The imposing blue Linksys box is about to give way to a whole new crop of Wireless access points (AP) that work with the Mac OS and Windows. This article shows you four new APs that integrate hardware, software, and forward-thinking design that takes the integration of software and hardware a step further than anything that has come before it.
A new breed of Wi-Fi for the Mac and Windows
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
Isn’t there just standards like the wireless routers that because they are 802.11x compatible apple and ms both support these or the third party devices are supported by the party.
i think their talking more about software then standards. sure it all supports 802.11x but to configure it, in the past most software has only been for windows, or web based (which was fine). now it looks like someone is distributing a fat client mac app with their router. this is only good for apple, imho.
I have some experience of the kind of router, wired or wifi, which can be bought for less than GBP 60 / USD 100.
they’re rubbish – if your bandwidth use incluides a lot of processes (EG using bittorrent to download ISOs or Gnutella for files) the router will crash hard and need resetting. Anything with a Conexant chipset will do this and most of the DLink and Netgear range too – read buyers reviews on Ebuyer.com for a good insight into any router.
I’m saving up for a Cisco….
I’ve had a basic Linksys 4 port Cable Modem router for about 3 years now it’s been running just fine. Never had one problem with it. I can configure it via a web browser and thus it’s Linux/ Apple friendly.
I have an AOpen AP hooked up to it. The biggest pain is that it requires a windows computer for configuration. Not Linux or Apple friendly.
We’re trialing a ‘serviced AP’ from Orbit8 in the UK (www.orbit8.com). Essentially it’s a managed wireless router. This is a neat option for small businesses that don’t know their WEP keys from their MAC filters.
Given the poor customer support from Netgear, Linksys and D-Link, I suspect we may hear more about this class of ‘serviced device’ in the future.
on a supposed OS News website.
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