Univ. Monitor Stand Wide Review

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(More customer reviews)Most monitor stands are shorter, between 2 and 4 inches tall. This one is about 6 inches, and has helped me so much with the neck pain I was feeling looking down all the time. I am a short person, but have a fairly long torso compared to most people, so the standard monitor height just wasn't working for me. This stand has made a big difference.

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New Accessories Moshi Classic Alarm Clock High Quality Practical Excellent Performance Review

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(More customer reviews)I like the looks of this alarm clock and Voice Recognition is a cool technology, no doubt.
But the developers missed two major things:
- the clock not support 24 hour mode -- how difficult could that possibly be?? (very easy)
- the clock does now adjust time automatically as an atomic clock!
I think these are two MUST HAVE features! (I returned my Moshi) - a third thing to fix would be Celsius instead of Fahrenheit temp display (very easy to implement)I think the developers were pretty short-sighted. Had they built those features in, the clock would have been perfect, and they could have sold it world-wide.
Without those features, it's just a poorly implemented and overpriced clock.


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Hawking SMA JACK TO APPLE CONNECTOR ( HACSA ) Review

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(More customer reviews)What can you say about a short bit a wire? The connectors are solid and well constructed.
Not something you buy every day but when the need arises, by golly, there better be something to fill the void. This filled it nicely. I love how it snaps into the socket, just as it was intended. I don't know but I wasn't expecting much when I ordered this.
The whole product is well made and holds up well under torture, though it does have its limits. Perhaps ramming the back of my mac into a wall was a bit more than it was designed for. I bent the tip of the connector but it still worked. It just didn't stay in the socket as well as it had before and fell out occasionally so I bought another one. The new one works perfectly and I've avoided being hateful to it, so I've had no trouble at all. The last one just couldn't withstand something it wasn't at all designed for, nor is the mac designed for I might ad. I'm lucky it still works after that little adventure.
So what can you say about a bit of wire? Quite a bit it would seem.
So all thats to say that if that wire still worked after what I put it through, its indeed a good product. If you have a void that is just so long, and so deep, fill it with this. its perfect for the purpose for which it was made.

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Apple MA073LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been using many wireless routers (Linksys, D-Link, SMC, Netgear, Siemens...) over the years, since the early days of 802.11b, but this is my first experience with an Apple router.
There is no need to comment on the manufacturing quality, design and packaging: in typical Apple fashion, they're miles ahead of the competition. For instance, unlike all the other routers I ever used that came with a 110v only power supply, the Airport Extreme Base Station (AEBS for short) comes with a universal worldwide power supply equipped with a standard power cord.
Performancewise, it is exceptional. I have been putting it through its paces over the past few days and it's barely breaking a sweat in situations where my previous routers (Linksys WRT54G and Netgear WGN824) would progressively get slower, or just plain crash and require a reboot. Coverage is excellent, better than my WGN824's which was already quite impressive.
Apple has traditionally be doing things differently, and it shows here again: unlike most routers, which are managed by accessing a built-in web server, this router can only be configured using the "Airport Utility" configuration program. The bundled CD contains a Mac OS X and a Windows version of the utility (I can already hear groans from the Linux geeks). The utility is extremely simple to use, although I haven't tried to use the more advanced features such as setting up another router like the Airport Express as a range extender.
One problem you might run into is the lack of support for "legacy" devices: although the AEBS offers a compatibility mode with WEP devices called "WEP (Transitional)" which lets WEP and WPA coexist, this mode imposes restrictions on the keys that may not work for you (for instance you won't be able to reuse an existing 40-bit WEP key). The problem is that WEP-40 and WEP-128 are not compatible with the 802.11n standard, so you have to choose between speed or full backwards compatibility. Also, you should know that WEP-40 and WEP-128 are not very secure: there are utilities out there that can crack these keys easily.
Note that 802.11n gives a significant speed boost to the AppleTV and laptops equipped with compatible cards (such as Apple's Core 2 Duo laptops with the 802.11n enabler installed -- you can find the enabler on the AEBS CD). Unless you own one of these machines, there is no harm in switching to a non-802.11n radio mode. How? Just hold the command key (or control on Windows) while clicking on the "Radio Mode" popup in the Wireless tab of the AEBS configuration utility. Extra, non-n modes appear in the list, and once one is selected the WEP-40 and WEP-128 modes become available under Security. If you select WEP-40 or WEP-128 security, you can enter a hex key by prefixing it with a dollar sign.
The AEBS also comes with a versatile USB port, which can be used to attach hard disks and/or a printer (USB hubs are supported). Unlike other base stations or NAS boxes, the AEBS does not require that you reformat the disk; all you have to do is plug it in and voilà! Instant NAS, all your files show up on the network. Some very basic access control features are provided. I plugged in the external USB drive I use to backup my MacBook, and now I can do automated backups without having to worry about remembering to plug in the drive: it just works wirelessly. The AEBS also lets you share a USB printer.
In conclusion, this router is a fantastic performer. Although it's one of the most expensive 802.11n routers out there, its feature set, build quality, performance and top-notch customer support more than make up for the price difference. I recommend it highly.

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Apple has updated its highly rated wireless router with faster speed, twice the range, a lower price, and wrapped it all up in a whole new design. The new AirPort Extreme Base Station now has extra Ethernet ports for making wired computer connections and/or sharing network printers. It even has a USBslot, for connecting a USB printer, external hard drive, or other USB device. Also, it works with both Mac and Windows machines.
About 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station is compatible with the 802.11n draft specification, the new, all-but-finalized (as of February, 2007) standard for wireless networking, or Wi-Fi. Apple says their 802.11n is up to five times faster than the currently ubiquitous 802.11g. It uses three discreet antennas that not only double its range over previous AirPort base stations, but allows up to 50 simultaneous connections. Unless you're an office manager, school principal or a cafe owner, you probably don't care about that much capacity. Still, it's nice to know you can, say, telecommute over the Internet while someone else in your household is streaming video without slowing each other down. Thankfully, AirPort Extreme is backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g devices. Apple does caution, however, that "speed and range will be less if an 802.11a/b/g product joins the network."

And while setting up a Wi-Fi network in your home can often be a confusing, frustrating experience, consumers have learned that Apple is adept at painlessly guiding even novice users quickly through a set-up process. Apple promises that their wizard will have you up, running, and secure in the time it takes to brew a cup of coffee. It offers WPA/WPA2 and 128-bit WEP encryption, as well as a built-in firewall, which helps protect you from Internet intruders.


Sharing Features One of the most interesting features of the new AirPort Extreme Base Station is its ability to turn almost any external USB hard drive into a network attached storage (NAS) device. Just plug the disk directly into the AirPort Extreme Base Station's USB port, and it will be accessible through the built-in file sharing capabilities of both Windows and OS X. The AirPort Disk Utility software helps you set up permissions and passwords, keeping the disk (or parts of it) inaccessible from others on your network. You can similarly turn a standard USB printer into a network printer. The AirPort Extreme Base Station only has one USB port, but you will be able to plug both of those devices and more in by using a separately sold USB hub. Like most wireless routers, AirPort Extreme Base Station lets you create a list of devices allowed to access your network. A new parental control feature in this router, though, lets you lock out specific devices, like a kid's computer, from connecting during certain hours of the day, such as after bed-time.

What's in the Box Apple MA073LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station, AirPort Utility for Mac and Windows, AirPort Disk Utility for Mac and Windows, 802.11n Enabler for Mac, Bonjour for Windows, power cord, printed and electronic documentation.

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Apple Time Capsule MB765LL/A 1TB Review

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(More customer reviews)I've owned the Apple Time Capsule 1TB model for several months now.
Pros:
1. Very large 1TB hard drive
2. Very fast WiFi connections
3. Easily sets up with your network (what Mac product doesn't?)
4. Much faster on my DSL network than the DSL wireless router I had previously connected
Cons:
1. Extremely SLOW data transfer. I'm not exaggerating when I say it took 15hrs to backup a wired connection with about 250gb of data to transfer...... wireless backup of that amount of data wasn't even reasonable, it was going to be several days.
2. I had wanted to use it for my iTunes library. To share my library on several devices when my Macbook was not available. Turns out the transfer speed is too slow for this purpose and I had to scratch that idea.
3. At times, it's been too slow to even use for Time Machine. The problem lies with the hard drive it seems since the wireless connection is extremely fast. Maybe there is some issue with the way the Time Capsule communicates with it's hard drive? I don't know, I only know it's painfully slow.
lf this can only be used as a wireless network hub and painfully slow backups, then there are better options out there. If Apple can somehow get this thing to work as advertised, then it might be worth a look. The way it is now... NOT RECOMMENDED!

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Apple MB763LL/A AirPort Extreme Dual-band Base Station Review

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(More customer reviews)Hi All,
True to my gadget envy, I acquired one of these dual band extreme base stations to see if they held up to the hype. Sure enough, Apple has improved an old mediocre product with a new more powerful hardware engine and improved software abilities.
Features:
802.11 A/B/G/N DUAL Band radios at 2.4ghz and 5ghz simultaneously.
Gigabit Ethernet ports 1x Wan and 3x Lan.
Guest wireless network.
Disk sharing via USB connected drive.
Access to shared disk via MobileMe (apple mobile me subscribers on os x).
The box comes with the router, the power cord, software cd, and documentation....limited documentation.
Time to test.
Setup: Setup of an apple base station is unlike any other in that you cannot access the setup portal via your web browser. You must install the Apple Airport utility (both mac and windows) in order to set the router up. The software is built very well and provides the typical ease of use known to MAC users. You simply walk through a setup wizard and define simple options for your internet connection, your wireless network, etc, etc. NOTE: When setting up your wireless networks you are able to hit the options button so that you can define a 5ghz network as well (example, main wireless network called wifi, the 5ghz is called wifi (5ghz)). Very easy to setup and get going. You are also able to easily define a SECURED (wpa/wpa2) guest wireless network....which simply means that if you have a visitor they can use wi-fi but not get to any of the computers on your home network. Very Secure....and a great feature to boot.
I was using the old Apple Base Station and kept switching between it and a d-link wireless n router.... I got one of these primarily due to dual band and guest access.
Yes, there are other routers out there that can do this for a bit of a lower cost...but the elegance of the Apple Airport Utility make this a router that can be setup without too much hassle. The software will also identify problems in the setup and have you correct them before it uploads them to the router. These abilities alone make this a router for the non-geeks to be able to setup a robust networking environment at home.
Wireless: As I mentioned before, I am comparing this to an older model apple base station that was single band and worked in the N range. Also compared this against a D-Link DIR-655 which is a 2.4ghz Wireless N router. The section on speed below will detail my wireless experience.
Speed: I have Comcast cable modem service which gives me about 15-25mbps down and 2mbps up....I live in an area where there are probably 5-10 subscribers...so my speed is generally GREAT and never experiences a slow down. The first thing I do when I play with a new router is do a speed test....the new base station is comparable to the others and gets the same exact download/upload speeds over ethernet. There is one exception....using the wireless on this unit yielded BETTER results then the older model and the d-link. Normally when doing a speed test over wireless I get about 12-15mbps and 2mbps up....with this router I was able to successfully hit the 20mbps mark and 2mbps UP. WIN WIN!!!! So I figured that this may be an anomaly and thus proceeded to test a download from Microsoft - a 3.4gb file - which normally downloads anywhere between 900kpbs and 1.2mbps. Surprise.....with the new base station I stayed at 1.3mbps and it did not hiccup even once. The same was true when downloading via a wireless connection, albeit the speed was 1.0mbps....faster then I have ever gotten before. WIN WIN again!
Disk Sharing - Not much to be said here...I attached a Western Digital USB hard drive 320gb and shared it. You simply go into the Airport Utility software and setup sharing of the hard drive and define which password should be used. You can either use the password for the router or setup a separate password to use with Disk Sharing. Speed is dependent upon wired or wireless. I tested while transferring 3 files...one was 2mb one was 100mb and one was a 2.5gb file. The two mb file of course went over before I could blink...the 100mb transferred over in about 3-4 minutes...the 2.5gb took about 15 minutes. The first transfer test was with ETHERNET connectivity. I did the same tests over wireless and found that the times doubled...naturally since wireless is a bit slower I expected that and had no issue with the times.
Mobile-Me - I have not tested the mobile me features just yet but will be testing them in the days ahead and post my results here.
So far I feel this router has hit perfection and will now find a permanent spot in my home...at least until something better hits.
Please do leave me comments with suggestions on the review and or any questions you may have.

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The sleek, easy-to-use AirPort Extreme Base Station with simultaneous dual-band support is the perfect wireless access point for home, school, or small business. It offers fast, 802.11n Wi-Fi access for Mac computers, PCs, and Wi-Fi devices such as iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV.

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Altec Lansing VS2621 - 2.1-channel PC multimedia speaker system - 28 Watt (total) - 2.1 COMPUTER SPK DUAL 2IN FACETED SUBWOOF Review

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(More customer reviews)The Altec Lansing Speaker System has the best sound of any speaker system I've ever heard in this price range. The performance of these speakers is almost on par with the some of the best high-end stereo speakers. It actually sounds just about as good as my Logitech Z-5500 Speaker System, which costs considerably more!
The volume control, tone control, and a 3.5mm headphone/earphone jack are all located on the right speaker.
The satellite speakers can handle very high volumes before they start buzzing. The midrange and treble on them is flawless and clear as a as bell. I find that I get the best sound by turning the tone control up all the way to emphasize the treble sounds. The subwoofer is capable of putting out an impressive bass boom that packs quite a punch to give your music that "umph!" without muddying up the sound.
The quality of these speakers is top notch. The satellite speakers are very small, lightweight, and take up very little space - a definite plus if you have limited desktop space. The sound output from a subwoofer is non-directional, so it doesn't matter where you put them. I put mine on the floor next to my desk. (Note: Be careful that you don't put the subwoofer too close to your computer as the powerful magnet from the subwoofer can wreak havoc on your hard drive!)
---
I have to say I'm very impressed with the Altec Lansing Speaker System, especially since it is so affordably priced. For the average home user who wants a quality and impressive-sounding set of speakers without breaking the bank, I would highly recommend these.


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Apple Time Capsule 2TB (4TH GENERATION) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had two hard drive failures recently. I didn't want that to happen again, and Apple's release of revised Time Capsules this week was a signal to do something about it.
It's a fairly small unit, with simple hookups - the power cord, one LAN in, three LAN outs, and one USB port. There's only one light, which only shows two colors - amber (for something requiring attention) or green (for everything running smoothly). My setup was to be using the Time Capsule for Wi-Fi, while piggybacking off a router required by my ISP. Once I hooked up everything, I loaded AirPort Utility on my Mac, which walked me through setup of the Wi-Fi network and TIme Capsule. After setting it up, the unit rebooted and the light started blinking amber, indicating a problem. Here's where the Time Capsule was proven to be worth the money.
Over the years, I've spent a lot of time dealing with network hardware and traversing through the router's confusing interface. The blinking amber light gave me flashbacks to those days. But, this was different. I loaded up AirPort Utility, and it walked me through all indicated problems along with recommended solutions. After five minutes it was running correctly, indicated by a steady green light. I hooked up my PS3 and Xbox 360 to the Time Capsule Ethernet ports and they connected to their services flawlessly.
The summary here: Thirty minutes after taking the Time Capsule out of the box, I had a perfectly running Wi-Fi network, 2 devices running through the ethernet ports, and all my data being backed up to the hard drive. I've used a lot of consumer-level network hardware over the years, but nothing was as straightforward and pleasant to use as Time Capsule. I don't know why every company doesn't make it this easy, but it is how it should be. Highly recommended.
Edit: I just got a printer and hooked it up to the Time Capsule a few days ago. As with everything else, setup was absolutely no-fuss. Through USB, everything set up automatically and all I had to do was add it to the printer list in preferences.

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With the Apple Time Capsule, you'll be able to give your computer automatic, constant protection over a blazing-fast, secure wireless connection. Time Capsule includes a wireless hard drive designed to work with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard or later. Just set Time Capsule as the designated backup drive for Time Machine, and that's it.
One-click continuous backup for your Mac using Time Machine.

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APPLE M9479LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station Power Adapter Review

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(More customer reviews)I ordered this as a replacement for my Airport Extreme power cable. It is not an Apple product and is the wrong size for the Aiport Extreme. Therefore, it was of no use to me. It is very frustrating to have the product listed as being for an Airport Extreme when it is no such thing. Will not buy again from this seller.

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Apple M8434G/A Audio/Video Foribook NTSC Cable Review

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(More customer reviews)I was pleased with this company's service in reference to this item's immediate availability and fast shipping.
I dealt with them long ago with camera products, and see their business still treats a customer well after all these years.

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HTC Flyer Charging USB 2.0 Data Cable This professional grade custom cable outperforms the original Review

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(More customer reviews)Image shows a standard Micro USB port. The HTC flyer has a proprietary connected, so the cable show in NOT going to work.

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Apple M8799LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port Review

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(More customer reviews)Got this primarily so we could work anywhere in the house on our PC laptops. Granted, a Linksys wireless router would have been cheaper, but the Airport Extreme also serves as a wireless print server and that (plus the fact that our primary computer is a Mac) was what sealed the deal for us. Our cabling setup is:
Cable modem -> Linksys Wired 4-Port Router -> Airport Extreme -> Lexmark Optra E312L
Our laptops use Linksys Wireless-G cards and get good reception throughout the house. Our G4 and PS2 are hooked directly into the wired Linksys Router for their connectivity. The trick to using it with an existing router is to turn off the NAT addressing feature of the Airport Extreme so that it acts only as an Ethernet "bridge" to the wireless computers; the Linksys router assigns all the IP addresses for everything on the system including the PC laptops. The PCs can print wirelessly to the laser printer via the Airport and so can the Mac. Bonus!
Setup was very quick - about 15 minutes to get everything plugged in. The hard part was getting the security set up correctly (and yes, you'd better secure your wireless network) as the format for passwords was different on the Mac vs. PC platforms. Had to do some Web searches to find out how to make them speak the same language (hex). Has worked flawlessly since then. If I had to do it over, would buy it again in a heartbeat.

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The AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port is compatible with the industry-standard 802.11b wireless networking protocol, which means all AirPort products, as well as Wi-Fi certified 802.11b wireless products. For higher performance you will need to have both the Airport Extreme Card and the AirPort Extreme Base Station. The range of AirPort Extreme is up to 50 feet at 54 Mbps and up to 150 feet at 11 Mbps. The Base Station can be used in conjunction with an Ethernet connection (such as with a cable modem, DSL modem, or Ethernet network) through the integrated Ethernet port, or with a telephone line through a modem.
The AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port also supports USB or Ethernet wireless printer sharing. Just plug in a compatible USB or Ethernet printer and with Mac OS X on your computer you can quickly and easily print. You can use the new USB port to attach a USB printer or use the 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN port to plug in an Ethernet printer directly into the base station.
With the new AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port, up to 50 users can work and play on the Internet simultaneously up to 150 feet away from an Ethernet connection or a phone line. The Base Station comes equipped with a built-in firewall to protect sensitive data on your computer and the ability to secure transmissions with support for 128-bit encryption.
The AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port lets you manage the range of your wireless network. An external antenna port is provided for you to attach an external antenna. There are two types of antennas available: an omni-directional and a directional, which extend the range of the AirPort Extreme base station. There is also a software feature that allows you on reduce the size of your wireless network, down to just a single room for extra privacy.

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Fax 56K V.92 USB Modem Ext To RJ11 Adapter Review

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(More customer reviews)The modem worked perfectly. The operating system automatically recognized the modem once I put it in the USB drive. Haven't had issues with the modem...wish I could say that about my dial up provider.

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NETGEAR WG111 Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter (54 Mbps) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the Netgear USB wireless G adapter to enable me to network my Tivo Series 2 and take advantage of its home media capabilities. I could not be happier with the Netgear's performance. Once my Tivo had downloaded new firmware (its software version 7 is required), I simply plugged the Netgear into the USB slot. Boo-bam, worked like a charm. No configuring, no dropped signals. Good throughput. I am using a Belkin Pre-N wireless router. I was a little leery of USB wireless adapters, but the Netgear worked perfectly with no configuration.

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As home wireless networking continues to evolve, the need for increasingly faster speeds and greater range becomes more attractive. New applications like video-streaming, while not possible with 802.11b, are attainable at higher speeds, prompting users to seek the most powerful available solution for their networking needs.NETGEAR's WG111 54 Mbps Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter enables this. At 54 Mbps, it is up to 5x faster than 802.11b, and has greater range than 802.11b wireless products. The USB 2.0 interface allows the full throughput of 802.11g to be available, simply by plugging this into the external USB slot of your desktop or notebook PC. New antenna technology has increased range beyond what was ever possible with previous generation Wi-Fi adapters. Keep your network private with WEP encryption, upgradeable to even more secure WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). Setup is now made quick and easy with our Smart Wizard install assistant. The WG111 has a compact pocket-sized casing and with the included 5 ft. USB cable, it can easily be placed anywhere near your computer for optimal signal strength for best performance.

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Apple MA034Z/A External V.2 USB Modem Review

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(More customer reviews)The Apple USB Modem is a controllerless or software modem based on the Motorola SM56 design. The advantages of a software modem are low cost, low power consumption, and compact design. The disadvantage is that modem processing is offloaded to a specialized driver that runs on the host computer. In this case, Apple has customized Motorola's driver to produce a generally solid product.
At the time of this writing, Apple has discontinued the Apple USB Modem (MA034Z/A) but they are still widely available for around US$50.
Testing Notes: Software modems require a driver that can pump real-time audio like data to the modem's transceiver regardless of any other system software that may be running. In my own testing, I've found it's important to connect the modem to a reliable USB Hub as close to the host computer as possible. Apple's USB Modem driver generally worked well but could fail under certain conditions like launching Disk Utility with external FireWire drives attached. I tend to prefer controller based modems for their greater stability, but the Apple USB Modem is certainly an elegant and compact unit.
The US Robotics USB Modem (USR5637) is a traditional controller based modem from a manufacturer with a solid product history. The modem includes its own control processor which understands AT commands directly, so only a basic USB serial driver is needed. In my testing, this modem worked well.
The USR5637 is widely available for around US$50.
Testing Notes: The manual included with the modem is unclear about the installation procedure. You'll need to install the software from the included CD first, and then plug-in the modem for it to be recognized by Mac OS X. In the Network Preferences panel, select USB Modem, click Advanced, and set the Vendor to "Other". This modem is about the size of a cell phone (significantly larger than the Apple USB Modem).
I had no trouble running both the Apple USB Modem and USR Modem at the same time. I'm the developer of Phone Amego which uses USB modems for landline support. Having run both modems continuously over an extended period, I prefer the USR modem for its stability. It's more modem for about the same price.

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Apple Airport Express Review

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(More customer reviews)August 22, 2009 Update
-----------------------
The software that comes with new Airport Expresses is much more user friendly. You may find going through the instructions listed below is not required.
Regards,
S. Monroe
-----------------------------------------------------------
The CD that comes with the Airport Express has been useless to me in setting up a Windows XP computer to work with an AE. The instructions below should get you up and running.
1. First download the latest version of both the Airport Update and Airport Express Firmware Updater from [...]
2. Run the latest version of the Airport Update (4.1 at the time of this writing)
3. Disable your firewalls, plug in the Airport Express (AX) to an electrical outlet and attach it to your computer or router with an ethernet cable. The AX will have a steady or blinking yellow light.
4. Launch the Airport Admin Utility...it should detect the Airport Express in the "Base Station Chooser" within a minute or so and the light on the AX should turn green. You may have to hard reset the unit a few times by pushing the small reset button with a paperclip for about 10 seconds. If, like mine, it does not show up in the Airport Admin Utility leave the AX attached by ethernet and reboot, launch the Airport Admin Utility, and hopefully it will show up quickly.
5. As soon as it does show up, launch the latest Airport Express Firmware Updater (I used 6.1.1) and update the AX...this seemed to make a significant difference in the ease of detection later. This will take a minute or so. The AX will reset and you may have to leave it attached by ethernet, reboot, and relaunch the Airport Admin Utility to detect it again.
6. Once detected by the Airport Admin Utility, click the "Configure" button in the lower right hand corner.
7. A new set of tabs will pop up. Click on the "Airport" tab and select "Create Wireless Network" from the Airport Network dropdown box. This will be changed to "Join an Existing Wireless Network" later.
8. Now click on the "Network" tab and and check the "Distribute IP Addresses", the "Share a single IP address" button, and from IP range drop down list choose the IP range for your router (192.168.x.x being the most common for Dlink, lynksys, Netgear, and other non-Apple routers).
9. Go back to the "Airport" tab and change the "Create a Wireless Network" to "Join an Existing Wireless Network".
10. In the "Network Name" box type in the name of your wireless network (also called your SSID)
11. On the same page rename your AX to whatever you want it to be called in iTunes (often the physical location of the speakers the AX will be attached to, ex: Living Room, Bedroom, Ambient Sound), give it a new password (required), and give it a location.
12. If you are using security click on the security button, choose your encryption settings, and add your WEP key or password, etc. It might be handy to have your router security info open in a window so you can copy and paste the key right into the appropriate box.
13. If you now go back to the "Network" tab you will see everything is greyed out but now your new IP Range settings are visible.
14. With the AX still attached by etherlink, click the "Update" button and wait a minute or so for the AX to update. The changes you made should be reflected in the Airport Admin Utility when the update is complete.
15. Now you can launch iTunes and you should see a button in the lower right hand corner that says "My Computer". Click this button and you will see you have the choice of your computers speakers or the AX. Any further changes you want to make to the configuration such as the name you see in that button are easiest done while attached by ethernet so try to get it the way you want it with further Airport Admin Utility updates before unplugging the ethernet cable. As long as your Airport Admin Utility can see the AX you can update without being connected too.
16. When you are satisfied with the configuration and the AX is updated and is showing up in iTunes go ahead and unplug the ethernet cable. Now you can move The AX to your chosen locations electrical outlet, and hook up the audio cable. The AX light will blink yellow for a few minutes while being detected and then turn green. You can now choose your AX in iTunes and start playing your music as normal. Itunes will show it is busy connecting to the AX for about 30 seconds and then hopefully you will hear your music played from your remote speakers. I hope pulling this information together helps someone a little. Let me know if I missed something and I will update asap. Good Luck!

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TRENDnet 56K USB Data/Fax/TAM Modem TFM-560U (Blue) Review

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(More customer reviews)Bits & Bytes, S I Business Trends, August, 2008. Bill Dubovsky.
Situation: It seems that almost everyone has ubiquitous connections with the world via their Smartphone, iPhone, FiOS, cable, WiFi, WiMax or other broadband alternative. Why should we be thinking about 1980's modem technology in 2008?
The fact is that fewer laptops come with built-in modems and some of us mobile and rural users still need modems connected to our laptops for business reasons. Sensitive governmental, utility, security, financial and medical organizations, require staff to log into their systems and networks via special toll-free numbers for good reason - they don't trust Internet security and need to minimize the risk of being hacked.
Some users need a high speed modem for Internet access in rural parts of the country that don't have broadband access. A number of ISPs offer "high speed dial-up" or "DSL speeds over regular phone lines," for these customers. Other users need to send and receive faxes occasionally when they're out of the office and don't want to pay a monthly fee for an Internet fax forwarding service, and still others want the ability to broadcast voicemails and faxes to colleagues and to have their own answering machine/voicemail when they are on the road. Others just want to upload and download data from their "home system" to their remote pc on occasion. If you're a mobile or rural business person - you may still need a modem attached to your pc, and you may need a more versatile (fax, voice, data) modem than normally comes with most laptops today.
What is it?
A modem (MOdulator-DEModulator) is hardware which allows digital devices such as computers, fax machines, etc., to communicate with each other over analog phone lines or special modems that connect with other long distance media such as DSL, cable, FiOS, satellite or radio. The modem I will be reviewing is the TFM-56OU by TrendnetTRENDnet 56K USB Data/Fax/TAM Modem (V.92, Kflex56), about $30.00 on Amazon.com, and is used to connect your pc to analog POTS lines (Plain Old Telephone Service). This USB connected modem can be used with a pc or a desktop machine and is a data, fax, and voice modem which is video phone ready. Check with amazon.com for complete technical specs.
How it works:
After installing the drivers that come on the CD-ROM, simply plug this device which is about the size of the original iPod nano into any USB port on your pc. The next step is to install your fax/voice/data software or use what comes with the device. I am a long-time user of Cheyenne Bitware (now CA Bitware) and the software quickly identified the modem and installed the appropriate drivers. You can get updated Bitware software from many sources on the Internet. The main difference I noticed is that the new modem is much faster and more reliable than the one built-into my aging Sony Vaio, plus it has voice capabilities!
What you need:
A pc with a CD-ROM drive, 300 MHz CPU or above, 256 MB memory, 4 MB hard drive space and a USB port 1.1 or 2.0 and Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista. The Trendnet TFM-56OU comes with all software, hardware and cables you need to connect to your computer.
How hard is it to use?
I installed it to my MacBook Pro, using the Windows XP partition and got it working within 5 minutes. Note that this modem does not work with Mac OSX or Linux, only with Windows as mentioned previously.
Findings:
The modem worked as advertized. I always like to check the users' comments and reviews in Amazon before I buy anything, as they seem to be an honest assessment of what you can expect.
Pros: The device was a good value for about $30.00. It is small, light, comes with a cap to protect the USB connector and is easy to install if you follow the simple directions. It turns out to be much faster than my older pc installed modem, has the added voice capability which I didn't have, can be used for "high speed dialup," and seems to have fewer errors when sending faxes to lists of recipients. I also liked the fact that the modem is self-powered via the USB port - there is no need for another external power cord to plug in.
Cons: The modem is one-piece and has to be plugged into the USB port directly. It probably would have been better to connect it via a USB cable which would give you more flexibility in how to position and install, especially if you're using it in a desktop system. I was also disappointed that it couldn't be used with the Mac side of my MacBook Pro. The Apple modem is very simple and doesn't have the functionality I need. I would hope that Trendnet would develop and make Mac OSX drivers available for Mac users.
Bottom-line:
Well worth the money. I just needed a simple modem for the pc side of my MacBook Pro as a back-up fax device and was pleasantly surprised that Bitware recognized the device and gave me the voice capabilities that I have done without for so long. For more information and other user's reviews, check on the Trendnet modem by visiting www.Amazon.com. This device is not commonly available in electronic retail stores.

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