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Apple's Discontinued Line of AirPort Wi-Fi Routers Could Return in an Unexpected Way
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Yes, it is easy to set up. It extends the range but also eats up half the WiFi bandwidth. You can have a system with double the performance at 1/3rd the cost, but it requires some brainpower to set up.
They should bring back the Time Capsule with “Personal Private iCloud” functionality to store our iCloud photo libraries and iOS backups where governments can’t get to them.
Wifi 7 makes much more sense and would actually far better support their spatial computing aspirations as standalone and non-standalone headsets can absolutely benefit from Wifi 7 capabilities for consistent wireless connectivity to things
It’s ideal for contacts, glasses, and headsets to connect to things wirelessly as the primary way to connect to them.
It’s ideal for contacts, glasses, and headsets to connect to things wirelessly as the primary way to connect to them.
Because the primary target for Apple's Wi-Fi is phones and limited space devices , it is unclear if Apple is going to have a modem subsystem that can handle 6+ antennas (e.g,. 2 each for 2.5 , 5 , 6 in the Wi-Fi 7 space) that a very high aggregator Wi-Fi 7 router would need to fill that role. Are they going to make a client focus or a client/server radio system? If it is cheaper to make a client only silicon there is a good chance that is exactly the path they take.
[ i.e., wi-fi radio mainly made for iphones and tossing it into tvOS devices ( AppleTV , Homepod, ) is just a way to crank of the economies of scale. Same with Macs... iPhone-esque Wi-Fi client abilities.
IF Apple is constructing the wi-fi chip to set up ad-hoc point to point networks between Apple devices as well has have a general Wi-Fi connection and throwing high number of antennas then perhaps it does have this, but not clear that is a guarantee.
There are lower end mesh routers that don't have deaditicated backhaul , but the throughput has be very carefully managed (or just lower and uneven. ).
'iCloud' is a name wrapped around more than just a 'file folder in a cloud' service. It is a bit broader than that. There is literally an 'iCloud backup" slider in the iCloud configuration panels in the Settings app for iOS/iPad.
Apple store and tech services will presume that the Apple device has data in iCloud if they have to wipe/reset the device to fix it. In that case, it is very much a back up. It may not be the gold standard in backup practices , but it is used that way thousands of times per day.
RAID, NAS iCloud are not backups. It's syncing. But for many it's the only backup they have because then don't know better. Apple promote iCloud as backup service because default iPhone, iPad backup mechanism and settings in iTunes are for iCloud, not local storage.
RAID, NAS, iCloud can be backups. You can make proper backups to clouds.
It depends how you use it. You can set versioning with some sync programs and keep versions for long time. It's like backup then. Backup and file syncing are different but it can be used the way meeting criteria for both.
My NASes and clouds services are used for syncing and backups at the same time.
Example: syncing to NAS, taking snapshots, versioned staggered snapshots replication to other NASes which can be kept for months and years.
Selling hardware NAS by Apple would be harmful for iCloud subscriptions revenues.
Airport Extremes were good during their prime time, would definitely consider an Apple WiFi 7 mesh system. It would be nice to get real world 1Gbps speeds around the house.
Come on Apple! Give us a cable modem /router combo that can be used with our ISP’s!
I’m currently using a NightHawk CAX80 and it’s good over Ethernet but starts to lag and pause as you approach 20 simultaneous WiFi connections. Yes, I can buy new router to allow more connections from Netgear, but I rather have a combo unit that can handle 40-50 WiFi 6-7 connections.
I’m currently using a NightHawk CAX80 and it’s good over Ethernet but starts to lag and pause as you approach 20 simultaneous WiFi connections. Yes, I can buy new router to allow more connections from Netgear, but I rather have a combo unit that can handle 40-50 WiFi 6-7 connections.
Not exactly. Apple's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips are from Broadcom, not Qualcomm. They haven't developed an Apple Silicon Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip yet, so iPhone 17 will have Broadcom ones too. iPhone 16e being limited to 6E is because of cost control.
With such complex and advanced function, I assume the price will go up to 999 USD...
Is it that advanced? A 1Tb SSD is about $50 wholesale. An AirPod with an A18 chipset? Can't be more than $300. Wireless routers are about $50.
Too complex for a first try though: too many potential points of failure.
With respect to the main article, yeah, we need an Apple networking solution. The problem with smaller companies is their lack of distribution channels and proper support. Apple has both, in depth.
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Most of the criticisms you have here are about the cheap 2.4 WiFi chips in cameras, not the mesh network itself.
I’ve deployed over 300 Eero networks over the years and never had an issue you described here, and I’ve done everything from 1 BR apartments to 12 room mansions and 6000 sf office buildings. Any issue I had was from cheap wifi chips in Konica printers or older Ring cameras. With MAC ID there’s almost no reason to lock IP addresses anyway.
There was an issue with iPhones eating up available IPs in the scheme due to the privacy feature but the latest updates to the iPhones resolved that. A weekly restart (usually done via an auto update) handles it all and cleans it all up.
I did have one Eero Pro 6 gateway fail on me but the kits are smart. I could take ANY other Eero from the network And plug it into the router and it automatically reconfigures to be the gateway.
It would be pretty cool and I'd give an Apple mesh system a shot. Currently running WiFi 5 eero Pros and they've been incredibly stable (plus an Ethernet-connected Time Capsule!)
because they can charge subscriptions to iCloud, if you own the hardware, it's a harder sell, and that why they won't do it.
I've set up 2x eero networks (total of 7 WiFi 5 Pros) and manage both from my phone. It's a tiny anecdote in comparison but they've both been rock solid.
Apple should have gotten into the NAS business and combined that with a router.
It makes no sense they even cared about Cloud, they arent equipped to win on the business cloud side nor even the personal cloud line, which is never going to be that big of a business. They also taken on really ****** business practices like gimping iphone transfer speeds to prop it up.
I would be much willing to buy a Apple NAS pay the premium for apple level quality. They could easily convince a good segment of the population to get rid of dropbox/drive and store locally and own there server, and it fits right into there privacy narrative. I could get a Apple NAS store all my families iphone backups there, use it to expand storage for music and photos. The router combo be a perfect sales pitch.
Cancelling the Airport line was a mistake. Im sure they have leveraged cloud infastracture to improve all there services business but this could be a huge new line for them.
It makes no sense they even cared about Cloud, they arent equipped to win on the business cloud side nor even the personal cloud line, which is never going to be that big of a business. They also taken on really ****** business practices like gimping iphone transfer speeds to prop it up.
I would be much willing to buy a Apple NAS pay the premium for apple level quality. They could easily convince a good segment of the population to get rid of dropbox/drive and store locally and own there server, and it fits right into there privacy narrative. I could get a Apple NAS store all my families iphone backups there, use it to expand storage for music and photos. The router combo be a perfect sales pitch.
Cancelling the Airport line was a mistake. Im sure they have leveraged cloud infastracture to improve all there services business but this could be a huge new line for them.
If you don't mind me asking, what ethernet connected Time Capsule do you use? That was the one thing I couldn't figure out with the eeros. I ended up getting Synology backup drive, but if there is a simpler solution I'd be all for that.
It's nice that we have plenty of router options - everyone has a preference or need and competition is good for the consumer. Someone mentioned earlier in the comments that the internet companies provide "good enough" routers these days, which is definitely the case for a percentage of the population; however, I suspect that population is also comprised of the people who leave negative reviews on Amazon products when their devices don't connect at install.
I had an Eero system from 2020 to 2023 with the access points as wired backhauls (the meshing works through ethernet not through the WiFi radios and frees up a wireless channel). Worked great, until it didn't. I ran into issues with HomeKit enabled IOT accessories just failing to pair and eventually the Eeros just wouldn't enable HomeKit Secure Router (believe that's now discontinued). Countless resets and calls to Eero, Apple, etc. - was at my wits ends.
Finally took the plunge into UniFi in January 2024 and the experience is night and day. Everything just works once you configure it properly. Yes, there is more time up front on a UniFi/Ubiquiti system, but I realized how much I was missing with Eero when it came to troubleshooting. Eeros were a total black box - if you want something that works with limited ability to tinker, they are for you. But if you have any technology acumen, a UniFi system is way more customizable while also being approachable. My router has been up for 3 months without an issue (clock reset on a power outage we had - so it should be longer than that), I have 90+ devices connected between ethernet and wifi, and I no longer blame my router when trying to add a HomeKit accessory.
If Apple gets into the game again, I suspect it will be more like Eero - a solution that will be an upgrade over using the router/gateway the internet provider provides, but not something that will compete in the same space as UniFi/Ubiquiti.
I had an Eero system from 2020 to 2023 with the access points as wired backhauls (the meshing works through ethernet not through the WiFi radios and frees up a wireless channel). Worked great, until it didn't. I ran into issues with HomeKit enabled IOT accessories just failing to pair and eventually the Eeros just wouldn't enable HomeKit Secure Router (believe that's now discontinued). Countless resets and calls to Eero, Apple, etc. - was at my wits ends.
Finally took the plunge into UniFi in January 2024 and the experience is night and day. Everything just works once you configure it properly. Yes, there is more time up front on a UniFi/Ubiquiti system, but I realized how much I was missing with Eero when it came to troubleshooting. Eeros were a total black box - if you want something that works with limited ability to tinker, they are for you. But if you have any technology acumen, a UniFi system is way more customizable while also being approachable. My router has been up for 3 months without an issue (clock reset on a power outage we had - so it should be longer than that), I have 90+ devices connected between ethernet and wifi, and I no longer blame my router when trying to add a HomeKit accessory.
If Apple gets into the game again, I suspect it will be more like Eero - a solution that will be an upgrade over using the router/gateway the internet provider provides, but not something that will compete in the same space as UniFi/Ubiquiti.