Router for iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
I need a router for my iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
iMac 27″, macOS 12.7
Question marked as
Johan Carlisle wrote:
She has a iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019).
Thanks for all the additional information. That helps a lot.
Her iMac is capable of connecting to just about any Wi-Fi enabled router that supports Wi-Fi 1-5. For reference, in case you were not familiar with the terms:
New Wi-Fi Standard = Old Wi-Fi Standard
- Wi-Fi 1 = 802.11b
- Wi-Fi 2 = 802.11a
- Wi-Fi 3 = 802.11g
- Wi-Fi 4 = 802.11n
- Wi-Fi 5 = 802.11ac
- Wi-Fi 6 = 802.11ax
The first three of these are pretty much outdated. The most common still today is Wi-Fi 5, with Wi-Fi 6 rapidly taking over. The key is that both the wireless client (her iMac) and the wireless router must support the same standards. That means, her Mac can still connect to a Wi-Fi 6 network, but only at the lower Wi-Fi 5 speeds. The only reason it won't do so successfully would be due to a misconfiguration of either the router or the client.
She bought a TP-Link - Archer AX3000 Pro Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router and it didn't work.
Without knowing the particulars, this would be most likely due to misconfiguration, as opposed to the type of client used.
When switching networking hardware, it is important to perform a full power recycle of the modem and new router to regain access to the Internet. Although the following user tip was written around the Apple AirPort router, it still applies to any manufacturers' router. Ref: AirPort - Complete Power Recycle
She talked to the company's tech support and they told her it wasn't compatible with her intel-based Mac and would only work with Silicon-based Macs. She says that the manual also says that.
I would call "bs" on the answer she got from tech support. It shouldn't matter at all whether she was using a Intel or Silicon-based Mac. I'll try to download a copy of the user manual for this router, but I'm guessing there is nothing in there that would state differently.
I talked to the customer/sales support guy at Best Buy and said that was untrue. He said that all the routers they sell are backwards-compatible with older Macs.
... and they would be correct! I'm surprised that TP-Link would state something otherwise. Makes me a bit concerned about their support personnel qualifications.
She has internet coming in from a small rural company which provides their own modems, which seems to work OK. She plugs the modem into her router with an ethernet cable. She plugs the router into her iMac with an ethernet cable.
Yep, that's a pretty basic setup and whatever new router she gets should just do fine. Again, it is important to do the full power recycling to make sure that the modem now "recognizes" the new device that is connected to it.
One simple test, at this stage, is to connect a computer directly to the modem (with the router removed). Recycle the power on both the modem & the computer. Re-apply power to the modem; wait about 5 mins. Then power up the computer. You can then check for Internet access.
If all is good, power down both devices. Remove the computer, and then, connect the new router. Finally connect a computer to an unused LAN port on the router. Power up the modem; wait 5 mins, then, power up the router. Wait an additional 5 min. Power upd the computer. Again, check for Internet access.
If all is good at this point, you can configure the router as required for a Wi-Fi network.
The reason she wants to replace her current router, an old LinkSys which the company has told her is no longer supported, is that her internet connection keeps intermittently dropping out. The internet provider checks out her connection as far as their modem and says it is OK.
Yes, this would not be unusual. At some point, her ISP may also require that she replace the modem as well as the type of Internet connections are changing in rural areas. (I should know as I live in one and still am connecting by DSL ... to be replaced by fiber ... some day.)
The basic question for Mac people here is: are there routers that are not compatible with her iMac? If so, how do we buy a new router that will work with her computer?
... and the basic answer is that just about any router should work when properly configured. I personally do not know of any model that does not.
What I suggest is that we concentrate on figuring out why the new AX3000 is not working and get it resolved. If we can't then we can consider other brands instead. Two that I would suggest would be from either Asus or Synology.
Go through those power recycling steps that I mentioned earlier with the AX3000. Chances are good that that's all that is required to get Internet service back.