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7.6.1 Airport Extreme Update problem

Last night I updated my Airport Extreme to 7.6.1 firmware. Since the upgrade all of my radio connections keep dropping out. I have now reverted back to the 7.6 firmware and my radio connections are all back to normal.

Has anybody else experienced this issue?

Posted on Feb 1, 2012 1:20 PM

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151 replies

Feb 13, 2012 2:49 AM in response to Badtoys_WEF

*** Whatever you roll back to - make sure you do a hardware factory default reset first as this 7.6.1 update fiddled with stuff that a simple rollback probably won't fix!!


You need to go into Airport Utility and select the Airport Extreme, then select Manual Setup, then on the main screen you will see "Version". Click on that and you will be taken to the update dialog - just drop down the list and choose an older version. If you don't have an older version in there (I took my friends back to 7.5.2 as 7.6 didn't make any difference) and if you have an Airport Express try doing the same on that first - I found the Extreme didn't have an earlier version than 7.6 but the Express did - after rolling back the Express funnily enough the Extreme then showed that version software as a choice in it's update menu. If you have the latest Airport Utility then I am not sure as I am a Snow Leopard user so don't have that one. Same principle applies though.

Feb 13, 2012 4:09 AM in response to Williasm

Now then, this is a complicated situation this 7.6.1 update problem!


I have iPhone 3G running latest iOS, Airport Express (not sure what generation but couple of years old and a 'N', Airport Extreme again not sure what generation, about 18 months old? Plus Macbook unibody 2009 running Snow Leopard. I have absolutely no problems with 7.6.1 - streams from iOS to Express no problem, all clients show excellent connection (54-114Mb/s) on iOS Airport Utility app.


In contrast I have just spent two days trying to sort out my friends setup. He has iPod Touch (about two years old) running latest iOS and iPhone 4 running same, Airport Express (about 6 months old) Airport Extreme (same age), same Macbook but on Leopard.


Since 7.6.1 he can't stream from iPhone at all - just refuses to start Airplay. Touch works better, sometimes for as long as 10 minutes, then just stops. Internet is effected as well, over wi-fi speed is .5Mb/s on Ethernet around 5Mb/s. Macbook for the first time ever shows less than full bars on the fan icon, investigating with iOS Airport Utility shows connections have as little as 1Mb/s in some case and vary wildly as you watch.


Experience as shown that 5Ghz network is fine if named and chosen as a separate network and connected to by the Macbook, full bars, 300Mb/s excellent connection, Internet not interfered with - all good - obviously this doesn't help iOS devices. Selecting 2.4Ghz network immediately reduces signal strength. All of these issues point to a much reduced 2.4Ghz signal strength emanating from the Extreme after 7.6.1 update - and I can probably assume from that the problems connecting for the iOS devices on this network are down to local interference that was not a problem before this reduction in signal strength. We always had a problem when using BT Home Hub as a wireless router with constantly being knocked off by nearby routers, this was completely solved by the introduction of the Extreme base stationl.


So, I conclude Apple have seriously cocked up some setting in the firmware update that affects transmitter strength and further this cannot be reversed by rolling back the software - well not in my friends case anyway. He is now on 7.5.2 on both his Express and his Extreme and although network reliability is much improved (iOS devices couldn't even connect on 7.6.1) the airplay streaming issue is the same and internet at 2.4Ghz is effected.


End of story... we shall await further developments Apple!

Feb 13, 2012 4:43 AM in response to Williasm

I've experienced similar wireless problems with v7.6.1. The first time I upgraded to v7.6.1 I noticed that the streaming of my movies (from Netgear or iTunes to WD TV Live or Apple TV) would experience terrible lags and occassionally drop-out entirely. I downgraded to v7.6 and then, everything ran well.


This past weekend I tried the upgrade to v7.6.1 and the same problems (WiFi lag, WiFi dropping out) happened again. I tried various setting and channels during the past two days but no real performance improvements with v7.61.


This morning I downgraded to v7.6 again, and everything is running perfectly. WiFi perfromance and streaming works well with v7.6.


Trusting that Apple can result a new version soon to correct the v7.6.1 performance issues.

Feb 16, 2012 12:13 AM in response to Williasm

I am having problems loading any Netflix page on my MacBook Pro which is connected to my wireless network. Interestingly enough I have no problem loading Netflix pages on my Apple desktop machine which has a wired (as opposed to wireless) Internet connection. The only recent change I've made is to install an update to my Airport Extreme software, updating to version 7.6.1. Anybody have any thoughts?

Feb 16, 2012 1:24 AM in response to Kazzywazzy

I had some initial problems after the upgrade. I run a main airport extreme for the lower part of my house and link via ethernet to another one upstairs acting as a wired bridge. The initial upgrade just wreaked havoc on my network-- I also have two extenders in the mix. I just started with the main router, reset it, then worked my way up to the bridge, reset that, and then my two extenders. Even though thats a major pain , once I did that everything is working perfectly well. Apple certainly could have given an easier upgrade path than this.

7.6.1 Airport Extreme Update problem

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