How do you update the firmware on 1st Gen Airport Extreme in OSX Mountain Lion?

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How do you update the firmware on 1st Gen Airport Extreme in OSX Mountain Lion?

A friend gave me a old but never used 1st Gen Airport Extreme 802.11n WiFi Wireless Base Station. I have a couple WiFi dead zones in my house and was told that I could daisy chain the Apple Airport Extreme off of my Verizon FIOS router/modem (802.11G) to fill in the dead spots. During set up the Airport Utility told me that "This version of AirPort Utility requires this AirPort Extreme use firmware version 7.3.1 or later. Go to AirPort Service and Support (link) for more information.

I updated the Airport Utility to the latest version (6.2) and I am still getting the same error message and no other option to update it's firmware. Anyone know of a work around or am I fighting to losing battle here. I tried to contact Apple support, but when I entered the serial number for the Base Station it said the product was over 5 years old and didn't qualify for support service program.

iMac (27-inch Late 2009), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Feb 22, 2013 2:52 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 22, 2013 3:27 PM in response to Andyred

was told that I could daisy chain the Apple Airport Extreme off of my Verizon FIOS router/modem (802.11G) to fill in the dead spots

Not sure what you mean by "daisy chain". The AirPort Extreme cannot "repeat" or "extend" the wireless signal from the FIOS router if you are planning to do this using wireless only.

You always need at least 2 Apple routers to be able to "extend a wireless network" using wireless only. The Apple routers would not be compatible with FIOS routers for this type of purpose.

If you can connect the AirPort Extreme to the FIOS router using a permanent wired Ethernet cable connection, then the AirPOrt could be configured to provide more wireless signal coverage that way. If you cannot run the cable, it might be possible to use a pair of Ethernet powerline adapters to send a signal over the existing AC power lines in your home.

When you open AirPort Utility 6.x and a firmware update is available, there is usually a red number next to the AirPort Exreme icon. Click on the red number......or if it does not appear, click on the AirPort Extreme icon and then hold down the option key on a Mac as you click on the Version number that is is displayed to see more "options".

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Answer 2

JoeMY

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Feb 22, 2013 9:01 PM in response to Andyred

You should see the red circled number to the right of the base station indicating a firmware update is available. I have exactly the same Extreme router and Airport Utility 6.2 running.

How are you connected to the internet for the Extreme? You will require a LAN cable from your Verizon router to the Extreme WAN port.

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Answer 3

Andyred Author

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Feb 23, 2013 1:48 PM in response to Andyred

I am trying to extend my wireless network. The AirPort Extreme is hard wired to the FIOS router/modem. There is NO red circled number next to the base station indicating a firmware update is available. I installed Airport Utility 6.2 and I still get the error message about it requiring AirPort Extreme filmware 7.3.1 or later.

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Answer 4

edex67

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Feb 23, 2013 1:52 PM in response to Andyred

http://macintoshdesktop.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/airport-utility-56-and-mountain-l ion.html

Try installing Utility 5.6 using this guide.

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Answer 5

Andyred Author

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Feb 23, 2013 2:23 PM in response to Andyred

I tried to instal 5.6 using the Automater workflow from that guide and the Automater file didn't work.

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Answer 6

edex67

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Feb 23, 2013 2:31 PM in response to Andyred

Try the Macworld link.

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Answer 7

Andyred Author

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Feb 24, 2013 10:31 AM in response to Andyred

I looked at the Macworld link and I would prefer to not spend $20 right now on software that I will use only once and for a AirPort Extreme Base Station that I got for free. If I can get the Automater workflow to work, that would be ideal. I just seem to be doing it wrong or it's not working, not sure yet.

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Answer 8

edex67

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Feb 24, 2013 11:05 AM in response to Andyred

It is shareware.

http://www.charlessoft.com/cgi-bin/pacifist_download.cgi?type=dmg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shareware

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Answer 9

Andyred Author

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Feb 24, 2013 4:05 PM in response to Andyred

So I tried the shareware route and that didn't work either. I already have Airport Utility 6.2 installed and OSX ML won't allow me to uninstall it so it keeps creating errors when I try to unpack Airport Utility 5.6

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Answer 10

edex67

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Feb 24, 2013 11:58 PM in response to Andyred

You tried Pacifist? Try unpkg then.

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Answer 11

Andyred Author

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Feb 25, 2013 12:31 PM in response to Andyred

Yes, I tried Pacifist, read my previous post.

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Answer 12

edex67

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Feb 25, 2013 1:40 PM in response to Andyred

Then try redownloading the package, or using unpkg as I suggested above.

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Answer 13

Andyred Author

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Feb 25, 2013 8:39 PM in response to Andyred

Is unpkg a different program than Pacifist? Am I missing something?

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Answer 14

Andyred Author

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Feb 25, 2013 8:42 PM in response to Andyred

AirPort Untility 5.6 isn't a .pkg by the way, it's a .dmg. I don't know if that matters or not.

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Answer 15

JoeMY

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Feb 25, 2013 10:46 PM in response to Andyred

If its a .dmg you should be able to install it to *another* location other than the Application Folder, which has AU 6.2 installed already and you cannot remove that. On my ML, AU 5.6.1 is installed at the desktop.

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