Whether you’re an online gamer, a fan of streaming TV shows, or a complete workaholic, your Mac needs a good internet connection to satisfy all your needs. Although there are many good WiFi router models on the market, choosing the right one is crucial for maximizing what your Mac is capable of.
The router itself is compatible with MAC computers as routers are a means by which to route the services or technology attempting to be accessed. As far as Time Machine goes, it appears to be the back up software that comes with MAC computers. As best I can tell if you have the required external storage drive the router itself has usb and esata.
Consider a few factors before setting on a hunt for the best Apple wireless router. For example, some of the things that would make the fastest wireless router package are your average internet plan speed, the size of your home, the number of connected devices, specific router features, and more. All of these will later impact the overall quality of your Mac router service.
How To Choose Good WiFi Routers
Take note of the following features before getting directly to the router reviews. When you’re looking for the best WiFi router, you should first find out the ultimate speed that your ISP can provide you with. While the fastest wireless router will definitely increase your internet speed, you won’t get the most out of it if it becomes limited by your ISP plan.
- TP-Link WiFi 6 Router AX1800 Smart WiFi Router – 802.11ax Router, Gigabit Router, Dual Band, OFDMA, Parental Controls, Long Range Coverage, Works with Alexa(Archer AX21) 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,730 $129.99.
- Find Your Router's IP Address. You log into your router's firmware through a browser.
- Compatibility with Mac and its hardware specifications and OS, is an essential prerequisite for any wireless router that you choose. The routers listed below are not exactly the best in the market, but they work best with Macs. It should come as no surprise that three out of the following four are manufactured by Apple computers itself.
Another thing to keep in mind is the size of your home, since the best router for large house should have a wider coverage area, especially if you live in a multi-story residence.
The number of devices connected to your wireless network is another checkpoint before making a decision on your best router for Mac. Usually, an Apple WiFi router allows two connections at any given time, so if you need more, you have to make sure that your Mac router of choice allows for the number of connections you need.
The good news is, there’s a wide range of Apple WiFi router options out there and you can choose the model that fits within your usage preferences and budget. Let’s look at some of the best wireless routers and find out which one you need to get for your home.
Budget-friendly: D-Link DIR-842 WiFi router
D-Link’s DIR-842 is the best modem for everyone who doesn’t want to break the bank but really needs to optimize their network connection. Given that this Mac router’s biggest advantage is the price, it still offers lots of management settings, making it possible to meet any user’s needs.
In addition, D-Link has a proven track record of delivering good throughput performance in testing, which means it can handle a large number of transactions per second — in fact, it’s one of the fastest wireless routers, period. Another asset of D-Link’s modem worth mentioning is its dual-band WiFi, which allows it to transmit in either of two standard frequency ranges.
To be fair, there are also a few disadvantages to consider before settling on the D-Link Mac router: it has no USB ports and its antennas are non-removable, both of which can detract from the overall convenience.
Best router for large house: ASUS Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi
Living in a big house usually dictates using a different kind of tools, appliances, and gadgets than you normally would, and a Mac router is not an exception. If you want to be comfortably surfing the internet in every corner of your home, then an ASUS Dual-Band modem is perfect for you, since it easily covers spaces up to 5,000 square feet.
According to lots of users, ASUS Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi is not only an excellent home wireless network tool but also a powerful gaming device, with maximum speed of up to 3,100 Mbps. Additionally, this Apple wireless router allows you to connect up to eight Ethernet-compatible devices simultaneously, using Gigabit LAN ports.
One could say that a minor flaw of this otherwise good WiFi router is its flexible black antennas, which could partially block the WAN and USB ports for some setups.
Best router for multiple devices: Netgear Nighthawk X8 R8500
Computer Routers Walmart
If you’re looking for a Mac network device that can handle multiple heavy streamers at once, Netgear Nighthawk X8 R8500 is the best router for Mac you’ll find. Its tri-band WiFi, Quad Stream, and MU-MIMO technology is able to provide you with the maximum possible amount of Apple WiFi connections. Besides, this modem has four active and four internal antennas to help you amplify the range of your connections.
Overall, Netgear Nighthawk might not be the cheapest Mac router out there, but it’s definitely the best router for multiple devices.
Get your Mac router up to full speed
Finding the best wireless router for Mac can help make your computer more productive, without a doubt. But if you want to get the most out of your Apple WiFi router, you also need to consider the potential modem location, analyze your WiFi coverage and performance, decide on the best access points, and visualize the spots with the strongest signal. If that sounds like too much of a hustle, you just need some good software to help you.
NetSpot is a truly smart app that gets you the best network connection possible without requiring you to have a technical background. Finally, the process of establishing and managing networks could be smooth and enjoyable. Built-in options like WiFi channel scanner and site survey make it easy to troubleshoot and boost your Apple WiFi network with speed tests and heat maps of your Mac router network in real time.
Using NetSpot is exceptionally straightforward:
Launch the NetSpot app and place your MacBook in the area you wish to survey
Click the switch in the upper-left corner of the screen to change it from Survey to Discover
NetSpot will detect and display all networks in range
At a glance you will be able to see specific details about each wireless network in the area
Check the efficacy of your Apple WiFi router
With your Mac router now working at its fastest speed after a thorough optimization by NetSpot, you can look at other ways of maintaining your Apple wireless router stellar performance.
WiFi Explorer is the perfect way to look after your network and apply quick fixes as they become necessary. With its set of powerful tools, this app analyzes your network environment and presents its precise state using visual graphs and a customized interface that is both functional and appealing.
Maintaining your network with WiFi Explorer is very easy:
Open the app and see the scan starting up
Click on any network from the list to see more information about it
To fix some of your network issues, click the Help tab in the menu bar and select WiFi Explorer Help
As more and more of our time is spent online, having a fast and generally best home WiFi router becomes essential. Looking for the best routers for Mac will be easier if you familiarize yourself with all the available features and identify those that are important to you. Then you can easily locate the top modem that meets all your needs from the list above. And once you choose the Mac router of your dreams, don’t forget to optimize it by using NetSpot and maintain its grand performance with WiFi Explorer.
Another excellent feature of NetSpot and WiFi Explore — they are both available for a free seven-day trial through Setapp, a platform with more than 170 apps and utilities to enhance your experience of interacting with your Mac. Now that you’re an expert in finding the best wireless router for Mac, you’ll be able to make the right choice for your home among the many top routers 2020 has given us.
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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If you are searching for the best wireless router for your Mac, you have come to the right page. In this Techspirited article, we will take a look at some of the best Mac-compatible routers available in the market presently.
Since their introduction back in 1984, Macintosh computers have always been a class apart from the rest of the competition. Apple’s Macintosh (Mac for short) brand is unique in many aspects. It is perhaps the only branded PC with its own exclusive operating system (Mac OS X). Everything about a Mac is custom-made. So when it comes to wireless networking connectivity, you have to look for a wireless router that is specially designed for it.
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Wireless Router Buying Guide
The prime features to look out for when deciding on a router are its data transmission speed, and the maximum range of connectivity that it offers. Both are decided by the wireless networking standards that the router uses.
It is advisable to opt for a wireless routers that is built according to the 802.11n standard, as it comprises some of the fastest routers in the business. They offer raw transmission speeds up to 600 Mbps. Dual band transmission is another feature to look out for as it means that your router can transmit on two frequencies, further boosting the connection speed.
When choosing a router for home or office use, you would also want it to have Ethernet connector ports for wired Internet access. The other important factor to look out for is wireless security in the form of WPA2 encryption and a firewall.
Routers For Mac Computers
Best Wireless Routers for Mac
Compatibility with Mac and its hardware specifications and OS, is an essential prerequisite for any wireless router that you choose. The routers listed below are not exactly the best in the market, but they work best with Macs. It should come as no surprise that three out of the following four are manufactured by Apple computers itself.
Best Routers For Mac Computers
Apple AirPort Extreme
If you are looking for perfect compatibility with your Macbook Pro, then go for the Apple AirPort Extreme. It has all the features that you need which is not surprising as it comes from the Apple pedigree. With dual-band transmission, 802.11n based connectivity, three Ethernet ports and built-in network security features, it is one of the best routers for Macbook Pro, and an excellent choice for home installation. It comes with a price tag of roughly $164.
Apple Time Capsule MC343LL/A 1TB
A bit more expensive than Apple Airport Extreme, the Apple Time Capsule has all the same features and is priced at $275. It costs more because of the internal 1 Terabyte hard drive that it is supplied with, which works in tandem with the Time Machine backup utility present in the Mac OS. This essentially makes it a router cum backup storage device.
Apple AirPort Express
If you are looking for a low-budget choice, Apple AirPort Express may be the right one for you. With a price tag of around $96, the Express is designed specifically for home usage. It supports 10 simultaneous connections, dual-band transmission, and conforms to the 802.11n standard. It is an excellent choice for the low-budget user.
Linksys WRT400N Double-N Performance Wireless Router
The only third party product in this list, the Linksys WRT400N has it all, and makes for a close competitor to the Apple Airport Extreme. It uses dual-band Wireless-N technology, and comes with full WPA2 encryption, while conforming with the 802.11n standard. All that you would need from a router, comes packed in this product, which could be yours for about $134.
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This list should prove helpful in narrowing down the choices for the perfect router for your Mac computer. Remember to choose that product which exactly suits your requirements as well as your budget.
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