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Both the Mac and iOS versions of AirPort Utility have received an update today, fixing an issue that caused some AirPort Base Stations not to be recognized by the apps.
The bug fix follows last month's AirPort Utility update that added support for Apple's new AirPort Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule, both of which support the faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
The OS X update for AirPort Utility can be downloaded via the Software Update tool in the Mac App Store and the iOS version can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
SNMP, and syslog, and time server syncing, are all missing from Airport Utility 6.x. At least with the prior base stations, you can still use AU 5.6.x and configure these items. The new AC base stations are only configurable with AU 6.3.x. SNMP might still be there, but you cannot configure it anymore.
You can still use the older software on the older hardware
I figure this may be the last Airport router I buy. They don't have much of a feture set any more. Not worth the price. It's really dumb of Apple to remove software based features that don't add to the manufacturing cost.
I know I recently had to set up a wireless network at a convention center for a show, and we strung multiple Airport Extremes (5th. generation models) around the place as "extenders" to the primary unit, to get enough signal coverage.
I had some issues with the iOS utility not detecting all of them properly in that arrangement.... Generally, the units with ethernet cables wired between them would show up fine, but wireless extenders were hit and miss.
I think I wound up using the utility on my Macbook Pro to get one of them configured when the iOS one on my phone just refused to see it. (After it was set up, I think it finally appears in the iOS utility though.)
Anyway, I completely agree that Apple taking away advanced features stinks.... I believe the new ac routers don't even let you configure SNMP on them anymore.