Apple AirPort Extreme
The AirPort Extreme is an Apple-produced Wi-Fi base station. The latest version features 802.11ac technology with six internal antennas.
The AirPort Extreme is an Apple-produced Wi-Fi base station. The latest version features 802.11ac technology with six internal antennas.
One of the more interesting news items of 2018 was Apple discontinuing the AirPort lineup. From the first Airport product to the last final AirPort Extreme, Apple was selling premium Wi-Fi hardware devices at a time when most people I knew were content with a $30 router from Walmart. Since they released their final AirPort product, the market has finally shifted up.
As end-users are starting to load their home networks with more than a single laptop and a few smartphones, people have realized that having a high-quality router (with whole house coverage) is not a luxury. If you want to load your house up with smart home products, multiple iOS devices, Apple TVs, etc., you have to invest in the infrastructure. Plain and simple, Apple exited the home networking business at the exact wrong time.
Since the news broke that Apple is getting out of the router business, I’ve been looking to replace my AirPort Extreme. I wanted something with more power-user features, and the Synology RT2600ac stood out as a likely candidate. The $229.99 RT2600ac, which is the follow-up to last year’s popular RT1900ac, contains a wealth of new additions, and is considerably more power-user friendly than Apple’s AirPort Extreme.
Synology’s routers run the SRM operating system, which makes managing the RT2600ac similar to driving one of the company’s popular NAS boxes. But does this router make a good replacement for the easy-to-use AirPort Extreme? Have a look at our hands-on video walkthrough as I showcase 15 of my favorite RT2600ac features.
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Apple’s AirPort wireless routers aren’t cheap, but many people — including me — keep buying them because they “just work” most of the time. Connect an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express to your cable modem and you’ll get a consistently great wireless connection across all of your Macs, iPads, iPhones, iPod touches, and accessories, as well as non-Apple products. But the AirPorts could do more, and Apple knows it. Four years ago, the company was openly working on some cool next-generation router features that apparently didn’t wind up in its devices. These days, with Apple TVs and AirPlay streaming at the peak of their popularity, Apple’s routers need to be smarter about streaming high-bitrate video and audio. Here’s how AirPort routers should take the next steps forward…
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Today’s can’t miss deals:
Last Call updates:
AirPort Extreme 802.11ac Wireless Base Station (Geek Squad Certified Refurb.) $120 (Reg. $199 new), more
Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive (multiple colors): $80 shipped (Reg. $100)
GameStop’s full Black Friday ad leak: PS4 bundle $400, Xbox One from $330, GTA V Shark cards 50% off, more
Small States – TM1985: former Ralph Lauren designer goes American made w/ elegant backpacks, $407 giveaway + 25% discount
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Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications. Today’s can’t miss deals: Last Call updates:
Airport wireless routers (Refurb): Express $60 (Reg. $99 new), Extreme $120 (Reg. $199) Save an extra 25-30% at Canon refurb store: T3 w/ Lens $252, T3i w/ lens $336, SL1 $360, more Apple deals:
Headphones:
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Apple has released a bug fix patch for its 2013 AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule, fixing the OpenSSL ‘Heartbleed’ vulnerability. The update does not apply to the AirPort Express.
Firmware update 7.7.3 is recommended for all AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule base stations with 802.11ac. It provides security improvements related to SSL/TLS. Other AirPort base stations do not require this firmware update.
Amusingly, when Heartbleed made headlines earlier this month, Apple said that no key software or services were affected. They conveniently forgot to mention that their latest router hardware was susceptible to the flaw.
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Today’s can’t miss deals:
Last Call updates:
Apple AirPort Extreme (6th gen) 802.11ac wireless base station $169 shipped (Reg. $199)
HooToo USB 3.0 Hubs: 7-port $27 (Reg. $65), 4-port slim bus-powered $11 (Reg. $15)
Other great deals from today:
Sony RX100 Cyber-shot 20.2 MP digital camera w/ Carl Zeiss lens (black): $400 shipped (Reg. $650) http://t.co/NdKmrrZd68
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Last Call updates:
Seiki 4K Ultra HD TVs: 39″ $404 (Reg. $699), 50″ $607 (Reg. $1,500)
Sling Media Slingbox SOLO Media Streamer Refurb $40 shipped
Apple Time Capsule AC wireless router/backup device (newest version): 2TB $250/3TB $350, AirPort Extreme $165
Other great deals from today:
Apple iPad Air WiFi 16GB $470 shipped (Reg. $499) http://t.co/WBQ3o14L6k
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You look nice. How about 2 months of Hulu Plus, 3 Mags/2 mos. of Zinio and Spotify Premium for 2 months…all FREE http://t.co/leq1hLkJFg
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) January 14, 2014
U: Back in stock!
RT @9to5toys: Pioneer A3 WiFi speaker w/ AirPlay and streaming apps $70 shipped (Reg. $200) http://t.co/S1ENhs8CET
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) January 13, 2014
Apple issued a minor firmware update today to address issues specifically related to customers using USB hard drives with their routers, and fixes for intermittent loss in WAN connectivity as well as issues that may cause a network loop. You can view the full release notes below:
If you own an AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule, you can view more information about grabbing new firmware updates here.
AirPort Utility is a built-in Mac app that is used to configure and control Wi-Fi networks using Apple’s AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and Time Capsule. The AirPort Extreme is a base station router like you would use when setting up your Wi-Fi network. An AirPort Express is used to extend a Wi-Fi network to a larger area, or can be used to stream audio using AirPlay. A Time Capsule is a combination of an AirPort Extreme and an external hard drive, and comes in 2 TB or 3 TB. It automatically backs up all Macs on your network.
AirPort Utility has the ability to set limits on what time of day the network (and therefore the internet) can be accessed from specific wireless devices. This can be helpful in situations where parents want to keep kids off of the internet after a certain time. Time limits can be set for different times on different days of the week.
From 9to5Toys.com:
A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.
Today’s featured deals:
Seagate Expansion 3TB USB 3.0 desktop external hard drive $90 shipped (Reg. $125)… http://t.co/fbsKbmi86E
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Western Digital My Passport 2TB USB 3.0 portable hard drive $100 shipped (Reg. $150) … http://t.co/QLbuYRWxiT
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