Home Router/Wireless

[Andrew H]

Hi all,

Thinking of replacing my current router, here's the system:

Apple Airport Extreme Time Capsule (6th gen) as router, running guest network
2 - Apple airport Express - 1st gen, used to feed airplay to 2 sound systems
1 Apple Airport Extreme (6th gen) as access point for lower level and exterior patio
1 - Apple Airport Time Capsule 3rd gen for Master Bedroom side of home

Connections - approx. 50 dhcp clients,

Wireless - 4 ipads, 3 iphones, 2 wireless laptops, 2 wireless doorbells with 3 wireless chimes, 2 printers for airprint that are also hardwired.

Hardwired - voip, lighting, security, 5 directvs pulling ips, 3 smart tv, irrigation systems, swimming pool systems and more.

I have about 7 reserved IP address and several open ports.

Also running guest network for some of daughters friends when around.

So- am I overrunning the airport extreme. In the logs, it seems to drop some of the wireless ip addresses.

It is about 2-3 years old. Waiting for Gigapower uverse to arrive in the neighborhood in a few months. Currently on TWC 50/5.

Any thoughts for a very stable router, that I can still use the airports as access points. I've looked at some of the commercial cisco and others, and they seem difficult for a non-professional to manage.

I originally thought of the Linksys WRT1900ACS, but it didn't get good reviews.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks,

Andrew

 

[sfx2000]

You're good where you at for the moment - see what happens when you get a bandwidth expansion...

The old-school expresses - 11g or 11n? there's two models that look the same...

 

[sfx2000]

And for what it is worth - the Airport AC series (Airport Extreme/Time Capsule) are probably the oldest device in Apple's lineup - so I'm expecting an update this Spring...

My guess is 4*4:4 with MU for the Extremes, and 2*2:2 11ac with 2xGigE for the Express...

 

[Andrew H]

And for what it is worth - the Airport AC series (Airport Extreme/Time Capsule) are probably the oldest device in Apple's lineup - so I'm expecting an update this Spring...

My guess is 4*4:4 with MU for the Extremes, and 2*2:2 11ac with 2xGigE for the Express...

The Express are "n" - I've actually turned one of them on as an access point because they are near the door bell chimes. Actually they seem very stable. Hopefully the new Apple device will be good. I need the stability to keep the Mom and kid happy. TWC hasn't been bad - only time they have been problematic is day after Christmas when everyone in the neighborhood was trying out their new toys.

Thanks

 

[sfx2000]

The Express are "n" - I've actually turned one of them on as an access point because they are near the door bell chimes

The express "N"s have two variants - older ones look like MacBook power adapters, the newer look like the Apple TV - the older ones are actually pretty cool as they're pitch perfect audio-wise for remote speakers...

Anyways - Airports/TimeCapsules that support 11ac, they're still pretty much state of the art with regards to WiFi, AC1900 class and all - as routers, they'll support 50 or so clients, and they're decent with IPv6...

 

[Andrew H]

The express are the older "block" style - I wish they still made them. Will the extremes support more than 50 clients - only about 1/2 are wireless and they are spread among the access point devices.

 

[sfx2000]

The express are the older "block" style - I wish they still made them. Will the extremes support more than 50 clients - only about 1/2 are wireless and they are spread among the access point devices.

Apple says they will - up to 50... which is a lot for a home network... outside of routing, as AP's only, they're pretty good when running OS X server on a full-time Macintosh... (OS X server can manage Airports directly, bypassing Airport Utility, but that's perhaps another discussion)

Like I mentioned earlier though - you're likely good to go for now... and let's see what 2016 brings to the table, Apple or others...