New Airport Extreme dropping signal intermittently

Frequently my signal fails for no apparent reason, it shows full power on the status bar but sometimes it just looses my base station, then finds it, then find others in the building then looses them all again and so on. I have reconfigured the bases station, restarted the modem, renewed the DHCP lease but remains a problem. Most annoying.
My mac is older and the Airport Extreme card could be faulty I guess??
Any help is appreciated.

I would suspect wireless interference before failing hardware. There are only three non-overlapping channels in the 802.11g spectrum, and it's subject to interference from other 2.4 GHz devices like cordless phones and microwave ovens. The best you can do is try to mitigate noise and interference from competing networks.
Are your network preferences set to join your network (by default, join "your wireless network name")?
Try changing the wireless channel from "automatic" to some fixed channel, and experiment with different channels. Try enabling interference robustness.
Ironically, the popularity of wireless networking has contributing to the 802.11g standard's increasing uselessness. The draft 802.11n standard uses a different spectrum and more efficient means of handling data, with the cost of a reduced ability to penetrate obstructions.
This is a mixed blessing... we want our own wireless networks to have a big range; our neighbor's, small
The following quote from Enterprise Networking Planet seems to describe your situation:
2.4 GHz wireless LANs can experience RF interference from cordless phones, microwaves, and other existing wireless LANs. The interfering signals degrade the performance of a wireless network by periodically blocking users and access points from accessing the shared air medium. If it's not possible to reduce potential interference in the 2.4 GHz band to an acceptable level, consider deploying a 5 GHz system. The noise floor in the 5 GHz band is generally lower compared to the 2.4 GHz band, which allows 802.11n to function at higher data rates.
Since you have a newer 802.11n Extreme, you ought to look into a 802.11n USB wireless dongle for your iBook - they're not expensive. Shop around.

Similar Messages

  • Airport Extreme dropping signal

    Hi All:
    I have Airport extreme, and an airpot express. In an ideal world I would like to connect my desktop Power Mac G5, my Mac Book Pro and a PC.
    Since networking is not my game and I spend 3 days trying to set everything up and never got it to work I paid $95.- to a "professional" to install everything. It worked great for 4 days. I could stream music wirelessly, I could print from both Macs (never form the PC) I was in heaven! Ont he 5th day, iTunes won't stream music any more, nor can I print from either mac, thank god I can connect wireless from my Mac Book Pro. I didn't change a single thing. The "professional is telling me I have a "hardware problem" and I will have to spend extra mony to fix it. I am cluless. All my software is up to date.
    Why would it suddenly stop working? I already disconnected airpot extreme waited 5 min. and connected again as I read in one thread, no luck.
    Any hepl wpould be greatly apreciated.
    Thanks a lot,
    Alex Neuman

    I'd suggest going with setting up the AX as a "wireless client" to take advantage of it's audio streaming capability with degrading your AEBSn's wireless network. Try this configuration first to see if it will satisfy your needs.
    Here's the setup steps for this scenario...
    AirPort Extreme Base Station Setup (AEBSn) w/Cable Modem
    Perform a "hard" reset of the AEBSn. (optional)
    o (ref: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107451)
    Modem/Router Power ReCycling (optional)
    o Power-off the Cable modem, AEBSn, & computer(s); Wait at least 15 minutes.
    o Power-on the Cable modem; Wait at least 15 minutes.
    o Power-on the AEBSn; Wait at least 5 minutes.
    o Power-on the computer(s)
    Setup the AEBSn
    Temporarily connect your computer directly (using an Ethernet cable) to one of the LAN ports of the AEBSn, and then, using the AirPort Utility in Manual Mode, check these settings:
    AirPort - Base Station
    o Base Station Name: <whatever you wish or use the default>
    o Base Station Password: (optional)
    o Contact: (optional)
    o Location: (optional)
    o Set time automatically (optional)
    o Time Zone: <select your time zone>
    o Status Light: Always On (Default)
    o Allow configuration over Ethernet WAN port (unchecked)
    o Advertise configuration globally using Bonjour (unchecked)
    AirPort - Wireless
    o Wireless Mode: Create a wireless network
    o Network Name: <whatever you wish or use the default>
    o Allow this network to be extended (unchecked)
    o Radio Mode: 802.11n (802.11b/g compatible)
    o Channel: Automatic
    o Wireless Security: None
    AirPort - Wireless - Wireless Options
    o Region: <select your region>
    o Multicast Rate: 2 Mbps
    o Transmit Power: 100%
    o Create a closed network (unchecked)
    o Use interference robustness (unchecked)
    Internet - Internet Connection
    o Connect Using: Ethernet
    o Configure IPv4: Using DHCP
    o IP Address: <provided by your ISP>
    o Subnet Mask: <provided by your ISP>
    o Router Address: <provided by your ISP>
    o DNS Server(s): <provided by your ISP>
    o Domain Name: <provided by your ISP>
    o DHCP Client ID: (optional)
    o Ethernet WAN Port: Automatic (Default)
    o Connection Sharing: Share a public IP address
    Internet - DHCP
    o DHCP Range: 10.0 1.x
    o DHCP Beginning Address: 10.0.1.2
    o DHCP Ending Address: 10.0.1.200
    o DHCP Lease: 4 hours
    o DHCP Message: (optional)
    o LDAP Server: (optional)
    o DHCP Reservations: (optional)
    Internet - NAT
    o Enable default host at: (leave blank)
    o Enable NAT Port Mapping Protocol (checked)
    Perform a "hard" reset of the AX. (optional)
    o (ref: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108044)
    To set up the AirPort Express Base Station (AX) as a "Wireless Client," using the AirPort Utility, either connect to the AX's wireless network or temporarily connect your computer directly (using an Ethernet cable) to the Ethernet port of the AX, and then, try these settings:
    AirPort > Base Station tab
    o Base Station Name: <whatever you wish or use the default>
    o Base Station Password: <enter a desired password for the base station>
    o Verify Password: <re-enter the desired password>
    o Allow configuration over Ethernet WAN port (checked)
    AirPort > Wireless tab
    o Wireless Mode: Join a wireless network
    o Network Name: <type in the AEBSn's wireless network name or select it from the pop-up menu>
    o Wireless Security: None
    Once you verified that this is working, we can go over the steps to secure your wireless network.

  • AirPort Extreme - Drops signal

    I have been encountering my AirPort Extreme droping from the network and I can not long find it with my laptop.
    I am connected to cable and test the cable and the cable is fine.
    The only way that I have been able to get it going agian is to restart the base station. This has been happening almost every day.

    Although I do have problems with my own set-up from time to time, you may want to try one or more of the following:
    1) switch on inteference robustness on your Mac.
    2) manually set the channel (cycle through the channels 1-11 to find the one that worls best for you).

  • New Airport Extreme (6th Gen) Dropping Connection from Time to Time.

    Problem:
    6th Generation Airport Extreme drops connection intermittently at random times.
    Set Up:
    6th Generation Airport Extreme (main router - no hard drive/not a time capsule) located center of house on the main floor. 2 Range extenders each approximately 30+ feet away from main router. First range extender (Airport Express - newest generation) located on the third floor parallel to main. Second range extender (Airport Express - new generation) is located at the end of the kitchen (main floor).
    Main Router is connected straight from a Motorolla Surfboard modem on a foyer table at the center of the house.
    Range extenders connected to Main Router wirelessly and at wall outlett height.
    Previous Setup:
    Same setup as above but, with the 5th Generation Airport Extreme instead of the 6th Generation.
    Firmware:
    All current versions.
    Devices:
    1 SONY VAIO VGN-FW490J
    HP Notebook G60
    Several WEMO outlets
    1 iPad Mini
    1 iPad 2
    1 iPhone 5
    1 Motorolla RAZR MAXX
    Macbook Pro
    iMac (wired from main router on foyer table)
            Note: All of these routers/range extenders/modem/computers are plugged into surge protected outlets.
    Notes:
    With the new Airport Extreme my family and I have been experiencing intermettent connection drops. The amber light on the main router turns on and within a few minutes turns green and connection resumes again. This has been happening for a few days now ever since I purchased the new router. This has not happened before with the 5th generation router, which I donated to our church.
    I have not exchanged the product yet. I will be initiating a Complete Power Recycle after some suggested solutions in a bit. I have contacted my Internet Service Provider (Comcast) for a line check and found no problems.
    Has anyone found any solutions to resolve the intermittent connection drops? Is reverting to the previous firmware going to solve this?
    I would like some insights before trying to do all this. Thank you all for your time.
    P.s.
    I've done a detailed post since posts like these is frequently asked questions on set-up, devices, connections, etc:

    Update:
    Before I went to exchange my 6th Gen Extreme, I ran through all possible solutions from complete power recycle to no devices connected. I even went out of my way to my cousin's house to test it out. The same problem still kept coming.
    I was able to exchange my 6th Gen Airprt Extreme with another 6th Gen Extreme the other day. I set it up how the instructions told me and within an hour it did the exact same problem as the previous 6th Gen Extreme. I gave up and decided to get the ASUS RT-AC66R (ASUS RT-AC66U is the same, just the 'R' is Best Buy's model.)
    The ASUS router is just as great as the 6th Gen Router. You can actually get it down to $180 by price matching to Amazon. The ASUS router has 3 antennas that you can adjust according to where the signal is used more. I pointed them more towards the backyard, upstairs, and the living room. The range is by far better than the Extreme because of this. I was able to drive down a good block (3-4 houses down) and still connected to my router. Also it has 2 USB ports which was fantastic for me so I can plug in my external hard drive and a non-wireless printer. It has many more features that I really liked that I didn't even know was possible. The router utility interface is a bit confusing at first but, it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
    Some features that I liked with the ASUS was the ability to have multiple guest network with time limits. 3 for 2.4gHz and 3 for 5gHz. I think that Airport guest accounts are only allowed 2.4gHz but not a 5gHz. Though I only needed 1 for each but, I can see this working well for businesses.
    Another feature is traffic manager. I am able to set specific bandwith for different types of use such as, high priority 80%-100% bandwith for gaming, medium priority badwith 70%-90% for HD media streaming/data transfer, and 50%-80% low bandwith for casual web surfing. It also has it's own "beamforming" so that data isn't free roamed.
    Lastly it has AiCloud sync which is basically like having a hard drive into your router but, much like having a Dropbox at the same time.
    More or less I think I'll stick with the ASUS router rather than going with the new Airport Extreme. I think that it's more on firmware issue than it is hardware. If you are not willing to switch to another brand and want to keep staying with Apple, I recommend going back to the 5th generation until a new firmware or rebuilt 6th gen extreme is out.
    I have not found any problem with the ASUS router and no intermittent connectivity issues.
    Now I am not trying to make you buy the ASUS router. I'm merely expressing how great the product is.
    I do have 60 days from Best Buy return policy to try out the ASUS (and report of any malfuntions) and if within that time a new firmware is out for the Extreme. I highly doubt I'll go back to the extreme though.
    Hope this helped!!

  • I have a new Airport Extreme that works great with my IMac but keeps dropping out on our Windows 7 PC.  I have tried all 11 2.4 Ghz channels and they all have dropout issues.  Any suggestions?

    I have a new Airport Extreme that works great with my IMac but keeps dropping out on our Windows 7 PC.  I have tried all 11 2.4 Ghz channels and they all have dropout issues.  Any suggestions?

    Hello sstefanik
    Check out the articles below to troubleshoot your issues with getting a proper connection with Wi-FI. Try creating a new Network Location and join your network to see if you can get on that way.
    Wi-Fi: How to troubleshoot Wi-Fi connectivity
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4628
    Using network locations (Mac OS X v10.6 and later)
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5289
    Regards,
    -Norm G.

  • New 802.11 AC Airport Extreme Drops Inactive client

    I have a new Airport Extreme 802.11 AC less than one week.  I have noticed that a ROKU 3 drops if inactive for short period.  The device is about 3 ft from the new Airport.
    This never happened with the previous Gen 5 Airport Extreme. 
    Any advice?

    What version of firmware are you running on the 802.11ac?
    There is a 7.7.1 update with USB fixes - http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1665
    After my update to 7.7.1, I still cannot see the Seagate 3TB HDD.
    The disk works on a 2nd Gen 802.11n Extreme.
    This is

  • Brand New Airport Extreme and Motorola Surfboard 5101 Connection Dropping

    I'm going to add to the chorus and point out that my brand spanking new Airport Extreme continually loses internet connectivity with my Motorola Surfboard 5101 modem (this is used on a Time Warner connection).
    Disconnecting the Airport and connecting directly to the modem via ethernet cable works flawlessly as does using my old Linksys router. With the Airport Extreme it will work for a number of hours and then drop the internet connection. Airport Utility shows the Airport Extreme as having a green light while the internet connection has the amber "disconnected" light, but, as I said, cutting the Airport out of the connection leaves my internet connection stable and flawless so it seems the problem is either the Airport or the combination of the two.
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    It's ok, I got. You have to put in password "BT"    Never had to do that before, but it works....maybe this helps someone else.  

  • I have a new Airport Extreme that works well with my IMac but is intermittent with our Windows 7 PC.  Any ideas?

    I have a new Airport Extreme that works well with my IMac but is intermittent with our Windows 7 PC.  Any ideas?

    Thanks planb77. Your instructions worked but I had to do a little more than you stated. I did not realize that transferring files to a new computer was not enough. When the iPod synced I was told I needed to "authorize" my new computer to get my iTunes purchases to sync to the iPod. So after the initial sync, I ejected and disconnected the iPod, went into the iTunes store, set up "home sharing" and then authorized the new computer. When that was done I reconnected the iPod and was able to sync all my books and music. The only thing I couldn't do was rename the iPod as iTunes never asked me to. Is there a way to rename it after it has been set by iTunes as "owner's iPod"?

  • New Airport Extreme (Jan 2007) with Comcast Cable Network

    Im a total NOOB. Please excuse my poor knowledge of Routers and the like.
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    CURRENT SET UP:
    (3) Apple Computers in 3 bedrooms. (1) iMac Core2 Duo, (1) iMac Core Duo, (1) eMac G4. All have built in wireless cards from Apple.
    Broadband Cable Internet from Comcast. Cable comes from wall directly to a Motorolla Surf Board Wireless SBG900. The Wireless Motorolla Cable Modem sits on the floor in the corner of one bedroom. All 3 computers work perfect. Never drop a signal. All very fast connections. No Internet or sharing issues at all. I also decided to add the "Plug in" Airport Express. This has an HP Color Laser Jet Printer pluged into it via USB. All 3 computers print and share seamlessly to it. Set up is a breeze. No issues what so ever with anything.
    QUESTIONS:
    (1) Should I eveen bother with the New Airport Extreme Base Station or just leave everything as it is?
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    I don't think there's anything wrong at all with what you've done. The bottom line is do YOU find any faults or disadvantages to your set up? As far as the new Extreme, things would just be alot faster (for those 802.11n enabled computers only, though)
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    Routers and the like.
    I really need some advice from the MAC community to
    steer me in the right direction. I want to give as
    much information as possible in order for you folks
    to help me down the right path.
    CURRENT SET UP:
    (3) Apple Computers in 3 bedrooms. (1) iMac Core2
    Duo, (1) iMac Core Duo, (1) eMac G4. All have built
    in wireless cards from Apple.
    Broadband Cable Internet from Comcast. Cable comes
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    the floor in the corner of one bedroom. All 3
    computers work perfect. Never drop a signal. All
    very fast connections. No Internet or sharing issues
    at all. I also decided to add the "Plug in" Airport
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    pluged into it via USB. All 3 computers print and
    share seamlessly to it. Set up is a breeze. No
    issues what so ever with anything.
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    (1) Should I eveen bother with the New Airport
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    is?
    (2) Is there ANY benefit to adding a Airport Extreme
    Base Station? I'm I missing out on anything?
    Please be honest. Anything wrong with my current
    setup?
    Thanks.

  • My MacBook Pro 2.33GHz cannot see the New Airport Extreme

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  • Installed my new Airport extreme and try to link it to airport express  but the wifi still very slow

    I installed my new Airport extreme today and try to link it to my airport express to expend my wifi coverage to my second floor  but the wifi si very slow on second florr not better then without express? what can I do??

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  • How to connect old aiport express to my new Airport Extreme? My Ipad says "base station e5713b cannot be configured" and my AirPort tool on my PC will not permit me to add my new Airport Extreme network (no network names to choose from)

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  • New Airport Extreme, internet on some devices, not others

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  • New Airport Extreme only connected with N protocol

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    My Computer:
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  • New Airport Extreme works fine with everything except my husband's Toshiba running Windows 7

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    I think I may have solved my own problem.  I read somewhere online that he needs to hit his "F2" button.  He hit it and his computer hooked right up to our network.  Previously, we would have to restart Airport Extreme and his computer so he could connect.  Even doing that the connection would last between five minutes and two days.
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