Airport Extreme Gigabit Base Station problem

Today when I tried to get on the internet, my MacBook Pro would not recognize my AEBS. It cannot find it in the AirPort Utility or when I type the name of my network and password into Airport from the Menu Bar. My PowerBook is running fine on the same network. It recognizes and joins the network when it wakes from sleep and it sees the AEBS in Airport Utility.
Last week my MacBook Pro experienced a kernel panic while using Safari over a different wireless network. My best guess is that I may have a bad Airport Express card... is there any way to run a test on it to find out?
Also, my MBP never remembers my networks that I visit requently.... all of them are hidden networks and I have to retype the network and password every time I visit that same network. This is not the case with my PowerBook... and I have no clue why.
Any help is appreciated.
Computer Stats:
PowerBook G4, 1.67 GHz, 512 MB RAM, 10.4.10
MacBook Pro, 2.4 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 10.4.9
Just ask if you need any more info about my computers or about my AEBS.

Hi K,
I'm glad I'm not the only one experiencing this problem. I was beginning to think that I made a mistake in purchasing the Airport Extreme BS (Gig). Since our jobs are printing perfectly when the printer is directly attached to our macs running Leopard, I have to assume this is a wireless issue. Currently, my Extreme Station is configured to run at 5 GHz and backward compatible with the other devices. Unfortunately, because my Powerbook is the only one that can take advantage of the 5GHz range, the base station has to allow for 2.4 GHz as well, and I'm beginning to think this is the culprit but I guess we have no choice. Because the 2.4 range is quite crowded (my cordless phone runs at that frequency), I imagine this might be what's causing the computer and base station to be confused. I hope Apple can fix this and make it more rubust. Incidentally, there is a toggle option in the Airport Utility where it does allow for more "robustness" but warns that this could slow down the overall performance of the network. I tried, but I'm still having the same sort of printer issue as you described. What do you think?

Similar Messages

How do I make my new Airport Extreme a base station?

I have been using an Airport Extreme (5th generation) as my base station router for a few years. I set the main network for my and my wife's use and created a guest network for when my sons visited and needed to use the wi-fi connection. I used passwords for both networks. Today I purchased a new 802.11 ac Airport Extreme. I unplugged the 5h gen. Extreme and plugged in the new Extreme. After a short hunt, my new 27" (late 2013) iMac found the new Extreme and had me set up a name and a password for it using Airport Utility. I was expecting it to ask if I wanted to set up a guest network, but it did not. I was expecting it to ask since I believe that is what happened when I installed my 5th gen Extreme a few years ago. For the 5th gen Extreme, I had to enter a password to protect settings on the Extreme, a WPA2 password for my main network and another password for my guest network. It took about 10 minutes to set up. For this new Airport Extreme I entered just one password. It took about 2 to 3 minutes for the entire setup. When I checked the menu in the Airport Utility under "Base Station", all lines are grayed out. Under the File Menu in Airport Utility, "Configure Other" is available, but "Import Configuration file" and "Export Configuration file" are also grayed out. I checked Network Settings in System Preferences and I see my new network name in the Wi-Fi menu and under the "Advanced..." button, I see the old and new Networks listed in the "Preferred networks" box.
So, how do I get the new Airport Extreme to act as the Base station and be able to enter a guest network? Does it require me to delete the old Network name from the Advanced... button page in System Preferences > Network Settings? Will I just have to start all over with the new Extreme to make it a base station?

Hello Leo,
I'm not at home so can't confirm but I can only assume that maybe some of the "old" settings in airport utility have changed, and simplified. Hence why you probably only need one password.
When I bought the new "tower" like AirPort Extreme, I just plugged it into the Ethernet, powered it on with the previous generation Extreme in place and in Airport Utility it just asked me if I wanted to copy the settings to the newer device, which included a few "port forwarding" settings. All done in this sequence. I didn't have guest network set up but you can still set up guest network under wireless in Airport Utility, hope this helps!

Mac G5 drops/loses connection to Airport Extreme wireless base station

When I power up my Mac, it connects normally to the AE wireless base station. After some time (sometimes minutes, sometimes hours) the connection will be lost, although all indications are that it is operating normally, i.e. the AE icon at the top of the screen shows that there is a connection, there are no error messages. The G5 is just not connected to the Internet: the browser won't connect to a Web site, I can't upload or download files to my Web space.
I originally had the problem with a D-Link wireless router so I replaced that with an AE base station. I have replaced that AE base station with a new one (it's the one that looks like a flying saucer) thinking that I might have gotten a faulty one from the factory, I've replaced the original wireless card in the G5 with a ndw Airport Extreme card, I've moved the AE base station into the same room as the G5 (right now it hangs on the wall directly above the G5). I also connect a PC laptop and a MacBook Pro to the Internet via the AE base station and have no problem with either one of them. The G5 and MacBook are running Mac OS X 10.4.10, the PC is running Windows XP.
Also, when I connect the router directly (hardwire) to the G5 it works fine.
The router is a new Siemens Speedstream 4100 (this is also a replacement for the original router).
Since all the equipment in my system has been replaced with the exception of the G5, I assume that the problem lies within the G5.
Perhaps there are settings that can be changed on the G5 to make it more stable in the system,although I have enabled Interference Robustness to no improvement? I am at a loss to come up with a solution. I can't find any literature that addresses this problem specifically. Each time the connection is lost, I have to restart the G5 to get back online which means, of course, saving my data, shutting down all running programs and then restarting. Turning the AE card off and back on does not work.
I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you,
Don

I could find no solution in the troubleshooting and set up pages. The only thing I couldn't check out was "Hardware access control" since I don't know how to access this control and no instructions that I could find were given as to how to do this.
I ended up hardwiring the G5 directly to the Airport using the Ethernet ports. This is less than ideal since I am required to locate the Airport near the G5, defeating the purpose of having the Airport, at least for the G5. I am still able to connect my PC and MacBook Pro wirelessly, though and, ironically in the case of the PC, have never had any trouble with these. I am still baffled but don't have the time to "play" anymore and at least I have a functioning, if not ideal, system.
I don't see the point in purchasing a new AE, since I have had this same problem throughout with various configurations and pieces of hardware and the problem persists in exactly the same way no matter what I swap out. I recently purchased and installed the latest issue of AE card in the G5. I think the problem is in the G5, either in the configuration or in the hardware.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Don

Is it possible to boot from the Airport Extreme "N" base station?

Hi - I was wondering, is it possible to boot from a USB hard drive connected to the new Airport Extreme base station? If so, how?
Thanks for any help.
Macmuchmore

No it is not possible.

Airport extreme (gigabit ethernet) b/g not working

I have an airport extreme (gigabit ethernet) that I use as my base in an extended network. I Have always had it in Wireless N mode with b/g compatability. the other day my speeds went from being super fast and happy to less than 1mbps. I went and plugged directly in to the airport via ethernet and got blazing fast speeds again.. I switched my radio mode to n only and wireless speeds were fast again.. switched back to b/g compatible and they are in the toilet.. is it possible for the b/g compatible antenna to just crap out? if so this is very disoncerting as I have several wireless devices in my home that operate on b/g and don't want them to be left out in the cold.
Any input is greatly appreciated.

what I did with the b/g testing was I changed the name of the base station to another name so none of the b/g devices that were connecting to it could.. and so it was only the laptop I was using to run the tests.. and still the speeds were terrible.. of course then when I changed it to "n" only mode they were fast again. so I know that my laptop was the only client connected wirelessly or otherwise to the base station when running both tests.
I am extending the network with an airport extreme base station dual band. The solution I have in place currently is to basically swap them. I Have the Dual band running as the main base station in N mode with b/g compatability, and I have the Gigabit ethernet AEBS running as the extender... so far my speeds haven't suffered at all and hopefully it will hold that way. but I still can't understand why the AEBSn would suddenly just stop providing any kind of speed when running as the base in b/g compatibility mode.

Trouble with Extreme N base station and Express station wireless

Upgraded extreme base station with new extreme "N" base station. Currently have the extreme "N" base station connected to cable modem on 2nd floor. I have wired the house to have the demarc on the 2nd floor. I purchased the express base station to be placed on 1st floor to extend the wireless range from the extreme "N" base station.
Prior to this setup, I had a wired bridge on the 1st floor to the main router on the 2nd floor. I was able to connect all wireless connections to the bridge where there was weak signal to the main router on 2nd floor.
The trouble I am having is that whether I have the express base connected or not. My signal is near the same as having only the main base station on 2nd floor. I can be seated right next to the express on the 1st floor and have only 1-2 bars on the signal.
I have updated and running the latest utilities for the airports. I have also been seeing the same trouble with other Mac's and PC's.
Also, I have been noticing the extreme "N" base station blinking amber when no Mac's or PC's are accessing the network or even when they are.
So, even when both the extreme and express have solid green LED, I still have the problem.
I am not sure if I am setting up this incorrectly or if I have hit a brickwall with this setup in my house.
Could I hard wire the express from the extreme from the second floor as I did with the bridge I use to have? I am not sure if the express would work as a wired bridge.
Just appears to be performing less then my prior PC networking products.
Thanks everyone...hope to get some insight. I have read all the prior discussions and still not getting good results.

Tesserax....Thanks for the quick clarification on using the expresss as a wired bridge. I did avert back to a wired bridge now using all apple products. I was trying to get away with reusing the hard wire from the base station since I was running out of ports on the base station. {Apple has to be difficult with only having 3 ethernet ports.}
So I had to run a linksys switch off the extreme "N" base station.
Thanks again..
Guess I have to live with the quirks...

Apple TV often drops connection with AirPort Extreme and Express stations

Here's my setup:
- Mac Pro in basement office connected to AirPort Extreme (802.11n) station via Ethernet
- AirPort Extreme station running WPA/WPA2 security and 802.11n (b/g compatible)
- AirPort Express station across basement room connected to stereo expressly for AirTunes purposes
- Apple TV and MacBook Pro on house ground floor, both connecting to the network via WiFi
(unless specified, the software and firmware in my devices is all extremely up to date. I write about Apple news for a living so I know when the updates land and install all of them almost immediately)
Here's what's going wrong:
Since I have one of the first gen Apple TVs with a 40GB hard drive but a 100GB iTunes library, I use streaming almost 100% of the time. The Apple TV can usually connect to my iTunes library for streaming via WiFi, but if the AirPort Express (a b/g device, mind you) is active on the network, the Apple TV and even my MacBook Pro get booted off the network usually between 12-24 hours, if not 48. Sometimes WiFi seems to work itself out and I can get the MacBook Pro back online, sometimes it even needs a full restart, as Mac OS X will start giving me nothing but "there was an error trying to join this network" warnings. Just as frustrating though, the Apple TV getting booted off means I need go through the whole tedious process of connecting it to WiFi again (it doesn't remember the password for some stupid reason), and then manually surfing again through the Sources list just to get back to streaming my media.
What the heck is going on? Is it the kind of security I'm running? Should I try WEP or... none at all? I would try "downgrading" the Extreme station's network type to only b/g (excluding n entirely), but I don't see that option in the radio settings anymore; it's all just flavors 802.11n now. When I set up the AirPort Express to connect to the network just for AirTunes streaming to the stereo, I used the setup wizard that the AirPort Utility provides. Should I attach it a different way? Perhaps manually set it to "participate in a WDS network" or "extend a wireless network?"
Any thoughts or similar experiences are very, very appreciated. My wife and I love this setup, but its unreliability is really getting on my nerves. Thanks in advance.
Message was edited by: bedoughty

Firstly, the easiest bit (although I don't believe you need to do this):
I would try "downgrading" the Extreme station's network type to only b/g (excluding n entirely), but I don't see that option in the radio settings anymore
You will get additional settings if you hold down the option key while browsing the radio settings drop down menu.
Moving on: Unfortunately a dropped connections seems to be a problem with umpteen causes and not only is it difficult to troubleshoot with someone in a forum it can also be made even more difficult because many problems are associated with network settings on a router that the person who is trying to help is unfamiliar with.
However you seem to be convinced your problems arise when your express is running which may narrow things down a little if correct, if not it may actually lead us away from the answer to your issue.
Is it the kind of security I'm running? Should I try WEP or... none at all?
I use WPA and have no problems (password = 8 Characters)
Should I attach it a different way? Perhaps manually set it to "participate in a WDS network" or "extend a wireless network?
I have my expresses set to participate in a WDS network, but that's because I use them for other things other than itunes, I would have thought 'join a network' would be fine.
You could check that all your devices are using independent IP addresses and all are using the same subnet. You could also check that no two devices have the same mac address, I've been told a million times this can't happen, but I've seen it. You may be wise to check these things before and after your devices have been 'kicked off the network", you may even want to write them down to see if any are changing.

Best way to configure Airport Extreme Gigabit 802.11n

Hi, new to this router stuff. Just bought the Airport Extreme Gigabit 802.11n. Seems to be working much better than my old router furnished by my cable company. Still, wondering how to get the most out of it. So, have a few questions...
1. How do I know If I'm getting the "n" connection. Don't know if the modem they gave me works with this. Is there a way to see which connection is working? G/B/N?
2. Channels: I'm on 6 by default. Is it worth trying others to see if one is faster than another? How?
3. Firewall: I was told the router already has a firewall in it. So, turned off the firewall on my mac 24. If true, do I still need to configure this firewall on the router side? HOw? To what? Don't know the best configuration to use as a rookie.
4. Any other ideas to tweek this baby to get the most out of it?
Thanks all. I'll defer to the experts now.

Please check out the following Apple Support article for details on the various options available to you with using multiple base stations for extending a wireless network. If you have any questions or need further assistance please don't hesitate to post back.

Is there a known conflict between an extreme g base station and express n in a roaming network?

I have an extreme g base station connected to a cable modem, an express g connected to a linksys switch via ethernet, and an express n connected to the same switch via Ethernet. The switch is connected to the extreme g base station by Ethernet as well. They are all set up to be a roaming network with 128 bit WEP security. I made two changes to the network recently. I went from a WDS setup with the extreme g and express g, which was generally stable but slow, to the roaming setup above, and I added the express n. Now something is causing the network to loose connectivity at least once a day, requiring a restart of the extreme g. My hunch is the express n is causing problems for the older g units.
Does anyone know if this is a known problem and if there is a solution?
Thanks.

For what its worth.....
I have mixed older "b/g" and newer "n" devices in "extended" and "roaming" networks for years, and have never experienced any issues with this type of setup.
As a Community Support "regular", I can say that I cannot recall having seen the type of issue that you have described, but other users may comment with different opinions.

802.11n and Airport Express iTunes Base station Help me ?

I'll try to keep this simple :
In my Office I have a 24" iMac Intel and the
802.11n resides also in my Office
About 40ft away is my Den which resides:
My MacBook Pro 17" Intel and a Airport Express iTunes
Base Station
Going Back to the 802.11n I have a 2.0 USB AC Powered
Hub connected to the USB port on the back of the 802.11n
of which  said is OK to do
Connected to the USB on the back of the 802.11n:
is a Epson R200 USB InkJet Printer and also on that
Hub is a Lacie Porche 500gb External USB Hard Drive
Again  says is Ok to do
The problem I'm having is that the Cable Modem is
in my Office and is connected via Ethernet to the 802.11n
and I can get a strong connection to the internet
on my iMac 24" Intel in my Office but the MBP 17"
in my Den is having issues getting onto the Internet
now about a week ago I spent 8hrs on the phone W/Apple
about such issues so we erased all the information in
the Disk Utility and started over with the information
in the 802.11n and the iTunes Base Station Express
this has helped until the recent FirmWare Update that
Apple Released a few days ago,
I've tried to actual bring my MBP 17" into the Office
and it gets a better Internet signal than in the Den,
but this wasn't the way it was before the FirmWare Update
Any Suggestions on what I can do to fix this situation
As all worked well with the Express iTunes in the Den
and the 802.11n in the Office and the Cable Modem has
always been in the Office ?
P.S> One problem I forgot to mention is I keep dropping
The Macbook Pro 17" and a Lacie 400gb Hard Drive which is
connected directly to the MBP 17" USB Port which keeps
dropping from my iMac 24" networking it will be working
fine and then I get a message stating that either or both
the MBP 17" and the Lacie Disk (400gb) is Disconnecting
from iMac 24" and then the same will happen on the
MBP 17" with the iMac 24" and any connected drives I'm
sharing from the iMac 24" ?
I'm having a connection problem and I can't get to the
bottom of it and I need some help please
Feel free to email me [email protected]

Updates fixed issue closed question

RF Polarization of Airport Extreme Gigabit Internal Antennas

I've taken a "Snow" Airport apart and there are two approximate 1/4 wave elements mounted in an almost slant 45 degree orientation which would give the Airport a good mix of Horizontal and Vertical polarization.
The Airport Extreme Gigabit mechanical configuration is different. Does anyone

I seem to be having issues with a wired connection as well.
With wireless I can load the CNBC homepage in a second, and wired it can take almost 30 seconds to load.
I talked to support twice and we ended up replacing the 2TB Time Capsule.
Same issues with the new one.

AirPort Express chiamato "Base Station 6024b9" non può essere configurato dal software

AIUTO/HELP ME
la Base AirPortExpress è di qualche anno fa (2005 o 2006)...
l'istallazione\Impostazione AirPort sul mio nuovo iPad mini mi segnala:
AirPort Express chiamato "Base station 6024b9" non può essere configurato dal software.
Vai all'indirizzo apple.com/it/support/airport
l'ho fatto ma non sono riuscito a risolvere! :-(
l'Utility AirPort non riesce a rilevare nessuna base AirPort!
che fare?

Airport extreme will not fix problems or allow manual settings

So I have a recently purchased airport extreme and the dreaded "flashing amber light" problem, but I can't find a solution that works. When I open my airport utility it says it has found an airport extreme that is experiencing problems, and then gives all the specs of my airport extreme (e.g. name, ip address, etc.) and says it is reporting problems.
It then instructs me to press the continue button to resolve the problems. However, when I do that (or attempt to open the manual settings), it thinks and thinks and thinks while reading the configuration and then finally tells me that an error occurred while reading my configuration and I should make sure the airport is properly plugged in and in range of my computer, though it's plugged in properly and sitting immediately next to the computer.
I would also note that the internet works fine on my desktop (being run through the airport to my mac), but just will not work on the danged airport.
Any idea of what I can do now?

It opens up a new window, but still gives me the exact same error message about not being plugged in or in range, though it is both of those

Airport Express base station problem.....

I am having a problem with my base station and am hoping i can get some help here.
This is my setup
Mac book pro
external HD (where itunes is located)
Epson R260 usb printer.
cable internet with router and modem
What i hope to do:
hook up usb hub to airport base station so i can plug in printer and HD so i can wirelessly print from the printer and play music on itunes from external HD.
i have tried a couple times to set it up and never get it to print.
right now the base station is blinking orange. i have a Ethernet line i can use for the MBP or base station if needed
thanks!!

Unfortunately, not all USB printers are compatible with AirPort base stations. In addition, the AirPort's USB port does not support the "advanced" printer functions, like scanning, copying or faxing, of multi-function printers.
To see if your printer is compatible, take a look at one of these iFelix Unofficial AirPort Printer Compatibility links, depending on which AirPort base station you have:
o 802.11g AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBS) or AirPort Express Base Station (AX)
o 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn)
If your printer isn't listed, it doesn't necessarily mean it won't work, but simply that it has not been verified. iFelix also provides the following workaround for printers not on the list that would certainly be worth a try.
Also you can try this Apple Tech Support article to see if it will help: Printer troubleshooting for AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express

Rescan base station problem

I have a new Airport Extreme Base Station (802.11n) and it works great. I also have an Airport Express which I configured earlier when my computer "found it."
Both the Extreme Base Station and the Airport Express have green lights and I'm connected to the Internet (through the Extreme) but when I scan for base stations my computer cannot seem to find my Airport Express even though the light's on and it's solid green.
I can't understand why my system doesn't find the Express - I'm only a few feet away from the thing and my base station is two floors down in the basement and my computer has no trouble finding that.
My Internet is fast and working well, but it's driving me nuts trying to figure out why Rescan doesn't find my Express. I'd like to set up the Express to use AirTunes. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Rachel.

Hi Rachel!
That certainly sounds like the problem that the factory default reset is meant to solve. A factory default reset erases the "profiles" - all memory of contacts with computers and other base stations. That'll give you a completely fresh start, just as if it were new. While "factory default reset" may sound dramatic, it's actually quite simple, since it won't change the firmware of the Express, or the AirPort software on your computers. You should be back to normal in a few minutes:)
Refer to the last section "How to perform a factory default reset" on this page:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108044
You'll know that a factory default reset has successfully occurred when, without even connecting it to anything, other than plugging into an electrical receptacle to perform the reset, the default name of the Express (Apple Network ____ ) then shows in your menu bar's AirPort icon.

Airport Extreme Gigabit Base Station problem

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for