Do you want to enjoy your Mac computer to its fullest capability? Be it MacBook Pro or iMac, without a good internet connection, you can’t use your Mac device at its best.
A lot of Mac’s special functions depend on internet connectivity. Although the primary online connectivity depends on your Internet Service Provider (ISP), without a high-end router, devices are pretty much fruitless wirelessly.
Choosing a powerful router for yourself can be a tough job since there is such a huge range of devices out there. The job gets trickier when you need a router for Mac devices. Focusing on routers that comply with Apple devices, we have done our research and have brought to you the best routers for Mac out there.
Our List Of Top Routers for Mac
Comparison Table For Top Routers for Mac
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PRODUCT
NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart Wi-Fi Router R7000
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 3
- Data transfer rate: 1900 mbps
NETGEAR Nighthawk Wi-Fi 6 Router RAX40
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 2
- Data transfer rate: 3000 mbps
Linksys Wi-Fi Router AC1000
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 2
- Data transfer rate: 1000 mbps
NETGEAR Nighthawk XR500 Wi-Fi Router
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 4
- Data transfer rate: 2600 mbps
TP-Link AC2300 Wireless Router
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 3
- Data transfer rate: 1625 mbps
Linksys WRT Gaming Wi-Fi Router
- Frequency Bands: Single-band
- Number of antennae: 4
- Data transfer rate: 3200 mbps
Linksys EA7500 Wi-Fi Router
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 3
- Data transfer rate: 1900 mbps
Linksys MR8300 Mesh Wi-Fi Router
- Frequency Bands: Tri-band
- Number of antennae: 4
- Data transfer rate: 2200 Mbps
Linksys EA7300 Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 3
- Data transfer rate: 1750 mbps
Linksys EA6350-4B Wi-Fi Router
- Frequency Bands: Dual-Band
- Number of antennae: 2
- Data transfer rate: 1200 Mbps
Best Routers for Mac Reviews
1. NETGEAR Nighthawk Wi-Fi Router | Best Mac Router
Covering a huge area of around 1800 square feet and handling 30 devices simultaneously at ease, the NETGEAR Nighthawk is one of a kind. It is a dual-band router, providing a total bandwidth of 1900 Mbps. This is much larger than the average router bandwidth, and it provides very high speeds over an extensive range.
The R7000 consists of a 1 GHz dual-core processor. This makes the network performance very swift. There are three antennas that help amplify the signals.
Along with the Beamforming+ technology, this smart Wi-Fi router also consists of QoS policies which ensure a latency-free internet. It also makes sure all devices get the sufficient amount of speeds by specially focusing signals on connected devices.
Four Gigabit Ethernet ports enable rapid transfer of data through wires among multiple devices. From gaming to interconnecting the computers in a system, these high-speed LAN ports ensure a very stutter-free high-speed experience.
One USB 2.0 and another USB 3.0 port aids to the functionality even more. These help DLNA Media sharing and for phones/tablets to go online as well.
Apart from the WPS security features, Netgear provides its very own Netgear Armor powered by BitDefender. This is a package with the best security protocols out there. It protects the network from unwanted attacks and all kinds of malware. It gives total protection of the DDoS services and Firewall.
Highlighted Features
- It covers 1800 square feet and 30 devices.
- It has Beamforming+, advanced QoS and Smart Connect technologies.
- The router comes with a USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports.
- Router provides Netgear Armor powered by BitDefender for enhanced security.
2. NETGEAR Nighthawk Wi-fi 6 Router | Best Mesh Router for Mac
Along with the normal wireless standards, the Nighthawk RAX40 also consists of the wireless type 802.11ax. This corresponds to Wi-Fi 6 and puts the router on a league of its own. The Wi-Fi 6 provides a much speedier and smoother Wi-Fi coverage than the previous ones; it’s almost a 250% speedier than Wi-Fi 5.
To boost the 3000 Mbps speed of this dual-band device, OFDMA and 1024-QAM technology is integrated in it. These help to handle multiple devices simultaneously with great connectivity in all of them.
Beamforming technology aids the two router antenna to extend their range further and focus signals on the connected devices. Not only will your Mac devices get connectivity over a 1500 square feet range, you will also enjoy quality bandwidth.
Maximum bandwidth can be obtained for wire-connected devices with the help of the Gigabit LAN ports. These transfer data at a rate of over 1000 Mbps. A USB 3.0 port is also available at the back. This enables the router to act as a medium for sharing and storage of files between multiple connected devices.
This NETGEAR device raises the security strength of the network with DOS and Firewall features. It is also highly compatible with VPN networks. Lastly, installation is just a work of a few steps with the help of the user-friendly Nighthawk mobile app.
Highlighted Features
- The router has the latest and fastest Wi-Fi 6 technology.
- It covers a huge range of 1500 square feet.
- The OFDMA and Beamforming technology enhance its performance.
- It has four powerful Gigabit Ethernet ports.
3. Linksys AC1000 Wi-Fi Router | Best 5g Router
This Linksys router is a basic but very powerful wireless connecting device. It boasts the Wi-Fi 5 and provides a total speed of 1 Gbps over the dual-band frequencies. It can provide equal speeds to multiple devices simultaneously over the band frequencies. The wireless version over which it works over is the 802.11ac and this itself is much faster than the other versions, like 802.11n.
With two amplifying antenna, the AC1000 can cover areas of more than 1000 square feet. This is a great range of coverage. Apart from wireless connectivity, wired connectivity is pretty great as well. Four Gigabit LAN ports are available which can be used to install a very speedy network between and in computers easily.
To enhance the safety along with WPA security protocols, a special Stately Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall is integrated in the security features as well. The signals travel in packets of data. This firewall investigates the packets incoming in the network and compares to the existing connections. It prevents potentially harmful data transfers and protects your devices.
There are also Guest Network options for you to enjoy more security and privacy. The Linksys router is easily compatible with Mac devices. The router can be very easily installed using an iPad by following a simple set of online instructions.
Highlighted Features
- The router can cover more than 1000 square feet easily.
- It works with 802.11ac which is much faster than other versions.
- The router has four powerful Gigabit LAN ports.
- SPI firewall enhances the security of the router.
4. NETGEAR Nighthawk XR500 WiFi Router | Best Modem for Mac
Yet another NETGEAR Nighthawk router on our list is the XR500. It has a very impressive and swift performance because of the 1.7 GHz dual-core processor incorporated inside. Although it’s said to be a gaming router, the XR500 is also perfect for all kinds of Mac accessories and computers.
The dual-band device can provide an enormous total speed of 2.6 Gbps! That’s almost double the speed of a general dual-band router. Such a speed ensures excellent connectivity over a large number of devices at a time added with the four powerful antenna and also works perfectly over a big radius.
To strengthen the performance even more, special Quality of Service (QoS) and added technology to avoid glutted network pathways are integrated inside. These help in reducing the stuttering of the network and time-delay to almost none.
Not only wireless, this Nighthawk wireless connecting device is also amazing for wired devices. Four Gigabit LAN ports provide impressive speeds over wired connections. DLNA Media sharing is also made possible through these ports along with two USB 3.0 ports.
Such an awesome router also comes with an awesome security. Specially programmed VPN networks can be set-up ensuring privacy. The router comes with strong DOS protections and firewall features to prevent trespassing of any sort.
Highlighted Features
- The 1.7 GHz dual-core processor makes network fast and smooth.
- It provides a huge speed of 2.6 Gbps, almost twice as that of average routers.
- It has unique QoS making network smooth and latency-free.
- There are four strong external antenna.
5. TP-Link AC2300 Router | Best Cable Modem Router for Mac
The TP-Link AC2300 is another notable device to check out. The 1.8 GHz dual-core processor makes the network very stable. The router works over two bands of frequencies and can provide a total of 2300 Mbps available bandwidth. This ensures high speeds for all devices over a good radius.
With MU-MIMO Wave 2 technology incorporated inside, the AC2300 can provide stable speeds to a large number of gadgets. With the help of three strong antennas coupled with the Range Boost technology, the signals transferred are highly amplified. The signals can thus reach a much further distance than usual.
In addition to Beamforming technology, TP-Link has also integrated a feature “Airtime Fairness” in this router. This helps to spread the network coverage equally to all the versions of wireless standards available.
The device consists of 4 Gigabit LAN ports. Apart from the general functions of the Gigabit ports, you can also merge two ports together and get an accumulated speed of 2 Gbps. That provides much faster internet connectivity to the wired devices and makes inter-network connectivity the swiftest.
The security protocols WPA/WPS are available as the general DNS security features. You can easily open and control a VPN server for free. Privacy is easily maintained and unwanted network access is prevented.
Highlighted Features
- The router can provide a total speed of 2.3 Gbps.
- It has Range Boost technology to amplify signals and extend range.
- Airtime Fairness technology allows all devices get maximum bandwidth.
- Gigabit LAN ports can be aggregated to give speeds of 2 Gbps.
Top Routers for Mac Buyer’s Guide
What routers work best with Apple products? Along with a good ISP, a strong router is essential for the Mac devices to function online at their best. Some routers do not support Apple devices while others just struggle to provide smooth network coverage. It’s important for you to know what you should be searching for in the best mac routers and we give an insight on those points below.
Wireless standards: Are Apple routers still good? The wireless standards are protocols over which your internet functions. It shouldn’t be neglected because if the router doesn’t support some versions, some devices can’t go online at all. The versions are updated constantly and routers must support all the standards available.
Mac devices have the wireless standards of the IEEE category and versions of 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), 802.11ac/n/a/b/g. They can also work well over mesh network systems.
Frequency: Routers work on certain bands of frequencies. Single-band routers work on a single 2.4 GHz band, double-band ones work on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, and so on. A higher number of frequency bands is better for a smooth network.
The router creates unique paths on certain frequency bands. It transmits signals over those bands, and an increment of users makes it divide the signals equally. So, more bands mean faster and swifter Internet. As of right now, tri-band routers are just coming to the market. Dual-bands perform excellently nevertheless.
Data transfer speed: Mac devices require high-speed internet. The basic speed depends on your ISP, but routers play a massive part here as well. The data transferring speeds of the router must be large, for example, 1300 Mbps. This ensures boosting of the signals and energizing them, so they can go through multiple obstacles and still provide decent speeds to the wirelessly connected devices.
Antennae: You must check for the number of antennae the router comes with. Generally, most routers have two. It’s also important to know about the designs of the antenna and if they are internal or external. There are various ways that antenna are provided in a router and each helps the router extend its range and enhance its performance differently.
Mac devices already have a good long-range reception ability. But, a router with a strong antenna can extend the range hugely and the Mac devices can be conveniently used from even further distances.
Security protocols: Even with highly secure Mac devices, routers with proper security should also be ensured. Starting from the normal DNS security protocols to the more advanced NAT supports, the best routers feature it all. Availability of firewall and compatibility with Virtual Private Networks (VPN) is a huge up for a router’s security. Along with that, easy configuration of Parental Controls and automatic firmware updates will make your life easier and safer.
Final Word
If you’re a Mac user, you already know how important a proper fast internet connection is for you. With a huge range of high-end routers at our disposal, it can be tricky to go for the perfect one for your Mac devices. Even if you have a good ISP, a powerful router is needed for an amplified network.
Keeping even the slightest features in our mind, we have come up with the 5 best routers for mac and compared them to others as well to help you decide what you should go for.