How do I update an older Airport Wi-Fi base station with a flashing orange light?

A persistent, flashing amber light indicates that any of the these potential conditions may require your attention:

• The base station has not yet been configured because it is new, or it has been reset.
• You have selected a security configuration that is not recommended.
• A new firmware update is available for the base station.
• One of several other conditions, such as a disconnected Ethernet cable or invalid IP address has been detected.

Ref:

• About the status light on AirPort base stations - Apple Support
• If your base station's light is flashing - Apple Support

To find out why your base station's status LED is flashing amber:

1. Open AirPort Utility
2. Click on the AirPort base station
3. Look for a Status setting in the small window that appears. Note: Status only appears if there is an issue or notification.
4. Click on the small amber dot there and another window will open to explain what the "issue" might be.

Sparkgapper wrote:

It is not the base station that is the problem, it accept the prper password and opens into the Airport menu.

Hmm, that's not what you said: "MAJOR PROBLEM! everything works up to 'clicking the orange dot' which comes up "enter your base station password." but it will not accept the password."

Regardless, it appears that you are using this Express base station as a remote unit. With that said, what is the make & model of your "main" router? Do you have this base station configured as a wireless extender or as a wireless client to that main router? The "dotted" line, as seen in the AirPort Utility, would indicate a wireless connection: whereas, a solid line would be an Ethernet one.

Does the Solar Cell connect to the Express by Ethernet or by wireless? Based on what you have provided, the placement of the Express will be critical for good wireless connectivity. As such, the following user tip post may prove helpful: AirPort - Optimal Base Station Placement

Open AirPort Utility on your Mac........Finder > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility

Click on the AirPort you are asking about, and information about the product will appear in a smaller window

Click on the amber dot next to Status to find out why the AirPort Is blinking amber

Post back with the message that you see

There have not been any updates for any of the AirPorts in about 6 years, so the notice that you see is about something else.

You can temporarily disable all of the AirPort base station's passwords by performing a "soft" reset.

To do so: With the base station connected to power, press and hold the reset button for 1 sec, then release the button.

You should have approx. five minutes where you won't need to enter a password to access the base station via the AirPort Utility.

Also, you will not be able to access it by having it connected to your Mac via a USB cable.

For the AirPort Express.....what is the message next to Status when you check using AirPort Utility?

Temporarily, move the AirPort Express to the same room as your main AirPort base station.

Perform a Hard Reset again on the AirPort Express and set it up to extend the Wi-Fi network

Green Light? If yes, move the Express back to the remote location where it is needed. If the Express won't work in the remote location, it is located too far from the main AirPort base station.

If no green light after setting up the Express again in close proximity to the main base station.......we'll need to try to get the Express working when it is close to the main AirPort base station. If it won't work that way......it obviously will never work in the remote location that you want.

Looks like I may have something wrong with the '11 airport extreme

We assume that you have already tried powering off the AirPort Extreme, waiting a minute, then powering it back up again, correct?

If you have a green light on the AirPort Extreme, there is nothing wrong with the AirPort Extreme, so if the issue persists, you have to start thinking about an AirPort Express that is likely failing.