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Any recommendations for wifi router/cable modem?

P

PaulMoore

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 3, 2007
224
6
Hi
About to move to a larger house and in need of a router/cable modem (maybe combined?) with good range and fast speed for iPhones, Apple TV and iMac etc... current router is a 2006 Airport Extreme so if anyone has any more recent recommendations I would appreciate it!

Thanks
 
I am not a fan of the cable modem/router combos. Most of the routers included in those devices tend not to be very feature rich.

If your cable provider supports it the Motorola SB6141 is a good cable modem. You can find them at Amazon.

For a router the Apple Airport Extreme is nice and easy to manage. There are cheaper routers out there is you don't want to pay for an Apple product. Look over review at the site Smallnetbuilder.
 
Weaselboy said:
...For a router the Apple Airport Extreme is nice and easy to manage...
Click to expand...

Should the OP's 2006 Airport Extreme still be good? Obviously it won't support newer standards, but do routers actually fail and stop working eventually?
 
Macky-Mac said:
Should the OP's 2006 Airport Extreme still be good? Obviously it won't support newer standards, but do routers actually fail and stop working eventually?
Click to expand...

Oh yes, his 2006 should still work fine with a new cable modem. It just sounded like OP wanted to replace both.
 
Macky-Mac said:
Should the OP's 2006 Airport Extreme still be good? Obviously it won't support newer standards, but do routers actually fail and stop working eventually?
Click to expand...
Everything eventually stops working, consumer electronics are no different.

The AirPort Extreme is being sold today only (Black Friday) at its regular retail price of $199 but with a free $50 Apple Store gift card. One of Apple's better Black Friday deals at 25% savings.
 
Last edited:
I fought with a couple routers over the years, finally decided to pick up an Extreme from the refurb store around the beginning of this year. I lost what had been a key feature to me (QOS for VOIP), but my high connection speed negated that issue, anyway. The refurb has been like my other Apple refurb items, same as new.

Reviews tend to be very similar for routers of all brands...some people understand them and have few issues, others don't understand them as well and complain about this or that, and of course there are always those that got lemon units, or maybe a real problem that the company usually solves with a firmware update. So, I was pleasantly surprised how the Extreme has been both easier to use and rock solid for me in comparison to others in the past. I wish my new DSL modem (old one died this year) would be the same, since I don't ask much of it.

Only problem: I ran out of jacks since Apple only provides 3. Had to run one device wireless for awhile until I upgraded elsewhere to compensate.
 
Not really an easy question to answer other than I am also in the same camp as those that would keep the modem separate of the router.

You might want to venture over to the smallnetbuilder site which has a very large and good list of routers. They take the time to test the routers and provide data and conclusion. Incidentally, from what I recall, the newer Airport Extreme in a list of 10, was rated in 6th place yet was the second most expensive router.

The real challenge is understanding the place where a given router will be working. This can be where the real challenges are with walls, how many floors and much more. You may also consider whether you want to give more life to a router by having the latest WiFi capabilities rather than just "N" for most smaller devices.

You could also use that 2006 router in bridge mode to help extend WiFi range within a given location. Lots to think about. - And there is always the option for inclusion of power line devices that work with your router and WiFi for rooms that are hard to reach. Sorry if I make this sound complicated as it really is not. It is just doing a little bit of homework to cover your bets so to speak.
 
Without specifying what iPhone and iMac the OP is using it's hard to suggest anything new.

If the devices are using 802.11n or 802.11ac I'd suggest the Airport Extreme or Time Capsule. I have one and it works great with my devices.

And the surfboard modem is nice too.
 
The Airport Extreme are very reliable with high uptime.

Get a separate cable modem.
 
Peace said:
Without specifying what iPhone and iMac the OP is using it's hard to suggest anything new.

If the devices are using 802.11n or 802.11ac I'd suggest the Airport Extreme or Time Capsule. I have one and it works great with my devices.

And the surfboard modem is nice too.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay in replying and thanks for all the suggestions (I have been painting the new house in question).

I have iPhone 5s (two) an Apple TV 3 and a mid-2007 iMac. Not sure which type of wifi they are on (likely the default). Would a newer Airport be any faster? I am on the basic speed internet from the local cable company which seems to suffice for Netflix, iTunes movie rentals etc... but the Airport struggles in the current 1000 sq ft house although the layout means it is behind an exterior thickness wall...
 
If you need more range, than you should probably get a newer AirPort Extreme.

Use your old one as a repeater (bridge mode).
 
None of those devices will take advantage of the newest Extreme, only the latest laptops do. I'm not sure offhand of all the different years of Extremes, what their capabilities are, but you have 802.11n devices. The refurb store has an n model for $99 if you think there's an issue with the old one.
 
I recommend the Fritzboxes www.avm.de
It had simultaneous dual band wifi, 4 gigE ports, built in POTS telephone (can dial over iphones via app and it has a answering machine. It replaced 3 boxes for me, a fibre modem, the router and a gigE switch (most routers only having 100Mbps ports and me needing GigE for photography)
 
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