not join my network, they can't see my traffic either. I highly recommend both methods; they're simple and are typically a one-time setup.

[ink]

Although... I LOVE sending iTunes music to my component system. :-)

[SpaceMonkey]

I have an Airport Express that I have used for a little over a year now and it works great. My parents have two (big house), and they've been chugging along for over 2.5 years.

WPA2 is great, but, unfortunately, if you have older computers on your network, chances are you might be stuck with WEP.