Airports and Time Capsules cannot connect to iCloud/Back to my Mac

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Level 1

27 points

Airports and Time Capsules cannot connect to iCloud/Back to my Mac

In the last week, every single Airport device I use has been failing to allow remote access via Back to my Mac.

When you go to Airport Utility and go to the iCloud credential section and add an iCloud ID, the light goes green, indicating that the credentials check out. Then you have to restart to apply changes. After restart, the iCloud IDs all have red lights next to them, and the advisory message says "This Airport could not connect to iCloud." All other functions on the Airport work just fine... just not the Back to my Mac/iCloud ID certification.

This happens on every single Airport I come across now, a variety of models and firmwares and ISPs.

Clearly, the problem is iCloud and Back to my Mac.

I have two separate issues into Apple now, but all they say is that there is a problem with my computer that they need to investigate. That is simply not true. The problem is with iCloud and Airport devices.

This seemed to happen right after iCloud announced they had dual authentication available for certain apps, but that could just be a coincidence.

As a word of warning to users out there, I have found that if the iCloud ID settings are on an Airport device they will continue to work, but if you do ANY changes or restarts to an Airport device, then that device will shut off the MTMM/iCloud ID.

Posted on Feb 25, 2015 5:34 PM

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Answer 1

c.t.martin Author

Level 1

27 points

Feb 25, 2015 11:15 PM in response to c.t.martin

This is what it looks like after a restart. Always.

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Answer 2

capaho

Level 4

3,673 points

Feb 26, 2015 4:37 PM in response to c.t.martin

I have exactly the same issue. I have a TC in my office and an AEBS at home and they both started doing exactly the same thing yesterday. They both show that they are unable to connect to iCloud and they are no longer accessible remotely.

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Answer 3

c.t.martin Author

Level 1

27 points

Feb 26, 2015 9:31 PM in response to capaho

Yeah, this is a rather rapidly growing problem. Pretty much ANY Apple base station I have come across is kicking out the iCloud access if it is restarted. For a number of small businesses, this is a big, big issue.

I have two different cases open with Apple and hear back... nothing on the matter.

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Answer 4

capaho

Level 4

3,673 points

Feb 26, 2015 10:46 PM in response to c.t.martin

It happened after I deleted and re-entered the iCloud information and restarted the devices. Prior to that, the AEBS was showing up as a share on my office Mac but I couldn't connect to it because iCloud was sending a cached IP address that was no longer valid rather than its current IP address. There is either a significant problem with the firmware or the iCloud system but I don't know which. All I know is I can't resolve it. Fortunately, I also have a QNAP NAS, so I can still share files between my home and office without iCloud, but it's rather infuriating that the Back to My Mac system is still so flakey after all this time.

I did have one strange event occur in the process of trying to resolve the problem. I got a couple of messages from Little Snitch that Airport Base Station Agent was trying to connect to moatad.com and adshare.com. I have no idea why. I hope that my devices or iCloud haven't been compromised as the result of an unknown or undisclosed vulnerability. My AEBS was diverted through an IP address in Hong Kong for about 20 minutes once before due to a vulnerability in the AEBS firmware that Apple has since patched.

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Answer 5

c.t.martin Author

Level 1

27 points

Feb 26, 2015 11:01 PM in response to capaho

Very interesting... I have been so preoccupied with so many of my clients losing this functionality that I haven't even run Little Snitch test. You got some really good and interesting information. I will definitely pass it along to the two open cases I have at Apple but I am incredibly frustrated at the lack of information from them.

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Answer 6

capaho

Level 4

3,673 points

Feb 26, 2015 11:08 PM in response to c.t.martin

Unfortunately, Apple has a well-established history of not disclosing information on critical flaws and taking a long time to release fixes for them.

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Answer 7

c.t.martin Author

Level 1

27 points

Feb 26, 2015 11:37 PM in response to capaho

OOh, after 16 years in business as a Mac guy, I know that all too well. You have me some interesting things to learn ok at though. I'll be able to dig into this over the weekend. Thank you.

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