These are the best routers for iPhone, iPad, and Mac owners

Buyers can find almost any router and have it work just fine for their home. But Apple users need to consider certain factors beyond network speed and coverage numbers, such as their smart home connectivity.

Many routers on the market today work with Apple’s smart home standard called HomeKit, but only a few support specialized features known as HomeKit Secure. These make a big difference to smart home accessories.

These routers can protect a network by controlling the level of communication between smart home devices and the Internet.

• Restrict to Home: The most secure setting that allows accessories to communicate with HomeKit only through Apple devices. Accessories cannot connect to the Internet or other devices on the network. The router may block access to third-party services, such as firmware updates.
• Automatic: The default setting allows accessories to talk to HomeKit and connections recommended by the manufacturer.
• No limitation: With the least secure setting, accessories on the network can communicate with any other network device or Internet-based service.

A HomeKit-compatible router must meet a number of requirements to control network devices in this way. For example, next to a iPhone† iPador iPod touch with the latest software upgrades, there must also be a “hub” on the network.

A hub helps devices on a network communicate directly with each other. Apple devices that can act as a hub, such as HomePod, Apple TV, or iPad, can act as a hub.

During the WWDC 2022 keynote, Apple said: iPad OS 16 affects iPads used as hubs. The iPads that are already a hub will continue to work, but iPadOS 16 will not allow new iPads to be added as a hub.

The second HomeKit feature that a compatible router can facilitate involves security cameras, and this requires an iCloud+ subscription to function.

HomeKit protected video allows to save images from compatible security cameras in iCloud† They are secured with end-to-end encryption and do not count towards the cloud storage limit.

• iCloud+ 50GB tier: add one camera.
• iCloud+ 200GB tier: add up to five cameras.
• iCloud+ 2TB Tier: Add unlimited cameras.

HomeKit Secure Video stores up to 10 days of CCTV footage

The home hub analyzes video to see if pets, people or cars appear on the camera so that users can receive notifications on their device. In addition, users can view the last ten days of video activity in the Home app.

After HomeKit, a buyer must determine whether they need a traditional or “mesh” router, referring to how these devices handle a Wi-Fi signal.

Apple Compatibility Labels

Routers transmit wireless signals in the form of a ‘torus’ or donut, which can be blocked or reflected by objects in the home, such as appliances and walls. In a mesh network, one device acts as the primary router with additional nodes connecting to it wirelessly.

Mesh routers still deliver this signal shape, but with each device transmitting a signal, they overlap to create a robust network that can overcome obstacles.

Not everyone needs a mesh network, especially with the latest network advancements from Wi-Fi 6. Standard routers and mesh routers can work with HomeKit, so the main factor between the two choices is price, and mesh routers tend to be more expensive.

Linksys says this router can handle more than 40 devices at speeds of up to 4.2 Gbps. It works with all ISPs and is backwards compatible with Wi-Fi 5 and older devices. In addition, the router’s app has features such as parental controls, guest access, and device priority.

LinkSys Velop AX4200 Router

The Velop AX4200 has three LAN Gigabit Ethernet ports, one Gigabit WAN port and a Type A USB 3.0 port to connect accessories. It’s available on Apple.com from $249.95.

Amazon’s eero Pro 6 is the company’s fastest mesh network system. It offers Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 speeds, supports more than 75 connected devices and covers up to 2,000 square feet.

It is a hub for Zigbee smart home devices and works with the Thread connectivity standard. Amazon has added support for HomeKit in 2021 for the eero Pro 6.

Amazon eero Pro 6 router

The eero app includes optional paid plans called eero Secure and eero Secure+. These provide security services such as protection against online threats, content filtering and ad-blocking.

The eero Pro System costs $229 for a single router, but is often on sale. It offers two Gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB-C power port.

This HomeKit router supports up to 6,000 square feet of home coverage and more than 60 connected devices. In addition, the company’s Intelligent Mesh technology provides a fast, reliable range.

In addition, Velop nodes create one Wi-Fi network that eliminates multiple usernames and passwords. This means that only one name and one password is required to log in.

Linksys Velop AC2200

It offers six Gigabit Ethernet ports and is on sale for for $299†

If you decide you don’t necessarily need HomeKit functionality on your router, there are a few more great options to consider.

Netgear’s Nighthawk offers speeds of up to 6 Gbps, and the company explicitly mentions how ideal this is for 4K UHD video streaming.

Supporting multiple Apple devices is what the Nighthawk does best, using “Multi-user multiple input, multiple outputs” (MU-MIMO). As a result, it transfers data to many devices at once without compromising on speed.

A feature called Netgear Armor provides security for devices on the network. also the Nighthawk App in the App Store offers remote management so that users can connect to their home network even when they are not at home.

Netgear Nighthawk AX12 Router

It has four one-Gigabit Ethernet ports and one 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports, along with two Type A USB 3.0 ports. The Nighthawk AX12 is available for $449.99 at Netgear and sometimes on sale.

This Wi-Fi 6 router provides ultimate connectivity with one 2.5 Gbps WAN port, eight Gigabit LAN ports and two USB 3.0 ports in Type A and Type C. In addition, eight high-gain antennas provide a level of coverage that is comparable with mesh networks.

TP Link AX6000

Customers get a layer of security with TP-Link HomeCare, with antivirus and parental controls.

Using the company’s AX Wi-Fi Target Wake Time technology, the router can conserve power to intelligently schedule data transmission times. It’s available for $299.99 and sometimes on sale.