Good way to keep in touch with your Airport Expresses
My household has a couple of ancient Airport Expresses, which have a tendency to fade into the background until they get lonely, and cry out for help. When this happens, they usually just need to be introduced to a new router on the block, or perhaps have their firmware upgraded.
Since this only happens every couple of years, however, there's always upfront overhead to digging up and installing the software for Windows. The app makes this dramatically easier, and is a lot easier to use on top of it. For various reasons, it's much simpler to ensure the app gets installed on each of my iDevices and is kept up-to-date via the App Store than it is via the PC.
So, from my Airport Expresses, a big thank you: They feel far more cared for as a result. Indeed, they're even get proactive firmware updates now, instead of having to wait until they start refusing to take requests.
Since this only happens every couple of years, however, there's always upfront overhead to digging up and installing the software for Windows. The app makes this dramatically easier, and is a lot easier to use on top of it. For various reasons, it's much simpler to ensure the app gets installed on each of my iDevices and is kept up-to-date via the App Store than it is via the PC.
So, from my Airport Expresses, a big thank you: They feel far more cared for as a result. Indeed, they're even get proactive firmware updates now, instead of having to wait until they start refusing to take requests.
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Workable but Ripe for a Redesign
This app allows interfacing with the AirPort, which is helpful. However, the interface is not especially intuitive and this really shows up in the design/setup for limiting wifi access. I want to program in when my kid can't get wifi on their phone and laptop. This is possible but awkward, requiring many clicks. Once one gets to the point of programming the access restriction, it is actually a bit confusing whether one is delineating times wifi is allowed or not allowed. Also, it is set on a 24 hour day, so there is not one easy way to say no wifi all night, starting at 10pm on one day and going till 7am the next. One must program 10p-11:59 then 12am to 7am on a separate "restriction." Some better, more visually intuitive examples of setting up access restrictions and permissions exist in other areas -- this piece needs work. I also would like to be able to have a quick way to force wifi off for my kid's tech quickly and easily, like "stop access now and for the next x hours, just this one time" or similar. This app does not provide anything even close that sort of immediacy. Finally, when we are using access restrictions for one or two devices, it somehow seems to gum up the works for every other device in the house as well.
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Two dimensional/difficult to use....
This app stands in stark contrast to Apples reputation for delivering intuitive, user friendly technology. The app has very limited functionality, which is fine as long as there isn't a problem. Should you encounter an issue trouble shooting is unnecessarily difficult and the lack of functionality of this app will require you to seek external sources to find the resolution to any issue. It's really an easy fix and it's hard to understand why it hasn't already been done.
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Won't work...
This app used to work very well - the functions and information it provided were great. But something seems to have changed as I am no longer able to even see the wireless network that I am connected to. It recognizes that there is an internet connection, but that is it. I have tried to use this app on 2 different iPads as well as my iPhone - same thing on all of them. I've tried reinstalling several times and even doing a factory reset on my phone and nothing... I have no idea what would cause this problem. As a side note, I am able to view all router information on my desktop with no issues, so I'm doubting its the router (which also happens to be an Apple airport). Would be nice if they fixed this sometime soon...
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Not compatible with iOS 9
Pretends to scan but does not find the apple airport extreme in the same room when I use my iPhone 6. Installed exact same app on ipad running iOS 8 and it works. However, there are many configuration options not available to the user. Apple routers are light years (bad tech pun) ahead of the competition but I would like to see more configurability a la DD-wrt. Give the user more options please.
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Tends to lose routers
The app works OK, but tends to "lose" routers occasionally. For example, I have an AirPort Extreme connected directly to the DSL modem upstairs, and another in the basement extending my wireless network to some NAS drives. Everything on the network works, but this morning the app couldn't find either router (even though my iPhone was connected directly to the upstairs AE). If I forgot the router in the app and let them be re-discovered, the app only found the basement AE. It didn't recognize the AE sitting between the basement AE and the Internet.
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Did Apple write this app?
To be fair, this app gets the job done, but just barely. It is not intuitive at all (it's the opposite of intuitive), the design is extremely basic and unappealing, and it can be a little difficult to find what you are looking for. I'm amazed that this app was written by Apple. They put so much care and attention to the design and aesthetics of so many of their products, yet this app looks like it was written by an entry-level developer. Considering I depend on this to manage my router, I'm a bit disappointed. So far, I have been able to get things done, but I hate having to use this app.
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Decent App, Nice Display, Some Bugs
Displays a nice net map of your Apple Airports. With the AirPort Extreme, it transmits past my neighbor's homes so I really don't need more than one so I don't get the cool display anymore.
Shows your public IP, nice.
You can run your own server and point it's DNS back to your server. Nice. What you can't do is have separate DHCP controls and specifically separate DNS for the guest network. This is a major fault as suppose your DNS is a Mac Mini in your home... Guest network cannot access your Mac Mini on the non-guest, DNS points to Mac Mini, game over. -2
Offers to save your Airport Admin password and used to do that... But now just offers and doesn't not save. That is very bothersome -1
Over all, an decent utility with a very nice design with some silly problems that should be be fixed years ago. Apple is exceedingly slow at responding to customer bug reports so don't hold your breath. If you can't deal with what I have mentioned, don't by Apple Airports.
Shows your public IP, nice.
You can run your own server and point it's DNS back to your server. Nice. What you can't do is have separate DHCP controls and specifically separate DNS for the guest network. This is a major fault as suppose your DNS is a Mac Mini in your home... Guest network cannot access your Mac Mini on the non-guest, DNS points to Mac Mini, game over. -2
Offers to save your Airport Admin password and used to do that... But now just offers and doesn't not save. That is very bothersome -1
Over all, an decent utility with a very nice design with some silly problems that should be be fixed years ago. Apple is exceedingly slow at responding to customer bug reports so don't hold your breath. If you can't deal with what I have mentioned, don't by Apple Airports.
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Useless
When I enter the password for my base station literally nothing happens. It doesn't let me in to the advanced settings, and it doesn't tell my I've entered my password wrong, just nothing happens. Utterly useless. I've had it work in the past so no idea what's changed. Not my network though, not through any conscious changes anyway.
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Buggy and Confusing
Have you tried setting access time limits with this app?? Not obvious how you get to them, and when you do it won't let you save the changes. Does anyone test this stuff any more?
