Routers Best For Mac

TP-Link Archer C2300. The best blend of speed and value. Wi-Fi Spec: 802.11ac/Dual-Band Number. Best Buy customers often prefer the following products when searching for Routers For Mac. Browse the top-ranked list of Routers For Mac below along with associated reviews and opinions. Linksys - AC2200 Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 5 Router. Best Wireless Routers for Mac. Compatibility with Mac and its hardware specifications and OS, is an essential prerequisite for any wireless router that you choose. The routers listed below are not exactly the best in the market, but they work best with Macs. Netgear Orbi AC3000 (3-pack) Eero Pro Tri-Band Mesh Network. This Eero option—also comprised.

Best Routers For Mac
2020 Best Wireless Routers
Routers Best For Mac Catalina
Best Apple Wireless Router
Routers Best For Mac Osx

This article is for network administrators and other people who manage their own network. If you're trying to join a Wi-Fi network, one of these articles should help:

Mac: Connect to Wi-Fi and resolve Wi-Fi issues.
iPhone, iPad or iPod touch: Connect to Wi-Fi and resolve Wi-Fi issues.

Before changing the settings on your router

Back up your router's settings, just in case you need to restore the settings again later.
Update the software on your devices. This is critical for ensuring your devices have the latest security updates and work the best they can with each other.
- First, install the latest firmware updates for your router.
- Then, update the software on your other devices, such as on your Mac and on your iPhone or iPad.
On each device that had previously joined the network, you may need to forget the network to ensure the device uses the router's new settings when rejoining the network.

Router settings

To ensure that your devices can reliably reconnect to your network, apply these settings consistently to each Wi-Fi router and access point, and to each band of a dual-band, tri-band or other multi-band router.

Network name (SSID)

A single, unique name (case sensitive)

The Wi-Fi network name, or service set identifier (SSID), is the name your network uses to advertise its presence to other devices. It's also the name that nearby users will see on their device's list of available networks.

Use a name that's unique to your network, and make sure all routers on your network use the same name for every band they support. For example, don't use common names or default names, such as linksys, netgear, dlink, wireless or 2wire, and don't give your 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands different names.

If you don't follow this guidance, your devices may not connect reliably to your network, to all of the routers on your network or to all of the available bands of your routers. And devices that join your network are more likely to encounter other networks that have the same name, and then automatically try to connect to them.

Hidden network

Disabled

A router can be configured to hide its network name, or SSID. Your router may incorrectly use 'closed' to mean hidden, and 'broadcast' to mean not hidden.

Hiding the network name doesn't conceal the network from being detected or secure it against unauthorised access. And because of the way devices search for and connect to Wi-Fi networks, using a hidden network may expose information that can be used to identify you and the hidden networks you use, such as your home network. When connected to a hidden network, your device may display a privacy warning due to this privacy risk.

To secure access to your network, use the appropriate security setting instead.

Security

WPA3 Personal for better security, or WPA2/WPA3 Transitional for compatibility with older devices

The security setting defines the type of authentication and encryption used by your router, and the level of privacy protection for data transmitted over its network. Whichever level of security you choose, always set a strong password to join the network.

WPA3 Personal is the newest, most secure protocol currently available for Wi-Fi devices. It works with all devices that support Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and some older devices too.
WPA2/WPA3 Transitional is a mixed mode that uses WPA3 Personal with devices that support that protocol, while allowing older devices to use WPA2 Personal (AES) instead.
WPA2 Personal (AES) is appropriate when you can't use one of the more secure modes. In that case, also choose AES as the encryption or cipher type, if available.

Settings that turn off security, such as None, Open or Unsecured, are strongly discouraged. Turning off security disables authentication and encryption and allows anyone to join your network, access its shared resources (including printers, computers and smart devices), use your Internet connection, and monitor data transmitted over your network or Internet connection (including the websites you visit). This is a risk even if security has been turned off temporarily or for a guest network.

Don't create or join networks that use older, deprecated security protocols such as WPA/WPA2 Mixed Mode, WPA Personal, TKIP, Dynamic WEP (WEP with 802.1X), WEP Transitional Security Network, WEP Open or WEP Shared. These are no longer secure, and they reduce network reliability and performance. Apple devices display a security warning when joining such networks.

MAC address filtering, authentication and access control

Disabled

When this feature is enabled, your router can be set up to only allow devices that have specified media access control (MAC) addresses to join the network. Reasons why you shouldn't rely on this feature to prevent unauthorised access to your network:

It doesn't prevent network observers from monitoring or intercepting traffic on the network.
MAC addresses can easily be copied, spoofed (impersonated) or changed.
To help protect user privacy, some Apple devices use a different MAC address for each Wi-Fi network.

To secure access to your network, use the appropriate security setting instead.

Automatic firmware updates

Enabled

If possible, set your router to install software and firmware updates automatically as they become available. Firmware updates can affect the security settings available to you, and they deliver other important improvements to the stability, performance and security of your router.

Radio mode

All (preferred),or Wi-Fi 2 through Wi-Fi 6 (802.11a/g/n/ac/ax)

These settings, available separately for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, control which versions of the Wi-Fi standard the router uses for wireless communication. Newer versions offer better performance and can support more devices concurrently.

It's usually best to enable every mode that's offered by your router, rather than a subset of these modes. All devices, including older devices, can then connect using the fastest radio mode they support. This also helps reduce interference from nearby legacy networks and devices.

Bands

Enable all bands that are supported by your router

A Wi-Fi band is like a road that data can flow down. More bands provide more data capacity and performance for your network.

Channel

Auto

Each band of your router is divided into multiple, independent communication channels, like different lanes on a road. When channel selection is set to automatic, your router will select the best Wi-Fi channel for you.

If your router doesn't support automatic channel selection, choose whichever channel performs best in your network environment. That varies depending on the Wi-Fi interference in your network environment, which can include interference from any other routers and devices that are using the same channel. If you have multiple routers, configure each one to use a different channel, especially if they are close to each other.

Channel width

20 MHz for the 2.4 GHz band
Auto orall widths (20 MHz, 40 MHz and 80 MHz) for the 5 GHz band

Channel width specifies the size of 'pipe' available to transfer data. Wider channels are faster but more susceptible to interference, and also more likely to interfere with other devices.

20 MHz for the 2.4 GHz band helps to avoid performance and reliability issues, especially near other Wi-Fi networks and 2.4 GHz devices, including Bluetooth devices.
Auto or all channel widths for the 5 GHz band ensures the best performance and compatibility with all devices. Wireless interference is less of a concern in the 5 GHz band.

DHCP

Enabled, if your router is the only DHCP server on the network

Dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) assigns IP addresses to devices on your network. Each IP address identifies a device on the network and enables it to communicate with other devices on the network and Internet. A network device needs an IP address, much like a phone needs a phone number.

Your network should only have one DHCP server. If DHCP is enabled on more than one device (such as on both your cable modem and router), address conflicts may prevent some devices from connecting to the Internet or using network resources.

DHCP lease time

8 hours for home or office networks; 1 hour for hotspots or guest networks

DHCP lease time is the length of time that an IP address assigned to a device is reserved for that device.

Wi-Fi routers usually have a limited number of IP addresses they can assign to devices on the network. If that number is depleted, the router can't assign IP addresses to new devices, and these devices can't communicate with other devices on the network and Internet. Reducing DHCP lease time allows the router to reclaim and reassign old IP addresses that are no longer being used faster.

NAT

Enabled, if your router is the only device providing NAT on the network

Network address translation (NAT) translates between addresses on the Internet and addresses on your network. NAT can be understood by imagining a company's post room, where deliveries to employees at the company's address are directed to employee offices within the building.

You should generally only enable NAT on your router. If NAT is enabled on more than one device (such as on both your cable modem and router), the resulting ”double NAT” may cause devices to lose access to certain resources on the network or Internet.

WMM

Enabled

WMM (Wi-Fi multimedia) prioritises network traffic to improve the performance of a variety of network applications, such as video and voice. All routers that support Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) or later should have WMM enabled by default. Disabling WMM can affect the performance and reliability of devices on the network.

Device features that can affect Wi-Fi connections

These features may affect how you set up your router or the devices that connect to it.

Private Wi-Fi Address

If you're connecting to a Wi-Fi network from an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Apple Watch, find out more about using private Wi-Fi addresses in iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and watchOS 7.

Location Services

Make sure your device has Location Services turned on for Wi-Fi networking, because regulations in each country or region define the Wi-Fi channels and wireless signal strength allowed there. Location Services helps to ensure your device can reliably see and connect to nearby devices, and that it performs well when using Wi-Fi or features that rely on Wi-Fi, such as AirPlay or AirDrop.

On your Mac:

Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Security & Privacy.
Click the lock in the corner of the window, then enter your administrator password.
In the Privacy tab, select Location Services, then select Enable Location Services.
Scroll to the bottom of the list of apps and services, then click the Details button next to System Services.
Select Wi-Fi Networking, then click Done.

On your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch:

Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
Turn on Location Services.
Scroll to the bottom of the list, then tap System Services.
Turn on Networking & Wireless (or Wi-Fi Networking).

Auto-Join when used with wireless carrier Wi-Fi networks

Wireless carrier Wi-Fi networks are public networks set up by your wireless carrier and their partners. Your iPhone or other Apple mobile device treats them as known networks and connects to them automatically.

If you see a ”Privacy Warning” under the name of your carrier's network in Wi-Fi settings, your mobile identity could be exposed if your device were to join a malicious hotspot impersonating your carrier's Wi-Fi network. To avoid this possibility, you can prevent your iPhone or iPad from automatically rejoining your carrier's Wi-Fi network:

Go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
Tap next to the wireless carrier's network.
Turn off Auto-Join.

Whether you’re an online gamer, a fan of streaming TV shows, or a complete workaholic, your Mac needs a good internet connection to satisfy all your needs. Although there are many good WiFi router models on the market, choosing the right one is crucial for maximizing what your Mac is capable of.

Consider a few factors before setting on a hunt for the best Apple wireless router. For example, some of the things that would make the fastest wireless router package are your average internet plan speed, the size of your home, the number of connected devices, specific router features, and more. All of these will later impact the overall quality of your Mac router service.

How To Choose Good WiFi Routers

Take note of the following features before getting directly to the router reviews. When you’re looking for the best WiFi router, you should first find out the ultimate speed that your ISP can provide you with. While the fastest wireless router will definitely increase your internet speed, you won’t get the most out of it if it becomes limited by your ISP plan.

Another thing to keep in mind is the size of your home, since the best router for large house should have a wider coverage area, especially if you live in a multi-story residence.

The number of devices connected to your wireless network is another checkpoint before making a decision on your best router for Mac. Usually, an Apple WiFi router allows two connections at any given time, so if you need more, you have to make sure that your Mac router of choice allows for the number of connections you need.

The good news is, there’s a wide range of Apple WiFi router options out there and you can choose the model that fits within your usage preferences and budget. Let’s look at some of the best wireless routers and find out which one you need to get for your home.

Budget-friendly: D-Link DIR-842 WiFi router

D-Link’s DIR-842 is the best modem for everyone who doesn’t want to break the bank but really needs to optimize their network connection. Given that this Mac router’s biggest advantage is the price, it still offers lots of management settings, making it possible to meet any user’s needs.

In addition, D-Link has a proven track record of delivering good throughput performance in testing, which means it can handle a large number of transactions per second — in fact, it’s one of the fastest wireless routers, period. Another asset of D-Link’s modem worth mentioning is its dual-band WiFi, which allows it to transmit in either of two standard frequency ranges.

To be fair, there are also a few disadvantages to consider before settling on the D-Link Mac router: it has no USB ports and its antennas are non-removable, both of which can detract from the overall convenience.

Best Routers For Mac

Best router for large house: ASUS Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi

Living in a big house usually dictates using a different kind of tools, appliances, and gadgets than you normally would, and a Mac router is not an exception. If you want to be comfortably surfing the internet in every corner of your home, then an ASUS Dual-Band modem is perfect for you, since it easily covers spaces up to 5,000 square feet.

According to lots of users, ASUS Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi is not only an excellent home wireless network tool but also a powerful gaming device, with maximum speed of up to 3,100 Mbps. Additionally, this Apple wireless router allows you to connect up to eight Ethernet-compatible devices simultaneously, using Gigabit LAN ports.

One could say that a minor flaw of this otherwise good WiFi router is its flexible black antennas, which could partially block the WAN and USB ports for some setups.

Best router for multiple devices: Netgear Nighthawk X8 R8500

If you’re looking for a Mac network device that can handle multiple heavy streamers at once, Netgear Nighthawk X8 R8500 is the best router for Mac you’ll find. Its tri-band WiFi, Quad Stream, and MU-MIMO technology is able to provide you with the maximum possible amount of Apple WiFi connections. Besides, this modem has four active and four internal antennas to help you amplify the range of your connections.

Overall, Netgear Nighthawk might not be the cheapest Mac router out there, but it’s definitely the best router for multiple devices.

Get your Mac router up to full speed

Finding the best wireless router for Mac can help make your computer more productive, without a doubt. But if you want to get the most out of your Apple WiFi router, you also need to consider the potential modem location, analyze your WiFi coverage and performance, decide on the best access points, and visualize the spots with the strongest signal. If that sounds like too much of a hustle, you just need some good software to help you.

NetSpot is a truly smart app that gets you the best network connection possible without requiring you to have a technical background. Finally, the process of establishing and managing networks could be smooth and enjoyable. Built-in options like WiFi channel scanner and site survey make it easy to troubleshoot and boost your Apple WiFi network with speed tests and heat maps of your Mac router network in real time.

Using NetSpot is exceptionally straightforward:

Launch the NetSpot app and place your MacBook in the area you wish to survey
Click the switch in the upper-left corner of the screen to change it from Survey to Discover
NetSpot will detect and display all networks in range
At a glance you will be able to see specific details about each wireless network in the area

Check the efficacy of your Apple WiFi router

With your Mac router now working at its fastest speed after a thorough optimization by NetSpot, you can look at other ways of maintaining your Apple wireless router stellar performance.

WiFi Explorer is the perfect way to look after your network and apply quick fixes as they become necessary. With its set of powerful tools, this app analyzes your network environment and presents its precise state using visual graphs and a customized interface that is both functional and appealing.

2020 Best Wireless Routers

Maintaining your network with WiFi Explorer is very easy:

Open the app and see the scan starting up
Click on any network from the list to see more information about it
To fix some of your network issues, click the Help tab in the menu bar and select WiFi Explorer Help

As more and more of our time is spent online, having a fast and generally best home WiFi router becomes essential. Looking for the best routers for Mac will be easier if you familiarize yourself with all the available features and identify those that are important to you. Then you can easily locate the top modem that meets all your needs from the list above. And once you choose the Mac router of your dreams, don’t forget to optimize it by using NetSpot and maintain its grand performance with WiFi Explorer.

Another excellent feature of NetSpot and WiFi Explore — they are both available for a free seven-day trial through Setapp, a platform with more than 170 apps and utilities to enhance your experience of interacting with your Mac. Now that you’re an expert in finding the best wireless router for Mac, you’ll be able to make the right choice for your home among the many top routers 2020 has given us.