Q: AirPort Extreme 802.11ac (A1521) iPhone Issue

This thread confirms some behavior I've been seeing which leads me to think these are firmware bugs. Update, please, Apple!

Unfortunately this is not just related to the iPhone.  I tried to upgrade an older airport extreme with the new ac and all I got was internittent internet.  Went back to the old one and all is good.  I am using the new ac airport extreme to extend my network....we'll see how that goes?

Hi

I am having the same issues as everyone else.  I own the new Airport Extreme 802.11AC with firware 7.7.1.

Randomly my devices will lose Wifi signal throughout the day.  I have to turn off wifi on my phone and then back on and then seems to fix it.

I definitely think its the router as my iPhone works fine at work all day long.

Afear, is there an apple store near you? There is a known fix for this issue, I just don't know if the Apple troubleshooting folks will do the right thing and acknowledge the issue and help you correct it. I'm not a tech-gal, just an advocate for consumer rights, otherwise I would help you. You can also try google-ing airport firmware intermittently loses connection. I had your particular problem at the beginning of the year, luckily my programmer friend corrected it for me.

I would say, yes, it's the firmware and not your devices or proximity causing the issue.

Folks, I'd imagine that the issue is similiar to the one plagued by the earlier Airport Extreme's, I've got a 5th Gen one and rolled back from 7.6.3 which caused issues to 7.6.1 which was stable.  Apple have recently released an update which seems to resolve the 7.6.3 issues so am sure they are working on releasing a version for the AC gen AC.  So maybe an update is imminent.  If you can until then roll-back to an earlier release or from the top of my head, look at other fixes, like trying to change the 5Ghz band from Auto ot a fixed channel?

Hence my reasoning holding off purchasing the new Airport Extreme AC until an update has resolved this!

Here's my update.

I found that when I am using my secured SSIDs I am getting the network drop and also slow networking in general even the 5Ghz.

When I switch to my Guest Network SSID all of my problems seem to go away. I have no dropped Internet in the past hour.

Can anyone else see if they get similar results? In wondering if the security for those SSIDs is causing some instability in the firmware.

Let me do better than posting links. Dont bother trying to reconfig yourself. This is an apple published fix, right here in apple support folks.

Please stop being confused and searching for answers. It's spelled out in detail, apple would just rather you not be able to find the fix, presumably because the offering of the solution reveals that THERE IS INDEED A PROBLEM!!

Here's the link to the solution found here in apple support ... http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5656

A could more times for good luck. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5656.     http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5656. Next i will post the actual text of the release.

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AirPort base station: IPv6 Tunnel Error after installing firmware 7.6.3 in router/NAT mode

Learn about AirPort Utility pop-over error: IPv6 Tunnel Error.

Important: Follow these instructions only if your AirPort base station is operating in DHCP and NAT mode. Do not follow these steps if your AirPort base station is operating in Bridge mode. Check your AirPort base station Router mode setting by selecting the Network tab. The Router Mode is the first setting.

AirPort firmware 7.6.3 requires that all fields for IPv6 Manual Tunnel mode be completely filled in and contain valid entries (Note: This does not apply to IPv6 Automatic Tunnel mode). If you were using this mode prior to firmware 7.6.3 and settings for IPv6 manual Tunnel mode were incomplete or missing, the base station will flash amber, and AirPort Utility will show a pop-over error: IPv6 Tunnel Error.

Selecting the error from the AirPort Utility pop-up will show the following: "There was an error with the IPv6 tunnel endpoint. Wait for the service to be restored and try again. Contact your service provider if the problem persists."

This thread is about the new tower-style AirPort Extremes (A1521 and A1470 Time Capsule variant) which were released two months ago (June 2013) and shipped with firmware 7.7.1 (and currently can't be rolled back to anything older).

Your links refer to the previous, squarish AirPort Extremes (model numbers A1143, A1301, and A1354) which are currently support firmware version 7.6.4, and so your solution does not apply to this newest generation of hardware's issues.

J P, you are correct in that the fix refers to the older, 5th Gen (which i have) and lower AE's, but I believe it's the same issue, difficult not having one.  And the fix could be applied to the recent new tower variant.  Give it a go, or wait for a newer firmware update.  Lets face it, all models use the same Airport Utility so I'd imagine the firmware for the tower AirPort Extreme is just a modified 7.6.3 firmware for the AC wireless!  Hence similar bugs present.  And so I'd hope there be a new firmware release for it soon.  Thanks!

Hi

I wanted to raise awareness to what I still think is a firmware problem with this new Airport Extreme.  I am using this on a Time Warner Cable network where I have a paid for and measured speed of 50mb/sec download and 10mb/sec upload.  I have tested this over wired.

Today I did the following:

1) Competely reset my Airport Extreme to factory settings

2) Created new SSIDs for my network name

3) Reconnected all of my devices over 2.4 and 5Ghz.

4) Set up a Guest Network

5) Put WPA2 on the standard SSIDs

What I have found CONSISTENTLY is that when I am connected over the SSIDs with WPA2 I get very slow internet speeds. Typicaly its less than 1mb/sec download and 0.5 mb/sec upload.

HOWEVER when you switch to guest network, viola the speed is now 38mb/sec download and 6 mb/sec upload.

So again I am still convinced that there is a firmware problem with secured networks.

If anyone else can confirm like me that secured networks have slower speeds vs. guest networks that may help to guide this error.

I, too, am experiencing this issue with the AirPort Extreme 802.11ac running firmware 7.7.1. It does not happen frequently, but when it does, it affects all WiFi-connected clients. My clients (iPhone and iPad) show a full WiFi signal, yet they cannot get out to the Internet. Toggling WiFi on the devices off and then back on restores connectivity.

Same issues,  all devices, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, ipds lose Wifi.  Trying the guest network now.

Any updates on this? My household shares this issue!

Thanks Miss Mac, it seemes to have worked for me!

I have been going nuts with this!!!

THANK YOU!!!

All:

Apple has FINALLY released firmware update 7.7.2 is for AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule base stations with 802.11ac.

The update resolves an issue that may intermittently cause a loss in WAN connectivity, and resolves an issue that may result in a network loop.

I am hopeful that this will correct the behavior posted in this thread.

You can read more here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1708

Be sure to update directly using the Airport Utility on your Mac or iOS device.