Linksys Aims to Fill Apple's AirPort Void With Cheaper Dual-Band Velop Mesh Wi-Fi System

[supremedesigner]

The question is - how often will they provide security updates?

My biggest concern about a third party solution is trust. If I buy an Apple branded product, I trust that there’s no malware embedded in the firmware/software. I trust that if a vulnerability is found, it will be patched quickly and that patch will make its way onto my device pretty quickly.

One of my friend who works for Apple recommended Eero.com. I am considering this.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

[doublepost=1525169208][/doublepost]Ok so help me out here. If my airport and airport express dies does anyone make a similar set-up so I can still connect my iTunes music from my iMac to my receiver and control it all from the iphone? I need access to my music library via the phone and the remote app played through my home audio system.

I run my own gear and have no problem with shared music, AirPlay, remote app, TimeMachine, etc. Although less common today, sometimes you get a router manufacturer that does not support multicast (required for Bonjour discovery) or defaults to off. Easy way to check services are advertised properly is to download Bonjour Discovery for the Mac

 

[bommai]

I have to second this. I got my 3 pack tri band velop for $279 from An Office Depot sale last year and it truly has been remarkable. Max speed anywhere in the house and in my front and back porches. Beautiful iOS app to configure the thing.

Don't get me wrong, I was skeptical at first when I bought the original Velop. Linksys isn't exactly a brand you think about when it comes to quality products. But I haven't had a single issue with this thing since I got it last November. It's been absolutely flawless and I have yet to restart it for any reason. I now get consistent speeds throughout the house, speeds that I actually pay for (300mbps). The Velop is a phenominal router and I suggest anyone still holding onto their airports to jump ship and get a Velop.

 

[Blackstick]

Grab yourself an Eero mesh system. It’s everything Apple except the logo.

 

[MLVC]

Grab yourself an Eero mesh system. It’s everything Apple except the logo.

Except Eero is not available in Europe, and isn't planning on it either. Might have to pick it up in the US next time I'm there.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I currently have an AirPort Extreme and two Expresses throughout my home and everything works fine — I go months without having to restart. I believe Apple recently updated the software and firmware. Can someone explain to me why I need to worry about any of this in the short term? And when would I need to buy something new?

If what you have works, then no need to fix it. If you ever upgrade to gigabit then you'll feel the pinch and need a new system. I have no immediate plans to upgrade my APE/APX system either. But I only have 100 Mbps Internet service. Eventually I'll end up with gigabit and then I'll have to replace. Airport can realistically handle 400mpbs max. My mom got gigabit and I had to replace her Airport with an Orbi.

I will say though the Orbi (Router + extender model) covers her house (approx 4000 sq ft over 3 floors) much better than her two Airport expresses did. With the latter only parts of her basement got Wifi. Now it all does.

 

[belvdr]

Screw this. I’m getting another AirPort to complete my network in our new home. No other brand seems able to perform with full reliability, which is more important to me than next-gen speed.

I hope some more “ex-Apple engineers” set up their own businesses rather than letting the Airport legacy die.

You should really research the latest gear. I ran a Linksys EA8500 for about 2 years without issue until I wanted to expand WiFi to more of our property. I never had to reboot it and it just worked.

 

[nwcs]

I was reading various reviews and it seems that the three node setup is slower than the two node because there isn’t a dedicated backhaul channel to communicate between the nodes. I wonder how many people need 6000sqft of coverage, though. Seems that except for townhouses and the like that a 1 or 2 node system is more than enough.

 

[belvdr]

I was reading various reviews and it seems that the three node setup is slower than the two node because there isn’t a dedicated backhaul channel to communicate between the nodes. I wonder how many people need 6000sqft of coverage, though. Seems that except for townhouses and the like that a 1 or 2 node system is more than enough.

People tend to overdo on WiFi. They believe that adding more APs and setting the power to maximum is the answer, when it is not. I wonder if the reviews you read were people doing that.

You're much better off starting with a limited number of APs and increasing them and testing as needed.

 

[TriBruin]

People tend to overdo on WiFi. They believe that adding more APs and setting the power to maximum is the answer, when it is not. I wonder if the reviews you read were people doing that.

You're much better off starting with a limited number of APs and increasing them and testing as needed.

Agreed. Also, if you can control power output, it is better to turn down power on each AP so that there is only a little overlap. Otherwise, you have devices that will hold on for dear life to a far away AP instead of changing to a local AP.

Supposedly Linksys is working on implementing 802.11k & 802.11r support in the Velops. This will allow the APs to manage hand-off of clients between APs faster and more reliably.

 

[nwcs]

People tend to overdo on WiFi. They believe that adding more APs and setting the power to maximum is the answer, when it is not. I wonder if the reviews you read were people doing that.

You're much better off starting with a limited number of APs and increasing them and testing as needed.

I’m trying to remember which reviews I read. Tom’s Guide was one I can remember. They started with 1 node, then 2 nodes, then 3 and measured at two distances. I definitely agree that people overdo it thinking more is faster when it doesn’t really work that way.

 

[belvdr]

Agreed. Also, if you can control power output, it is better to turn down power on each AP so that there is only a little overlap. Otherwise, you have devices that will hold on for dear life to a far away AP instead of changing to a local AP.

Supposedly Linksys is working on implementing 802.11k & 802.11r support in the Velops. This will allow the APs to manage hand-off of clients between APs faster and more reliably.

I found 802.11r to impact some of my device roaming. I tried it on both Linksys and Ubiquiti and it caused some issues, namely with a Kindle Paperwhite.

I’m trying to remember which reviews I read. Tom’s Guide was one I can remember. They started with 1 node, then 2 nodes, then 3 and measured at two distances. I definitely agree that people overdo it thinking more is faster when it doesn’t really work that way.

I run two APs on my property to cover about 1.3 acres and it is more than enough. Granted, when you get to the edge, you're down to 20Mb or so on a speed test, but that's not an issue for me.

 

[AbSoluTc]

Linksys? Hardly a name I'd associate with quality products, especially where configuration user experience is concerned. Maybe I'm pessimistic, but it feels like Apple is setting themselves up for another debacle like the LG UltraFine 5K Display. There's no way I'd waste good money on this ugly trash when companies like Ubiquiti exist with product lines like Amplifi and UniFi. It's pricey, but so is was Airport, and Ubiquiti makes better stuff, with gorgeous iOS apps.

Have to agree, Linksys has gone down the drain. Got tired of all these manufacturers having 101 antennas on their routers and a couple of years ago, there were no good "mesh network" systems. It was still early for these types of systems. Plus, I got tired of the crappy ISP WIFI router. Got rid of it all and went with a Ubiquiti router - tiny little thing, no WIFI built in and does just one thing well. I also have 2 AC-Pro's form Ubiquiti. One upstairs and one down. Covers the entire house, easy to setup, easy to update and rarely ever have a problem. Typically if there is a problem, it's resolved in 3 minutes with an update.

I have no plans on going mesh or having 10 different devices around the house for WIFI. This system works for me and has been rock solid compared to anything I have used before. If you can do it, I would check out Ubiquiti before a mesh network. It will be much cheaper as well.

 

[belvdr]

Got rid of it all and went with a Ubiquiti router - tiny little thing, no WIFI built in and does just one thing well. I also have 2 AC-Pro's form Ubiquiti. One upstairs and one down. Covers the entire house, easy to setup, easy to update and rarely ever have a problem. Typically if there is a problem, it's resolved in 3 minutes with an update.

I have no plans on going mesh or having 10 different devices around the house for WIFI. This system works for me and has been rock solid compared to anything I have used before. If you can do it, I would check out Ubiquiti before a mesh network. It will be much cheaper as well.

Funny, that's the exact setup I have, except one of my AC Pro devices sits on an end table on the first floor and the other is mounted in the ceiling of my detached garage. I use an ERL for my routing.

 

[AbSoluTc]

Funny, that's the exact setup I have, except one of my AC Pro devices sits on an end table on the first floor and the other is mounted in the ceiling of my detached garage. I use an ERL for my routing.

Do you use a Cloud Key or any of the Apps? I have my "controller" setup on my PC and would like to not have to turn that one and just use my mobile instead. Never really understood the apps/controller/cloud key thing. Have an idea how it works.

 

[belvdr]

Do you use a Cloud Key or any of the Apps? I have my "controller" setup on my PC and would like to not have to turn that one and just use my mobile instead. Never really understood the apps/controller/cloud key thing. Have an idea how it works.

I run the controller as a docker container. You could manage each one individually with the app. I'm not sure what the downfall is but I suspect it has to do with managing the APs as a team.

I use the app to manage the controller so I don't need a web browser. I'd like to be able to get rid of the controller as well and and contemplating a migration from the ERL to the UniFi Security Gateway. It includes the controller software but lags a bit feature-wise behind the EdgeRouter series. I'd rather not spend $80 on the cloud key when I can get the integrated solution for $120.

 

[LiveM]

Airport was so limited though. It forced you to do things you didn’t want with options you couldn’t configure. I used to have two Extremes and an Express for music and while the music streaming was nice, USB drive never worked, your only options were changing the network channel and the range was horrible. Also did you ever try to set up a network in any other mode than default? Bridge mode for example? Nightmare.

I replaced all three with an ASUS and it knocks them out the park.

Airport was good for people who just wanted plug-and-play with average speeds but was just too limited for the price. Sadly, a recurring theme with Apple these days.

I’ve never had any of these issues. I have set up in all the various modes and it always works for me. I’ve never had a problem with the USB ports (the Express USB port is not for hard drives, only printers and charging).

I’m happy with all the options. The old Mac app had additional options that should not have been dropped, though.

 

[DakotaGuy]

Linksys? Hardly a name I'd associate with quality products, especially where configuration user experience is concerned. Maybe I'm pessimistic, but it feels like Apple is setting themselves up for another debacle like the LG UltraFine 5K Display. There's no way I'd waste good money on this ugly trash when companies like Ubiquiti exist with product lines like Amplifi and UniFi. It's pricey, but so is was Airport, and Ubiquiti makes better stuff, with gorgeous iOS apps.

I like my AmpliFi HD system and I agree the app is gorgeous. As someone who has an iPad and an S8+ I also appreciate the fact I can use the app on iOS and Android. The app has a much better design and is much more comprehensive then Apple’s Airport app. Ubiquiti knows what they are doing with this stuff. The products perform extremely well.

 

[gixxerfool]

While not a Mesh system, I just replaced my dead router with an ASUS Blue Cave. I was skeptical at first, but ultimately very pleased. Solid connection and reliable consistent speeds. It has a slew of options including DLNA and Time Machine built in. Has a good app for the basics and a clean web based interface. I researched a lot before purchasing and found routers are disposable hardware these days. Most of them have the same failure rates and/or issues. People that have taken the time to try and fix and new router have ran into awful customer support.

I agree with above posters, this is one area Apple could have shined and brought a great product into the fold and really closed another gap in ecosystem.

 

[fhopper]

Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Model R8000P

I had problems with IPV6 and my Airport and could only set it to "Local" IPV6 and IPv4 through the modem. Cox of Kansas. My Nighthawk Tri Band and its software rock and while showing 6 antennae it is still a good looking device. The software is called NetGenie and so far is better than Apple's Airport Utility.

 

[urtules]

Grab yourself an Eero mesh system. It’s everything Apple except the logo.

Not avail in U.K. What about the Time Machine?

 

[TTTedP]

OMG, What is up with those wall plugs??

 

[groovyd]

I guess apple is killing their own ecosystem.

It seems to me they are refocusing their ecosystem on the components that they can provide that cannot be easily duplicated or that provide a direct feature advantage (UI/UX) components and dropping the 'commodity' devices. They want the products they sell to have features you cannot easily duplicate elsewhere or that traditionally have presented complex UX experiences that they can simplify. Routers used to be 'geeky' complex devices but recently most manufacturers have succeeded in copying Apples approach to simple setup and 'just works' usage.

 

[belvdr]

OMG, What is up with those wall plugs??

You have to get power from somewhere, and since they do not support PoE, they have to plug in.

 

[bluespark]

Slowly but surely, Apple is jettisoning *special* and replacing it with *ordinary.*