Export Your AirPort Extreme Configuration

  Matt Cone       June 4, 2012      Tutorials AirPort Network


Setting up an AirPort Extreme is a painstaking process that can take hours or even days. But your work isn’t finished when you get the AirPort Extreme working the way you want it. The last step is exporting your AirPort Extreme’s configuration file to save all of those configuration settings and back them up.

If you ever need to reset your AirPort Extreme to the default settings, or if it ever resets accidentally, you can restore your configuration settings by importing the configuration file with the AirPort Utility application. This could save you hours of time in the event of an accident. Plus, if you work in an enterprise environment, you could import the configuration file to the other AirPort Extreme base stations in your organization.

Here’s how to export your AirPort Extreme configuration:

  1. Open the AirPort Utility application. (It’s in Applications → Utilities.) The window shown below appears.

    The AirPort Utility application

  2. Click the AirPort Extreme base station. The configuration window pops up.

  3. Click Edit.

  4. From the File menu, select Export Configuration File. The window shown below appears.

    Exporting an AirPort configuration

  5. Enter a name for the file in the Save As field, and then select a folder.

  6. To protect the passwords stored in the configuration file, you should select the Encrypt passwords for more security checkbox.

  7. Click Save.

Congratulations! You have successfully exported your AirPort Extreme configuration. Make sure you store this file in a safe place, and make sure you have backups. You’ll be glad you did if your AirPort Extreme base station is ever restored to its default settings.

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