AirPort Extreme: Remotely logging base station activity

The base station keeps a 128 kilobyte log locally, which you can read with AirPort Management Utility. After the log reaches 128 KB, it deletes older messages. With remote logging there is not a pre-established size limit for the log, so you can keep many more messages.

Important: When you set up remote logging, be aware that another user could send an excess of log messages to fill up the logging computer's hard disk. Though an unlikely scenario, it would render the logging computer temporarily unusable (until you cleared some space).

To set up remote logging, you will create a log file for AirPort, then modify the syslog.conf file. These steps use the pico text editor, though other editors could be used.

1. In either AirPort Admin Utility or AirPort Management Utility, enter the logging computer's IP address in the "Send Base Station Logging to" field.
2. Update the base station with the configuration change and wait for it to finish restarting.
3. At the computer, be sure you are logged in with an administrator account.
4. Open Terminal, and execute these commands:

   # sudo touch /var/log/AirPort.log
   # sudo pico /etc/syslog.conf
   

5. Using the arrow keys, scroll to the bottom of the file, and add this line:

   local0.*  /var/log/AirPort.log

6. To save and close the file, press Control-O, Return, and Control-X.
7. Execute this command:
   

   # sudo syslogd -m 0 -u

   Note: "0" is a number, not a letter.
   
   
8. Once you are finished gathering the desired logs, press Control-C to stop the running process.
9. The result of the Base Station logging can be found in /var/log/AirPort.log or in the /var/log/system.log.