AirPort Utility 5.6 vs. 6.0

Sorry to have to contradict you Bob, but as I replied to Gino, v5.6 was NOT on pages 1 or 2 of the Downloads are for over two hours. When something as critical as v5.6 is PULLED from Apple's list, of course I am concerned and want EVERYONE to know how to obtain it. v6.0 is a significant downgrade in functionality that has put A LOT of people into a panic that never needed to have happened if only Apple had adequately documented v5.6. Sadly, Apple's poor documentation of v5.6 remains. Thus my altruistic efforts to make sure as many people know about the critical nature of v5.6 as possible. Get it?

Please bring back the advanced options :

IPv6 options mainly

MAC address filtering and Enable Guest Network .

6.0 is an absolutely HORRIBLE update

Just trash 5.6 if you do not have any "b/g" devices to administer.

The 6.0 utility is missing quite a bit of functionality - for example, there is no way to configure WDS 😝

I will have to agree - Saw the 6.0 interface and went "Whaaat??"

But OK, the 6.0 interface looks nice and I have to say that I quite like the quick overview it gives (even if the window is a bit bigger than really required for my taste).

But it seriously fails when you require access to a little more advanced settings and information. Fortunately you can (still) download the 5.6 version and have both installed, but ..come on Apple - you can do better. Let's have that intuitive advance interface in a 6.x update soon, please.

MAC address filtering is available (see earlier post in this thread: Network >Timed Access Control), but - in best Douglas Adams style - " It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'." Maybe "Beware of the Lion" would have been better.

6.0 is a truly horrible example of what Apple is currently doing wrong.

Good to find this thread...another feature of the previous version that is also now missing from this update:

If Airport Utility V6.0 is used on a Time Capsule the option to archive the TC disk onto a USB HDD is gone.

I use it to create an offsite emergency backup on a USB drive. Tried to do the same this morning and had to search around and call support and then finally revert to AU 5.6

I agree with the many opinions here that this utility revision is a very retrograde move.

Have anyone else noticed how slow Aiport Utility 6 is compared to Aiport Utility 5.6 and earlier versions?

If I want to edit settings on my Aiport Extreme, Aiport Utility 6 show "Reading setting on..." for 40-50 seconds, but with Aiport Utility 5.6 I can click Manual Setup after 1 second.

That's because v6 is reading the settings on all your connected AirPort routers as soon as it starts up. This is so more information about the router is available when you select it without having to actually go into the configuration mode. Previous versions of AirPort Utility only read the settings when you clicked on the button to start configuring it.

Thanks for that clarification. Unfortunately for me the "more information" has little value for me most of the time. The good thing is that Apple released 5.6 so I didn't have to retire my airport extreme.

A comment thread between myself and Glenn Fleichmann of TidBITS may be of interest to those concerned about the future of Apple's AirPort Utility. It is in response to Glenn's article "AirPort Utility 6.0 Screencast Walkthrough".

http://tidbits.com/article/12783

Glenn's last comments are of particular concern to me and probably everyone else here:

The guidance I received is that, unequivocally 6.0 is the way forward, and that the vast majority of Apple Wi-Fi users don't use the features that were removed.

The reason the 5.x tree remains and 5.6 was released, is clearly to provide legacy support for the edge users (in Apple's marketing view) who required features that the mass-market does not.

Apple has slowly removed itself from network and server infrastructure over the last several years. Remember that the original AirPort came in a PoE version with a Plenum rating? And the AirPort Management Utility (1.0 and never updated)?

The Xserve is gone. Leopard Server is a small-office add-on. AirPort Utility 6 is aimed at home users with no more than a handful of access points. It's pretty clear how that direction has been set.

I personally hope that the poor reception of AirPort Utility v6.0 from generally everyone will alter Apple's course regarding their Airport efforts. I also hope Apple provide far better documentation of their updates in the future. I remain dismayed that Apple's documentation for AirPort Utility v5.6 continues to be misleading for 802.11n base station users:

• Works with AirPort Express 802.11g and AirPort Extreme 802.11g base stations

BTW: I believe Glenn was referring to LION Server being "a small-office add-on."

I'll have problems in future if I install 5.6 beside 6.0? For example with automatic update?

I'll have problems in future if I install 5.6 beside 6.0?

No

For example with automatic update?

If there is a update for 5.6....it should not affect 6.0.

If there is an update for 6.0....it might provide more features and functionality.

The guidance I received is that, unequivocally 6.0 is the way forward, and that the vast majority of Apple Wi-Fi users don't use the features that were removed.

This can be nicely supported by putting a minimal number of features into a default interface and then adding an "advanced" setup button. Is Apple saying they are incapable of supporting advanced features or that they don't see any point in it.

Is Apple saying they are incapable of supporting advanced features or that they don't see any point in it.

You might want to check with Apple....since none of us on a user to user forum can speak for them.

But, if you want an opinion....it is bit concerning that Apple is on record as saying that the "next" operating system....Mountain Lion....will have new features inspired by the iPad.