Apple cancelled this, now what?

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  • čas přidán 3. 05. 2024
  • Thanks to ASUS for sponsoring today’s video! Check out the ASUS WiFi 6E routers featured in the video:
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    Giveaway:
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    FOLLOW US ELSEWHERE
    ---------------------------------------------------
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    CHAPTERS
    ---------------------------------------------------
    0:00 Apple's iBook & Airport brought Wi-Fi to the masses
    0:53 My Airport Setup
    2:13 Apple from years past
    2:59 The Solution: Wi-Fi
    4:20 1st Gen Airport in 2023
    5:36 Wi-Fi routers nowadays
    6:40 Apple did mesh networking first
    7:52 Goodbye, Apple Airport
  • Věda a technologie

Komentáře • 506

  • @koalaunknown
    @koalaunknown Před 5 měsíci +677

    It would be cool if they turned the full size HomePod into a mesh network router.

    • @Dogedadogo
      @Dogedadogo Před 5 měsíci +39

      THIS IS ACTUALLY A GOOD IDEA! They could call it the Homepod Max or pro or something or extreme

    • @thefriendlycar2nist836
      @thefriendlycar2nist836 Před 5 měsíci +17

      would allow them to compete with google (currently google routers/extenders also function as smart speakers)

    • @Mareks_Riekstins
      @Mareks_Riekstins Před 5 měsíci +2

      That is actually a genius idea

    • @jonaskohl13
      @jonaskohl13 Před 5 měsíci +10

      @@Dogedadogo What about the name "HomePort"?

    • @flyingpanhandle
      @flyingpanhandle Před 5 měsíci

      @@Mareks_Riekstins It's so good Nest Wifi did it years ago.

  • @chriswaldrip2739
    @chriswaldrip2739 Před 5 měsíci +842

    They should totally get back into Wi-Fi routers. Their expertise in software UI would be amazing compared to the crap UI we get from everybody else these days. Today you either get the most simplest experience, or you get something that make network admins giddy! There’s no real in between…

    • @leonro
      @leonro Před 5 měsíci +41

      I wouldn't really count on Apple to deliver a great Wi-Fi user interface. The way their software is now, I'd be surprised if you had too many options available.

    • @xPorkchops007x
      @xPorkchops007x Před 5 měsíci +8

      Their last router isn't that bad still. I would consider buying one and waiting to upgrade until WiFi 7 is affordable.

    • @WilkinsonX
      @WilkinsonX Před 5 měsíci +60

      Ubiquiti was happy to pick up the bag.

    • @user-wj7sm9bm6p
      @user-wj7sm9bm6p Před 5 měsíci +32

      Unifi from Ubiquiti

    • @ozymatic3291
      @ozymatic3291 Před 5 měsíci +13

      Second UniFi, it’s an Apple equiv. eco system for home networking.

  • @jeffw991
    @jeffw991 Před 5 měsíci +277

    The Airport Express was so dope for traveling back in the short period of time when most hotels had wireline Ethernet, but very few had WiFi.

    • @flammablewater1755
      @flammablewater1755 Před 5 měsíci +9

      I used to travel with a 50ft ethernet cable.

    • @thetechchannel321
      @thetechchannel321 Před 5 měsíci +1

      nice
      @@flammablewater1755

    • @Solkre82
      @Solkre82 Před 5 měsíci

      @@flammablewater1755 Chad Cat5 they'd call him.

    • @VM-lt9wl
      @VM-lt9wl Před 5 měsíci +5

      They were really the first to offer a travel router. I have a couple different models from TP link now. A tiny little usb powered one, and one with a built in AC adapter. Don't know why I needed them but the sales were nice.

    • @JGott0001
      @JGott0001 Před 5 měsíci

      I had a 802.11g Linksys travel router in high school. A lot of fun nerdy memories involved that thing.

  • @batmatty93
    @batmatty93 Před 5 měsíci +295

    Really wish Apple never left the router game. Yes, they were a bit expensive but they were built to last and looked good. I bought an Eero a few weeks ago because it didn’t look ridiculous and was decently affordable.

    • @thetechchannel321
      @thetechchannel321 Před 5 měsíci +7

      It could have been awesome if they stayed in the game

    • @dr_brewer
      @dr_brewer Před 5 měsíci +8

      I still use my AirPort Extreme and it’s the best router I have ever used by far.

    • @SGCSmith
      @SGCSmith Před 5 měsíci +3

      I think a lot of their prominent AirPort engineers went to Ubiquiti. Also so many ISPs just force routers on people that extra coverage can be accomplished with APs these days.

    • @jbrovage
      @jbrovage Před 5 měsíci +1

      @@SGCSmith this explains why Ubiquiti is the only thing i've thought looked even remotely good enough to replace my Apple gear. A good UI in home-networking is a delicate balance of simplicity, with lots of features buried just out of sight to the "consumer grade" user.

    • @SGCSmith
      @SGCSmith Před 5 měsíci

      @@jbrovage Yep. I like to install Ubiquiti hardware for businesses and homes too. It's intimidating at first but it is hardware I wouldn't mind handing off to someone to figure out on their own in the future. They've certainly made the whole experience simple enough for anyone to use, while having enough features around to make them appealing to use over a more consumer oriented device.
      They are by no means on the same level as Cisco Meraki or Enterprise level like Ruckus, Cisco, Juniper, or HPE, but they work in many instances.

  • @salocin9009
    @salocin9009 Před 5 měsíci +60

    A used AirPort Extreme is an incredible value here in Australia or other countries where not everyone has crazy fast internet plans. 802.11ac or wifi 5 is still viable for most, the fastest wifi plan available in Australia right now has 1000 mbps (1 gig) download (the fastest I can get where I live is 100 mbps download and I live in an urban area).

    • @CommodoreFan64
      @CommodoreFan64 Před 5 měsíci +3

      Damn that sucks man, here in the US in a somewhat rural town I'm on T-Mobile 5G Home Internet to save some cash, and with their Gateway placed in a clear windows pointing towards the tower, I'm seeing 600 Mbps + down(rare burst to over 800 Mbps), and 50 Mbps to 150 Mbps + ups usually with sub 24ms idle ping times. I could get gigabit internet here form the local cable company, but they want to charge a kidney for it each month after their promo rates, and hidden fees, and I was like NOPE!!!

    • @BeesonsCars
      @BeesonsCars Před 5 měsíci +3

      @@CommodoreFan64That's really good speeds from a 5G home internet service. Is the ping usually consistent?

    • @CommodoreFan64
      @CommodoreFan64 Před 5 měsíci

      @@BeesonsCars Yes usually, but I'll fully admit that I've had a handful of times since Feb 2023 when I signed up where my speed dropped to unusable where I had to reboot to get them back, or wait a couple of hours. Also the way T-Mobile handles IP addresses their service dumps me out in Atlanta, GA about 3 1/2 hours west of me, so I have to set my location for things like CZcams TV with my phone, and they had a glitch for about 2 days back in June where it was dumping me random places like Miami Florida, Baltimore MD, New Orleans LA, etc.. each time I rebooted my gateway till I finally got Atlanta, GA back which caused location base issues along with speed issues, but none sense, but If you ever do sign up just make sure you try to get the Sagemcom F@st Gateway, or the new one in white with external SMB antenna connectors with your own 4X4 Antenna for an outdoor setup, as they are the most stable with the best speeds, and don't use the internal WiFI unless it's for speed testing on 5Ghz as it causes the Gateways to run hotter than they should under prolonged use, and you will have to play with the location of the Gateway along with learning cell metric data on the T-Mobile app, and the utmost important thing is to make sure on their coverage maps you are in their 5G ultra capacity range for the best speeds/pings.

    • @niamhturner1451
      @niamhturner1451 Před 5 měsíci +1

      yeah i mean here in Scotland its a great value as in most of our largest city you can only get about 30mb, but rurally can get much better
      meh 30 is still more than i really can use xD

    • @CommodoreFan64
      @CommodoreFan64 Před 5 měsíci

      @@niamhturner1451 While 30Mbps is for sure usable for a couple of people, but if you have a household with a family like me, where in just one room 2 college football(America Football of course) games are going, 2 wrestling streams, 2 phones, 2 laptops, several Google Nest devices, smart plug adapters, a kid gaming, etc.. 30Mbps just ain't enough that's for sure, which is why I'm glad I have fast 5G internet at a decent price.

  • @agraham57
    @agraham57 Před 5 měsíci +118

    The only thing I sincerely miss from apple is the time machine backup. Linux has some things that are close, but nothing is as good as apples time machine.

    • @k1lkenny
      @k1lkenny Před 5 měsíci +15

      You can set up a NAS and set it as the target for TimeMachine actually. Thought obviously it's a bit more tinkering.

    • @agraham57
      @agraham57 Před 5 měsíci +9

      @@k1lkenny I've got my moms macbook set up to backup with time machine to a USB drive and havent been able to convince her to fork out the cash for a nas.
      When I said I miss time machine, what I meant was that ever since radeongate and my experiences with apple support for their extended service window for that issue, I will not spend money on apple products ever again.

    • @curiousurick
      @curiousurick Před 5 měsíci +4

      I just set up my Linux server to be a Time Machine backup for all the Macs in my house. It took a while but now I don’t have to think about it. I really wish I could use it for my iPhone to stop paying for extra iCloud.

    • @Patraks
      @Patraks Před 5 měsíci +3

      @@agraham57 My ASUS gaming router actually supports connecting a USB hard drive to it and it has a built-in Time Machine USB hard drive backup feature. It was so simple and easy to setup!

    • @Mewcaloid
      @Mewcaloid Před 5 měsíci +1

      Omg yes I was so surprised they don’t make them anymore >_> love how it auto synchronized

  • @dataterminal
    @dataterminal Před 5 měsíci +19

    First (silver) and second (white/dial up model) had dial up connectivity. Allowing for 56k dialup connections to not only be shared over wifi and the ethernet port, but also dial on demand when ever a wifi client needed internet access, making accessing the internet seamless. Something, sadly our friend Jonathan didn't seem to get to joy that. Also, side note, on the second gen models with the dial up modem, you could even dial in remotely and it'd work as a VPN like service, allowing you to use your home internet connection if you had broadband services, and access the other machines on the network.

  • @Liniboy43
    @Liniboy43 Před 5 měsíci +7

    Omg the moment he pulled back the keyboard, taking it apart in 5 seconds. If only our modern MacBooks could have a replaceable keyboard like this. It literally takes hours and ~100 screws to replace the new MacBook keyboards :0

    • @MindfulProgramming
      @MindfulProgramming Před 5 měsíci

      seriously that was so cool to see. Apple please bring this back!

  • @vaughnsc
    @vaughnsc Před 5 měsíci +7

    Since you asked: I was at MWNY’99, saw the AirPort banner as I walked in the convention center, and promptly preordered the iBook (marketed as ‘iMac To Go’) and the OG ABS (which amusingly also had an OEM WaveLAN PC Card inside).
    Prior to delivery I was hauling a 50 foot 10BaseT cable around the house. IIRC the routing was performed by CommuniGate software on my desktop Mac, using dialup. Good times!

  • @tvdan1043
    @tvdan1043 Před 5 měsíci +8

    I started with the old stalwart of '00s wifi: The Linksys WRT-54G. Bought it in 2005 along with a matching PC card for my laptop. Used it for more than a decade until I ditched the cable internet in my neighborhood (Cox) because the router could still handle more speed than my ISP-provided modem could provide. Once I switched to fiber internet I had to upgrade my router but I still kept the old Linksys as a backup and had to use it a couple of times. Those things were tanks!

  • @cnelson3225
    @cnelson3225 Před 5 měsíci +10

    I have pretty fond memories of the Apple Airport routers. The school I worked for had them deployed and they had about 50 of them in their network just in one building.
    They never stood out in any way or had amazing features, but they worked every day up until they all got replaced by a high end ruckus system right when I left. They're pretty legit and I have an old dome shaped one in my apple collection just because I had such a good time with them.

  • @kraizyace2612
    @kraizyace2612 Před 5 měsíci +8

    My first wireless router was a Netgear WNDR3700 I bought back in 2010 to go with the HP Pavilion dv7-3165dx I had purchased (names just rolled off the tongue back then). In 2017 I flashed DD-WRT onto it to squeeze some extra life into it. I still have it to this day, but instead I'm currently using a crappy Arris SurfBoard cable modem since my local NEX didn't have that good of a selection to choose from.

  • @OthMar39
    @OthMar39 Před 5 měsíci +3

    Last week I bought two AirPort Extreme and one Express to extended the WiFi signal to cover my whole apartment.
    I’m very happy with the setup and didn’t notice any issues.

  • @QuinTheFly
    @QuinTheFly Před 5 měsíci +4

    After a faux pas repairing my iBook G3, I demanded compensation. AppleCare offered me an AirPort Express for my troubles. It was amazing! It was my first foray into WiFi and led to me implementing Extremes. I was sad when the line ended.
    Great nostalgia trip

  • @WilliamHaisch
    @WilliamHaisch Před 5 měsíci +7

    The first graphite AirPort had a WaveLAN Silver PCMCIA card in a carrier that hooked it up to Ethernet or a phone line! 😊 I used to pilfer old AirPort base stations to upgrade old PC laptops that needed wireless. The Silver version could only do 64-bit WEP encryption (I bet it made it easier to export!). The Gold version could do 128-bit WEP.

  • @azblueauthor8081
    @azblueauthor8081 Před 5 měsíci +4

    These dives into old Apple tech is why I subbed to this channel, even though I love the rest of the LMG stuff.

  • @cromulence
    @cromulence Před 5 měsíci +6

    I still use the same 6G AirPort Extreme and I can absolutely get 1gbps speeds wireless to my NAS reliably. They’re great value for what’s still a decent router. I wish they’d continued the line.

  • @SparkyGaming212
    @SparkyGaming212 Před 5 měsíci +4

    I actually still have my family’s old 1st gen Airport Express. It still works and I can still use it as an access point or Airplay receiver. Never tested the printer functionality, but honestly never really needed it.

  • @brokawmike
    @brokawmike Před 5 měsíci +6

    Despite being pretty network savvy, when I’m at home I just want stuff to work. Airport was an absolute godsend, starting in the mid 2000’s when I could walk around our college house like a god getting internet on my PowerBook anywhere, with the rest of the guys running Ethernet through windows and holes in the walls.
    When I switched from my AirPort Extreme in 2017 to newer mesh setups, it wasn’t until I got AMPLIFI Aliens in 2022 that I had an “it just works”experience. If Apple released a WiFi 6e/7 AirPort Extreme, I’d buy a pair immediately.

  • @fraliexb
    @fraliexb Před 5 měsíci +2

    I got my first wifi router around 2001-2003. Probably a rental model from my isp (insight broadband), which became spectrum eventually, and a combination modem/router/wifi unit (arris). Even think it was only 802.11b

  • @BLASTIC0
    @BLASTIC0 Před 5 měsíci +14

    that last Apple Airport router, the 2013 model was the BEST FREAKING ROUTER EVER, so reliable... Im actually still using it and I do some pretty intense stuff. I just dont have any devices that use wifi that are, say, lacking or wanting for more speed. the model before that one was pretty darn good too, only died on me because i had it hanging out a window for range and forgot to pull it back in before it rained. lol

    • @brokawmike
      @brokawmike Před 5 měsíci

      I put mine in the in-laws house a couple years ago and have not had a single wireless complaint since. Couldn’t say the same for the Orbis, Eeros, or ASUS mesh stuff I’ve tried until landing on the AMPLIFI kit

  • @evan
    @evan Před 5 měsíci

    I still own the time capsule and used it up until getting a wifi 6 router in 2020. I loved how perfect it was for me and for backing up everything. Wish they’d come back

  • @AlanTheBeast100
    @AlanTheBeast100 Před 5 měsíci +1

    First WiFi/Router was a used Netgear I traded for a computer case.
    I gave that Netgear WiFi/Router to a friend. He used it for years. All in all it saw well over 10 years use.
    I had an AirPort (the small audio one), but always had connection issues of some sort with whatever WiFi router I was using at the time. Sent it back.

  • @SamMoffatt
    @SamMoffatt Před 5 měsíci +1

    The Airports also used to have support for enterprise style features like RADIUS auth and SNMP. I used one as my home gateway for years and loved that I could monitor it easily. They were more expensive but they also had many more features. I tried to move to some Eero’s but they couldn’t see stuff on my network the Airports have no issues with. The old MacOS Server also used to support managing them as well for a great ecosystem experience.

  • @randocalrissian9217
    @randocalrissian9217 Před 5 měsíci +2

    I'm an AirPort Extreme to Asus router convert. My neighborhood got upgraded to fiber and I needed a modern router that could handle > 2.5Gbps WAN. I ended up getting the GT-AXE16000 and it's been working very well in my mostly Apple device and AirPrint environment. it sits nexts to my fiber modem and my PS5.

  • @rkchang77
    @rkchang77 Před 5 měsíci

    My first wireless router also had an integrated parallel port, so that it could also serve as a printer server. I want to say that it was a Siemens router from 2002-ish. I remember the wireless part working flawlessly. To make it a viable print server to work with my iBook at the time, I had to do some finagling with CUPS print server interface. I seem to remember that it only lasted about 2-3 years, because I by the end of grad school, I had switched over to using a Linksys router and an external Hawking print server.

  • @Maximusrex4575
    @Maximusrex4575 Před 5 měsíci

    My first Wi-Fi router was an Orinoco and it supported Dial-up as well as Broadband, which was just starting to become common where I lived in the early 2000's. It had a PC card for my Laptop and the router itself had a PC Card hidden inside. These days my house is wired with 4 UniFi APs, 3 inside and one outside for back yard coverage.

  • @marksterling8286
    @marksterling8286 Před 5 měsíci +1

    I got my first WiFi access point back in 2001 my internet connection was still dialup at home but I had a Linux box act as the router to dialup for the network on demand. I still use 8 AirPort Extremes I love how they use the 1003 vlan for guest network. They just work (just a little slowly now)

  • @Ebalosus
    @Ebalosus Před 5 měsíci +15

    One thing I feel is missed in the history of Apple routers is that for a long time, good consumer routers were hard to find. Even as late as 2010, you were either stuck with the crap provided by your ISP, or cheap crap from your local big box electronics retailer (D-Link in my case), or you were forking over a lot of money for a commercial wireless router that even if your internet speeds could match, you were paying a hell of a lot of money for not a lot of benefit. Apple routers, despite their lack of advanced features, were actually very competitively priced compared to a lot of the competition for what you got, hence why if you owned at least one Apple product, it made perfect sense to own an Apple router.
    Around 2011-2012 however, consumer wireless router began to stop sucking, meaning that Apple routers started looking overpriced compared to what TP-Link or Linksys or Netgear were beginning to offer, hence the need even amongst Apple people for Apple routers declined; and is why I felt they shuttered their router division.

    • @fungalgrowth
      @fungalgrowth Před 5 měsíci +1

      wrt54gl was released in 2005 my friend

  • @TheRockingest
    @TheRockingest Před 5 měsíci +3

    Apple had Airport incorporated in the Pismo Powerbook around the same time as the iBook. Talk about a really cool laptop! on it you had 2 bays that you could swap out different peripherals you could even put in a battery on one side and then ANOTHER battery on the other side! The airport express was super cool for building a wireless sound system in your house. You could plug a bunch of them like Glade air fresheners around your house and then select them with your iPhone or Macbook iTunes to play music in one room or area at a time or all. Truly cool stuff.

  • @LubomirGeorgiev
    @LubomirGeorgiev Před 5 měsíci +2

    My first one was of course WRT54G probably 2004-2005. Back then many laptops still didnt have built in WIFI and needed a PCMCIA one.

  • @Epicgamer_Mac
    @Epicgamer_Mac Před 5 měsíci +2

    Our home is kitted out with four Eero Pro 6 WiFi mesh router hubs, but I still have my AirPort Express 2nd gen. That was my first router. I use it as an AirPlay target for my 21-year-old Hifi system!

  • @mo3k
    @mo3k Před 5 měsíci

    Great video! Love the historical 90s vibes and information lead up to today. As a sad subscriber on iCloud Family PLUS Extra Storage, I would love a modern local iCloud-time-capsule approach.

  • @TimR123
    @TimR123 Před 5 měsíci +4

    Around 2000 with an 802.11b setup and PC Card adapters. Huge PITA to get the Windows machines I had working with it. Also challenges with my ISP which only understood that one computer could connect at a time VIA DIALUP. Yes, my first WiFi setup was access point only using a software router on my pc that would dial out on demand and share the connection. Mind blown huh 😏.
    Funny side effect is that my current SSID is the street I lived on back then. It just stayed when I moved and now that it’s been forever, it isn’t even a security concern.

  • @user-cy4iz2er1p
    @user-cy4iz2er1p Před 5 měsíci

    I still use my airport extreme and time capsules. But when all connected by an Ethernet cable you have a network for the home with close to gigabit speeds based on proximity

  • @notenoughmonkeys
    @notenoughmonkeys Před 5 měsíci +8

    I always like it when companies design their hardware to have uses beyond obsolescence when their time inevitable comes. Like iMacs being usable as monitors, AirPort Extremes being useable as Time Machines, and of course Asus routers being useable as foot stools.

    • @MindfulProgramming
      @MindfulProgramming Před 5 měsíci +1

      True, although sadly the "Target Display" feature has been obsolete for a while. Similar things exist(Sidecar and Universal Control), but.. it's still different. Also for clarity with regards to prospective buyers, Airport Extreme and Airport Time Capsule are different devices. Extreme can have attached external storage to operate as a Time Capsule, meanwhile Airport Time Capsule has built-in storage.

  • @EthanWI349
    @EthanWI349 Před 5 měsíci

    I purchased the iBook G4 and the AirPort Extreme base station sometime in 2004. The model that I had included a built in 56k modem for wirelessly connecting to a dial-up ISP. Even though I was still limited to dial-up speeds, it was still life changing that I could use my laptop in any room of the house.

  • @N9199
    @N9199 Před 5 měsíci +1

    My family used the last airport time capsule and last airport extreme in our house until the pandemic hit and we needed better speed, we still have them though, but we don't actively use them anymore

  • @roberttranceedm
    @roberttranceedm Před 5 měsíci +1

    I have an Airport Extreme in our home, active, working and we are still quite happy with it. And, it is indeed 10 years long with us.

  • @alexmiranda6107
    @alexmiranda6107 Před 5 měsíci +19

    the print server idea is really cool, I don't know why any company hasn't tried making printer that is also a wifi router/ethernet switch. most people with printers use network attached ones (I think), and it is usually near the router so why not combine them, lots of printers have their own wifi networks for wireless printing, why not just make it a full fat wifi router

    • @alexatkin
      @alexatkin Před 5 měsíci

      Because barely anyone uses printers any more, never mind wanting to leave it turned on 24/7. Quite apart from the fact what's the odds that your broadband comes into the house right where you have your printer? Plus many ISPs mandating or at least encouraging and supplying their own router anyway.

  • @ThePwig
    @ThePwig Před 5 měsíci +2

    I still have and use my AirPort Extreme AC and love it. It still has great speeds for my use. I use gigabit fiber and ethernet for important stuff and everything else is wireless at around 300-400mbps

  • @Lord_Mangoat
    @Lord_Mangoat Před 5 měsíci

    I had one of the very early models of the AirPort Base Station (AKA ABS for short). Even kept updating to the latest model, until I think before the AirPort Extreme came out. Around then we got a model with WiFi built-in and it was just easier to just use that instead of buying another AirPort Base Station.

  • @peporgan
    @peporgan Před 5 měsíci

    AirPort was awesome! I still enjoy getting out my original iBook and loading web pages. Took it to a library too :)

  • @IcyyDicy
    @IcyyDicy Před 5 měsíci

    I stayed at a place with an airport router over the summer and it was genuinely awful. Constant random disconnections, broken port forwarding, and requiring a DESKTOP APP TO CONFIGURE IT. All of my problems (but port forwarding) were solved when I daisychained my own router to it.

  • @arashitempesta
    @arashitempesta Před 5 měsíci

    Excuse me but that 4:47 swapable bay by pulling up the keyboard is cool as hell, didnt know we had this

  • @taylorlightfoot
    @taylorlightfoot Před 2 měsíci

    My first wifi router was the AirPort Express. However, I was using the airport interface in an old powerbook to wirelessly share the dialup connection well before I got the AirPort Express.

  • @PlanetLinuxChannel
    @PlanetLinuxChannel Před 5 měsíci +1

    I’ve honestly found Synology routers to be the best drop-in replacement. While their up-front cost is a bit steep, it’s because the hardware and software are both REALLY good. And it offers all sorts of features like parental controls, per-device or per-user profiles, and ad blocking, all included where a lot of other brands charge an extra subscription for those things.

  • @foreverchilling5120
    @foreverchilling5120 Před 5 měsíci

    Wow what a blast from the past. My first job was working with the “Founder of WiFi”. 4 years later the entire department shut down. The pace of change in wifi was too fast to keep up. Crazy times the early 2000s

  • @chasapple4
    @chasapple4 Před 5 měsíci +1

    The last generation AirPort Extreme can handle 50 clients. You may not have gotten the full speeds if you had channel over lapping with other Wifi Networks or devices or things causing interference. The Extreme also have a USB 2.0 port in the back for printer sharing or Storage sharing (tho now a days that would be way to slow)

  • @christopherneufeldt4035
    @christopherneufeldt4035 Před 5 měsíci

    I think it was 2006 or so when I had an IMac G5 iSight, 1.9GHz. It was when my parents had AT&T internet and the network modem was from 2Wire which had wifi capabilities. I managed to figure it out and had wireless internet long before my parents knew or anyone really needed it in my family. So that was cool as it opened up so much for me in terms of learning about new technology and of course, spending too much time in forums and messaging apps at the time. But it was fun.

  • @AlphaRaptor2k6
    @AlphaRaptor2k6 Před 5 měsíci

    I used the second gen Airport(White) because it had a dial up modem and I was the only one on the network(on first a Casio, then Compaq PDA). I may have used it once on an old PC laptop, but then we got cable internet(and upgraded to a Linksys router).

  • @5urg3x
    @5urg3x Před 5 měsíci +1

    The PowerBook G4 Ti (Apple's first dance with Titanium, which was a fkn disaster btw) had WiFi. It was my first WiFi enabled laptop that I ever owned. And it SUCKED BALLS. The antenna was absolutely comically bad. It was this tiny little nub that you clicked in and out, and that's it. I can still to this day remember sitting in a computer science lecture hall in college, and wondering why everyone else's laptop could connect to the wifi access point, but mine couldn't. I eventually figured out that if I sat in a certain spot, it would kind of work, but even then it would still cut out all the time.

  • @rollor
    @rollor Před 5 měsíci

    still have a bunch of 10-year-old airport express powering ceiling wireless speakers in the house. these things are tough, and actually cost-effect solutions 10 years ago.

  • @domkalan
    @domkalan Před 5 měsíci +1

    my first wifi router was a airport express, loved that thing way ahead of its time

  • @Pasi123
    @Pasi123 Před 5 měsíci

    We got our first Wi-Fi router in 2006 when we got fiber internet. At first the only Wi-Fi devide we had was my mom's Celeron M based Fujitsu Siemens Amilo laptop which was basically the family computer. In 2007 my mom got a Nokia E65 smartphone with Wi-Fi, at some point we also got a PCI Wi-Fi card for a PC located in a different building.
    My first device with Wi-Fi was my HP Compaq Mini 110c netbook in 2009 and my first smartphone with Wi-Fi was an old Nokia N93 in late 2010 or early 2011. In 2011 I also bought a Nokia N810 Internet Tablet which is a small Linux based handheld
    I've never had any Apple routers etc.

  • @lillieliz4442
    @lillieliz4442 Před 5 měsíci

    To this day I can remember the day wifi was first installed in our house, it was a cold August 2009, and I had just started second grade... those were the days man

  • @Transit_Biker
    @Transit_Biker Před 5 měsíci

    Man, i remember having wifi and DSL when most people still had dialup because of the airport functionality in my macs.

  • @speakingsoftly
    @speakingsoftly Před 5 měsíci

    I love my TimeCapsule. I still have one sat alongside my Mini server and NAS

  • @blackraen
    @blackraen Před 5 měsíci

    Still got my old Airport Express base station in the stuff-drawer in case I need an 802.11a/b radio.

  • @Conchobhar
    @Conchobhar Před 5 měsíci

    I got a wallwart 802.11n AirPort Express in uni, which I sold to a client when I worked at a computer store years later and the store reimbursed me with the 2nd gen model 802.11n Express which I still use to this day to stream all my music to my stereo.

  • @chadhowell1328
    @chadhowell1328 Před 5 měsíci

    I still have my 2tb time capsule as well although it has been hibernating in a box for quite some time now.

  • @Superacerc
    @Superacerc Před 5 měsíci

    My first wireless router was a trusty blue Lynksys from early 2000s. I think it was about 2002. Cant remember exactly. It had to sit on top of the linksys cable modem.

  • @CommodoreFan64
    @CommodoreFan64 Před 5 měsíci

    My small town here in rural S. Carolina did not get "high speed"(8Mbps/3Mbps) internet till late 2007 from the local cable company Breezeline(formally Atlantic BroadBand), I was one of if not the first person in my town to get connected, and was stuck with their rental modem, and a Belkin 54G WiFi router with a single antenna, and it was horrible, it burned out a few weeks after I got it, so was going to town to get a new one, stopped into the local Goodwill to drop some stuff off, and found some Linksys WRT54G v3 and V4 routers, did some digging online, taught myself about DD WRT, and made them into a sudo mesh router setup along with the fan mods and never looked back. Never had anything Apple Airport as it was always too expensive for my budget, and needs.

  • @MrStevetmq
    @MrStevetmq Před 4 měsíci

    I got the Airport express for the music option and always wondered when a router with the word "Extreme" (extreme being more) did not have that function?

  • @rayconstantine6761
    @rayconstantine6761 Před 5 měsíci

    I remember my wife walking in the door after work, whereupon I presented her with a brand new iBook and proceeded to wave my hand around it to demonstrate the lack of wires. Amazing! Of course, I also remember punchcards, 300 baud modems, and Netscape.

  • @scbond
    @scbond Před 5 měsíci

    I was using an 802.11n Extreme and Express as my main network until earlier this year when I upgraded to full fibre into the house and they are now (sadly) no longer keep up. Still use the Express as a wifi adapter for my PC but now I have a TP-Link mesh.
    If Apple released a new AirPort mesh product I’d ditch the current setup and get Apple’s in a heartbeat.

  • @applesushi
    @applesushi Před 5 měsíci

    I remember us using WaveLAN and Orinoco cards at work. I never had HomeRF exposure but I do remember using an Apple AirPort Express for years.

  • @BrianBoniMakes
    @BrianBoniMakes Před 5 měsíci +1

    I had that silver wifi router, it might still be at my parent's house. I'm still using an Apple time machine to back up three macs, I put an 8T hard drive and rebooted and the thing just picked it up and off it went. Nice piece of gear. Only odd thing is I manage it from Windows, the software has more options there for some reason?

  • @Kylefassbinderful
    @Kylefassbinderful Před 5 měsíci

    i loved streaming music from my ibook g4 to my stereo via my gen1 airport express. That thing was super handy and small -oh, and it had optical.

  • @baitboy3191
    @baitboy3191 Před 5 měsíci

    it was interesting seeing laptops coming out with Wifi, and seeing the few areas that even provided it during that time.

  • @c0t0d0s7
    @c0t0d0s7 Před 5 měsíci

    I have a tangerine and a white iBook. I need to see if they still work. I am still using an AirPort for Time Machine backups.

  • @greebo7857
    @greebo7857 Před 5 měsíci +1

    I still use Airport for my home. I can turn o lights and close curtains by getting up and doing so, so the whole "smart"home thing leaves me cold. But Airport beats the hell out of Bluetooth for streaming music to my vintage HiFi set up, straight from my Mac or phone. And internet speeds in Oz are nothing like what you guys get, soAirport's fine for most other uses.

  • @PhoenixWrong_
    @PhoenixWrong_ Před 5 měsíci

    The iBook was in an era of my life where all I could do was window shop from a Sears catalog.

  • @alistairblaire6001
    @alistairblaire6001 Před 5 měsíci +1

    Wifi is a convenience that I take for granted so much that I don't even remember when I got my first router with wifi capability. I probably used the one built into my first cable modem. Back in the DSL days I don't think I used wifi at all.

  • @fixative-xyz
    @fixative-xyz Před 5 měsíci

    my dad got an airport express when he bought my family's snow ibook g3 (ie the boring white plastic one) back in 2003. i wound up getting a few of my own several years later for cheap because i thought it was cool i could turn any speaker with an 3.5mm aux port into an airplay speaker and i have some old mac laptops that don't like my modern wifi.

  • @theducksupreme415
    @theducksupreme415 Před 5 měsíci

    Would love to see a video on setting up a Time Machine capsule on a modern router. Have attempted it many times with varying degrees of success but nothing ended up sticking long term…

  • @MDI-RestorationMinistry
    @MDI-RestorationMinistry Před 5 měsíci

    I wonder how big a HD can be attached via USB3 to the router to become a "cloud" backup drive of several laptops?

  • @johnwiiu7005
    @johnwiiu7005 Před 5 měsíci

    In Germany, especially in the north we have the FritzBox System by AVM. It's like the airport but faster and it includes an easy to use yet incredibly powerful UI. I'm surprised they're not more popular outside Germany to be honest.

  • @RedRaven65782
    @RedRaven65782 Před 5 měsíci

    I've got a 2013 Mac Pro as a server. I wonder how it'd work as a router, with a couple external WiFi 6 antennas...

  • @JeffGeerling
    @JeffGeerling Před 5 měsíci

    lol every old bit of Apple hardware from that era seems to include the feature of "the fallen off stem"
    I loved my old AirPort routers, used a number of them through the years :(

  • @ljskywalker31
    @ljskywalker31 Před 4 měsíci

    I used to be a huge nerd for these old iBooks and airport routers back in middle school, and I had the same issues at first with connectivity. What I ended up doing to get everything to work was simply updating the OS. Mac OS 8-9 just won't cut it anymore, 10.3 Panther and especially 10.4 Tiger are your only chances. Tiger is great actually because Mozzilla actually makes a legacy brower (TenFourFox) that will run good and up to date on these machines. I was even able to mod an older version of Skype and make video call. I liked the video, but with a little more effort it's definitely possible to show how capable these old iBooks are, even on the internet.

  • @Benzona
    @Benzona Před 5 měsíci

    I still use my original graphite model Airport out in my garage/studio. Yes it's slow but it's enough for all the "smart" crap that requires an internet connection to hook up, anything I actually want to get online with is hardwired. Even so, for 1999 the performance is pretty incredible.

  • @lanfear63
    @lanfear63 Před 5 měsíci

    I got my Comcast Router/Modem and service upgraded to one gig per second recently. Even with Wifi Six AX, I can only get 500 to 600 megabits on Wifi Six AX devices at best. It's still up to 200 megabits per second faster than Wifi 5 Wirelessly, but, you can only get one gig per second if its directly plugged in to your device via a Lan cable or Usb3 adaptor which has a Lan socket. Not many Laptops carry Lan ports these days. Not very practical to set multipule sockets for Lan in a rental. Lol

  • @AndreEian-gv6qb
    @AndreEian-gv6qb Před 5 měsíci

    My step-father traveled around the world to conferences in the 90s showing this stuff.

  • @ingikjartansson
    @ingikjartansson Před 5 měsíci +30

    They should go into the router business again

    • @leonro
      @leonro Před 5 měsíci +1

      But what could they even contribute to it?

    • @JumpeFurby
      @JumpeFurby Před 5 měsíci +1

      They really should not 😂

    • @Zatchillac
      @Zatchillac Před 5 měsíci

      If you ever owned one you wouldn't say that

    • @dukeseb
      @dukeseb Před 5 měsíci +2

      They did… it’s called ubiquiti

    • @Ebalosus
      @Ebalosus Před 5 měsíci

      ⁠@@Zatchillacpray-tell? What issues have you had with them? The only issues I’ve had is a lack of advanced features.

  • @solarbirdyz
    @solarbirdyz Před 5 měsíci

    We had D-Link's first wifi hub, which was pretty much the first affordable wifi hub that wasn't Apple, and I know we had it by August 2002 because I have a network topology net from 16 August 2002 and it includes wifi hub "wireless" with "garon" and "pygar" as listed laptops hanging off it. ^_^

  • @marioStortuga
    @marioStortuga Před 5 měsíci +3

    It's wishful thinking for them to get back into the router side of things. There is no margin for them to really exploit. Well maybe there is for the super faithful 😂.

  • @a1white
    @a1white Před 5 měsíci

    I use an old Airport Express, bought of eBay for next to nothing, to add Airplay to my home hi-fi. Use a few and you can create hi-definition multiroom audio experience on a budget that integrates with your iPhone and Mac seamlessly

  • @themrproamateur
    @themrproamateur Před 5 měsíci

    Side note for modern macOS users, AirPort Time Capsule will look like it can backup but when it comes to actually recovering files or an entire OS, it never can pull up anything. You’ll have an endless spinning loading indicator. Beware.

  • @phantomsmithy
    @phantomsmithy Před 5 měsíci

    I worked for Apple in sales when they dropped the WiFi bomb on the world in 1999. Picking up the brand new iBooks on campus in Cupertino and surfing the internet without wires was MIND BLOWING.

  • @user-hc6ul8xi6t
    @user-hc6ul8xi6t Před 5 měsíci +1

    I got my first router back in 2005 and I hated it. I got my first Wireless extreme base station in 2009 and have continued using them. I still do. Yes they might not have the fastest speeds out there, but I have a mesh network with 5 Extremes(newest gen) for multiple devices that don't support the fastest speeds anyway. I also use them for their ability to broadcast and extend older network types so that I can connect devices that I still want a reliable connection for. My PSP still connects and I can still download purchased items through the PSN. As long as I can do that, I can absolutely tolerate 500mbps speeds. Also, I think Apple might just be taking a break from wireless accessory production. They did stop making displays at one point and came back to that!

  • @KayvonJavid
    @KayvonJavid Před 5 měsíci +2

    Ubquiti has basically replaced them in the networking space

  • @MickySarge
    @MickySarge Před 5 měsíci +10

    I am barely an Apple user. Only have an iPad. But I enjoy the production and delivery of these videos so much. Good job team.

  • @jdm3gee14
    @jdm3gee14 Před 5 měsíci

    This video is what inspired me to get an old Airport Express to act as a wifi extender to my grandparent's home internet solution. I wanted to spend as little money as possible so I got one used for 10 bucks and a 30 dollar powerline networking kit. Now i have wifi in a part of the house that didn't have wifi before.

  • @dundermifflinity
    @dundermifflinity Před 5 měsíci +1

    First time viewer, loved this video. I’ve been a sys admin for 25 years and for the last 10 years focused on ultra low latency networking for financial trading.
    You didn’t put a foot wrong here, it was entertaining, factually accurate right down to the back stories for WaveLAN. Nobody remembers that!
    I’m still laughing at Apple championing early Wi-Fi standard and leading the way for consumer adoption by managing to shrink a Wi-Fi adapter down to a PCMCIA Wi-Fi card, then insisting you have to take your laptop apart to install it under the keyboard! They’ve never changed. Aesthetics first, “ugly” but really useful PCMCIA slot on the side, never.

  • @NeverlandSystemZor
    @NeverlandSystemZor Před 5 měsíci

    I loved the look of those old clamshell iBooks and sadly never had one. :(
    It'd be so cool to see some madman make a sleeper laptop or somehow rig a Mac Mini into one. --IF that would even be possible.

  • @TheKazragore
    @TheKazragore Před 5 měsíci

    Fun fact: the first WLAN prototypes were actually developed in Australia by the CSIRO.

  • @colinsphoneemail
    @colinsphoneemail Před 5 měsíci

    I just got 1 gig fiber couple weeks ago. 1 gig up and down. iPhone 13pro max maxes out around 820 up.

  • @TheMelbournelad
    @TheMelbournelad Před 5 měsíci +1

    Hey don’t forget CSIRO here in Australia that created the base of wifi today

  • @Naomikig
    @Naomikig Před 5 měsíci

    in 2000 i had wifi i had to use a network hub and a wifi network it was good for the time