Q: My airport extreme has had the latest update and now my mac can no longer find the base station.  Everything else works fine on the internet but my mac loses connectivity constantly.  This only happened after an update. Help...

I have just updated my OS to 10.8.4 and the Airport Utility says my aorport express are not supported anymore and cannot connect

I have tried all of them and none work now! ,

I have tried resetting the airport express, tried connecting with ethernet cable etc etcare

Nothing - my hardware is not supported anymore it seems. larify this

Can anyone clarify this?

Airport 6.3 utility requires ipv6 local link to work.

see http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4597

But older express may not show up even then. you need to install 5.6 utility so you can access them as well.

It is tricky but if you google around there are a number of methods listed. Here is what I do.

How to load 5.6 into ML.

1. Download 5.6 for Lion.

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1482

Click to open the dmg but do not attempt to install the pkg.. it won't work anyway.

Leave the package open on the desktop so you can see the file. AirportUtility56.pkg

2. Download and install unpkg.

http://www.timdoug.com/unpkg/

Run unpkg on the desktop.. If your Mac refuses to run the software, because it wasn’t downloaded from the Apple store, go to security in preferences and allow other software to work.. this is limitation of trade methinks. You can set back later if you like.

Now drag the AirPortUtility56.pkg file over to unpkg.. and it will create a new directory of the same name on the desktop.. in finder, open the new directory, drill down.. applications, utilities .. there lo and behold is Airport utility 5.6 .. drag it to your main utilities directory or just run it from current location.

You cannot uninstall version 6 (now 6.3 if you updated) so don't try.. and you cannot or should not run them both at the same time.. although I have had no problems when doing so.

Hi Thank you for your really detailed clear reply
unfortunately it is impossible to download 5.6 for Lion any more, the page is there but when trying to download the page is non existent.

Apple used to make sure everything worked without having to do complicated work arounds, If you bought some new software it would work straight away even with retrospective items, especially when they are their own brand.

Timbo.66 wrote:

 

Hi Thank you for your really detailed clear reply
unfortunately it is impossible to download 5.6 for Lion any more, the page is there but when trying to download the page is non existent.

 

It works fine for me from Google Chrome.. maybe safari has issues. I just tried it to be sure.. because otherwise we would be in deep deep. .. Manure...!!

Apple used to make sure everything worked without having to do complicated work arounds, If you bought some new software it would work straight away even with retrospective items, especially when they are their own brand.

I am a recent convert.. so a few holding your elbow slight crooked, whilst holding a silver spoon in moonlight is very familar.. after all, how else can you get windows to work??

And I must admit when I abandoned ship (vista) and came to Snow Leopard.. which I still use .. and 5.5 airport utility and 7.5.x firmware for TC and AE.. it was so lovely and stable.. networking as it was meant to be.. reading the painful groans of those who upgrade.. leaves me with cold feelings of

hasta la vista.. baby.. !! And vista is what I ran away from.

Thank you for the help

I kept hammering at apple page from different directions and finally the download appeared, But it took some time.

I have now followed all your details and YES I now have my beloved airport express all working again, printing, music, etc

THANK YOU.

Now Apple please remember what you used to do,
KISS.
Keep It Simple for Stupids (like myself)

Will today's update resolve this issue for older Airport Expresses?

This is what I was wondering as I will NOT install it if it cuts my connectivity again.

So many software changes recently have been so retrograde and un-intuitive, The major iTunes overhaul specifically but lots of small nuances feel very pc based and awkward.

If I wanted a pc I would have bought one.