If money is no object, consider the Netgear Nighthawk X8, which offers blazing-fast performance, but costs $250, $50 more than the $200 WRT1900ACS.Īpple also notes that while a "traditional, single router is suitable for the size and layout of most home environments" those with larger spaces should consider "mesh Wi-Fi systems" that offer flexible coverage, with multiple nodes that make it easy to provide whole-home Wi-Fi." Based on our testing, we recommend the Netgear Orbi. The Linksys WRT1900ACS offers most of those features, lacking only MU-MIMO, but it's still quite great without it. In a Knowledge Base post, Apple advised customers look for routers supporting the IEEE 802.11ac networking standard, simultaneous dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) connections, for maximizing data sent over the available frequencies, the industry-standard WPA2 Personal (AES) encryption and MIMO or MU-MIMO for those with high-speed internet connections or larger areas. Apple told us it will soon announce a list of recommended third-party routers. Many users bought AirPorts precisely for their tight integration with the Apple ecosystem (including a design that doesn't look like an alien spaceship), and that option is going away.Looking for a new router? We've got our picks here, including our favorite, the Linksys WRT1900ACS. At the same time, it's sad to see Apple bow out of a market it helped create. Its routers aren't as vital as they used to be, and they haven't been price-competitive for a while (the same $199 can easily buy a modem-and-router combo with faster wireless). At present, the Apple base stations still provide (up to WPA2-level) wireless security. The decision is bittersweet for fans, regardless of what Apple does next. You don't need an Apple router for media sharing, especially not in the era of connected speakers like the HomePod. A spokesperson told Engadget that the company might revisit WiFi routers if it can make a meaningful contribution to the space, but that's far from guaranteed. This isn't to say that Apple will never, ever return to making routers. Why buy an AirPort router unless you really value its software simplicity? High-end users, meanwhile, have an abundance of choices that includes both ridiculously fast conventional routers as well as mesh routers with greater coverage. WiFi routers are so commonplace that many internet providers give you a modem with the technology built in, and even the lowest-priced routers are adequate for most uses. Flash forward nearly two decades later and it's a different story. Apple introduced its AirPort line in 1999, when any wireless networking was a luxury. While Apple wasn't specific about the reasons for discontinuing the AirPort range, it's not hard to understand why: simply speaking, WiFi has become a commodity. An Apple spokesperson told Engadget that the company would continue to provide hardware and software support (such as patching bugs and vulnerabilities), but the devices themselves will only be available "while supplies last." The tech giant will post a series of knowledge base documents over the next few weeks to help guide customers wondering what to buy. The longstanding rumors of Apple exiting the WiFi router market were true: the company is officially discontinuing its AirPort and Time Capsule base stations.
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