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.
The old school tiny Express (n variety) still work well for this, and can be had for around $20 on eBay. I have four of them in my house. Just be sure to avoid the a/b/g model.
Apple (Airport) Time Capsule is the only router with “internal hard drive“ that provides the most reliable Time Machine backup experience than those over the air via Wi-Fi connection or wired gigabit Ethernet connection, unless any hidden reasons making USB 3.0 or USB-C connection for TM backup are preferred by Apple.
Apple (Airport) Time Capsule is the only router with “internal hard drive“ that provides the most reliable Time Machine backup experience than those over the air via Wi-Fi connection or wired gigabit Ethernet connection, unless any hidden reasons making USB 3.0 or USB-C connection for TM backup are preferred by Apple.
I've found that TM is TM. Whether it's via Time Capsule, via USB or TB off a shared Mac, via USB or Ethernet off an AirPort Extreme, or with a a NAS that offers TM as a feature, I've no issues.
[...] 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?
I have two Airports configured to provide the same type of coverage mesh systems provide. Apple makes it real easy to configure the second device and it uses the same SSID so what's the difference between this configuration and a mesh system? I hardwired the second Airport to the first via ethernet so I wouldn't lose any speed. Apple sells the Extreme for $199, Amazon has refurbished for $169. The Veloc info says there are no unsightly connecting cables, but you still have the power cord and the main ethernet cable from your cable/DSL modem so there are cables involved. The Veloc has two ethernet ports so they can be connected the same way I connected my Airports.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202056 I used the roaming configuration. Using Airport Utility, go under Wireless, then drop down menu to Extend Wireless Network. The Utility handles all the configuration settings and you're off and running. I haven't tried using a third Airport but I see no reason why this wouldn't work.
I am very interested in hearing other people's opinions on this set-up. I'm thinking of getting another Airport Extreme and setting up a mesh network in the same fashion as rob53. Does anyone know if this set-up would be just as good as a Netgear Orbi or Ubiquiti Amplifi mesh network?
It's not mesh... If you add more routers, it loses capable bandwidth. (OK, you have them hardwired together which is better, but is not the most typical type of setup.) These other products have dedicated wireless backbone comms between themselves, not effecting your usable wireless bandwidth. IMHO
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.
I commented on this to you in detail in another thread so won't rehash it here. Nobody knows what AT&T thinks. They haven't commented.
However, if what you are suggesting were true, they wouldn't have pulled out at the last minute and definitely wouldn't have spent do much time testing Huawei's technology.
According to Reuters, they were pressured by the US government.
And now the Chinese government is getting a little knarked by the situation:
[...] 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?
I have two Airports configured to provide the same type of coverage mesh systems provide. Apple makes it real easy to configure the second device and it uses the same SSID so what's the difference between this configuration and a mesh system? I hardwired the second Airport to the first via ethernet so I wouldn't lose any speed. Apple sells the Extreme for $199, Amazon has refurbished for $169. The Veloc info says there are no unsightly connecting cables, but you still have the power cord and the main ethernet cable from your cable/DSL modem so there are cables involved. The Veloc has two ethernet ports so they can be connected the same way I connected my Airports.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202056 I used the roaming configuration. Using Airport Utility, go under Wireless, then drop down menu to Extend Wireless Network. The Utility handles all the configuration settings and you're off and running. I haven't tried using a third Airport but I see no reason why this wouldn't work.
I am very interested in hearing other people's opinions on this set-up. I'm thinking of getting another Airport Extreme and setting up a mesh network in the same fashion as rob53. Does anyone know if this set-up would be just as good as a Netgear Orbi or Ubiquiti Amplifi mesh network?
It's not mesh... If you add more routers, it loses capable bandwidth. (OK, you have them hardwired together which is better, but is not the most typical type of setup.) These other products have dedicated wireless backbone comms between themselves, not effecting your usable wireless bandwidth. IMHO
I never said it was a mesh network, I simply said it acts similarly in that the same SSID can be used over a greater range. I set up my first extended network years ago but noticed the halving of speed. Therefore, later on I used the hardwired connection and tests show I had my full strength signal throughout my house. Wireless connections are always subject to reception issues, especially when the signal has to go through metal, water, and brick or when competing for WiFi channels. 5GHz also has shorter range than 2.4GHz, which suffers from a lower maximum speed. Hardwiring the devices together will always give a stronger signal, just like hardwiring computers using ethernet cables.
For the majority of home users, it doesn't really matter which way you go as long as you can set things up easily and have it consistently work.
[...] 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?
I have two Airports configured to provide the same type of coverage mesh systems provide. Apple makes it real easy to configure the second device and it uses the same SSID so what's the difference between this configuration and a mesh system? I hardwired the second Airport to the first via ethernet so I wouldn't lose any speed. Apple sells the Extreme for $199, Amazon has refurbished for $169. The Veloc info says there are no unsightly connecting cables, but you still have the power cord and the main ethernet cable from your cable/DSL modem so there are cables involved. The Veloc has two ethernet ports so they can be connected the same way I connected my Airports.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202056 I used the roaming configuration. Using Airport Utility, go under Wireless, then drop down menu to Extend Wireless Network. The Utility handles all the configuration settings and you're off and running. I haven't tried using a third Airport but I see no reason why this wouldn't work.
I am very interested in hearing other people's opinions on this set-up. I'm thinking of getting another Airport Extreme and setting up a mesh network in the same fashion as rob53. Does anyone know if this set-up would be just as good as a Netgear Orbi or Ubiquiti Amplifi mesh network?
It's not mesh... If you add more routers, it loses capable bandwidth. (OK, you have them hardwired together which is better, but is not the most typical type of setup.) These other products have dedicated wireless backbone comms between themselves, not effecting your usable wireless bandwidth. IMHO
I never said it was a mesh network, I simply said it acts similarly in that the same SSID can be used over a greater range. I set up my first extended network years ago but noticed the halving of speed. Therefore, later on I used the hardwired connection and tests show I had my full strength signal throughout my house. Wireless connections are always subject to reception issues, especially when the signal has to go through metal, water, and brick or when competing for WiFi channels. 5GHz also has shorter range than 2.4GHz, which suffers from a lower maximum speed. Hardwiring the devices together will always give a stronger signal, just like hardwiring computers using ethernet cables.
For the majority of home users, it doesn't really matter which way you go as long as you can set things up easily and have it consistently work.
Wish I could hard wire my routers together... Good for you!
I never said it was a mesh network, I simply said it acts similarly in that the same SSID can be used over a greater range. I set up my first extended network years ago but noticed the halving of speed. Therefore, later on I used the hardwired connection and tests show I had my full strength signal throughout my house. Wireless connections are always subject to reception issues, especially when the signal has to go through metal, water, and brick or when competing for WiFi channels. 5GHz also has shorter range than 2.4GHz, which suffers from a lower maximum speed. Hardwiring the devices together will always give a stronger signal, just like hardwiring computers using ethernet cables.
For the majority of home users, it doesn't really matter which way you go as long as you can set things up easily and have it consistently work.
Thanks for the info. When you said that you have "hardwired" the Airport Extremes together, did you mean that you connected the second Airport Extremes to the network via ethernet? In my house, I have ethernet jacks pretty much everywhere so if I were to plug in another AE into one of the jacks, turn it on, and then set it up as an extender with same SSID as my original AE, then I would have something similar to a mesh network, at least in terms of bandwidth performance, right?
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.
I commented on this to you in detail in another thread so won't rehash it here. Nobody knows what AT&T thinks. They haven't commented.
However, if what you are suggesting were true, they wouldn't have pulled out at the last minute and definitely wouldn't have spent do much time testing Huawei's technology.
According to Reuters, they were pressured by the US government.
And now the Chinese government is getting a little knarked by the situation:
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.
I commented on this to you in detail in another thread so won't rehash it here. Nobody knows what AT&T thinks. They haven't commented.
However, if what you are suggesting were true, they wouldn't have pulled out at the last minute and definitely wouldn't have spent do much time testing Huawei's technology.
According to Reuters, they were pressured by the US government.
And now the Chinese government is getting a little knarked by the situation:
Odd language - I’m not suggesting anything other than this seems like a big story in mobile yet no story on it here at AI.
But I doubt ATT would just walk away from a good opportunity to make money because the govt told them to. It doesn’t really work that way here.
But you aresuggesting:
"AT&T seems to think so as well"
Really? They think Huawei is a risk of some kind? I haven't seen anything that suggests that. The complete opposite in fact (detailed in the other post).
Then you affirm the following:
But I doubt ATT would just walk away from a good opportunity to make money because the govt told them to. It doesn’t really work that way here.
Which is the whole point of everything. Things would appear to work just that way. That's why I reproduced what Reuters claimed (government pressure on a private company) and what the Chinese government is claiming (US protectionism).
Richard Yu made a very valid comment. US consumers are not getting access to the best options available and that is bad for consumers.
I tried to keep things neutral (in a political context) by putting the focus on the products, competition and consumers but from what has been reported by Reuters, this is sadly a political issue, through and through. That might be why AI hasn't written on the subject. People start making purely political statements and end up forgetting the people who are ultimately affected. Consumers and competition.
"Congressional misgivings about the company’s close relationship with the Chinese government have long plagued Huawei. Already, other major telecommunications companies refuse to buy the equipment Huawei makes for telecommunications networks — its core business — because of worries in Washington over security."
The following article appears to contradict the opinion of the NYT:
Take a look a the graph. It doesn't seem like carriers are refusing to buy Huawei backbone technology. Quite the opposite in fact. And it's not like there is no choice! How is Huawei the world leader (even excluding the massive US market) if carriers refuse to buy it's gear?
If the article is limiting that part to the US, it is wrong again. No one that I have heard of has refused to buy Huawei gear. Again, the opposite is true. Companies want to but can't.
That's what happened a few years ago. Huawei had negotiations all but signed with US carriers and then the government stepped in.
[...] 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?
I have two Airports configured to provide the same type of coverage mesh systems provide. Apple makes it real easy to configure the second device and it uses the same SSID so what's the difference between this configuration and a mesh system? I hardwired the second Airport to the first via ethernet so I wouldn't lose any speed. Apple sells the Extreme for $199, Amazon has refurbished for $169. The Veloc info says there are no unsightly connecting cables, but you still have the power cord and the main ethernet cable from your cable/DSL modem so there are cables involved. The Veloc has two ethernet ports so they can be connected the same way I connected my Airports.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202056 I used the roaming configuration. Using Airport Utility, go under Wireless, then drop down menu to Extend Wireless Network. The Utility handles all the configuration settings and you're off and running. I haven't tried using a third Airport but I see no reason why this wouldn't work.
I am very interested in hearing other people's opinions on this set-up. I'm thinking of getting another Airport Extreme and setting up a mesh network in the same fashion as rob53. Does anyone know if this set-up would be just as good as a Netgear Orbi or Ubiquiti Amplifi mesh network?
You cannot set up a mesh network with an Airport Extreme. A mesh network has benefits beyond extending your network which is what you do setting up as Rob53 does.
I could probably get by with something like an Ubiquity Lite access point but with mesh systems already commonplace and getting better, I think I'll get the Q2 if reviews show it to perform well. That should resolve all my WiFi needs for a while. Curious to see if it will embed LiteOS for IoT devices.
Firmly believe Apple could have done something very strong and secure in this space though
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.
I commented on this to you in detail in another thread so won't rehash it here. Nobody knows what AT&T thinks. They haven't commented.
However, if what you are suggesting were true, they wouldn't have pulled out at the last minute and definitely wouldn't have spent do much time testing Huawei's technology.
According to Reuters, they were pressured by the US government.
And now the Chinese government is getting a little knarked by the situation:
Odd language - I’m not suggesting anything other than this seems like a big story in mobile yet no story on it here at AI.
But I doubt ATT would just walk away from a good opportunity to make money because the govt told them to. It doesn’t really work that way here.
But you aresuggesting:
"AT&T seems to think so as well"
Really? They think Huawei is a risk of some kind? I haven't seen anything that suggests that. The complete opposite in fact (detailed in the other post).
Then you affirm the following:
But I doubt ATT would just walk away from a good opportunity to make money because the govt told them to. It doesn’t really work that way here.
Which is the whole point of everything. Things would appear to work just that way. That's why I reproduced what Reuters claimed (government pressure on a private company) and what the Chinese government is claiming (US protectionism).
Richard Yu made a very valid comment. US consumers are not getting access to the best options available and that is bad for consumers.
I tried to keep things neutral (in a political context) by putting the focus on the products, competition and consumers but from what has been reported by Reuters, this is sadly a political issue, through and through. That might be why AI hasn't written on the subject. People start making purely political statements and end up forgetting the people who are ultimately affected. Consumers and competition.
No, I'm not suggesting they're chinese spies. I said ATT seems to think their is something sketchy about them, because they dropped the deal. That's fact. That really happened. I did not suggest what the actual issue is, only that the NYT reports whispers of chinese spying. That they reported this is also fact, that's what they reported.
Do you see how this works?
As for walking away, no, ATT didnt just walk away because the government told them to. They did walk away, obviously yes. But they had to have been convinced to do so, with reason. Not "just because the govt told them to!". Their had to have been enough of a risk to ATT, as shown to them. Not you. You have no evidence that it's purely because the big meanies in the US Govt wanted to protect US companies from chinese competitors. I doubt that very much. Why aren't they protecting US companies from Korean competitors? Candadian competitors? etc.. Nope, thats nonsense. ATT was shown a reason why doing business with your favorite chinese knockoff would be bad for their business, and they acted on it. That's how capitalism works. It's not a conspiracy.
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.
I commented on this to you in detail in another thread so won't rehash it here. Nobody knows what AT&T thinks. They haven't commented.
However, if what you are suggesting were true, they wouldn't have pulled out at the last minute and definitely wouldn't have spent do much time testing Huawei's technology.
According to Reuters, they were pressured by the US government.
And now the Chinese government is getting a little knarked by the situation:
Odd language - I’m not suggesting anything other than this seems like a big story in mobile yet no story on it here at AI.
But I doubt ATT would just walk away from a good opportunity to make money because the govt told them to. It doesn’t really work that way here.
But you aresuggesting:
"AT&T seems to think so as well"
Really? They think Huawei is a risk of some kind? I haven't seen anything that suggests that. The complete opposite in fact (detailed in the other post).
Then you affirm the following:
But I doubt ATT would just walk away from a good opportunity to make money because the govt told them to. It doesn’t really work that way here.
Which is the whole point of everything. Things would appear to work just that way. That's why I reproduced what Reuters claimed (government pressure on a private company) and what the Chinese government is claiming (US protectionism).
Richard Yu made a very valid comment. US consumers are not getting access to the best options available and that is bad for consumers.
I tried to keep things neutral (in a political context) by putting the focus on the products, competition and consumers but from what has been reported by Reuters, this is sadly a political issue, through and through. That might be why AI hasn't written on the subject. People start making purely political statements and end up forgetting the people who are ultimately affected. Consumers and competition.
No, I'm not suggesting they're chinese spies. I said ATT seems to think their is something sketchy about them, because they dropped the deal. That's fact. That really happened. I did not suggest what the actual issue is, only that the NYT reports whispers of chinese spying. That they reported this is also fact, that's what they reported.
Do you see how this works?
As for walking away, no, ATT didnt just walk away because the government told them to. They did walk away, obviously yes. But they had to have been convinced to do so, with reason. Not "just because the govt told them to!". Their had to have been enough of a risk to ATT, as shown to them. Not you. You have no evidence that it's purely because the big meanies in the US Govt wanted to protect US companies from chinese competitors. I doubt that very much. Why aren't they protecting US companies from Korean competitors? Candadian competitors? etc.. Nope, thats nonsense. ATT was shown a reason why doing business with your favorite chinese knockoff would be bad for their business, and they acted on it. That's how capitalism works. It's not a conspiracy.
We simply don't know the reasons why AT&T pulled out but there is nothing to suggest that they (AT&T) seem to think Huawei is sketchy.
As I said, the complete opposite is true.
If AT&T (or any other US carrier for that matter) cannot even do communications backbone business with Huawei due to the US government policy of seeing them as a security risk, then AT&T are fully aware of the situation. It is not reasonable to assume otherwise. Knowing this, why on earth would they even entertain Huawei in negotiations, much less go through testing and actually reach an agreement only to pull out the day before the official announcement?
However, unlike backbone equipment, no such restrictions exist on other Huawei products. Their products are freely available in the US. There is no reason that AT&T cannot distribute Huawei phones. No official reason at least.
Just like there is no reason to think that AT&T thinks Huawei seems sketchy.
Ironically, the article you linked to doesn't even say that.
I am not saying that the government told AT&T to drop the deal.
I am saying that according to Reuters and many other news sources, the US exerted pressure on AT&T to halt the deal.
I am saying that the Chinese government sees this action as protectionist.
There are dots. There are different ways to join them. However you join them, the picture that forms is overwhelmingly and inseparably political and competition related. I haven't said what I think personally as this aspect is already off topic (I simply replied to your statement and pointed you to the other thread) and although it's clear and simple in my mind, I know some people would just lose focus and turn this into a political porn fest forgeting what Richard Yu said: Consumers are not getting the options they deserve and its very sad.
Nothing we know even remotely suggests AT&T pulled out because they think Huawei seems sketchy.
I would love to think your (following) observation were spot on: "I doubt ATT would just walk away from a good opportunity to make money because the govt told them to. It doesn’t really work that way here. "
But when you look at what has surfaced these last few days, the way things played out, and the reactions of some parties, are you still confident that what you claim is true?
I agree with you that this is a massive piece of news and it will have a big effect on Huawei. They are going ahead with the 100 million dollar US branding campaign but obviously things will be harder without carrier support and both Apple and Samsung will benefit from the situation.
I can't help but think that this could turn into a tit for tat situation though.
I’ve been looking at the various solutions for when my Apple- based router system starts falling apart and have about decided if I had to make the move today I’d go with multiple Synology RT-2600ac units. Not the cheapest, not the fastest but easy to set up, multiple Ethernet ports and USB ports on each unit and a robust software package with great options which doesn’t require a tremendous amount of networking experience to use.
Comments
However, if what you are suggesting were true, they wouldn't have pulled out at the last minute and definitely wouldn't have spent do much time testing Huawei's technology.
According to Reuters, they were pressured by the US government.
And now the Chinese government is getting a little knarked by the situation:
https://www.reuters.com/article/china-trade-us/update-1-china-ministry-says-protectionist-sentiment-rising-in-us-idUSL4N1P61K1
I doubt the result will be good for consumers.
For the majority of home users, it doesn't really matter which way you go as long as you can set things up easily and have it consistently work.
Thanks for the info. When you said that you have "hardwired" the Airport Extremes together, did you mean that you connected the second Airport Extremes to the network via ethernet? In my house, I have ethernet jacks pretty much everywhere so if I were to plug in another AE into one of the jacks, turn it on, and then set it up as an extender with same SSID as my original AE, then I would have something similar to a mesh network, at least in terms of bandwidth performance, right?
But I doubt ATT would just walk away from a good opportunity to make money because the govt told them to. It doesn’t really work that way here.
"AT&T seems to think so as well"
Really? They think Huawei is a risk of some kind? I haven't seen anything that suggests that. The complete opposite in fact (detailed in the other post).
Then you affirm the following:
Which is the whole point of everything. Things would appear to work just that way. That's why I reproduced what Reuters claimed (government pressure on a private company) and what the Chinese government is claiming (US protectionism).
Richard Yu made a very valid comment. US consumers are not getting access to the best options available and that is bad for consumers.
I tried to keep things neutral (in a political context) by putting the focus on the products, competition and consumers but from what has been reported by Reuters, this is sadly a political issue, through and through. That might be why AI hasn't written on the subject. People start making purely political statements and end up forgetting the people who are ultimately affected. Consumers and competition.
An extract from the link Strange Days provided:
"Congressional misgivings about the company’s close relationship with the Chinese government have long plagued Huawei. Already, other major telecommunications companies refuse to buy the equipment Huawei makes for telecommunications networks — its core business — because of worries in Washington over security."
The following article appears to contradict the opinion of the NYT:
https://www.ft.com/content/da919470-f505-11e7-88f7-5465a6ce1a00
Take a look a the graph. It doesn't seem like carriers are refusing to buy Huawei backbone technology. Quite the opposite in fact. And it's not like there is no choice! How is Huawei the world leader (even excluding the massive US market) if carriers refuse to buy it's gear?
If the article is limiting that part to the US, it is wrong again. No one that I have heard of has refused to buy Huawei gear. Again, the opposite is true. Companies want to but can't.
That's what happened a few years ago. Huawei had negotiations all but signed with US carriers and then the government stepped in.
Firmly believe Apple could have done something very strong and secure in this space though
Do you see how this works?
As for walking away, no, ATT didnt just walk away because the government told them to. They did walk away, obviously yes. But they had to have been convinced to do so, with reason. Not "just because the govt told them to!". Their had to have been enough of a risk to ATT, as shown to them. Not you. You have no evidence that it's purely because the big meanies in the US Govt wanted to protect US companies from chinese competitors. I doubt that very much. Why aren't they protecting US companies from Korean competitors? Candadian competitors? etc.. Nope, thats nonsense. ATT was shown a reason why doing business with your favorite chinese knockoff would be bad for their business, and they acted on it. That's how capitalism works. It's not a conspiracy.
As I said, the complete opposite is true.
If AT&T (or any other US carrier for that matter) cannot even do communications backbone business with Huawei due to the US government policy of seeing them as a security risk, then AT&T are fully aware of the situation. It is not reasonable to assume otherwise. Knowing this, why on earth would they even entertain Huawei in negotiations, much less go through testing and actually reach an agreement only to pull out the day before the official announcement?
However, unlike backbone equipment, no such restrictions exist on other Huawei products. Their products are freely available in the US. There is no reason that AT&T cannot distribute Huawei phones. No official reason at least.
Just like there is no reason to think that AT&T thinks Huawei seems sketchy.
Ironically, the article you linked to doesn't even say that.
I am not saying that the government told AT&T to drop the deal.
I am saying that according to Reuters and many other news sources, the US exerted pressure on AT&T to halt the deal.
I am saying that the Chinese government sees this action as protectionist.
There are dots. There are different ways to join them. However you join them, the picture that forms is overwhelmingly and inseparably political and competition related. I haven't said what I think personally as this aspect is already off topic (I simply replied to your statement and pointed you to the other thread) and although it's clear and simple in my mind, I know some people would just lose focus and turn this into a political porn fest forgeting what Richard Yu said: Consumers are not getting the options they deserve and its very sad.
Nothing we know even remotely suggests AT&T pulled out because they think Huawei seems sketchy.
I would love to think your (following) observation were spot on:
"I doubt ATT would just walk away from a good opportunity to make money because the govt told them to. It doesn’t really work that way here. "
But when you look at what has surfaced these last few days, the way things played out, and the reactions of some parties, are you still confident that what you claim is true?
I agree with you that this is a massive piece of news and it will have a big effect on Huawei. They are going ahead with the 100 million dollar US branding campaign but obviously things will be harder without carrier support and both Apple and Samsung will benefit from the situation.
I can't help but think that this could turn into a tit for tat situation though.