Apple updates AirPort Utility app with iOS 13 compatibility

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AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iOS edited October 2019
Following complaints of incompatibility with iOS 13, Apple on Monday issued an update to its AirPort Utility app, allowing users of devices running the latest operating system to control and manage the now discontinued first-party routers.

AirPort Update


Release notes accompanying AirPort Utility version 1.3. note "general stability and security improvements," but the update is thought to address wider compatibility problems with iOS 13.

Users of Apple's AirPort management tool have complained of app crashes since iOS 13 launched in September. Specifically, the app would hang or crash when a device password was entered in the AirPort authentication prompt.

Subsequent iOS point updates, released over the past few weeks, did not rectify the situation, suggesting the AirPort Utility app was to blame.

What security updates are included in today's update remains unknown.

With Apple no longer producing AirPort base stations, updates for the company's first-party device management software have been few and far between. According to the App Store, AirPort Utility was last updated in September 2018.

The company continues barebones support of the AirPort line, though many customers have switched to faster routers marketed by third-party firms like Linksys, Netgear and Synology. In August 2018, for example, Apple pushed out a firmware update that delivered AirPlay 2 support to 802.11n AirPort Express base stations.

More recently, Apple in May issued an AirPort firmware update with security fixes, which was followed by patches for 802.11n AirPort Base Station and Time Capsule units in June.

Apple's AirPort Utility update is a free download from the iOS App Store.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,157member
    That's great news.  I have a lot of AirPort routers still in use and being managed.  Great that Apple still continues to support it.  I only wish Apple would get back into the router segment.  I have zero faith in what the competitors offer.  All junk.
    cornchipboboliciousrob53lkruppzeus423commentzillajust cruisincaladanianElCapitansvanstrom
     15Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 21
    cornchipcornchip Posts: 1,954member
    sflocal said:
    That's great news.  I have a lot of AirPort routers still in use and being managed.  Great that Apple still continues to support it.  I only wish Apple would get back into the router segment.  I have zero faith in what the competitors offer.  All junk.
    Right there with you. News came of Air Port's demise only weeks after I got my first Air Port router - albeit a used one off eBay. it replaced a junky old Belkin i think. Love the Air Port but don't know what I'll do if it ever bites it. 
    boboliciousbluefire1svanstromwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 3 of 21
    boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,190member
    Joining the choir - this tech has been a favourite of mine still running multiple stations here as far back as 2008 hardware and would buy more if only Apple would embrace this again...

    This was one of the things that made Apple so appealing to me & perhaps 'for the rest of us'...

    My wishlist upgrades would have been simple - USB3 to speed non-network recovery & remote drive access along with easy (secure) user replacement of the internal drive...

    What is Apple thinking winding down this most elegant and effective hardware...?

    edited October 2019
    just cruisinsvanstromwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 4 of 21
    Rhythmagicrhythmagic Posts: 63unconfirmed, member
    Good job. I Knew I could trust yous. 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 21
    bigtdsbigtds Posts: 167member
    sflocal said:
    That's great news.  I have a lot of AirPort routers still in use and being managed.  Great that Apple still continues to support it.  I only wish Apple would get back into the router segment.  I have zero faith in what the competitors offer.  All junk.
    Build your own router using pfsense or Untangle free router/firewall software loaded on Protectli hardware. Very reliable and highly secure.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 21
    commentzillacommentzilla Posts: 789member
    bigtds said:
    sflocal said:
    That's great news.  I have a lot of AirPort routers still in use and being managed.  Great that Apple still continues to support it.  I only wish Apple would get back into the router segment.  I have zero faith in what the competitors offer.  All junk.
    Build your own router using pfsense or Untangle free router/firewall software loaded on Protectli hardware. Very reliable and highly secure.
    Easy of use and integration with Time Machine is a must have feature. I have two Apple Time Capsules and nothing has come close yet. 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 21
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member
    No new content caching function?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 21
    caladaniancaladanian Posts: 380member
    An Airport with WiFi 6 would be a great return. 
    hodarhmurchisoncornchipwatto_cobra
     4Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 9 of 21
    svanstromsvanstrom Posts: 702member
    bigtds said:
    sflocal said:
    That's great news.  I have a lot of AirPort routers still in use and being managed.  Great that Apple still continues to support it.  I only wish Apple would get back into the router segment.  I have zero faith in what the competitors offer.  All junk.
    Build your own router using pfsense or Untangle free router/firewall software loaded on Protectli hardware. Very reliable and highly secure.
    I used to build my own, and then switched to Airport because it just worked.

    Same with home automation; built my own to get the functionality, and then switched to HomeKit to save time.

    It’s just an unnecessary pain to build/support your own stuff to that level of simplicity of just buying an Apple product. 
    cornchipwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 10 of 21
    Rayz2016rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    People built their own routers?

    Well there ya go; I had no idea.

    StrangeDayscornchipwatto_cobra
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 11 of 21
    bigtdsbigtds Posts: 167member
    commentzilla said:
    bigtds said:
    sflocal said:
    That's great news.  I have a lot of AirPort routers still in use and being managed.  Great that Apple still continues to support it.  I only wish Apple would get back into the router segment.  I have zero faith in what the competitors offer.  All junk.
    Build your own router using pfsense or Untangle free router/firewall software loaded on Protectli hardware. Very reliable and highly secure.
    Easy of use and integration with Time Machine is a must have feature. I have two Apple Time Capsules and nothing has come close yet. 
    Not sure how a router would prevent you from using Time Machine. The QNAP NAS I use supports Time Machine and worked perfectly when I used it in the past.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 12 of 21
    jccjcc Posts: 338member
    sflocal said:
    That's great news.  I have a lot of AirPort routers still in use and being managed.  Great that Apple still continues to support it.  I only wish Apple would get back into the router segment.  I have zero faith in what the competitors offer.  All junk.
    Unfortunately, after Jobs death Apple has joined the ranks of the competitors. Apple has started to produce junk. I have zero faith that if they were to start producing WiFi routers that we would get the same quality and great design as before.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 13 of 21
    MplsPmplsp Posts: 4,103member
    Kinda ironic that Apple itself got caught with incompatible software. 

    I too miss the simplicity and reliability of my old airport router. Unfortunately Apple didn’t keep up with technology and features, and the router market has gotten quite crowded, so it probably wouldn’t make sense for them to try and get back in at this point. 

    I got an Amplifi mesh system a few years ago and have been very happy with it. 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 14 of 21
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,547member
    MplsP said:
    Kinda ironic that Apple itself got caught with incompatible software. 
    Huh? Everybody gets bugs. The whole software industry is then rife with irony. Why? Because nobody bats 1.000, ever.
    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
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  • Reply 15 of 21
    YP101yp101 Posts: 183member
    Rayz2016 said:
    People built their own routers?

    Well there ya go; I had no idea.

    If you want powerful router and firewall and some people bulid with older hardware which much powerful then any of consumer level router out there.

    I wounder why Apple not jump in to NAS business. A12X or A13X CPU with 8-16GB RAM(with 4-8bay) should eat most of consumer level NAS.
    Bulit in Air port utility and time capsule.

    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 16 of 21
    bigtdsbigtds Posts: 167member
    YP101 said:
    Rayz2016 said:
    People built their own routers?

    Well there ya go; I had no idea.

    If you want powerful router and firewall and some people bulid with older hardware which much powerful then any of consumer level router out there.

    I wounder why Apple not jump in to NAS business. A12X or A13X CPU with 8-16GB RAM(with 4-8bay) should eat most of consumer level NAS.
    Bulit in Air port utility and time capsule.

    I started with Pfsense but found it a little too complex for my needs. I switched to Untangle for it's simple user interface. I'm using it on a Protectli fanless Atom based mini computer. Rock solid performance and I can manage it from anywhere. Untangle provides their full suite of security apps for $50/yr for the home user. https://www.untangle.com/untangle-ng-firewall/ Both Pfsense and Untangle are way ahead of any consumer focused routers.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 17 of 21
    libertyforalllibertyforall Posts: 1,418member
    How about a 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 with MIMO version, Apple?!
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 18 of 21
    StrangeDaysstrangedays Posts: 13,167member
    jcc said:
    sflocal said:
    That's great news.  I have a lot of AirPort routers still in use and being managed.  Great that Apple still continues to support it.  I only wish Apple would get back into the router segment.  I have zero faith in what the competitors offer.  All junk.
    Unfortunately, after Jobs death Apple has joined the ranks of the competitors. Apple has started to produce junk. I have zero faith that if they were to start producing WiFi routers that we would get the same quality and great design as before.
    Nonsense. My post-Jobs equipment is the finest I've ever owned, and no way would I revert to older hardware. Love my new iPhone, iMac, AirPods, iPad, rMBR, etc.. 

    My friends have a brand new Linksys mesh system and are unhappy with it, it was junky. Perhaps the segment of routers is junky by nature, and that's why Apple doesn't produce one.
    edited October 2019
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 19 of 21
    looplessloopless Posts: 353member
    I moved on to a NetGear Orbi system  - in many cases 'mesh' ( Orbi is hub and spoke) networks are the only way to get fast WIFi across a whole house.  Until I got the Orbi I struggled with powerline adpaters and a mix of Apple AP Extremes but it was never great and the family complained a lot.

    The Orbi is a bit funky to set up and if Apple did an Apple branded mesh WIFi that was super easy to get running they could have set the standard for the market.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 20 of 21
    photoeditorphotoeditor Posts: 244member
    Try as I might, I cannot get this to install on my Ipad. It keeps showing there's an update for Airport Utility and then it keeps trying and failing to update it. I've tried uninstall, reset, etc, and nothing is working; I still have Airport 1.3.5 and an update notification. Everything else is updating normally. Note this is an older iPad limited to system 10.3.3


     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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