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Apple AirPort Extreme

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The AirPort Extreme is an Apple-produced Wi-Fi base station. The latest version features 802.11ac  technology with six internal antennas.

Apple exited the home Wi-Fi market at the wrong time

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One of the more interesting news items of 2018 was Apple discontinuing the AirPort lineup. From the first Airport product to the last final AirPort Extreme, Apple was selling premium Wi-Fi hardware devices at a time when most people I knew were content with a $30 router from Walmart. Since they released their final AirPort product, the market has finally shifted up.

As end-users are starting to load their home networks with more than a single laptop and a few smartphones, people have realized that having a high-quality router (with whole house coverage) is not a luxury. If you want to load your house up with smart home products, multiple iOS devices, Apple TVs, etc., you have to invest in the infrastructure. Plain and simple, Apple exited the home networking business at the exact wrong time.


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A possible AirPort Extreme replacement? Hands-on with the Synology RT2600ac [Video]

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Since the news broke that Apple is getting out of the router business, I’ve been looking to replace my AirPort Extreme. I wanted something with more power-user features, and the Synology RT2600ac stood out as a likely candidate. The $229.99 RT2600ac, which is the follow-up to last year’s popular RT1900ac, contains a wealth of new additions, and is considerably more power-user friendly than Apple’s AirPort Extreme.

Synology’s routers run the SRM operating system, which makes managing the RT2600ac similar to driving one of the company’s popular NAS boxes. But does this router make a good replacement for the easy-to-use AirPort Extreme? Have a look at our hands-on video walkthrough as I showcase 15 of my favorite RT2600ac features.


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9to5Toys Last Call: 5K iMac from $1,579, Apple Watch $100 off, MacBook microSD adapter $30, more

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B&H Photo’s Black Friday Mac Deals live! 5K iMac: $1579, Mac Pro: $500 off, Retina MacBook: $170 off (Tax in NY only)

The rest of the most notable early Black Friday sales can be found below:

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9to5Toys Last Call: AirPort Extreme refurb $100, Canon T5 refurb w/ lens $200, Runtastic Mountain Bike free, more

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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Heads up! During Black Friday/Cyber Monday you’re going to have to follow us on Twitter to get the best deals since many sell out too quickly to post.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

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Spigen’s aluminum Apple Watch Stand is down to just $8 shipped (Reg. $16)

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Apple AirPort Extreme 802.11ac Wireless Router (refurbished): $100 shipped (Orig. $199)

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Canon Pre-Black Friday Sale: T5 w/ 18-55mm lens kit (refurb) $200 (Orig. $549), more

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Runtastic Mountain Bike PRO GPS for iPhone goes free (Reg. $5)

App Store Free App of the Week: Stackables ($3 value)

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The Black Friday Mac Bundle offers 10 productivity-boosting apps including Drive Genius 4 for $34.99 (Orig. $533)

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Best of Black Friday — Apple: deals on iPad Air 2, iPhone 6s/Plus, Apple Watch, Macs, more!

Amazon’s Black Friday deals go live later this week w/ mobile shoppers getting extra perks

Top 5 ways to score the year’s best online Black Friday deals

10 can’t-miss deals for the holiday season: HDTVs, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6s, more

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

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Herman Miller takes rare 15% off world’s best office chairs + desks, inc. award-winning Aeron, all shipped free

BLACK FRIDAY AD LEAKS & NEWS:

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Best of Black Friday – Streaming Media Players: Apple TV 64GB $180, Roku SE $20, 2-Pack Chromecast (2nd gen) $50more

Best of Black Friday – Smart Home: Nest Thermostat $250 + $50 GC, Philips Hue kit $130

Best of Black Friday – HDTVs: 40-inch from $149, Samsung 55-inch Smart $580 (Reg. $1,200), more

Best of Black Friday – iPads, Tablets and e-readers: iPad Air 2 from $360, Amazon Fire $35 (Reg. $50)more

Best of Black Friday – Games: Xbox One/PS4 console bundles, deep discounts on games, more

Best of Black Friday – wearables: Fitbit Flex $59/Charge $90/more, $100 off Apple Watch, Android smartwatchesmore

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Best Buy’s Black Friday ad brings deals on Apple Watch, Macs, HDTVs, games & more!

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

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Save on the new Apple TV: 32GB $130, 64GB $180 or 3rd Gen (refurb) for $40 + free shipping

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Apple iPod touch (6th gen) in multiple colors: 16GB $159, 32GB $199, 64GB $239 + free shipping

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

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Leica introduces a new low-cost M series camera, but don’t expect bargain pricing

Feature Request: A Magic AirPort Extreme with smart downloads, better debugging + prioritized devices

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Feature Request is a new regular 9to5Mac series where authors offer their opinions on how to improve popular hardware or software products.

Apple’s AirPort wireless routers aren’t cheap, but many people — including me — keep buying them because they “just work” most of the time. Connect an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express to your cable modem and you’ll get a consistently great wireless connection across all of your Macs, iPads, iPhones, iPod touches, and accessories, as well as non-Apple products. But the AirPorts could do more, and Apple knows it. Four years ago, the company was openly working on some cool next-generation router features that apparently didn’t wind up in its devices. These days, with Apple TVs and AirPlay streaming at the peak of their popularity, Apple’s routers need to be smarter about streaming high-bitrate video and audio. Here’s how AirPort routers should take the next steps forward…


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9to5Toys Last Call: AirPort Extreme (newest, refurb) $120, Seagate 2TB Slim $80, Apple TV $79, GameStop Black Friday, more

9to5ToysKeep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the brand new 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

Apple TV

airport-extreme-9to5toys-dealAirPort Extreme 802.11ac Wireless Base Station (Geek Squad Certified Refurb.) $120 (Reg. $199 new)more

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Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive (multiple colors): $80 shipped (Reg. $100)

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GameStop’s full Black Friday ad leak: PS4 bundle $400, Xbox One from $330, GTA V Shark cards 50% off, more

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Small States – TM1985: former Ralph Lauren designer goes American made w/ elegant backpacks, $407 giveaway + 25% discount

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

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Black Friday:

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Top leaks:

All other leaks/info:

New products/ongoing promos:

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9to5Toys Last Call: AirPort routers (refurb) from $60, iTunes gift cards 15% off, Ikea LED light bulbs $5 each, more

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications. Today’s can’t miss deals: Last Call updates:

airport-extreme-9to5toys-deal Airport wireless routers (Refurb): Express $60 (Reg. $99 new), Extreme $120 (Reg. $199) canon-t3i-refurb-deal Save an extra 25-30% at Canon refurb store: T3 w/ Lens $252, T3i w/ lens $336, SL1 $360more itunes-gift-card-dealApple deals:

soul-ludacris-sale-discount Headphones:

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promotions: https://twitter.com/9to5Google/status/490112071686553601

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

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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.

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9to5Toys Last Call: AirPort Extreme $169, JBL/Bose/Denon headphone deals, HooToo USB 3.0 hubs from $11, more

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals: 

Last Call updates:

 

airport-extreme-9to5toys-dealApple AirPort Extreme (6th gen) 802.11ac wireless base station $169 shipped (Reg. $199)

bose-oe2-on-ear-headphones-04Headphone Deals:

hootoo-usb-hub-amazon-dealHooToo USB 3.0 Hubs: 7-port $27 (Reg. $65), 4-port slim bus-powered $11 (Reg. $15)

Other great deals from today:

  • New! Game/App Deals: Mini Ninjas, City Maps 2Go Pro and Car Club go free on iOS, Terraria for Android: $2 (Reg. $5), iOS freebies, more
  • New! iOttie Easy View Universal iPhone car mount $13 shipped (Reg. $23)

More great deals still alive:

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9to5Toys Last Call: Seiki 4K UHDTV from $404, Slingbox SOLO $40, Time Capsule 2TB/3TB $50 off, AP Extreme $165, more

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

 

seiki-4k-hdtv-dealSeiki 4K Ultra HD TVs: 39″ $404 (Reg. $699), 50″ $607 (Reg. $1,500)

slingbox-solo-remote-tv-streamerSling Media Slingbox SOLO Media Streamer Refurb $40 shipped

apple-time-capsule-deal-2tbApple Time Capsule AC wireless router/backup device (newest version): 2TB $250/3TB $350, AirPort Extreme $165

Other great deals from today:

More great deals still alive:

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

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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

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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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9to5Toys Last Call: $50 iTunes gift card for $40, Airport Extreme 5th gen. (Refurb.) $75, iPad 4th gen $425, iPad mini $295, more

From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s featured deals:

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SOLD OUT $50 iTunes gift card for $40: Save 20% on future app, music, movie, book purchases (Limited quantities remain)

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Apple Airport Extreme 5th Gen (Refurb): $75 shipped (Reg. $180 new)

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Apple iPad 4th gen. w/ Retina display 16GB WiFi $425 (Reg. $499), iPad mini 16GB WiFi $295 (Reg. $229)

Other great deals from today:

  • New! Netgear Wireless WiFi N Router with Integrated 4-Port Switch $18 shipped (Reg. $59)
  • New! Western Digital 3TB Elements External USB 2.0 Hard Drive $95 shipped
  • New! Iron Man 3 is now available on DVD/Blu-ray, here’s the best current deals
  • New! Pioneer DDJ-T1 & S1 DJ Controllers at $100 off: $600 shipped

The best deals that are still alive:

Mac software bundles:

New product announcements & reviews: