With Wi-Fi 7, the latest Wi-Fi standard to be announced by the Wi-Fi Alliance on January 9, it’s made me take a nostalgic look back at when Apple made its own wireless routers, called AirPort.

For those unaware, these were announced way back in 1999 as Apple’s take on Wi-Fi. Instead of having this built in, it was marketed as an expansion card that you would have had to buy as an optional purchase for an iBook — the precursor to the MacBooks we see today.

This expanded to all of Apple’s Macs by 2005 by including AirPort as standard, but AirPort Extreme, which was a router, was also brought out in 2003. Connecting this to the internet in your home was such as pleasant experience because you could configure your network within Apple’s user interface, instead of the confusing ‘Admin’ screens that you would usually be brought to, with a router given to you by an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Despite how good these were, Apple scrapped the entire line in 2018 without giving a reason why. I can’t help but feel that it was, and still is, the wrong decision for a variety of reasons.

A time machine, but not out of a Delorean

In order to explain why Apple’s wireless line has to return, I need to explain how I started using AirPort and its features in the first place.

Back in 2007, I owned an Intel iMac, and because this was an era before iCloud, I would constantly have a hard drive full of photos, videos, and more. Around August of that year, an incident occurred where I almost lost everything, so I wanted to own something that could back up everything automatically.

This is where some good timing occurred. Apple announced Mac OS X Leopard for release in October, which came with a feature called Time Machine. For those unaware, Time Machine backed up almost all of your files, and if you lost something, you could ‘travel back in time’ and grab the file from the ‘past,’ all from a fantastic wormhole-like user interface.

Fast forward slightly to January 2008, and Apple announced Time Capsule — essentially an AirPort Extreme router with a built-in hard drive. This was purposely made to work with Time Machine, but also as a wireless router. It was perfect for me at the time, and it got a lot of use until it stopped working in 2011, and I had to get rid of it.

Time Machine is still in macOS today, but it’s a feature that Apple no longer seems to talk about. It’s still a fantastic feature, and I still use it with a third-party Samsung SSD, but it’s not the same as having Time Capsule.

Since 2011, I’ve also had many wireless routers, thanks to the countless ISPs I’ve signed up to — and they’ve all been terrible. Some can be so slow to change one setting, other routers could have Ethernet ports that simply fail.

Apple’s exit from this category in 2018 only makes it more baffling to me — it had a good thing going with AirPort, but it feels like the company simply abandoned it.

Time for a new AirPort

Apple making a return to the category with new routers and a new line of Time Capsule products would make a lot of users happy — myself included.

With Wi-Fi 7 now official, let’s see an AirPort Extreme router take advantage of these standards and have HomeKit built-in. Currently, you need an Apple TV or a HomePod to act as a Home Hub in order for your smart devices to work with HomeKit when you’re away from your home, but it makes perfect sense to have this as part of AirPort.

Home Hub needs to use the internet to reach your iPhone when you’re away from your home — so surely, having this built into a router like AirPort fits perfectly for its use?

Let’s not stop there, however — a ‘Time Capsule 2’ would be great to see again which not only backs up the Macs in your home but also your iPhones and iPads, alongside storing backup images of your Apple Watches. This would bring another layer of security and comfort that your devices have been securely backed up somewhere else instead of using iCloud Backup — Apple’s method of backing up to its cloud storage service.

Also, privacy is a big part of Apple’s mantra, offering features such as iCloud Private Relay, which encrypts all your connections, including any websites not using ‘https’, to hide your real IP address. It also prevents anyone from knowing both who you are and where you're connecting to on the web. This feels like a perfect feature to have on a router.

Finally, we live in an age when Apple now offers products that stay in the home, and work only by being plugged into a power socket, such as HomePod and Apple TV. So bringing in some AirPort features would be perfect to bridge the gap between a smart home and these products.

One that comes to mind would be AirPort Express — this was Apple’s take on a smaller wireless base station that would plug into any wall socket. It would extend the home network and allow other devices to connect to the internet if they were further away from the main router. Having this built into HomePod would make a lot of sense, as it needs a power socket to work — it would also give users the added comfort of being able to connect devices to the internet with lower latency.

Could it still happen?

Granted, all of the above is wishful thinking on my side — but again, it makes perfect sense for AirPort to be integrated into these products, alongside seeing some other products make a return. Privacy is a massive part of Apple in everything it does — we all use routers to connect to the internet, and most of us use firewalls and VPNs to secure our web browsing.

For Apple to not provide a hardware solution to this through AirPort is baffling to me — it’s time that it realizes that there is a big market there that it’s ignored since 2018, and it’s time to bring AirPort back, in a big way.

What you need to know

• AirPort Utility is used to manage AirPort hardware.
• The app hasn't been updated in more than a year.
• The hardware isn't sold anymore, either.

Apple has updated its AirPort Utility app for iOS for the first time in more than a year. The app is used to manage Apple's discontinued AirPort hardware.

Apple didn't go into detail as to what changed with this update, instead giving us a single sentence in the App Store release notes. Despite telling developers they need to provide real information in their notes.

We'd heard multiple reports that the AirPort Utility app wasn't working correctly as soon as iOS 13 landed last month and it's likely this update is to correct that. If you're an AirPort user we'd love to hear from you in the comments below. Is AirPort Utility now behaving itself for you?

Apple officially discontinued its entire AirPort line of products in April of last year, although many people are still using them. A funcitoning AirPort Utility app is a requirement for those people and this update hopefully provides it.

The AirPort Utility update is now available as a free dowload from the App Store.

Apple is exiting the Wi-Fi router business. And that's fine because there are lots of great alternative Wi-Fi routers to choose from. But what if you really, truly want to keep using an AirPort for the foreseeable future? Not a problem. At least not yet. Apple is going to keep selling AirPort Base Stations for as long as they last. So, if you want to keep a stack of them in the freezer (or, fine, closet) so you can keep using them for as long as you want, act fast.

• See AirPort Extreme at Amazon
• See Airport Express at Amazon
• See Airport Time Capsule at Amazon
• See AirPort Extreme at Apple
• See Airport Express at Apple
• See Airport Time Capsule at Apple
• See AirPort Extreme at Best Buy
• See Airport Express at Best Buy
• See Airport Time Capsule at Best Buy

You can also try your local Apple Store or a local Apple Authorized Reseller. Happy hunting... and hoarding!

Apple is ceasing production of its AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule Wi-Fi routers. I had a chance to speak to Apple briefly about the decision, and here's the statement I was given:

• Best Wi-Fi router alternatives to Apple's AirPort

AirPort was originally introduced by Steve Jobs at Macworld New York in July of 1999. Back then, wireless technology was in its infancy and Apple felt it had to provide not only Wi-Fi support in Macs, but Wi-Fi support in general, up to and including the routers, in order to bring it to the mainstream. Over the years, as we progressed to faster and more robust Wi-Fi standards like 802.11n and 802.11ac, Apple similarly felt it had to stay in the market and help push those standards forward.

Not just for wireless routing, but for other features wireless routing made possible.

Extreme, Express, and Time Capsule... but no mesh

For example, AirPort Express, introduced in 2004, included a built-in audio jack that could connect speakers and stream music wireless across your house or business. Time Capsule, introduced in 2008, included a hard drive so that, when combined with OS X's then-new Time Machine feature, it could wirelessly, almost effortlessly, back up all of your Macs.

Apple continued adding new features like dual-band support for simultaneous 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz connections, and guest networks. But, over time, that slowed and then stopped.

The AirPort Base Station line was last updated in 2013.

Since then, we've seen the advent of mesh networking, which lets larger, more irregular, and more challenging areas enjoy better and more robust coverage. Rather than release AirPort Mesh, though, Apple chose to offer the Linksys Velop at its retail stores instead.

I take that as a sign that Apple nows sees Wi-Fi routers as a thriving industry all its own, with multiple, highly-motivated vendors that no longer need the platform-maker to push technology and innovation. And, looking at iMore's list of the best Wi-Fi router alternatives to the AirPort Base Station it's hard to disagree.

(Though, I think it's safe to say that if Apple ever felt Wi-Fi routers were languishing and it had unique and important advances to contribute to the space, it would consider re-entering the market.)

Making tough choices

A while ago, when it seemed like Apple was exiting the display business as well as the Wi-Fi router business, I wrote about the horn effect and my concern that once people started buying non-Apple products, it would be easier to keep buying non-Apple products. In other words, the opposite of the halo effect.

Since then, Apple has said that it will be introducing a new, Pro-level display in 2019. That's important. The display is the face of the computer and if you stop seeing Apple logos there, it makes you wonder how much you really need to see them anywhere.

Routers are different. They're infrastructure. They're behind televisions, underneath desks, and in closets. For some people, especially people who appreciate Apple's design and manufacturing, and its unequivocal stance on security and privacy, the loss of the AirPort line will still be a blow.

I'm one of those people.

But I'm also reminded of a comment Steve Jobs once said to one of his direct reports: Sure, Apple could do that and make some money at it, but was it really a business Apple had to be in?

No company, not even the world's richest and most successful, and especially not its most focused, can do everything. Tough choices have to be made. For a while now, Apple has been punting on those choices and leaving some products and their customers in limbo.

Now, it looks like Apple is starting to make those tough choices — committing to some, like pro displays, and cancel others, like routers. And it hurts, even if it's for the best.

What happens next

Apple and authorized resellers will continue to sell AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule while supplies last. Apple is also be helping customers obtain service and parts for current generation AirPort Base Stations for the next five years.

Over the next few weeks, Apple will also be posting knowledge-base articles to help customers transitioning away from AirPort products. iMore, of course, will be doing likewise.

If you have any comments or questions on Apple ending the AirPort Base Station, let me know.

Earlier today Apple officially made firmware updates 7.7.9 and 7.6.9 available for its AirPort Wi-Fi base stations, including the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule. The 7.7.9 update is meant for 802.11ac routers, while the 7.6.9 update is meant for for 802.11n routers. To install the updates to your firmware, you can use either iOS or macOS AirPort Utility app.

• AirPort Utility - Free - Download now

According to Apple support documents posted for both the 7.7.9 and 7.6.9 versions of the update, it addresses multiple issues, including the KRACK vulnerabilities that affected many Wi-Fi enabled devices earlier this year. The KRACK vulnerability essentially allowed attackers to bypass WPA2 network security to steal unencrypted data like passwords, usernames, credit card numbers, and other personal information from anybody using a Wi-Fi enabled device. Apple has already released security updates to other devices earlier this year to protect them from the KRACK vulnerability, so it only makes sense that AirPort firmware would follow suit.

If you're a die-hard AirPort fan, don't misconstrue this update as a a possible hint, however — Apple supposedly dissolved the AirPort team and ceased development of AirPort wireless routers back in 2016, so it's extremely unlikely that we'll get any announcements for new AirPort-centric products in the future, even though the firmware for the older models is getting an upgrade.

Thoughts? Questions?

Do you own an AirPort Wi-Fi base station? Have you updated it yet? Share your experiences (and any questions you might have about installing the update) with us in the comments!

I recently picked up Apple's latest AirPort Express base station for our house to replace my aging first-generation Express. On my drive home, I mentally began calculating the insanity of reconfiguring all our connected HomeKit devices with the new router, but it turns out I didn't need to: Apple provides a one-tap option for setting up your new AirPort to clone and replace your old network, no hassle required.

Here's how you go about doing it.

How to replace your router with an AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, or Time Capsule

1. Plug in your new AirPort next to your old router. Don't move any wires just yet.
2. On your iPhone, open Settings > Wi-Fi and wait until you see the Set Up New AirPort Base Station field below Choose a Network.
3. Tap on the new AirPort to join it. Once connected, it will automatically offer to extend your current network. Tap Other Options and then tap Next to proceed.
   
   
   

4. Select Replace an Existing Device.
5. Choose whether the existing device is an older AirPort or a non-Apple router and press Next.
6. Select the Wi-Fi network your AirPort is replacing and enter its password, if necessary.
   
   
   

7. Your AirPort will then copy over that station's settings. Once finished, it will prompt you to switch over any Ethernet wires you had connected to the old router.

And with that, you're done! Feel free to get rid of your old base station, or move it to another part of your house to extend your network.

A customer in the store last weekend asked me if Apple had updated the AirPort Express yet. He said that he wanted another one but wasn't willing to buy it until they added 802.11ac to it. It's been almost a year and a half since Apple released the AirPort Extreme with 802.11ac networking, after all. There are some things to consider, however. Read on for details.

The AirPort Express is Apple's $99 router. It's great for small apartments or areas that don't have a lot of users. It also has a audio out jack that can be connected to an audio source like a stereo receiver, so it can act as an AirPlay receiver too — you can use the AirPort Express to stream audio to different parts of your house. What's more, it can also be used to extend your existing AirPort Extreme's Wi-Fi network to locations where the signal just doesn't reach.

The AirPort Express was first introduced in 2004 as a miniature 802.11g router, and went almost four years before being refreshed with 802.11n networking. That model lasted another four years until 2012, when the redesigned, smaller AirPort Express debuted. So if the AirPort Express's history is any indication, we're about mid-cycle in the AirPort Express' life span. But there's a wrinkle to this worth understanding.

When Apple's latest-model AirPort Extreme debuted in 2013, it was a radically different physical shape than the AirPort Extreme base stations that preceded it. It was shorter in length and width but much, much taller than before, with the Ethernet and USB ports on its back stacked vertically instead of horizontally.

This mini-tower design isn't just an odd design embellishment from Apple made to differentiate the 2013 AirPort Extreme from its predecessors. As with so many things from Apple, form follows function in the AirPort Extreme's design: It's tall because inside it has a much more complicated antenna array than older AirPort Extreme models. The antenna design is there to accommodate the greater bandwidth usage of 802.11ac and various other requirements.

The AirPort Express, at least in its current form, isn't encumbered by those restrictions, as it's still 802.11n, so it's a lot smaller. Almost pocket-sized really. Yang to the Apple TV's black yin, from a design perspective.

Smaller 802.11ac routers do exist. Xiaomi apparently took a page from Apple's Magic Trackpad design when it designed the Mi Wi-Fi Mini (that page is in Chinese). It's an 802.11ac router intended for mobile use — like plugging into the Ethernet jack at a hotel so you can work from your bed, or somewhere else where you might need to temporarily set up a Wi-Fi signal.

Xiaomi's little 802.11ac router has two raisable antennas to improve signal strength. But with only two antennas and a lower-power design, that router has more more limited signal strength and bandwidth than the AirPort Extreme does — just because it's 802.11ac doesn't mean it's necessarily better than a good 802.11n router.

Apple isn't willing to compromise user experience just to accommodate a smaller design, so I don't think we'll see a device like that, but at least it can be done. Most of the 802.11ac routers out there are much bigger, clunkier designs; Apple's made the AirPort Extreme as elegant and compact as it can, given the current technology constraints.

One of the main reasons my customers get the AirPort Express is to extend the reach of their Wi-Fi network to corners of their house where the AirPort Extreme just doesn't reach. Extend it does, but only at the slower speeds of 802.11n. But that network extension isn't limited to the AirPort Express — you can do the same thing with an AirPort Extreme too. Obviously you'll pay twice as much as you would with an AirPort Express, but if you're concerned about speed and you want to stick with Apple, it's the only option for you at the moment.

Your network?

Do you go with Apple-branded routers, or is your network set up using something different? Are you also waiting for an 802.11ac-equipped AirPort Express? Let me know.

Our colleague Haroon Q Raja recently elected not to include any of Apple's devices in his roundup of the top five best Wi-Fi routers for your connected home. His rationale was that there are "faster, more feature-rich, customizable, powerful and cheaper options." He's right about that. But he's also wrong to exclude them from consideration. Let me explain.

Raja made a good case to consider options like Netgear's Nighthawk R700 and R6250, TP-LINK's Archer C7 v2, and Edimax's BR-6478AC. All of them have strengths and weaknesses; some are very inexpensive (less than half what Apple's AirPort Extreme retails for), some have myriad configuration features so you can extensively tweak their performance and abilities. If that sounds good to you, then have at it. But understand what you're giving up.

Simplified setup and management

There's a lot more to recommend Apple's devices than simply "brand loyalty," as Raja dismisses. Apple makes its network devices as easy to use as the Mac and the iPhone. And that goes a long way to effectively targeting Apple's customer.

That's because, put frankly, most Wi-Fi router manufacturers absolutely suck at making their devices easy to set up and use. They require you to use web-based interfaces. They present you with page after page of configuration information, myriad checkboxes and radio buttons that are either not well-described or not described at all, clad in techno jargon.

Setting up a Wi-Fi router can be tremendously intimidating to the layperson. Hell, I worked in IT, and I find setting these things up intimidating.

Most people buying these devices aren't IT people. They're not computer hobbyists either. They're just regular consumers who know they need Wi-Fi in their home. What's drawn them, by and large, to Apple equipment is because they know it's easy to use and comfortable for them.

The AirPort Utility, by comparison, makes it a dream to set up and run an Apple router. It's included in OS X in the Utilities folder; you can download a Windows version, and a free App Store version is available for iOS devices. The software's great at connecting your Apple router to the Internet and making sure it's properly configured for whatever you need to do.

Apple's network device choices

The AirPort Extreme was introduced last year, when Apple's Haswell-based MacBook Air made its debut — the first Mac to support 802.11ac, the faster Wi-Fi implementation that's now standard across the board in every Mac that Apple's released since then.

It comes with three Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back, along with a USB 2 port to attach a printer or an external hard drive that can be shared on the network. A fourth Gigabit Ethernet WAN port is used to connect to your Internet device - a cable or DSL modem or router, for example.

But what really makes the AirPort Extreme special is the software that Apple includes on the Mac and makes available for free download for the PC. AirPort Utility, found in the Utilities folder of your Mac, can help you set up and manage an AirPort Extreme within a couple minutes of opening the box.

Apple's Time Capsule is much the same story — it's the exact same device as the AirPort Extreme, though it's equipped with an internal 2 TB or 3 TB hard disk drive that's visible to the Time Machine software built into OS X. That makes it a cinch to use as a network-based backup system for the Mac. You set it once and forget about it, and every time your Mac is connected to the network it'll back up, so you'll always have a way to recover in the event of a catastrophic failure.

I'll readily admit that the AirPort Express is becoming a hard sell. It's a tiny box with unremarkable network performance — relegated to 802.11n — and it's pricey for a device in its category. But two things make it worth considering: Software and AirPlay. It's every bit as easy to configure because it works with the same utilities that support Apple's other routers, and it doubles as an AirPlay audio router.

In other words, if you hook the AirPort Express up to your stereo or to speakers using the mini jack that's built into it, it will appear in iTunes as an AirPlay device, so you can stream audio to it.

Other considerations

Here's another reason to consider an Apple-branded router: AppleCare coverage. If you've purchased, or plan to purchase, Apple's AppleCare service coverage to protect your Mac, AppleCare also covers an AirPort device. Here's the relevant details from Apple's North American coverage terms:

In other words, you don't need to buy a separate AppleCare coverage plan for your AirPort Extreme, Time Capsule or AirPort Express. It's automatically covered within two years of the AppleCare-covered device's purchase.

What this means is that if you have an AppleCare-covered device and something goes wrong with your Apple router, you can call Apple and expect to get help and expect to get it repaired or replaced at no cost to you. That's certainly better than the standard factory warranties of many other routers from other manufacturers.

Also, good luck getting competent Mac or iOS-centric support from most of third-party router makers.

The bottom line

I've laid out some practical considerations for considering an Apple router for your next Wi-Fi networking purchase, but obviously one size does not fit all, and Haroon Raja makes some great suggestions for people who are more technically inclined and less intimidated by technology. Please read his piece and decide for yourself what your next 802.11ac Wi-Fi router should be. And if this nomenclature confuses you, I also recommend Raja's illuminating How to choose the best router for your connected home to brush up on the latest Wi-Fi technology.

But getting the best "bang for your buck" is about more than which router is the fastest or can be configured the most extensively. It also involves how happy you'll be after the sale, and how seamless is the experience of setting up and using the device.

People don't just buy Apple routers because they're sycophants and acolytes that will buy anything with an Apple logo on them. I'm sure there are a few people out there like that, but many others do it because they've had positive experiences with Apple equipment and expect the same from Apple's routers — and the devices deliver. They're trying to reduce stress, eliminate grief to get connected, and make sure they'll get after-sales support and service without dealing with huge headaches.

Have you purchased an AirPort Extreme or another Apple router? Are you happy with it? Or are you considering one? Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Wi-Fi seems magical. Unless your connection keeps dropping or slowing to a crawl. Interference can cause that. Sometimes it's a microwave or a automatic garage door opener or an elevator, sometimes it's other devices on the same Wi-Fi channel. If you have an Apple AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, or AirPort Time Capsule as your Wi-Fi router and you're experiencing disconnections or interference one of the first fixes to try is changing the channel.

How to change the channel on your Apple AirPort Wi-Fi router

1. Launch the AirPort Utility on your Mac while connected to your AirPort Express or AirPort Extreme.
2. Click on your AirPort Express or AirPort Extreme on the main screen.
3. Click on the Wireless tab in the top navigation.
4. On the next screen, click on Wireless Options...
5. Select a different channel than what you're currently on. (You can do this for both networks if you'd like).
6. Now click Save.

Your AirPort Express, Extreme, or Time Capsule may reboot causing you to lose connection for a few minutes. After that you should be back up and running. If you started on one end, try the other. If neither work, try in the middle. Keep trying channels and you should find one that's loud and clear.

I've had issues in the past when adding components such as a Sonos system that required me to change channels so two devices weren't fighting each other for a connection.

Are you having internet issues? Give the above steps a try and let me know if it helped solve any issues for you!