Help Airport Extreme Lost WiFi and I have no idea how to fix it...

Question

I've had to AEBS hooked up and transmitting a Wifi signal for the past 6 months or so. A few days ago I I lost the Internet connection on wifi only. I have an iMac hardwired through the AEBS and it doesn't have a problem connecting to the Internet.
I've updated the AEBS.
I've reset my router and modem.
I've unplugged them for 5+ minutes
I've sworn at them
I've yelled at the dog for trying to bite my feet when I was messing with the wires.
By playing around in Airport Utility I've been able to learn th*e following.
*Connection Sharing:* Off (Bridge Mode)
Desktop connected, Airport (self assigned IP)
*Connection Sharing:* Share a public IP address
AEBS will not connect to ISP, airport and ethernet show connections in System Pref to AEBS and Internet (192.168....)
*Connection Sharing:* Share a group of IP addresses
AEBS connects to ISP (so it says), airport and ethernet show that they are connected but no pages will load. I've screwed around with the DNS address, IP addresses, and everything.
Can anyone help? I'm already bald or I'd pull my hair out.

Answer 1

I suggest starting by performing a "hard" reset of the AEBS. Once that is done, the AEBS should be back to its default configuration of an Internet router.
With the reset done, connect your iMac directly to the AEBS's LAN port via an Ethernet cable. Can you access the Internet now? If so, while still connected by Ethernet, run the AirPort Admin Utility to configure it the way you need it. You can use the following as a guideline:
AirPort tab
o Base Station Name: <whatever you wish or use the default>
o AirPort Network Name: <whatever you wish or use the default>
o Create a closed network (unchecked)
o Wireless Security: Not enabled
o Channel: Automatic
o Mode: 802.11b/g Compatible
Internet tab
o Connect Using: Ethernet
o Configure: Using DHCP
o WAN Ethernet Port: Automatic
Network tab
o Distribute IP addresses (checked)
o Share a single IP address (using DHCP & NAT) (enabled)
Once configured, try connecting your PowerBook wirelessly. Can it access the Internet?
Once you verified that you can get Internet access for all of your computers, you should secure your wireless network.