Why doesn't Airport Extreme feature in "best wireless router" lists?

[ozaz]

Airport Extreme seems to be fairly popular wireless router and I don't really hear bad things said about it. But I notice it does not really feature much on "best wireless router" lists I find on the web.

A few examples of such lists:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2398080,00.asp
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-wireless-routers/
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/06/19/review_ten_dual_band_wifi_routers/
http://www.bestcovery.com/best-wireless-router-overall
http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Features/Article.asp?TextID=1424

I don't think these sites are simply being anti-Apple: they all put Apple products at or near the top of best desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone lists.

So, why so little love for Airport Extreme?

EDIT: My original post did not refer to wireless routers. I have amended this post slightly to refer to wireless routers. Also, note that these "best wireless router" lists seem to be lists of consumer grade routers targeted for home use, not enterprise class routers.

 

[Weaselboy]

Probably because most of those sites are Windows PC targeted and if you have a Windows machine there is little reason to pay the extra money for an Apple router.

 

[aristobrat]

I wonder if Apple not coming out with a differently named model every three months (like virtually all of the other vendors) has anything to do with it.

I wonder how many of those routers on those Top 10 list existed last year?

 

[throAU]

Because it's actually not a very good ROUTER.


edit:
I have one, have used it as a router. Some of the reasons I don't any more:

IPv6 support is lacking - it won't work with Native IPv6 over PPPoE. Given that my ISP provides native IPv6 over PPPoE, that was a deal breaker for me.
No QOS
No VLANs
Limited diagnostic ability
Reboot required after nearly any configuration change

Don't get me wrong, I love the Airport Extreme as a wifi access point, but as a router, there are plenty of better options out there.

(I currently use a Cisco 877 as a router, and Airport Extreme for Wifi network)

 

[ozaz]

Probably because most of those sites are Windows PC targeted and if you have a Windows machine there is little reason to pay the extra money for an Apple router.

I wonder if Apple not coming out with a differently named model every three months (like virtually all of the other vendors) has anything to do with it.

I wonder how many of those routers on those Top 10 list existed last year?

The 4 general tech review sites cited in my original post (CNET, PCMag, RegHardware, Bestcovery) all tend to put (yearly refreshed) Apple products in the top 3 of their best desktop, notebook, tablet, smartphone lists.

 

[Shadow2k]

It lacks a web interface and well, throAU pretty much summed it up.

 

[ozaz]

Because it's actually not a very good ROUTER.


edit:
I have one, have used it as a router. Some of the reasons I don't any more:

IPv6 support is lacking - it won't work with Native IPv6 over PPPoE. Given that my ISP provides native IPv6 over PPPoE, that was a deal breaker for me.
No QOS
No VLANs
Limited diagnostic ability
Reboot required after nearly any configuration change

Don't get me wrong, I love the Airport Extreme as a wifi access point, but as a router, there are plenty of better options out there.

(I currently use a Cisco 877 as a router, and Airport Extreme for Wifi network)

I wasn't explicit in my original post, but I meant consumer grade wireless routers. I think the lists I link to come under this category. I think the Cisco you refer to is probably enterprise class.

Will amend my original post slightly to make it clearer.

 

[hallux]

I wasn't explicit in my original post, but I meant consumer grade wireless routers. I think the lists I link to come under this category. I think the Cisco you refer to is probably enterprise class.

Will amend my original post slightly to make it clearer.

Correct, it appears to be an SMB unit (quick Google search revealed this).

Is there an application you need to install on a PC in order to manage an AEBS? I know a Mac will have the ability to manage it from an app already installed. Most consumer-grade units have an easy-to-access web-based interface.

I use a Netgear WNDR-4700 and LOVE it, it made those "best of the best" lists at one point. As was noted before, for those that are more PC-oriented, an AEBS is most likely not on the radar, primarily due to the need for an application to configure it. In reality, unless you plan to use a drive connected to the AEBS as a TM drive, what benefit does an AEBS really provide a Mac user?

 

[palmharbor]

Airport Extremely troublesome

After I program it..unplug it..then plug it in the living room.
It forgets all its settings and just blinks.
This thing is problematic.

 

[ozaz]

Is there an application you need to install on a PC in order to manage an AEBS?

Yes, see below.

Got round to actually having a look at the Airport Extreme reviews at some of the sites cited in the OP, which I had not done earlier. Some excerpts below. They hint at why they have would not get included in their "best" lists, including some reasons already mentioned in this thread.

pcmag.com, http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2345615,00.asp

PROS: Simultaneous dual-band operation. Guest-network capability. Can extend wireless range. Performs well at long distances. Printer, hard-drive sharing.
CONS: Inadequate firewall. Only three LAN ports. Inconvenient LAN link-status lights.
BOTTOM LINE: This is a solid wireless router for all-Mac and mixed Windows/Mac networks. But if you run all Windows (or any flavor of Linux), you can get better features for less money.

cnet.com, http://reviews.cnet.com/wireless-access-points/apple-airport-extreme-base/4505-3265_7-34837270.html

The good: Installing the AirPort Extreme Base Station is painless thanks to Apple's AirPort Utility, and a power boost offers increased networking performance over the previous model.
The bad: The router only has three LAN ports, network storage is limited to HFS+ formatted hard drives, and it costs more than competing devices that have more features.
The bottom line: The Apple AirPort Extreme cures networking headaches for novice Mac users with a simple setup, but competing devices offer Windows users more network customization and faster speeds for less.

Bestcovery.com, http://www.bestcovery.com/apple-airport-extreme-wireless-gateway

The AirPort Extreme is clearly designed to be used primarily with Macs, with its sole control interface being the AirPort Utility application. PC users are given a Windows-ported version with identical functionality, but this is in stark contrast with other high-end routers that offer browser-based GUIs which are compatible with all operating systems. The AirPort Extreme continutes to raise eyebrows by offering only three Gigabit Ethernet ports (as opposed to the more common four), and leaving out features like WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup).

 

[Menge]

I have to mention, though, that the Airport Extreme is one of the most stable consumer-grade routers I've ever laid my hands upon. I never had to restart it because it froze up. This alone makes this monster worth every penny for me.

But yes... Configuration options are lacking and it's expensive.

 

[hallux]

I have to mention, though, that the Airport Extreme is one of the most stable consumer-grade routers I've ever laid my hands upon. I never had to restart it because it froze up. This alone makes this monster worth every penny for me.

But yes... Configuration options are lacking and it's expensive.

My WNDR-4700 has been rebooted because of power outages more than it has been rebooted because it had to be.

 

[ctyrider]

Airport Extreme is a rock solid WiFi router, very stable, good antenna design, good coverage. However, the networking feature set is very limited, as others have pointed out. Also, Apple's most recent version 6 of Airport Utility is pure garbage.

If you're willing to overlook the negatives, it's a great home router.

 

[throAU]

I wasn't explicit in my original post, but I meant consumer grade wireless routers. I think the lists I link to come under this category. I think the Cisco you refer to is probably enterprise class.

Will amend my original post slightly to make it clearer.

Yeah, it's an enterprise router.

However there are plenty of consumer grade routers that do a better job than the AEBS as a router, too.

Again, don't get me wrong - it's a real nice bit of kit. But as far as "best router lists" go, there's a lot of reasons it isn't on them.

 

[lexvo]

I have to mention, though, that the Airport Extreme is one of the most stable consumer-grade routers I've ever laid my hands upon. I never had to restart it because it froze up. This alone makes this monster worth every penny for me.

But yes... Configuration options are lacking and it's expensive.

This.
The Airport Extreme is very very reliable and stable. In the past 3 years I only had to restart it twice because of smaller problems.

 

[ctyrider]

This.
The Airport Extreme is very very reliable and stable. In the past 3 years I only had to restart it twice because of smaller problems.

True, but on the downside it does need to be restarted every time you make a configuration change. I find that one of the most annoying qualities of Apple Airport products.

 

[53x12]

Airport Extreme is ok, but ever since I started using the Linksys EA4500 I don't think I will ever go back. Cheaper and I feel better than the Extreme.

 

[Menge]

True, but on the downside it does need to be restarted every time you make a configuration change. I find that one of the most annoying qualities of Apple Airport products.

How often do you change configs on your router? I know I do it once and then never again...

 

[ctyrider]

How often do you change configs on your router? I know I do it once and then never again...

Less frequent than daily, more frequent than never.. I change the NAT port-forwarding entries from time to time, as well as IPv6 firewall rules. No fun to deal with kids screaming "my Netflix movie broke!" after making a small change to your AEX.

 

[throAU]

Yeah, just on reliability - i've had my Extreme for 2+ years now and it has only ever been rebooted:

- to move house
- when the power goes out
- to upgrade firmware occasionally when it asks for it

Don't get me wrong - maybe it sounds like i dislike the box from my above posts; I don't. It's an excellent wireless AP.

I just think there are better devices out there for routing with

 

[iamsen47]

I think either lifehacker.com or gizmodo.com rated the Express as one of their top 5 routers sometime in the last 6 months.

The Linksys at our office kept losing its connection every few hours. ISP's customer support was useless and I got sick of fiddling with network settings so I got the Express purely off their review. Small office with less than 20 devices, all wireless. Works like a charm.

 

[apunkrockmonk]

I have to go along with everyone else and say it is the most stable router I've ever owned.

My only gripe so far is the lack of QoS for applications like VoIP.

Maybe they'll add it some day with a firmware update, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[SDAVE]

I think AirPort Express is a fantastic "router", but probably because of the AirPlay feature. I like the old one that plugs into the wall and not the new one that looks like an Apple TV.

AirPort Extreme is not so good. There are plenty of other great routers at that price (even cheaper)...check out Asus RT-N56U. You don't have to use tomato or other 3rd party firmware, it's already very feature rich out of the box. It doesn't look half bad either.

 

[ozaz]

802.11ac

Some of the routers in the "best" lists in the original post are first gen of routers supporting 802.11ac (e.g. Asus RT-AC66U), which AE does not support. So I guess future-proofing may be an advantage a number of them hold over AE.

But I wonder, are these routers too bleeding edge at the moment (I read that 802.11ac standard is not yet finalised)? Is it better to wait for 2nd or 3rd gen of these routers (especially considering I don't think I will have any 802.11ac devices until late 2012 at the earliest)?

 

[Lennyvalentin]

No fun to deal with kids screaming "my Netflix movie broke!" after making a small change to your AEX.

Try roaring "Shuddap!" back at them. They should consider themselves lucky there's even something called netflix these days. Back in my day when I was a kid, we walked uphill in the snow both ways to lug a heavy "moviebox" back home from a VHS rental shop. That's if the parents would even allow us to watch a movie...

My previous router before my time capsule was a netgear wnr3500, and it would only route for like 3-4 months at a time before it'd hang. Trying to run a firmware update would cause it to hang also (and there never were any available anyway after the first couple months of me buying it). Each time it hung you had to reach behind it and fiddle out the power plug and stick it back in again, which quickly became a real annoyance.

Also, changing ANYthing in its config required a lengthy reboot, like with every other router I've ever used.

The time capsule isn't ideal by any means - lacking UPnP support is irritating when you need to run something that uses bittorrent data sharing for example (like the world of warcraft updater), but at least it has NEVER hung on me in the 1.5ish years I've owned it. That's worth quite a bit too.