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IPv6 tunneling broken with latest AirPort updates

Apple's recent AirPort and Time Capsule updates may break IPv6 tunneling features in the devices, requiring a downgrade for those who use these features.

Topher Kessler MacFixIt Editor
Topher, an avid Mac user for the past 15 years, has been a contributing author to MacFixIt since the spring of 2008. One of his passions is troubleshooting Mac problems and making the best use of Macs and Apple hardware at home and in the workplace.
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Topher Kessler
2 min read

9to5Mac is reporting an issue involving Apple's AirPort utility and Time Capsule updates released last week. A number of Mac users who use IPv6-based tunneling to connect to their devices have found they can no longer do so after installing the latest firmware and updates to their AirPort and Time Capsule devices.

This problem mirrors similar past issues with firmware updates on Apple's router devices, and is likely from a small configuration bug in the firmware. Unfortunately the issue likely can only be fixed with a supplemental update. In the meantime, if you use IPv6 tunneling and are having difficulty after updating, your only solution for now is to downgrade your firmware to the prior version. This can be done with the following instructions (from Apple's Knowledge base):

AirPort Utility 5

  1. Open AirPort Utility.
  2. Select your base station and choose Manual Setup, or double-click the Wi-Fi base station icon.
  3. Choose Base Station > Upload Firmware.
  4. From the window that appears, select a firmware version and click OK. If you select Other from the Upload Version menu, you will be prompted to manually locate the firmware update.

AirPort Utility 6

  1. Open AirPort Utility.
  2. Select the base station you want to downgrade.
  3. Place the mouse cursor over the version number and hold down the Option key to turn it into a pop-up menu. Press and hold the mouse button to open the menu.
  4. From the menu that appears, select a firmware version and click OK. If you select Other, you will be prompted to manually locate the firmware update.

Note that this will be useful only to those who need IPv6 tunneling. If you do not know what this is or have rarely or never used it, you do not need apply these steps.


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