AirPort

AirPort was Apple Inc.'s brand name for a series of wireless networking products. The line included both wireless base stations (routers) and wireless cards for Macintosh computers.

History and Overview

The AirPort line was introduced in 1999, marking Apple's entry into the consumer wireless networking market. The initial AirPort base station supported the 802.11b wireless standard. Over time, the AirPort product line evolved to support newer and faster wireless standards, including 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac.

AirPort Base Stations

AirPort base stations served as wireless routers, allowing multiple devices to connect to a network and share an internet connection. Different models offered various features, such as:

• AirPort Extreme: The high-end router in the AirPort line, offering faster speeds and more advanced features.
• AirPort Express: A smaller, more affordable router that also functioned as an AirPlay audio streaming device.
• Time Capsule: A router with a built-in hard drive for wireless backups using Apple's Time Machine software.

AirPort Cards

Early Macintosh computers required an AirPort card to connect to a wireless network. Later Macintosh models had wireless networking capabilities built in, making separate AirPort cards unnecessary.

Discontinuation

Apple discontinued the AirPort product line in 2018, ceasing production of all AirPort base stations. The company no longer offers dedicated wireless routers. While Apple no longer manufactures the hardware, they continued to provide software updates and support for existing AirPort devices for a period after the discontinuation. Support for older models has since ended.