Using Old Airport Utility 5.6.1 with New MacOS (mavericks & newer)

It seems as though in 10.11.1 recognizes the original Airport Express in 6.3.6 but refuses to set it up, while Maher's 5.6.1 doesn't find it at all anymore.

I can't see how this problem is anything more than Apple whining that their products last longer then they would prefer.

to goatmasterfunk and BigMike485 - you mentioned that the Launcher application couldn't find your old AEs. Try connecting your old AE by ethernet cable initially. You will then need to tap in the name of your wifi network manually (along with the password) as the wifi networks were not listed by dropdown. After restart I found my old AE was then able to connect to wifi and be identified and modified using Corey J Mahler's Launcher application that Randy has told us about. Hope this helps.

I wrote a brief step by step tutorial about the subject.

This worked. I have searched all over the web for why the new version of Airport Utility won't display the option to "Join a wireless network) for my Time Capsule. I used to be able to join my network and thereby extend my range by creating another access point. Well, Apple has apparently dumbed down the Airport Utility enough that by some strange logic they think no one should use the Time Capsule to extend their wireless coverage. To solve the problem of the missing "Join a wireless network" selection, you search for the person's name above in Randy's original post and you'll find a download for the the old utility. You must launch it using the launcher program that he delivers with it. Finally! The old version of Airport Utility loaded just fine, and guess what? There's the "Join a wireless network" selection, and I was able to connect the Time Capsule to my network. Now I can use it to extend coverage in my house as well as use it for backups. I connect to the router using ethernet over a Netgear PowerLine system. Apple yet again has some kind of disconnected elitism and dumbs down excellent utilities like the old Airport Utility.

There's the "Join a wireless network" selection, and I was able to connect the Time Capsule to my network. Now I can use it to extend coverage in my house as well as use it for backups.

If you configured the Time Capsule to "Join a wireless network", then it is not extending the network wireless signal at all.....it can't do this unless the setting on the Time Capsule is "Extend a wireless network". It provides no additional wireless coverage when it "joins" a network.

But, you won't be able to configure the Time Capsule to "Extend a wireless network" unless it is connecting to a wireless signal that is being provided by another Apple router.

If you really did set up the Time Capsule to "Join a wireless network", you have set up a situation known as "double hop" wireless. The time that it takes backups to occur is now doubled, and the chances of an error occurring in the process is now doubled as well.

But, you might be OK with this.

Thank you so much! And that would explain why my backups are suddenly so slow. You saved me a huge headache for a problem I didn't even know I had yet. It also explains why I wasn't connecting to a strong wireless signal while next to the Time Capsule (I used the same name for the Time Capsule access point as for the main router AP and couldn't see that I didn't even have an access point to connect to). Yes, I actually did set up this condition: my Time Capsule is connected via Ethernet to the main Xfinity router, and Time Capsule is set to "Join a wireless network" and this setup is active, operational, and working with no errors indicated and no "orange blinking light" errors overridden. I was able to do this using the old version of Airport Utility. I assume now that the correct use of "Join a wireless network" is to connect wirelessly to the router and then use an Ethernet port to connect to a device. Thank you very much for explaining this. I've now set it up with "Create a wireless network" and it works as a second access point on the same subnet. Apologies to Apple for my rant about dumbing down Airport Utility. They improved it so that ignorant people wouldn't mess up their networks.

(I used the same name for the Time Capsule access point as for the main router AP and couldn't see that I didn't even have an access point to connect to).

The Time Capsule is not an access point when it "joins" a network......it is a client, just like any other wireless device like a Mac or PC.

I assume now that the correct use of "Join a wireless network" is to connect wirelessly to the router and then use an Ethernet port to connect to a device

Not quite. If you try this, you will see that the Ethernet ports are not enabled on the Time Capsule when it "joins" a wireless network.

I've now set it up with "Create a wireless network" and it works as a second access point on the same subnet.

That's the correct setup. The Time Capsule is configured in what is known as Bridge Mode.....which Apple calls "Off (Bridge Mode)". The "Off" means that the routing functions on the Time Capsule are "off", so it acts simply as a wireless access point....and....the Ethernet ports are also enabled in this setup.

If you have the Time Capsule configured to provide a wireless network that uses the same wireless network name, same wireless security and same password as your "main" router, you have setup what is known as a "roaming network". In theory, wireless devices will connect to the access point with the strongest signal.

Unfortunately, things don't always work as well as the theory might suggest, so you may need to manually turn off the WiFi on a wireless device when you move it from one area near one access point to another area near another access point, then turn the WiFi back on and the device should pick up the stronger WiFi signal from the closest access point.

Thanks for this Randy. Just what I needed to try and figure our which of my devices is chewing up my bandwidth (as you know: can't monitor traffic with the latest Airport Utility). Your post been up for nearly a month now so hope it stays:)

Thanks! Helpful!

Really helpful and the same problem I have. I have just taken a new MacBook Air with El Capitan.

However, despite the latest updates on Sir Mahler's blog, I can't see my old Airport Express in the 5.6.1 Utility.

I am guessing Apple have got round it again.

I will continue trying......

I bailed out and bought a new Airport Express. It's working well and I'm using it to extend the 2.4ghz and 5ghz networks.
My old one was around 8 or 9 years old

Not so. Fortunately, there is a solution, and that solution is Airport Utility 5.6.1 Launcher. A Google search will help you find it. I have been using this solution for years. When I needed it today, however, Airport Utility 5.6.1 had disappeared from my computers, and I assume that the recent installation of El Capitan deleted it because it is not 'launchable' in recent OS versions; but it does run, if launched with the app mentioned above.

Using Time Machine, I recovered Airport Utility 5.6.1 from a pre-10.11.x backup, and I am good to go...I just repurposed an old Airport Express - I have several.

In my Utilities folder, I keep another folder that I have named Airport Utility 5.6.1. In it I have Airport Utility 5.6.1 Launcher and Airport Utility 5.6.1. A double click on Launcher launches Airport Utility 5.6.1. As always, a message indicates that an update is available. Dismiss that...you don't want an update. Proceed to re-program your old Airport Expresses. Also, there were editable features that the new Utility doesn't offer (I think Status Light may be one). 5.6.1 enables you to set that on the newer Expresses.

The newer Airport Utility is still the right tool for the newer units, unless you want to change the function of the Status Light.

Thank you for your post. This was super helpful!!

-R-

Thanx a lot for this hint, Randy,

i managed to set up my AirPort Express Station (A1088). But when i want to use airplay with itunes it sais the connection failed - although i was in the same room where the wlan router is. I even tried it when the AP was connected with an ethernet cable.

Can anyone help me with this?

Thanx

Thank you for this post. I'm setting up a MBA tomorrow that most likely shipped with Yosemite. I plan to upgrade it to El Capitan in a few days. It's a shame that Apple now insists on making our good devices inoperable. I no longer recommend Apple products to friends because of this. I still use them but cannot recommend.

Thank you again!