Feb 15 2007
How do you know if 802.11n is working on your Intel based Mac?
The following Macs have 802.11n hardware built-in but not activated:
- MacBook Pro with Intel Core 2 Duo
- MacBook with Intel Core 2 Duo
- Mac Pro with AirPort Extreme option
- iMac with Intel Core 2 Duo (except the 17-inch, 1.83GHz iMac)
To enable it, you need the Apple Extreme 802.11n Enabler software that Apple includes with the new Airport Extreme base station or purchase the software separately for $1.99 from the Apple Online Store. I recently purchased the new base station, installed the configuration software and had the new unit operational in minutes. I could not however tell if the 802.11n support was enabled. The software installation gave no indication of the hardware change. Fortunately, Apple does provide a quick and easy way to see if the software is installed and operating.
To verify that your Mac’s Airport card is configured to use 802.11n you need to run the “Network Utility” program (located in the Application\Utilities folder). Select “Network Interface (en1)” from the network interface selector pull-down option. At the bottom of the dialog box you should see, “Model Wireless Network Adapter (802.11 a/b/g/n)” (as shown in the screen-shot below).
You can read the Apple article on the Apple Support page.
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