[Macworld]

Post your comments for Apple releases AirPort Utility 5.4.2 update here

[kboone34]

After I did the update, I still see my version as 5.4.1. Any ideas anyone ?

[kboone34]

Duh! It was as simple as a restart. I hope it was enjoyable watching me talk to myself. Thank you to those who I know would have helped is I just age them enough time :-D

[MrLucky]

As the owner of a several-year-old Airport Express that works just fine, I don't see any compelling reason to update and risk messing up a working wireless network with new software. Or am I missing something?

[bastion]

MrLucky said:

As the owner of a several-year-old Airport Express that works just fine, I don't see any compelling reason to update and risk messing up a working wireless network with new software. Or am I missing something?

I think you're missing that this isn't a firmware update for your AE. It's a bug fix for the administrative tool that you use on your machine to configure it.

[MrLucky]

No, I understand that this is a utility update. There is still a risk that the update won't play nicely with an older Airport Express. My question stands: if my wireless network has no bugs, why mess with it?

[jddmacworld]

Let us know how it works out for you Mr. Lucky

[LSlugger]

AirPort Utility was not reliably finding my base stations (Express and Extreme with 802.11g). I thought it was interference or something, but they both work fine after the update.

[bastion]

MrLucky said:

No, I understand that this is a utility update. There is still a risk that the update won't play nicely with an older Airport Express. My question stands: if my wireless network has no bugs, why mess with it?

My response stands: I think you've missed the point. Even if your wireless network did have bugs this isn't going to do anything about it. It's a bug fix for the tool that tells the base station what settings to use. If you aren't affected by the bugs in the prior versions of the tool and don't care about the new feature noted then there's no point in upgrading. Same with any other piece of software you might use.

[scottmyers]

The best news is the ability to attach a USB hard drive (or two...) and use Time Machine. Network storage AND backup... Shway!

[bastion]

scottmyers said:

The best news is the ability to attach a USB hard drive (or two...) and use Time Machine. Network storage AND backup... Shway!

That would be good news, but I don't see any indication that the state of affairs has changed with this release. Or, for that matter, could, because it would take an update to the base station to achieve it.

[MrLucky]

Thanks, Bastion. "There's no point in upgrading," is the answer I was expecting (though that wasn't at all clear in your original post). I think I'll skip this update for now. Cheers.

[shaneglassmac]

With each update I hope Apple will include the ability to port map for Apple Remote Desktop more than a single internal IP address. My Father has had an Apple for a number of years at his house and I regularly use ARD to access his computer for help and updates. My Mom was smitten with the iMac bug about a year ago so now there are two computers behind a single Airport Extreme. I am not able to access both machines, but only configure 1 of the two.

[joekewe]

It's easy to access two ARD machines behind an AirPort. Leave one machine setup normally, then forward a different unused port to the second machine (ARD uses standard VNC ports 5900, 5901). For example, forward "external" port 1234 to 5900 on the second machine (I don't think you need to also forward the next port to 5901). Then on your Screen Sharing app, login to AirPort.ip.address:1234 instead of just the regular AirPort address. All machines behind the AirPort need static/manual internal ip addresses rather than DHCP so you don't have "moving targets" for the port forwarding. Works like a charm.