Apple AirPort Extreme Model A1143 Teardown
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 12 Steps
Ready to take apart the Airport Extreme 802.11n? Let’s do this step-by-step. First, make sure you’ve powered down the device and unplugged all cables. Grab your toolkit and find a clean workspace. Carefully remove the screws securing the casing—patience is key here. Once the screws are out, gently pry open the case, taking care not to damage any clips or connectors inside. With the case open, you’ll have access to the internal components—proceed with caution and keep track of all parts. If you run into any tricky spots or need expert hands, you can always schedule a repair with Salvation Repair for professional help.
Step 1
– Our brand-new Airport Extreme 802.11n just landed, and before we let our tools loose, we decided to see what this thing could really do. (Don’t worry, the screwdrivers got their time to shine soon enough.) Here’s a little preview to get you excited.
– This base station is seriously impressive. We saw a 10x jump in performance and a 3x boost in usable range—way ahead of what Apple claims. Check out the next page for the full benchmark details.
Step 2
– What’s in the box? Base station, a classic $1.99 install CD, a power brick that’s slightly smaller than expected, and a manual. No USB or ethernet cables though, so you’ll need your own.
– Our office setup is a bit spread out–we’re rocking two snow 802.11g base stations and a couple of Airport Express units. But hey, we might just swap them all out with a single new base station!
Step 3
The base station matches the Mac Mini in size, but stands just a bit taller—think of it as the slightly stretched sibling.
– Stacked from the bottom up: Mac Mini, the shiny new base station, and then the trusty old base station up top.
– This device feels solid—and it’s got some heft, weighing in at 1.70 pounds versus the lighter, 1.22-pound older base stations.
Step 4
These benchmarks are a bit basic, but they should give you a good ballpark figure. All tests were run on a MacBook Pro 15″ Core 2 Duo, using a ‘snow’ 802.11g Airport Extreme Base Station, as well as the newer 802.11n Airport Extreme Base Station.
– Here’s the famous 802.11n Sarbanes-Oxley-approved $1.99 802.11n enabler. Perfect for boosting your device’s Wi-Fi capabilities without breaking the bank!
Step 5
We ran every benchmark at least three times and averaged out the results for you. Your speeds may vary a lot, especially depending on how far away you are—our base stations were indoors, but to hit 300 feet, we had to go outside and do some serious wandering.
Check out this graph for transfer speeds at 5, 100, and 300 feet from both base stations. The graph isn’t perfectly to scale or linear, so don’t overthink the lines—just look for the general trends.
Step 6
At just 5 feet away, I was cruising at an impressive 9 MB/s! (The average was around 7.8 MB/s.) Usually, I keep an ethernet cable handy for those big file transfers, but with 802.11n, I can finally say goodbye to that extra cable.
Even at 300 feet, with a building throwing a little shade, we were still pulling down 500 KB/s. We got a bit tired of wandering and decided to call it a day. I bet the signal could reach even further!
– We moved two 35MB quicktime files (that’s 70MB altogether). Our first test spot was just 5 feet away from the base station. Using the G base station, the comm quality showed up as 56, while the N base station gave us a commQuality of 76. To check your commQuality, run this command in Terminal: `/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport -I`.
Step 7
Check out the numbers on the bottom: FCC ID BCGA1143, IC: 579C-A1143, and Model Number A1143. Keep these handy for reference while you work your repair magic!
– The bottom of your device has a rubber pad held on by some sticky adhesive. Peel it off to reveal the base station.
– Underneath that pad, you’ll find five Phillips #0 screws waiting to be removed. Grab your screwdriver and get to work!
Step 8
– Gently pop out the perforated plastic cover—like you’re taking the lid off a secret snack stash.
Step 9
Check out those two chunky aluminum blocks hanging out in the upper case—they’re pulling double duty as heat sinks. Fun fact: the upper case tips the scale at 0.9 lbs, which is more than half the weight of the entire device!
You’ll spot three antennas tucked inside: one up front (white cable), one on the left (grey cable), and one on the right (black cable). Each has a standard antenna connector, so no surprises there.
– Gently lift the innards of the base station out of its cozy casing.
Step 10
Check out this awesome high-resolution image showcasing the top of the logic board!
– Here’s the top side of the logic board—check it out! You’ll spot a 3V battery (possibly for the clock), two Samsung memory chips, and the Apple part number 820-1942-A stamped on there. The processor is hanging out underneath a heat sink, keeping cool. Pretty neat, right?
Step 11
Check out this hi-res photo of the bottom of the logic board—super handy for comparing during your repair!
– Take a look at the bottom of the logic board—pretty chill down here. There’s something big hiding under a heat sink, mysterious style. Up at the top right, you’ll spot a plastic cover over the LED. Along the edge: four ethernet ports, a solo USB port, a power jack, and the reset button. For the curious, the airport card’s Apple part number is 603-9396-A.
Step 12
– A little shout-out: Salvation Repair has your back with all the iPod parts you might need. Fixing an iPod on your own is a breeze with our parts and handy repair guides at your fingertips.
– Oh, and if you’re in the market for Mac laptop parts, we’ve got you covered there too! Whether it’s an iBook, PowerBook, MacBook, or MacBook Pro, we offer a wide range of parts and upgrades at prices that won’t break the bank.