Just as it did in 1999 when it began pushing 802.11b -- the first wireless networking standard to go mainstream -- and again in 2003 when it was on the leading edge with the faster 802.11g networking, Apple Inc. is moving ahead again, this time with wireless routers that use a standard not yet finalized: 802.11n.

With its latest Airport Extreme base station, Apple has done more than revamp the look of its popular wireless router. (The silky white UFO look is out; the simple, flat Mac mini look is in.) In addition to adopting 802.11n -- a whole new standard in Wi-Fi that promises faster transfer speeds and better range -- it is also making a foray into home storage networks.

Now you can add a USB hard drive to your Airport Extreme base station, creating an ever-present storage repository that anyone on your wireless network can access. More about that in a minute.

In case you're not familiar with the vagaries of wireless standards, 802.11b offers a theoretical maximum speed of 11Mbit/sec. and a range of about 150 feet. Its successor, 802.11g, promises about five times that maximum speed, 54Mbit/sec., and a slightly wider radius of coverage. And 802.11n, according to Apple officials, offers five times the speed of its predecessor and about twice the range. Think of it this way: fast, faster and fastest.

Apple's new hardware can also use 802.11a networking, which is more common in enterprises, and has a built-in NAT firewall and three 10/100 Ethernet LAN ports.