AirPort

39 'AirPort' stories June 2011 - December 2024

Apple’s AirPort family of wireless routers begins with two accessories: the $99 AirPort Express and the $199 AirPort Extreme. Since June 2012, the AirPort Express has looked identical to the Apple TV, a small rounded square, but made from white plastic with slightly different ports on the back. It offers 802.11n support, twin Ethernet ports, a full-sized USB port for connecting a printer, and an analog/optical audio port. Previously, it was designed to rest next to a wall outlet, but now it is meant to sit on a table or desk.

In part because it needs significantly more space inside to hold large antennas for 802.11ac wireless support, the current AirPort Extreme looks like a much taller version of the AirPort Express. Introduced in June 2013, it features three inbound Ethernet ports, plus one for communication with a broadband modem, and one full-sized USB port for connecting a printer or hard drive. The exact same design is used in the AirPort Time Capsule, a version that includes either a 2TB or 3TB hard drive for backup purposes, selling for $299 or $399.

Need extra cash to upgrade? Sell your Airport to Gazelle.

Apple’s AirPort router likely won’t be coming back, but don’t lose hope quite yet

Michael Burkhardt Dec 22 2024 - 5:47 am PT

16 Comments

According to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, Apple is not working on a new version of its AirPort wireless router. However, they are working on something else that could potentially serve as a wireless access point, so don’t give up hope quite yet.

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Apple reviving its discontinued AirPort router has never looked more likely

Ryan Christoffel Dec 12 2024 - 11:53 am PT

64 Comments

Once upon a time, Apple made Wi-Fi routers called AirPorts. But the company abandoned the router scene with its last AirPort discontinued in 2018. Now, a slew of recent rumors provide hope that a new AirPort could be on the way.

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Apple releases firmware security update for discontinued AirPort Express, Extreme, and Time Capsule Base Stations

Michael Potuck Jun 20 2019 - 11:34 am PT

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While Apple’s AirPort lineup has long been discontinued, the company is still supporting the devices with software updates. AirPort Express, Extreme, and Time Capsule Base Stations have received a new firmware security update today.

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AirPort

Comment: With eero acquired by Amazon, who is the Apple of routers?

Chance Miller Feb 11 2019 - 7:45 pm PT

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Amazon announced today that it is acquiring popular mesh Wi-Fi company eero, with a focus on integrating its smart home technology. This announcement comes almost a year after Apple officials exited the router business, discontinuing its AirPort hardware line.

With eero now owned by Amazon, what options remain for Apple fans? Did Apple miss out on a huge opportunity?

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eero

Amazon acquires mesh router company eero to further expand its smart home efforts

Peter Cao Feb 11 2019 - 2:12 pm PT

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Amazon has today acquired the popular mesh router company eero. Amazon announced in a press release that the acquisition will “help customers better connect smart home devices.”

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RIP Apple networking, Time Capsule and AirPort no longer available from Apple

Peter Cao Nov 16 2018 - 10:31 am PT

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As expected, the AirPort devices are beginning to become unavailable from Apple as it is no longer updating the product line.

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The best replacements for Apple’s defunct AirPort accessories

Chance Miller Apr 28 2018 - 2:31 pm PT

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On Thursday, Apple made the disappointing announcement that it is discontinuing its AirPort line of network accessories. The company told 9to5Mac that it will continue to sell remaining inventory, but has no plans for future hardware.

With the AirPort devices on the way out, what are the best alternatives?

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Comment: Apple’s decision to discontinue AirPort products is the wrong decision at the wrong time

Ben Lovejoy Apr 27 2018 - 5:40 am PT

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Apple’s announcement that it is discontinuing its AirPort product line wasn’t exactly a surprise. As we noted earlier, Bloomberg reported back in 2016 that Apple had disbanded the team responsible for its wireless routers, and we first spotted the company selling third-party ones.

But while it isn’t a surprise, I do think it’s the wrong decision – and a particularly ill-timed one …

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How to reset your AirPort base station

Peter Cao Apr 26 2018 - 5:01 pm PT

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Apple just announced that it will be killing its AirPort line of products. Whether you’re wanting to get rid of it, or replace it with another Wi-Fi router in the home, you’ll need to reset it.

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Apple outlines key features to look for when upgrading from AirPort devices

Peter Cao Apr 26 2018 - 3:20 pm PT

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Now that Apple’s AirPort line is dead, Apple has now published a new support document detailing what customers should be looking for when upgrading from their existing AirPort devices.

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Apple officially discontinues AirPort router line, no plans for future hardware

Zac Hall Apr 26 2018 - 2:00 pm PT

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Apple is officially exiting the wireless router business and selling off its remaining inventory of AirPort products. This includes the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and both models of AirPort Time Capsule. Apple shared the news in a statement to 9to5Mac:

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Apple now selling mesh Wi-Fi system as AirPort line remains unchanged

Zac Hall Jan 10 2018 - 12:14 pm PT

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Apple has started selling a mesh Wi-Fi system from Linksys both on its website and in stores. The move is notable as Apple hasn’t updated its own Wi-Fi base station hardware since 2013 and doesn’t currently offer its own mesh Wi-Fi system.

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AirPort firmware updates arrive with important security fixes

Michael Potuck Dec 12 2017 - 1:29 pm PT

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[Update: Apple’s release notes detail that these updates include fixes for the KRACK and Broadpwn vulnerabilities.]

Apple has today released firmware updates for its AirPort devices, including the AirPort Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Express.

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CIA

CIA has been hacking dozens of wifi routers for years, but seemingly not Apple ones

Ben Lovejoy Jun 16 2017 - 5:01 am PT

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The latest documents posted by WikiLeaks reveal that the CIA has been hacking wireless routers for years. One particular hack, known as CherryBlossom, allowed the agency to monitor all Internet activity of a target, and even redirect their browser to government-created phishing sites …

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Apple reportedly stops developing AirPort WiFi router products, moving employees to other projects

Benjamin Mayo Nov 21 2016 - 5:29 am PT

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Apple is seemingly getting out of the router accessory business, ‘disbanding’ the division inside the company according to Bloomberg. This means Apple will no longer develop its $99 AirPort Express, $199 AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule products. The report says Apple is reallocating employees to focus on its core consumer products that generate the vast majority of its revenue.

The newest AirPort devices are more than three years old, so the future of the products has been in doubt for a while. Sales revenue of AirPort products must pale in comparison to Apple’s other lines, which are counted in the tens of billions of dollars.

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Anonymously tracking phones through airport security cuts waiting time by a third

Ben Lovejoy Mar 13 2015 - 5:42 am PT

2 Comments

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport says that anonymously tracking smartphones through airport security has enabled it to cut the average waiting time by a third.

The system, developed by Danish company Blip Systems, scans both WiFi and Bluetooth connections to look for MAC addresses of mobile devices passing through security. Counting the number of devices in each queue enables the system to estimate the length of the queue. The queue length is displayed to passengers in minutes, so they can choose which queue to join, and also used to help the airport allocate the right number of security personnel.

Blip says that it anonymizes this data, and only uses device counts. You might think iOS 8 users don’t have to take the company’s word for it since Apple introduced MAC address spoofing when scanning for networks, but the protection offered by this was last year shown to be rather limited.

The same system is used in a number of other airports around the world, but this is the first time it’s been used in the USA.

Via The Verge

Mac mini teardowns are underway, with good news and bad news

Ben Lovejoy Oct 21 2014 - 5:59 am PT

43 Comments

iFixit and MacminiVault have both completed their teardowns of the new Mac mini, with Macminicolo planning theirs soon.

We already knew the main bad news: soldered RAM means you can’t upgrade the memory later, so you have to decide how much you want and pay Apple’s pricing for it. Both iFixit and MacminiVault described replacing the RAM as “impossible.”

Getting access to the inside of the new Mac mini is more difficult than it used to be …
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Virgin Atlantic reportedly planning to implement Passbook-powered iBeacons in London Heathrow Airport

Mike Beasley May 1 2014 - 12:07 am PT

1 Comment

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUIqfjpInxY]

A promotional video created by Estimote

Re/code reports that Virgin Atlantic is planning to implement iBeacons throughout Heathrow airport to help travelers quickly find different points of interest inside the airport. Users would be able to easily navigate the facility using a combination of Apple’s native Passbook application and Bluetooth beacons supplied by a company called Estimote.

According to the report, users will be able to find services like currency exchanges using the technology, which was announced as part of the iOS 7 update released for the iPhone last year. Apple currently uses iBeacon technology in many of its own retail stores to provide a customized shopping experience.

Virgin Atlantic has not yet confirmed this report, but the company does have a record of looking for ways to implement new technology into its services, such as a previous test run of Google Glass.

Apple releases Heartbleed bug fix for 2013 AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule

Benjamin Mayo Apr 22 2014 - 2:22 pm PT

5 Comments

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.

Apple issues AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule firmware update with fixes for WAN connectivity and USB hard drives

Michael Steeber Nov 21 2013 - 12:37 pm PT

10 Comments

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:

Addresses an issue that prevents a USB hard drive connected to an AirPort Extreme from appearing as an available disk in Time Machine
Resolves an issue that may intermittently cause a loss in WAN connectivity
Resolves an issue that may result in a network loop

If you own an AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule, you can view more information about grabbing new firmware updates here.

How-to: Set time limits on your Wi-Fi network using AirPort Utility

Sarah Guarino Oct 6 2013 - 2:00 am PT

26 Comments

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.

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Maps roundup: Early Placebase founder leaves for startup, Alaska airport directions disabled, & secret project job listing

Jordan Kahn Sep 27 2013 - 1:38 pm PT

3 Comments

A few Apple map related stories have popped up today starting with the departure of early Placebase founder– the mapping company Apple bought back in 2009– Jaron Waldman. After Apple bought Placebase, Waldman started and lead the Apple Geo team behind the Apple Maps infrastructure and location services on iOS and Mac like MapKit and CoreLocation. He was at Apple up until last month and even filed for numerous Apple mapping patents, but recently left to work at a “new startup” according sources and verified by his LinkedIn page.

As Waldman is on his way out, the Apple Maps team today posted a job listing (via Macrumors) seeking a web UI designer to “design, develop, and maintain complex front-end code for a new secret project.” Unfortunately we don’t get many hints at what the project would consist of, but the job listing adds that the successful applicant would join “a small team working on an advanced web platform upon which many of Apple’s future services will be based.” It is almost like Apple knows the listing will get lots of publicity if it adds ‘secret project’ therefore attracting a wider audience of potential candidates.

Finally, over a year into Apple’s Maps launch, Apple is still getting press for some hiccups it is yet to work out. A couple days ago news broke that Apple’s Maps app was directing drivers in Alaska down a dangerous route across a Fairbanks International Airport runway and taxiway. It’s certainly not the first time that Apple’s Maps app has given dangerous directions to drivers (those lacking common sense anyway) since its controversial launch, and today airport officials confirmed that Apple has disabled directions to the airport until it fixes the directions:
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Apple pushes bug fix updates to AirPort Utility on iOS, OS X & Mavericks Recovery mode

Mark Gurman Jul 11 2013 - 1:20 pm PT

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Apple has issued a minor bug fix update to both AirPort Utility on OS X and on iOS. The OS X Update is available via Software Update on the Mac App Store, while the iOS version is in the App Store on iOS and iTunes.

The update, on both platforms, is to squash a bug for AirPort Base Stations not begin recognized by the app. Apple, last month, pushed out AirPort Utility updates to add compatibility for the new 802.11ac AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsules.

In OS X Mavericks-specific news, Apple has pushed out an update to testers for the OS X Recovery function. Thanks, D!

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Gear up for new Macs, D-Link releases four next generation ultra-fast 11AC WiFi routers

May 14 2013 - 12:35 pm PT

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From 9to5Toys.com:

Last month we were tipped to some clues in the latest OS X 10.8.4 beta which indicated that Apple is ramping up to release new Macs and accessories sporting the next generation wireless technology, 802.11ac. It’s entirely possible that we could see these Macs introduced as early as next month at Apple’s WWDC. If you’re planning to upgrade your Mac, you’re going to need an AC compatible router to take advantage of this new wireless technology. Below are four new options for you to consider when making the switch.

D-Link announced the immediate availability of four new 11AC wireless routers, starting at just $80. The next generation wireless technology, 11AC delivers more coverage and up to 3 times the speed of the current wireless standard “N.” The proliferation of mobile devices and streaming content has necessitated the move towards AC wireless as a faster, more reliable wireless connection for home and businesses users.

The new D-Link wireless router lineup consists of the AC750 (DIR-810L), AC1000 (DIR-820L), AC1200 (DIR-860L) and AC1750 (DIR-868L), ranging from $80 up to $170. These cloud routers offer remote network management via the free D-Link Lite iOS app, which “enables users to see what websites are being visited, block unwanted connections, and set up automatic email alerts when unauthorized connections are made.” The top of the line AC1750 and AC1200 feature four ultra fast Gigabit Ethernet ports.

Even though most devices we have aren’t AC compatible yet, if you’re currently in the market for a new router it may make sense to go AC in an effort to future proof your network.

All four of these routers are now available for order from D-Link or major retailers like Amazon.