Automated notification of firmware updates.A network punch-through protocol called NAT-PMP for enabling remote access for applications, like games and servers.Internet access to base station configuration and NAS drives via Back to My Mac.

Base station to base station networking (via Wireless Distribution System or WDS).Network-attached storage (NAS) with AFP (Apple Filing Protocol) and SMB support.AirPlay audio passthrough (AirPort Express only).However, for Mac users in particular, the gateways had Apple-specific features you couldn’t get elsewhere. What about Apple’s proprietary base station features?įrom Apple’s introduction of the original AirPort until just a few years ago, its base stations were often the best on the market, even if sometimes the most expensive’. You can wind up with as much as five years of base station warranty that way.) (A tip on extending the life of your AirPort base station: If you purchase an AppleCare warranty for a Mac and have bought an AirPort base station of any vintage within the two years prior to the Mac’s purchase date, Apple extends the warranty to the AirPort gear through the duration of the AppleCare warranty. As for losing out on special features, see our section on why Apple’s proprietary base station features are no longer relevant. You need not be concerned, because you actually have several options, which we describe below. If you’re an Apple household and your home is already full of Apple base stations, you may be concerned about pivoting away and losing features you rely on, or creating a mixed network of Apple and non-Apple routers. And the company will continue to sell out its current inventory and, of course, honor its technical support and warranty obligations. This comes as no surprise, given that the last updates for the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule models internals came in 2013 (to include the 802.11ac Wave 1 standard), while the compact AirPort Express has remained stuck in 2012.Īpple has, however, embedded recent Wi-Fi technology in the radio systems of its computers, mobile devices, and the Apple TV. Having helped usher in simple-to-use Wi-Fi networking in 2000 with its futuristic-looking AirPort Base Station, Apple has finally confirmed what has been reported since at least late 2016: Its line of AirPort and Time Capsule Wi-Fi gateways is dead.

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