Apple carries first-ever in-store, third-party Wi-Fi router in form of Linksys Velop

AppleInsider

Apple is now selling Linksys' Velop Mesh Wi-Fi System in stores and online, signaling a break from a policy of only selling its own AirPort routers.

The Velop is available in two bundles, with two or three nodes, at prices of $349.95 and $499.95. Like other mesh routers from companies such as Eero and Google, the Velop is intended to cover an entire home with a single SSID for devices to connect to. Each node is said to handle up to 2,000 square feet. Its presence on the store was first spotted by 9to5Mac.

"People love our AirPort products and we continue to sell them," an Apple spokesperson explained in a statement to AppleInsider and other venues. "Connectivity is important in the home and we are giving customers yet another option that is well suited for larger homes."

While Apple's routers are still available for sale, the last upgrade to the hardware was made in June 2013, and Apple has cleared out the dedicated AirPort hardware division. However, Apple has continued to update the family's firmware, and has told AppleInsider that it will keep the AirPort "as safe as possible for as long as possible."

"The hard drive iPod people were gone for a long time, when we issued the last update for the iPod classic firmware," we were told by our contacts within Apple not authorized to speak on behalf of the company in December of 2016. "Just because the hardware guys have moved on to other things, doesn't mean we won't support the software."

Shoppers looking for a discount on the Linksys Velop can also pick up the 2-pack at Amazon.com for $332.55, a discount of $17 off retail.

avon b7

Given the asking prices of mesh systems, they were a perfect match for Apple who had excellent offerings pretty much from the start on all things wi-fi.

Now that people are using wi-fi more than ever with more devices than ever and requiring security, speed and coverage, I find it strange that they decided to shut the department down. Especially as there have been so many router issues over the years and people have trouble getting updates.

Maybe they have plans for something else down the line. In the meantime I'm going to wait to see reviews of this:

https://www.techhive.com/article/3247250/home-networking/huawei-wifi-q2-mesh-network.html

lkrupp

Apple used to make their own printers, including the Laserwriter. They made their own monitors. They even made a digital camera. In my opinion it’s just common sense that Apple decided to let peripheral manufacturers who specialize in certain peripherals do their thing. The problem , as we saw with the LG monitor, is that those manufacturers aren’t always on the same level of quality. With the Linksys mesh routers they have the category covered. The Airport Extreme and the Time Capsule are still available.

emig647

avon b7 said

Maybe they have plans for something else down the line. In the meantime I'm going to wait to see reviews of this:

https://www.techhive.com/article/3247250/home-networking/huawei-wifi-q2-mesh-network.html

Careful with Huawei, they seem like a sketchy company. https://blogs.cisco.com/news/huawei-and-ciscos-source-code-correcting-the-record

racerhomie3

I have not seen any other router with an audio jack for AirPlay other than AirPort Express. So I hope Apple keeps making them.

rob53

I checked out the Linksys iOS app and it looks very similar to all the controls the Comcast xFi shows on commercials. It demonstrates how families can see how the shutdown of Net Neutrality is going to affect them. Parental controls to shut down the kids phones at dinner and prioritizing devices. What I don't like is the requirement(?) to create a Linksys user account in order to manage it. To me this sounds like all activity might be going through Linksys and there's never a reason for that to happen. I don't believe Airport base stations have ever had this requirement and if they did it was simply your Apple ID, which already goes to the company I/we trust the most. 

"User account (created in the app or at http://www.LinksysSmartWiFi.com) connected to your Linksys product."

Of course my biggest issue with all of these routers is their cost. 

rare comment

rob53 said:

I checked out the Linksys iOS app and it looks very similar to all the controls the Comcast xFi shows on commercials. It demonstrates how families can see how the shutdown of Net Neutrality is going to affect them. Parental controls to shut down the kids phones at dinner and prioritizing devices. What I don't like is the requirement(?) to create a Linksys user account in order to manage it. To me this sounds like all activity might be going through Linksys and there's never a reason for that to happen. I don't believe Airport base stations have ever had this requirement and if they did it was simply your Apple ID, which already goes to the company I/we trust the most. 

"User account (created in the app or at http://www.LinksysSmartWiFi.com) connected to your Linksys product."

Of course my biggest issue with all of these routers is their cost. 

no AppleID needed for Airport. Maybe (I would hope) the Linksys account is only needed to control remotely?

lorin schultz

rob53 said:

[...] Of course my biggest issue with all of these routers is their cost. 

My initial reaction was sticker shock, but then I realized I paid more than that to have multiple Airports, and they don't provide mesh coverage.

Would even a decent router and extenders by much less expensive that what this costs?

rare comment

racerhomie3 said:

I have not seen any other router with an audio jack for AirPlay other than AirPort Express. So I hope Apple keeps making them.

The AirPort family has also been crazy durable/reliable. We have AirPorts (both Express and Extreme) that have been working as access points for over 6 years straight with really minimal downtime. I bought extra Extremes and Expresses when I read about the AirPort team disbanding but haven't needed them yet. This is a seven point system wired with ethernet rather than using wifi to connect the access points to the router. And all the expresses also serve music. Really what I would have liked to see (and still don't understand why it wasn't created) is making AirPorts Apple Music servers. They are already internet connected, have audio out, etc.

mike1

racerhomie3 said:

I have not seen any other router with an audio jack for AirPlay other than AirPort Express. So I hope Apple keeps making them.

Pick up an Apple TV, even a third Gen. less expensive too.

avon b7

emig647 said:

avon b7 said

Maybe they have plans for something else down the line. In the meantime I'm going to wait to see reviews of this:

https://www.techhive.com/article/3247250/home-networking/huawei-wifi-q2-mesh-network.html

Careful with Huawei, they seem like a sketchy company. https://blogs.cisco.com/news/huawei-and-ciscos-source-code-correcting-the-record

You are dredging news up from the depths of time. Prior to 2004.

Is this part of the entry not true?:

Huawei:

"The source code of the issues was actually from a 3rd party partner"

I'm not trying to paint Huawei as innocent but thanks to certain world famous leaks, I'm far more worried about what many government agencies are trying to dip their fingers into than what's going on in my home network.

And seeing that Huawei runs about a third of the world's communications backbone technology there is always a risk that your data is flowing through their equipment anyway. How far do you go to protect that data? And what do those who communicate with you, do to protect it?

edited January 2018

holmstockd

I missed my 2009 Airport Extreme base station. I loved it - best router i used. I live in a traditional 2 story subdivision, and this was an impressive router. 

When I got FIOS Internet i was so happy, but when the TV service finally was offered with the Internet back in 2010, I had to scrap this router because of the requirement of Verizon's crappy actiontec for TV Guide updates. I sold that Apple router and moved on.

6 years later when I finally DITCHED the FIOS TV part, Apple sadly has not made any improvements to the router and was really hoping they could have been first with a very good MESH based system. Sadly again they have not, and with reading somewhere they dispersed the Airport team I moved to buy the Google WIFI MESH system, I am impressed and love it. I would have preferred an Apple solution, but i guess its not a big enough market for them to want to cater too. 

Edit: Spelling and grammer

edited January 2018

applesnoranges

rob53 said:

I checked out the Linksys iOS app and it looks very similar to all the controls the Comcast xFi shows on commercials. It demonstrates how families can see how the shutdown of Net Neutrality is going to affect them. Parental controls to shut down the kids phones at dinner and prioritizing devices. What I don't like is the requirement(?) to create a Linksys user account in order to manage it. To me this sounds like all activity might be going through Linksys and there's never a reason for that to happen. I don't believe Airport base stations have ever had this requirement and if they did it was simply your Apple ID, which already goes to the company I/we trust the most. 

"User account (created in the app or at http://www.LinksysSmartWiFi.com) connected to your Linksys product."

Of course my biggest issue with all of these routers is their cost. 

Cost is too high indeed. Anyone here on the forums know anything about Apples plans for the future regarding AirPort Extreme? Could they revive/revise them? I hold out hope that they will based upon their willingness to update the MacPro line. Now if could only get my hands on a refreshed Mac Mini 🙂

applesnoranges

holmstockd said:

I missed my 2009 Airport Extreme base station. I loved it - best router i used. I live in a traditional 2 story subdivision, and this was an impressive router. 

When I got FIOS Internet i was so happy, but when the TV service finally was offered with the Internet back in 2010, I had to scrap this router because of the requirement of Verizon's crappy actiontec for TV Guide updates. I sold that Apple router and moved on.

6 years later when I finally DITCHED the FIOS TV part, Apple sadly has not made any improvements to the router and was really hoping they could have been first with a very good MESH based system. Sadly again they have not, and with reading somewhere they dispersed the Airport team I moved to buy the Google WIFI MESH system, I am impressed and love it. I would have preferred an Apple solution, but i guess its not a big enough market for them to want to cater too. 

Edit: Spelling and grammer

I would think the incentive to bring out refreshed Apple routers is to enhance the security and interoperability of the entire Apple ecosystem...

strangedays

emig647 said:

avon b7 said

Maybe they have plans for something else down the line. In the meantime I'm going to wait to see reviews of this:

https://www.techhive.com/article/3247250/home-networking/huawei-wifi-q2-mesh-network.html

Careful with Huawei, they seem like a sketchy company. https://blogs.cisco.com/news/huawei-and-ciscos-source-code-correcting-the-record

AT&T seems to think so as well and canceled their deal, with whispers of chinese spying being a concern. Seems like a big story in mobile but no mention of it here yet. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/business/att-huawei-mate-smartphone.html

holmstockd

applesnoranges said:

holmstockd said:

I missed my 2009 Airport Extreme base station. I loved it - best router i used. I live in a traditional 2 story subdivision, and this was an impressive router. 

When I got FIOS Internet i was so happy, but when the TV service finally was offered with the Internet back in 2010, I had to scrap this router because of the requirement of Verizon's crappy actiontec for TV Guide updates. I sold that Apple router and moved on.

6 years later when I finally DITCHED the FIOS TV part, Apple sadly has not made any improvements to the router and was really hoping they could have been first with a very good MESH based system. Sadly again they have not, and with reading somewhere they dispersed the Airport team I moved to buy the Google WIFI MESH system, I am impressed and love it. I would have preferred an Apple solution, but i guess its not a big enough market for them to want to cater too. 

Edit: Spelling and grammer

I would think the incentive to bring out refreshed Apple routers is to enhance the security and interoperability of the entire Apple ecosystem...

More honestly I would have thought with the massive ecosystem of devices, that this system would compliment a household of many apple devices. However having said that I am sure Apple sees that most broadband consumers use the equipment from the ISP provider, so it would be a harder market to crack into. 

They made an impressive simple device, what I USE TO LOVE about Apple so maybe its for the better, better to retire a product that was stellar then comeback with something thats crap. 

soli

lkrupp said:

Apple used to make their own printers, including the Laserwriter. They made their own monitors. They even made a digital camera. In my opinion it’s just common sense that Apple decided to let peripheral manufacturers who specialize in certain peripherals do their thing. The problem , as we saw with the LG monitor, is that those manufacturers aren’t always on the same level of quality. With the Linksys mesh routers they have the category covered. The Airport Extreme and the Time Capsule are still available.

This seems very different, to me. All the primary devices they make connect directly to WiFi and effectively require WiFI. Pricey laser printers and external monitors just so you can keep with Apple logos on everything… not so much. Customers seem to understand that decent WiFi routers are worth a little more cost upfront. As Avon B7 states, this seems like an ideal market for Apple. If it was good enough for the last two decades then it's surely good enough today, I'd have imagined.

mike1

applesnoranges said:

rob53 said:

I checked out the Linksys iOS app and it looks very similar to all the controls the Comcast xFi shows on commercials. It demonstrates how families can see how the shutdown of Net Neutrality is going to affect them. Parental controls to shut down the kids phones at dinner and prioritizing devices. What I don't like is the requirement(?) to create a Linksys user account in order to manage it. To me this sounds like all activity might be going through Linksys and there's never a reason for that to happen. I don't believe Airport base stations have ever had this requirement and if they did it was simply your Apple ID, which already goes to the company I/we trust the most. 

"User account (created in the app or at http://www.LinksysSmartWiFi.com) connected to your Linksys product."

Of course my biggest issue with all of these routers is their cost. 

Cost is too high indeed. Anyone here on the forums know anything about Apples plans for the future regarding AirPort Extreme? Could they revive/revise them? I hold out hope that they will based upon their willingness to update the MacPro line. Now if could only get my hands on a refreshed Mac Mini 🙂

You get what you pay for. I bit the bullet and bought a Netgear Orbi mesh router a year ago and couldn't be more pleased. Complete coverage of my home and yard. Incredibly fast too. I get all of the bandwidth and speed I'm paying for on every device, anywhere, all the time.

christopher126

Other manufacturers stuff just doesn't look as elegant as Apple's stuff. Maybe it's b/c Linksys, LogiTech, etc., is printed on them and the white or aluminum color is never the right shade. 

I understand Apple's position...but I don't like it.  I used to proudly display the Apple white routers I owned. I'll miss them.

Right now I have an ugly black plastic cable modem/router combo, from a manufacturer that I can't remember the name of. It's hidden on the floor behind a bookshelf. One of the ugliest pieces of tech in my house. The printer is pretty ugly, too. That's in my closet. I have a Blu-Ray player, disconnected and under the bed in the second bedroom.

Best.

edited January 2018

petieg

I've converted my Airport Expresses to network devices (as opposed to routers that extend) and bought the NetGear Orbi 2-pack. Seems to have done the trick. I don't even think of wireless anymore. I used to extend w/ a few AE's, while still using them for AirPlay. Really hope they get upgraded to be AirPlay2 compatible... Gonna piss me off it they're not.  The AppleTV is a no-go for AirPlay as it only has an optical out... Except for my TV/AppleTV w/ Sonos SoundBar which is my living room AirPlay device -- but TV has to be on ;-(   

rob53

rare comment said:

rob53 said:

I checked out the Linksys iOS app and it looks very similar to all the controls the Comcast xFi shows on commercials. It demonstrates how families can see how the shutdown of Net Neutrality is going to affect them. Parental controls to shut down the kids phones at dinner and prioritizing devices. What I don't like is the requirement(?) to create a Linksys user account in order to manage it. To me this sounds like all activity might be going through Linksys and there's never a reason for that to happen. I don't believe Airport base stations have ever had this requirement and if they did it was simply your Apple ID, which already goes to the company I/we trust the most. 

"User account (created in the app or at http://www.LinksysSmartWiFi.com) connected to your Linksys product."

Of course my biggest issue with all of these routers is their cost. 

no AppleID needed for Airport. Maybe (I would hope) the Linksys account is only needed to control remotely?

That's my question. What I'm worried about is any remote control ends up going through Linksys servers instead of directly to the device.