Apple Airport Base Stations for Original Airport cards

[chrisdunderdale]

I was wondering if there’s a recommended base station for running macs with original airport cards? I have quite a few but obviously can’t connect to modern WiFi due to authentication. I know I can use a bridge attached via Ethernet, but I want to use the original hardware and get rid of wires. Would an older base station interfere with the signal of my existing UniFi network?

Any advice appreciated!

 

[chelseayr]

well are the newer devices using 5ghz alone or mixed 2.4/5ghz? if latter then mm well I mean if you can keep the new ones on just middle and upper channels while the old ones use the lower channel - you should be able to still see more or less the same speeds on the former no matter how online-busy the latter one gets

 

[chrisdunderdale]

OK, thats helpful thanks - and in terms of the actual Base Station? Are all Airport BS capable of supporting original airport card encryption under OS9?

 

[chelseayr]

well considering that even the last basestation models still had 802.11b it'll likely still know how to deal with wep security yeah
(unlike many other wifi hardwares even from the 2010's that often lacked 802.11a and even at times also 802.11b as well so you end up with the 'worst' model only supporting g/n and nothing else, unlike a b/a/g/n model aka anything apple etc)

thats my own opinion and re shopping experience altogether fyi

 

[adespoton]

I have a last edition Airport Extreme (2013?) and it still works with 802.11b in the clear and using WEP. Best to keep anything on it walled off from your "real" network as anyone could theoretically do anything on the network, but it works. WEP encryption was fully cracked more than 20 years ago and shouldn't be considered "secure" -- just not "oh, I stumbled across an unsecured AP" insecure like passwordless WiFi of the 90s.

 

[aladds]

I have a Buffallo Airstation WHR-AP-G54 acting as an access point connected to my Ubiquiti network. It cost me £3.74 and (after I flashed it back to its stock firmware) not only supports 128-bit WEP but also correctly forwards AppleTalk packets so my wireless Macs can see each other properly.

It also runs from 5v, so I am able to power it via a USB cable and a Tasmota enabled USB switch to disable it completely when I don’t want a nice big security hole in my network.

I’ve never had interference issues, but I tend to try to make sure modern kit all uses 5Ghz where possible, so that probably helps.