Airport Express 802.11n Update Accidentally Leaked

By Michael Santo
Editor-in-Chief, RealTechNews

Apple’s usually so very careful about updating its site, generally taking it down when they introduce a new product. But the Swiss version of the Apple Store appears to have accidentally leaked information about an update to the Airport Express which adds 802.11n support.

The Airport Express is a wireless access point, but besides that it allows users to stream music using its line-out jack as well as share a printer with its USB port. It’s not a router though, so don’t confuse it with one.

Until now it’s only supported 802.11g - not that 802.11n has been fully approved, as it hasn’t. But according to the goof at the Swiss site, 802.11n is coming soon.

Take a look at the screenshot above (they fixed the site as someone probably told them heads would roll) - from MacGeneration (French).

Seems pretty obvious. However, I doubt this will address my objection to Apple’s implementation of 802.11n on its Airport Extreme router: though it supports both the 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz bands of the 802.11n spec, it cannot use both at the same time. While dual-band support alone was formerly limited to the Airport Extreme and Buffalo Technology’s WZR-AG300NH (which does support simultaneous dual-band), more routers are coming out with dual band support - and simultaneous dual-band support - including the Linksys WRT600N and the Netgear WNDR3300. It would be nice to see Apple address this hole.

We Say: At any rate, according to the original leaked page, the price won’t change, still $99, so that would be a perk. We’ll see if it rolls out this week or not.