Airport express won't recognize dsl modem

Question

hi:
my recently acquired airport express base station does not recognize my paradyne dsl modem signal.
when plugged into ac power the airport express function light goes from steady green to steady amber to blinking amber.
according to the airport documentation the blinking amber indicates that the dsl modem (connected by ethernet cable) is not being recognized by the base station.
the dsl modem and ethernet cable connected directly to my computer operate perfectly.
the airport base station operates perfectly with respect to the USB printer connection and the audio connection. only the ethernet/dsl function is not working.
i have attempted to use airport administrator utility to upload the IP addresses to the base station. i use the same IP numbers as those that are working for the direct dsl modem to computer connection. i even cut and pasted the numbers. but i receive an error message from the utility saying that the IP and subrouter numbers don't match.
i am using a G3 iBook with 800 mHz CPU and 640 RAM. operating system is OS 10.3.9.
thanks you for you help.
bob schwalbach

Answer 1

Now, when I look up my IP address with the modem connected directly to the computer, in Network Prefs, I see one that appears to change each time I connect.
Ok, that is normal for consumer-grade Internet service from most ISP, whether DSL or cable. On the other hand to get a static IP address you would typically have to upgrade (at additional cost) for a business-grade type service. The important thing here is the address provided. Although it may be different each time you connect, it should be roughly in the same range with only the last three digits changing. So, I wouldn't expect the iBook and AX to get the exact same address, but they should be very close. However, the DNS server IP addresses should be the same as these shouldn't change often.
When i click on "Advanced" it says on the TCP/IP menu that I am connecting via PPP.
That would tell me that your DSL ISP requires PPPoE credentials (a username & password) in order to access their Internet service. Is this correct for your situation? If so, it appears that your iBook is properly configured to provide those credentials when connected directly to the modem and why you are successful in getting Internet access. That would mean that in order for the AX to connect properly, it too would need to be configured for PPPoE. The final configuration would have the AX providing and PPPoE credentials and to reconfigure the iBook not to, but to be a DHCP client instead.
There is also an option that says configure IPv6 and I have it on auto.
should that latter setting be manual?
I recommend setting it to "Off" instead.
Should the router address I use be the same one I see in the TCP/IP panel when i am connected to the Internet directly through the modem?
For both cases where the AX or the iBook is connected directly to the modem, the router IP address should be the same.