5 Tips on How to Select the Best Wi-Fi Router for iPhone, iPad and Mac Posted by Rajesh Pandey on May 01, 2018 in How To Last week, Apple announced it is discontinuing its AirPort lineup of routers.

Apple Airport Express

There are dozens of wireless routers in the retailers’ electronics departments that infamously claim to be “Mac compatible.” If you or one of your friends has ever purchased one of these routers, they either own a PC or know that compatible is used quite loosely. So what router should you buy if you have a Mac and don’t want to find out what “Mac compatible” means? Check out these three products by Apple:

Apple AirPort Extreme

Admittedly this is not the cheapest router on the market, but it syncs beautifully with Macs and has additional features that make it a top pick. The AirPort Extreme meets most users’ needs working with 802.11n and 802.11a/b/g connections. It also features 2.4GHz/5GHz operation to keep newer machines and older machines working separately allowing for full internet speed to be reached every time. Guest networking for up to 50 simultaneous connections and hard drive sharing capabilities deliver more functionality for those who do more than simply surf the web. Some may find having only three Ethernet LAN ports to be a drawback, but for a strong Macs-Only connection with enhanced features, the AirPort Extreme is the clear choice.

Apple AirPort Express

Staying on the runway and sticking with the Apple theme is the AirPort Express. This router is significantly cheaper than AirPort Extreme. Designed for simpler use, this router has no Ethernet ports, but can still connect up to 10 users. A favored feature of the Express is the ease of wireless printing which involves simply connecting the printer to the router. Though it is an 802.11n router, it still has backwards compatibility for those who use an 802.11a/b/g connection. A fun feature of the Express is the AirPlay function. This allows users to stream their iTunes library to any stereo or speaker system in their home. No longer will you have to balance your laptop in the living room or burn a bunch of CDs to access all of your music and playlists.

Apple Time Capsule MC343LL/A 1TB

The Time Capsule is a pricey piece of Apple equipment, but it offers much more than a wireless connection. This router is very similar to the AirPort Extreme, but has also incorporated a 1TB hard drive which can be upgraded to 2TB if you have a monster of an iTunes library. The Ethernet ports, backwards compatibility and 802.11n connection from the Extreme have all made the transition to the Time Capsule. Your files are backed up automatically, so if you are plagued with a crash or nasty virus, your files will have been saved without any manual work. Though you could probably save money by purchasing an external hard drive and combining it with the less expensive, AirPort Express, those who are looking for an all-in-one solution are likely to fall in love with the Time Capsule.

If you’re a Mac owner, it’s better to keep it in the family than risk your internet connection on a “Mac compatible” router. Though you can usually get those routers a bit cheaper, they were designed with PCs in mind. For peace of mind, choose a router that was designed for you, then surf, shop, download, and email frustration and worry free.

Guest article written by: Katie Campbell is a Computers Expert for Bestcovery.com where she seeks to help discover the best of everything. She is a dedicated Mac convert and hasn’t missed her PC since she made the switch. She is interested in a variety of computer topics including the best wireless router for Mac computers.

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Last Updated on Table of Contents1 Apple Wireless Router Reviews – 2019

    • Many people are thoroughly impressed by the brand quality that the Apple delivers, they often want to setup all their appliances in the house to be compatible with their existing Apple products.

    The best thing to do in such a scenario is to have a router that takes care of all the networking needs of the house and even offers some added compatibility with Apple smart devices.

    Apple has made three top of line routers to suit every possible networking need of their customers.

    This article is a detailed comparison between the three models of Apple routers that will help the people understand which one fits their needs perfectly before making the purchase.

    The Three Routers from Apple

    The Apple AirPort Express Base Station Review

    Relative inexpensive this apple router comes in just under $100 and is also one of Apple’s least expensive option for people on a tight budget.

    visually it appears just like an Apple TV with their signature white plastic design and measures just under 4 inches in length and just an inch in width.

    Despite of this simple look it packs quite a powerful performance and a whole lot of useful features which are seen in the leading routers in the market today.

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    Features and Benefits Of The Apple AirPort Express Base Station

    • Hardware: The Apple Airport express has two inbuilt Ethernet ports, typically one is used for the hard-wired WAN cable and the other is used of LAN connection. This is great as some device like old PCs may not always support Wi-Fi technology, apart from that the apple router even has a USB port for attaching printers to be used from any device on the network or even sharing media from hard drives across the home network.
    • Airplay: Airplay is Another unique feature of this router, this service allows the user to directly listen to music from stores like iTunes, there is a 3.5mm cable inlet behind the router that allows the users to directly attach any speaker or audio receiving device.
    • Network Expanding Capabilities: This highly efficient router is even capable of working as a repeater to extend the range of your Airport network, this is ideal for people who are experiencing weak signals with their existing router. It can be paired up with virtually any router to work as a range extender and booster.

    Does the Apple AirPort Extreme Fit your Needs?

    • The AirPort Express is typically fit for people with small homes and moderate networking needs, it is compatible with all Apple laptops both new and old and an array of other apple devices.
    • People who want a router with music services and a 3.5 mm port can go with this, it allows you to connect your stereo system directly the router to create an AirPlay service receiver. People who also do not need the 802.11ac support can go for this router, as it delivers all other useful features except this.
    Check Out The AirPort Express On Amazon

    The Apple AirPort Extreme Reivew

    This is Apple high end router coming in just under $200 dollars, though is priced a lot higher than Apple low end Express router this one is definitely worth the cost because of its added functionalities and features.

    It has a unique cubical design that stands taller than Apple’s other variants at 6.6 Inches in height, the base however has been kept of the same size as the Airport Express.

    This taller variant is a result of the six element antenna that the router uses to broadcast on the 802.11ac network, this standard of wireless technology is known to work up to three time fast than the conventional 802.11n type of networking found in older routers.

    This apple router even supports backward compatibility for all wireless network standards to ensure optimum compatibility.

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    Features and Benefits Of The Apple AirPort Extreme

    • Hardware: The AirPort Extreme comes with three Ethernet Ports and a WAN port, it also has an USB port that not only enables wired printers to be shared over the network but also enables the users to share media from hard drives without the need of having a dedicated server. It supports staggering speeds when transferring files across device within the network due its high end ac standard of wireless technology.

    Best Wifi Router For Multiple Devices

    • Sharing Features: This apple router acts as a DLNA media server by allowing the users to attach various USB devices directly to the routers USB port, it offers Readyshare cloud capabilities that lets you access the data stored on the USB device remotely. Apart from this it even supports Time Machine which lets you create backups on Mac devices, all these features make this device stand out in its range and brings it into our list of the best wireless routers under $100.

    Best Wifi Router For Mac And Pc

    • Beamforming: It even supports the Beamforming technology with its antenna system, wherein the router directly beams the signal in the direction of the connected device to ensure a stronger signal and a faster connection without any interference or disturbances.

    Does the Apple AirPort Extreme Fit your Needs?

    • Typically people with large homes who are setting up an AirPort Network mostly for their other Apple devices can go for the Apple AirPort Extreme router. It is equipped with a powerful antenna that will make sure you get an optimum signal even at long distances from the device.
    • It Support the latest wireless standard which is the 802.11n and also all the previous standards used before it, this is ideal for since this new technology has been appearing in many new devices all around the world. If you want a faster much reliable and well quipped router for a large home this apple router will fit your need perfectly.
    Check Out The Apple AirPort Extreme On Amazon

    The Apple Airport Time Capsule Router Review

    This one is fully equipped with all the fine networking features and a lot more, priced just under the $300 dollar mark the Apple Airport Time Capsule come in the range of premium routers.

    Best Wifi Router For Mac

    In terms of looks it is quite similar to the AirPort Extreme and even has the 802.11ac standard compatibility.

    Apple has made sure they put all the useful features in this device to truly make it high end.

    It supports their Time Machine technology which allows users to makes backups on their Mac devices, this is particularly useful since this apple router comes with its own in-built hard drive which is available either in 2 TB or 3 TB variants.

    RouterCheck Price On Amazon

    Features and Benefits Of The Apple Airport Time Capsule Router

    • Hardware: Like any other top end router this one is equipped all the crucial ports, it features three fully functional LAN ports to connect wired devices and a single WAN port to connect the router to its internet source. The USB Ports can be used for connecting device which do not have wireless technology or even for sharing media over the network.
    • inbuilt hard drive: The most unique feature of this router is the inbuilt hard drive which is available in 2 TB for $299 and 3TB for $399 respectively, people can back up their data from the Apple Time Machine software which is a part of the OS X operating system. Users can easily restore these backup later directly from the routers memory by selecting the date within the time machine software.

    Does the Apple AirPort Time Capsule Fit your Needs?

    • People who have a lot of devices and need a very reliable and fast router to handle their usage can go for this apple router, it is the most premium router made available by Apple and it suits the needs of even the most advanced users like engineers, producers, and developers.
    • Also for people who often need to back up their data of their Macs this is prefect, as it works well as a backup system for apple devices. Having the backup on the router make it a lot more secure than having it on a computer, so if you are an advance user who needs to apply backups quite often the Apple AirPort Time Capsule will be perfect for you.

    Best Wifi Router For Range

    Check Out The Apple AirPort Time Capsule On Amazon

    Best Wifi Router For Macs

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