Debugging the AirPort Extreme Update 2007-001

1922 days ago in Troubleshooting by Brent | No Comments

Macs don’t really need debugging, of course, because they don’t get bugs. But sometimes they get glitches, and quite a few users have complained about a glitch after they download and install the AirPort Extreme Update 2007-001.

AirPort Extreme provides wireless networking for Intel-based dual processor Macs and for PC’s. The 2007-001 update fixes a security vulnerability where someone in close proximity to the network could send malicious frames and crash your system.

The glitch is that some people have connectivity problems after installing the update. They may not be able to connect to the internet or to maintain the connection once they find it. Frequent and sudden “drop outs” are annoying and frustrating.

Logging off and back on again, putting the computer to sleep and waking it up, or restarting usually restores the connection, but it may be lost again in a short while. Here are a few other tricks to try that may solve the problem.

• Turn the AirPort Base Station and/or internal hardware off and then back on again. It usually works best if you disconnect the power source instead of toggling the on/off switch.
• Check for 3rd party wireless routers or applications that interact with the router, such as CoconutWiFi and remove them.
• Go into the Airport Admin Utility and change the security protocol.
• Go into the Airport Admin Utility and change the channel. You may have to change the channel of any other routers, too.
• Do a hard reset of your base station. This removes all the settings and allows you to reset everything. After a hard reset, you will need to physically connect your Mac to the base station with a cable to reprogram it. You can find the directions for performing a hard reset in your owner’s manual or on the Apple website.

If nothing else solves the problem, a hard reset should do it. You should be able to maintain connectivity to the internet at all times. If a hard reset doesn’t work, you may have to call for technical support.