Tag Archives: AirPort

fixed : AirPort Utility 6 lost the option to configure connected printers

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Apple has updated the firmware for the TimeCapsule a few days ago, and updated the AirPort Utility software to version 6. Which might not be exactly what you were waiting for…

The user-interface of AirPort Utility 6 is completely new, it looks exactly like the iOS AirPort Utility interface now…

the good :

  • direct visual insight in how your local WiFi-network is set up (in a nice tree-branche structure)
  • by clicking on the hardware icons, you will see info like Network name, IP address, Serial no., Firmware version and… a list of all currently connected wireless clients
  • if your Firmware is out of date, you will see that instantly because of the little red circle with the white 1 in it next to the hardware icon
  • full iCloud support

the bad :

  • this is not an Administator interface, it’s nothing more than a nice looking info&update-utility, but as all options for managing your WiFi-network and your AirPort-hardware have vanished…
  • this app is MasOSX 10.7 “Lion” only…
  • from now on, it’s iCloud-only – no support for MobileMe any longer… (so no iDisk any longer…)
  • you can not manage AirPort-networked printers (like the USB-printer connected to your TimeCapsule) any longer
  • some client devices may not be able to find the updated AirPort Basestation / TimeCapsule (my iPhone 4 needed a reboot to become able to connect…)
  • …the printer-timeout-problem still exists, this update doesn’t resolve issues with the TimeCapule not being able to temporarily save big files that the connected USB-printer can not process quickly enough…

the ugly (the dirty way to get everything) :

…luckily, it is possible to re-install and use the previous version of AirPort Utility alongside of this one (eventhough the version 6 installer deletes the previous version) :

  • either place the previous version back into your “Utilities” folder (inside your “Applications” folder) from your TimeMachine-backup ; be sure to change the name of the old version to something like “AirPort Admin Utility” since it won’t be possible for both of them to use the “AirPort Utility” name…
  • or… download the installer of the 5.6 version from Apple :

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1482

fixed : upgrading Airport to WiFi-N on mid-2007 Mac mini

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The mid-2007 Mac mini (model A1176) was a very interesting update for the Mac mini, because it got upgraded to a Core 2 Duo processor. There is however one thing that should also have been upgraded, but wasn’t (for some strange reason – cost reduction ?) : the AirPort card ; that stayed a WiFi-B/G compatible one only… even though all other Macs had WiFi-B/G/N at that time…

Luckily it is possible to upgrade the AirPort card to a WiFi-N compatible model.

I found one for a relatively good price on Amazon.de : the Atheros AR9280. Both MacOSX 10.6 Snow Leopard and MacOSX 10.7 Lion recognize it as a genuine AirPort-N card, so in 10.7 Lion the new AirDrop feature is also supported.

I used the installing directions from iFixit.com :

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-Mac-mini-Model-A1176-AirPort-Extreme/1112/1

It works perfectly, even with only one antenna (FYI : normally a WiFi-N card should have 3 antennas, but the WiFi-B/G card that was originally installed came with just one…)

fixed : premature timeout of TimeCapsule-connected USB-printers

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Solving the premature timeout-problem of TimeCapsule-connected printers

Some printers work fine when connected directly on the USB-port of your Mac, but when you connect them to a Time Capsule they choke on large files. They will print part of your document, and then suddenly end by printing a nearly blank page with an error message “SPL-C ERROR – Including Corrupted Data”. This is caused by a pre-mature timeout of connection between the printer and the Time Capsule.

Two simple solutions, and a 3rd ‘DareDevil-solution’ that’s more complex :

  1. your USB-cable is too long ; replace the USB-cable with a shorter one (standard length is 1.8 meters, shorter ones are hard to find)
  2. your USB-cable is too thin ; replace the USB-cable with a thicker, more rigid one
  3. If the above options are not possible to implement in your case, try this (if you dare) :

Edit the .gz-file

  • find the .gz-file for your printer in Library / Printers / PPDs / Contents / Resources / [printer diver name].gz
  • for failure-protection, duplicate it and rename it from [printer driver name].gz to [printer driver name](orig).gz
  • double click the initial .gz-file to unpack it
  • then, in the same folder, find the file with the same name, without the .gz-extention
  • open this file in the application TextEdit
  • find this line :

*Throughput: “[number]”

  • change the “[number]” to “60” (or something at least twice as big as the initial number)
  • save the file ; make sure the name is the same as when you opened it (omit the .txt-extention ; if you fail to do that while saving, rename the file in the Finder, but omit the .txt-extention)
  • download a GZIP-encoder ; for instance The Zipper :

http://lipidity.com/software/zippit/

  • use the GZIP-encoder to turn the [printer driver name] file into a [printer driver name].gz file
  • make sure this new [printer driver name].gz file is located in Library / Printers / PPDs / Contents / Resources /
  • you’re done… …on this computer at least…
  • now you have to got to each of the other Mac’s on your network and replace the old Library / Printers / PPDs / Contents / Resources / [printer diver name].gz by the new one…

…time-consuming isn’t it ?

…and your out of luck : you have to go though this each and every time the printer drivers for your printer are being updated… (until the official Printer-driver will include a longer timeout-delay…)

so… isn’t replacing the USB-cable an easier option ?

AirPort-connected USB-printer sometimes prints, sometimes not

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— THIS IS A REPOST ORIGINALLY POSTED ON THE APPLE SUPPORT COMMUNITIES IN 2010 —

Question : I have a Samsung CLP-315 connected via USB to an Airport Express. The problem is that the printer works for a page or two and then it stops working, usually with a larger document being printed. (Firmware on Airport Express is 6.3 and I am using OS X 10.5.5)

Answer : I had the exact same problem with my Samsung CLP 315 and my Time Capsule.

I seem to have fixed it this way :

  1. download & install the latest driver for the CLP 315
  2. download & install the latest AirPort Utility (Apple-software)
  3. after configuring AirPort Utility, close it & re-open
  4. in AirPort Utility choose Manual Setup
  5. in Summary click on the small arrow that appears on mouse-over left from / next to “USB Printers”
  6. on the page that appears, change the name of the printer to the exact name you want to use for it on your Mac (and leave the “Share printers over the Internet using Bonjour blank) and click “Update”
  7. go to System Preferences on your Mac, go to “Print & Fax” and “Add Printer” (the “+”)
  8. under the Default tab, select your Samsung CLP 315 (it will be listed exactly the way you’ve named it in your AirPort Utility, followed by the “Kind = Bonjour” info)
  9. now your printer’s Name, Location and Driver (“Print Using”) will all be listed automatically
  10. click “Add” and you can start using your Samsung-printer wirelessly through your Time Capsule

That seems to be all there is to it…

the original post(s) can be found here :

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1839505?threadID=1839505&tstart=295