Airport Extreme replacement. New Router recommendations?

[mikeshep]

Hi, I've been using an Airport Extreme 5th Gen for quite a few years for my home/office/recording studio. I rely on some audio streaming software on a couple of Macs for real-time broadcast-quality audio transmission from time to time. That requires a stable internet connection to minimize latency and buffering. The Extreme has still held up pretty well and i have a 4th Gen one that's connected as a secondary wifi extender. My 'business' Macs are ethernet connected to the Extreme.
I've been ok with 200down/10up internet speed but decided to upgrade to a 400/20mbps plan. The Extreme seems to handle the upload speed well but download speed tops out anywhere from 100 to 340mbps. All that said, I need a new router to take advantage of the maximum speed available.

I've been out of the market a long time so am interested in any recommendations for a reliable reasonably priced replacement. As far as wifi coverage, not sure i necessarily need a 'mesh' arrangement - square footage of the house is in the 1500 sq ft range, and wifi is mainly for laptops, Roku systems and some Blink cameras spread out across a couple of floors. Would welcome any suggestions on specific models to look at that would provide good wifi coverage, maximum ethernet capacity, and preferably at least 4 ethernet ports. Simplicity of set up and user interface is pretty important to me, as well as Mac compatibility.

Greatly appreciate any thoughts on this. I wouldn't care if it isn't the very latest model or anything as long as it's dependable and can fit the needs I mentioned. Thanks a lot for your time and and any help with this.

Mike

 

[Macky-Mac]

several years ago I went from an airport router to an Amazon Eero.....I've been very satisfied. It was very easy to set up and has worked very well

 

[anshuvorty]

Second the eero recommendation. It’s a great mesh WiFi system and their customer service is great - 24/7.

 

[diamond.g]

I like Ubiquiti equipment, they have a Dream Machine that is close-ish to the Airport Extreme form factor.

Dream Machine

All-in-one console and security gateway designed to support powerful LAN and WiFi networks. Features: Dual-band WiFi 5 access point Four-port Gigabit switch Advanced network security (content filtering, internet threat management, deep packet inspection) Pre-installed UniFi Network application

store.ui.com

There is a version of the Dream Machine coming with built in storage and PoE to be able to run their Security Camera line.

 

[FNH15]

I replaced my three Ethernet-linked AirPort Extremes (the AC ones) with two AMPLIFI Aliens about a year ago, when the pandemic started. For the most part, they’ve been quite reliable, and are much better at allowing wireless devices to roam between access points. They’re set up as a wireless mesh and I get around 560 mbps throughout the home (I’m paying for a 400mpbs connection via Comcast). They’re not cheap, but I highly recommend them. Wi-Fi 6 compatible, so they should be good for years to come.

 

[diamond.g]

I replaced my three Ethernet-linked AirPort Extremes (the AC ones) with two AMPLIFI Aliens about a year ago, when the pandemic started. For the most part, they’ve been quite reliable, and are much better at allowing wireless devices to roam between access points. They’re set up as a wireless mesh and I get around 560 mbps throughout the home (I’m paying for a 400mpbs connection via Comcast). They’re not cheap, but I highly recommend them. Wi-Fi 6 compatible, so they should be good for years to come.

Yeah same company that makes AMPLIFI also makes Unifi devices (Ubiquiti).

 

[SpartaMAC]

I use a Netgear Nighthawk that supports WiFi 6. Solid and reliable

 

[Fishrrman]

I've just got one word for you:

"Mesh" ...

 

[ToomeyND]

I have two Asus Zenwifi AX6600 (XT8). They are expensive, but they gave me internet in my last place when no other setup would. Really good connection, plenty fast. My AC MBP gets 390 Mbps down and my iPhone 12 Pro gets 430 Mbps down. My wife just got an M1 Air this week and got 550 Mbps down from the other side of the house.

Edit: Just held my phone next to the router, 740 down.

 

[mikeshep]

OP here, thanks for great suggestions.

Ethernet connectivity, and easy network configuration is just as important as wi-fi strength for me and I may need something a bit more professional grade than the Eero given my particular situation. because of real time audio streaming software I use out of my studio on ethernet-connected Macs. It needs network access to UDP ports with specific Port Mapping/Forwarding rules and a static IP address. This gets into the weeds a bit but the simpler the interface the better.
I would probably just buy a Support session with the software provider to configure it

I don't know if the Extreme has a "DHCP Reservation" feature but if not, it's another reason to drop it because I understand it's superior to setting a static IP on your computer -you don't have to worry about your computer settings being correct all the time as the router recognizes your computer when it comes online and makes sure you have the ports forwarded.
The brand recommendations for this software include ASUS, Linksys,
Netgear, Belkin, TP-Link and D-Link...not necessarily in that order but no specific models mentioned. Thanks again! Much appreciated!

Mike

 

[SpartaMAC]

OP here, thanks for great suggestions.

Ethernet connectivity, and easy network configuration is just as important as wi-fi strength for me and I may need something a bit more professional grade than the Eero given my particular situation. because of real time audio streaming software I use out of my studio on ethernet-connected Macs. It needs network access to UDP ports with specific Port Mapping/Forwarding rules and a static IP address. This gets into the weeds a bit but the simpler the interface the better.
I would probably just buy a Support session with the software provider to configure it

I don't know if the Extreme has a "DHCP Reservation" feature but if not, it's another reason to drop it because I understand it's superior to setting a static IP on your computer -you don't have to worry about your computer settings being correct all the time as the router recognizes your computer when it comes online and makes sure you have the ports forwarded.
The brand recommendations for this software include ASUS, Linksys,
Netgear, Belkin, TP-Link and D-Link...not necessarily in that order but no specific models mentioned. Thanks again! Much appreciated!

Mike

Hers is the one I have should meet your needs.

Best Buy: NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 AC1900 WiFi Router Black R7000-100NAS

Shop NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 AC1900 WiFi Router Black at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee.

www.bestbuy.com

 

[mikeshep]

Hers is the one I have should meet your needs.

Best Buy: NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 AC1900 WiFi Router Black R7000-100NAS

Shop NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 AC1900 WiFi Router Black at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee.

www.bestbuy.com

yep, looks good. Netgear certainly has been around a long time, that's for sure.

 

[an-other]

Another vote for Unifi Dream Machine. They have impressive tools where you can model your wifi signal through your house. It's a good way to see if you need additional equipment. You can even buy their equipment to send wifi to a remote building or kit out a stadium. The downside to Unifi is they have a bunch of cool stuff, and the temptation is to take advantage of the things they have on offer.

Ubiquiti, Inc. was founded by a former Apple Engineer. There's a fun story there you can read with a google search. The engineer is now a billionaire and owns a NBA franchise.

 

[ruka.snow]

Another vote for Unifi Dream Machine. They have impressive tools where you can model your wifi signal through your house. It's a good way to see if you need additional equipment. You can even buy their equipment to send wifi to a remote building or kit out a stadium. The downside to Unifi is they have a bunch of cool stuff, and the temptation is to take advantage of the things they have on offer.

Ubiquiti, Inc. was founded by a former Apple Engineer. There's a fun story there you can read with a google search. The engineer is now a billionaire and owns a NBA franchise.

I love my Ubiquti stuff, but you have to treat it like enterprise stuff. Never trust one of their upgrades without first testing it on a non critical setup.... which is why I have the same stuff at home as I have in the office. 24 port 10 Gbps switch for 5 10 Gbps devices!

 

[mikeshep]

I love my Ubiquti stuff, but you have to treat it like enterprise stuff. Never trust one of their upgrades without first testing it on a non critical setup.... which is why I have the same stuff at home as I have in the office. 24 port 10 Gbps switch for 5 10 Gbps devices!

Thanks for these insights on Ubiquiti. I was just leaning in the direction of the Asus - like
AX88U and sort of going back and forth now on what pros/cons might be vs the Dream Machine/Ubiquiti. I'd imagine either would be more than sufficient so maybe price would drive the final decision. I get a sense that the Ubiquiti might be a bit more user friendly in terms of network config/set up like port forwarding. I appreciate the info!

 

[hobowankenobi]

One option...that most consumers don't consider, but I really like:

Use whatever router you like for routing (DHCP, firewall, etc) and use UBNT access point for wireless. I have 3 UBNT APs at home, and have for about a decade. Rock-solid, never think about them, never need to reboot.

I had older units, and one started to get a little flakey (after about 10 years of service). I replaced all at the time with the new U6 Lite units, in order to move to wifi 6. They have been perfect since they were installed.

The Unifi software is really great, and while you can tweak just about everything...the default automatic settings work pretty well. But it is just wifi, not routing. Seems a bit odd to most folks as nearly every consumer device is all-in-one, but I actually prefer the router to be separate/wired only.

 

[neutrino23]

We replaced an AirPort Extreme with a couple of NetGear Orbi. A bit pricey but fantastic. This will future proof you. We hooked it up to gigabit fiber. Where we previously couldn’t connect we now get several hundred Mbps. I looked at several of the reviews of mesh routers (Tom’s hardware, etc. ) before settling on this.

 

[mikeshep]

Thanks! Still haven't ruled out an ASUS AC2900 WiFi Dual-band Gigabit Wireless Router with 1.8GHz Dual-core Processor and AiProtection Network Security (RT-AC86U) - Gotta say it looks like a solid option for my business/
studio needs and price on a refurbished pretty reasonable at about 130 bucks.Seems to be able to manage the
wifi mesh thing pretty well too. May just try it out first and see how it goes. I appreciate the other suggestions
and will keep them in mind!

 

[carrrrrlos]

Eero works great. Now what do I do w/ my old Airport Basestation?

 

[spatlese44]

After much deliberation I went with the ASUS AX5700. Among other things I had a slow spot in my back room of a 1400 square foot space and this fixed that without having to go mesh. AX adds IoT future proofing. Don’t let the gaming router tag sway your decision. I don’t use it for that. Think about what you pay for internet and how often you need to do this. Can still go mesh one day if I want. Something about it just seems snappier.
maybe look at this:

https://dongknows.com/best-wi-fi-6-routers/

 

[mikeshep]

Hi, reviving this as the OP. Out of the box, trying to set-up the Asus RT-AC86U, it was totally daunting and I wound up reverting back to my Airport Extreme til I can sort things out.

There was no "set up wizard" first of all...and a soft sort of audible ticking sound being emitted from the Mac's sound output as long as the Asus was powered up and connected (?). There was - to me- nothing fast and easy about the setup as far as following the Quick Start Guide provided. As far as what modifications to make in the Apple "Network" settings, there is nothing specified about that.

My needs are more complex than just home wifi alone. While that would be driven by this router, the primary function for it is ethernet-connection to a studio where some special streaming audio software calls for a static IP address. There's a whole process from THAT software provider to go through for that, as well as port-forwarding. However I couldn't comfortably continue on with the basic setup of the router itself. Not sure if Asus Support would sit on the line with me and be able to talk me through the complete set-up start to finish, but I recall even the Extreme setup was more straightforward...tho that was 10+years ago. Some of us aren't techies enough to just routinely know the backend language of this stuff.

Is there a more 'plug & play' intuitive interface Router that's comparable performance-wise to this model and easy to configure? This model certainly seems well liked and robust --and it probably is but just seems daunting to set up. I note the mention of the Dream Machine but if I'm not mistaken, that is like 500.00 is it not? Hoping to keep this under 200 at least. Also, pardon a dumb question - but the first step upon opening the Asus setup dialogue was an to 'create a new network' and then three options- one that 'seemed' to somehow combine 2.4 and 5g, another for 2.4g and another for 5g. Is there a default single network mode that automatically connects any device to 'either' 2.4 or 5g ? Also, if I needed to create a Static IP wouldn't that logically be like, the first necessary step - before going on to set up the wifi network(s)?
Again, sorry if I'm not fluent in all this but just not within my realm of expertise.

 

[ouimetnick]

Give Eero a try, but be warned that the push out firmware updates with no way to ignore the update. Those updates can sometimes break everything requiring you to "suck it up" or call them and pray they can revert you back to a previous firmware version.

Plenty of people had issues with their HomeKit setup recently with one of the updates. Sometimes it updates in the middle of the day when people are using the network. I really liked how my AirPort devices allowed me to downgrade and upgrade at will.

 

[alFR]

I don’t have your router, but to answer a couple of your more generic questions:

Combining 2.4 and 5Ghz: on most routers if you give both networks the same name (likely what the combined option you refer to is doing) devices will join whichever frequency suits based on their compatibility and the signal strength.

Set up the basic network, then configure the static IPs. Most routers let you reserve an IP for a device based on the device’s MAC (hardware) address that you can find in the info pane for the network adapter on the device (e.g. via apple menu > about this Mac then opening the detailed system info & looking under network)

 

[Crazy Badger]

I went through this process about 12 months ago, trying a couple of Netgear and Linksys solutions, before finally settling on a Synology network (yes, they do networking)

Airport Extreme Agggghhhhh

@techwarrior I just wanted to post a huge thank you for the Synology recommendation! I was still struggling a little with the Airport 'mesh' network, so eventually decided it was time to try something else. Based on your recommendation I bought the RT2600 and MR2200 and within 24 I have...

forums.macrumors.com

Couldn't be happier and just as reliable as the Airport Extreme network, but much faster.

 

[hardwickj]

I like Ubiquiti equipment, they have a Dream Machine that is close-ish to the Airport Extreme form factor.

Dream Machine

All-in-one console and security gateway designed to support powerful LAN and WiFi networks. Features: Dual-band WiFi 5 access point Four-port Gigabit switch Advanced network security (content filtering, internet threat management, deep packet inspection) Pre-installed UniFi Network application

store.ui.com

There is a version of the Dream Machine coming with built in storage and PoE to be able to run their Security Camera line.

This. If you can hold off, the "Ubiquiti Dream Router" (or UDR) as it's called should be out early next year. If you sign up to Ubiquiti's Early Access Program, you might even be able to snag one for super cheap before then if you get lucky. I would avoid most of the mesh offerings on the market unless you have the ability to hardwire them in. All of Ubiquiti's access points are capable of acting as wired mesh satellites, and with the UDR you'd be able to power them via PoE as well which would give you a bit more flexibility in terms of placement.

Also, the UDR acts as a "Security Gateway" device for Ubiquities products, which gives some pretty impressive DPI information about the activity on your network.