Airport Express Worth it?

I'll be going back to school in a month or so and was wondering if i should invest in an airport express. The internet there in my dorm complex is just through an ethernet connection so i would plug that into the express and use it as my primary router. Does anyone know if the express is worth my while and will it give me pretty fast speeds and a decent range?

 

Personally... I'd go with another brand like D-Link or Linksys... I don't think that router is worth $200.

 

I'm pretty sure they make ones designed for using in hotel rooms. You should look into those. I think you can put a password on it and set it so only your laptop can use it.

 

Well if you want to stream music and share a printer wirelessly, then the express is good choice. It is also marketed as a on the go "hotel/travel" router. I have one and it works quite well. But if you just want to get internet access then there are cheap alternatives.
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ps the other plus is that it is apple "N", so you could run it in the 5Ghz range should interference with other 2.4 wireless g networks be an issue.

 

The Apple Airport Extreme Base station is $200.....the Airport Express is only $100.

For the OP's purposes, I think the Express is a great idea. I've got two of them myself to extend the range of my AEBS as well as provide a wireless bridge where it's not possible for me to run cat5. Works like a charm and I would definitely recommend both!

 

My bad, I read extreme. Sounds like a good deal then.

 

Might want to check out some of the other routers that are N and have a USB port. Might be cheaper, or have more ethernet ports.

 

I had the airport wireless the newest one with the "N" but everytime my home phone is turned on or the phone rang I always got booted offline.

I tweaked the bands and channels on the airport but still nothing could fix this issue. Anyway I sold it since and bought a wireless N linksys and set it at a random channel and no problems at all works like a charm.

I love Apple but I think Linksys has the best routers.

 

I do not think it worth it at all, buy Linksys, trusted name works like a charm and cheaper. now airport does have a usb port for your printer or drive but it has never worked for me. if usb port makes all the difference for you than i say go for it, but other than than standard N router will work just as well.

 

What linksys router would you recommend thats around 100 dollars?

 

Thats cause its only for use with a printer.
You can find an unofficial list of printers that work with the airport here here

Again, I would suggest that the determining factor on the express be the use of wireless music/printer. If you want/need these features then you have your answer.
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^^whaaa? what is this http://www.apple.com/airportextreme/features/harddrivesharing.html

 

Thats the extreme !!!
Not the airport EXPRESS.
They are two different products
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you won man i did not pay attention, thought he was talking bout extreme

 

Any Linksys router I've ever bought (and D-Link for that matter) have started to flake out around the 1 year mark, and I've seen a lot of other people with similar experiences.

If that's what you mean by "Trusted Name", I'll gladly pay $200 for the Airport Extreme Base Station (which I did) and then happily use it with a USB drive for Time Machine on both my Macs (which I am)!

People buy a Mac because it "Just Works", the same philosophy applies to the AEBS.

 

Good for u man. Best router ever made http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124190, and u are saying that Lynksis and Cisco that owns it not credible enough to invest money to? I am not here to start usual "Apple sucks"argument, i was giving my opinion and experience. And " just works" thing needs to go. And like i said i confused two things so lets forget this.

 

My parents have gone through two, I've gone through three, and I can't count how many I've had to replace where I work........yeah, "best" router ever made indeed!

Cisco is one thing, Linksys is another, regardless of the fact that they're the same company.