QuadCore i5, 2 hours old, AirPort dropping

Brought it home, turned it on, registered and it connected initially via AirPort without a problem. Did iDisk to repair permissions. A new computer, I went to the Apple/ Software Update/ and it started loading some things that it said needed updated. Did this a few times and followed it with repair permissions. Then it wouldn't load anymore and gave me the error that it can't update because of lost AirPort network connection.
I only can connect via AirPort as the long term hotel has wireless routers (I have no control over the routers nor any other internet connection). My PowerBook G4 connects without issue.
I can not connect via ethernet as it is not available at my location.
So far, I've turned the computer on, registered my info, and started the Auto software updates, and that is where the problem started. AirPort continues to drop the connection. (and as a result, the computer downloading/installing software is interrupted).
I've done the hints to Turn off IPV6; insert alternate DNS addresses; delete network/airport/system preferences; turn off/on AirPort; delete prefs/restart; etc. Those work temporarily, I'm on day 2 of owning it. I see no alternate downloads other than the MacOsX 10.6.2 Combo updater, but that gets rejected upon install.)
No third party softwares installed, and the internet is problematic via AirPort, so I can only assume there is a software issue here with 10.6.2 (system the computer came with).
-Auto Update says: New software is available for your computer.
[√] Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 1 1.0 82.5 MB [this hangs]
I did a speedtest on iMac via rioplexwireless.com/speedtest/ and it shows 198kbps, too slow for AutoUpdate stability.
I am typing this on the PowerBook G4 as it has no problem connecting, PowerBook speed is 1.6 Mbps.
Ok, that's the background. NOW, I think AirPort is just shutting itself off all the time unless it is ping'd regularly, and that is the problem. Yes, that seems to be the problem and you can duplicate a temporary solution.... at least until you can get your updates done.
Take your cursor and place it over the AirPort status icon in the MenuBar, click the AirPort icon, and drag down to 'AirPort: On' (it'll change name and 'Looking for...') and just leave the cursor there. Don't move the mouse and watch what happens. Every ten seconds or so, the 'AirPort: On' changes to 'AirPort: Looking for...' The AirPort connection does not drop. [that is how I was able to get the Software Update to download without dropping].
My new internet connection speed via AirPort is now 1.885 Mbps

If you can't figure things out, my advice would be to visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store with the machine and have them try it on their in-store network.
If it drops there, they have to fix it.
If it doesn't, it could (unfortunately) be a router issue; for better or worse hotels are just as prone to running devices that need to be updated as anyone else.
Still, the fact that your machine is that new means that if all possible, an appointment with the Genius Bar should be your first port of call.
http://www.apple.com/retail/storelist/
http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/

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My 4-year old AirPort Extreme intermittently drops out (no signal to my iMac Book). The laptop shows reception of other nearby Wi-Fi transmitters, but not mine. I have changed the bands, but the problem comes back. Transmitter problem or interference?

My 4-year old AirPort Extreme intermittently drops out (no signal to my iMac Book). My hard-wired iMac still has internet capability. The laptop shows reception of other nearby Wi-Fi transmitters, but not mine. I have changed the bands back and forth, but the problem comes back. How can I check if it is a transmitter problem or interference?

Let me see if I can suggest a strategy.
I have talked with my ISP and he said that I am not the only one with an Airport Extreme with the same issue. He said to try to write the DNS direclty, rather than using the Auto settings - still nothing works.
What modem do you have and what sort of broadband?
What mode is the AE in.. router or bridge?
I have an Airport Express from 2010. Since about a month and definetly since yesterday, I cannot connect any device via Wifi to it although LAN connection works correctly.
Is this express or extreme.. the rest of the post you refer to extreme.
What is the actual model number of the AE? A1xxx from the base or the part number MCxxx from the box.
If the AE is bridge.. I want you to try a different method.. put it in router mode.. don't worry about double NAT but ensure the IP range of the modem /router is different to the AE.. so if one is 192.168.x.x then the AE on default at 10.x.x.x is fine.. if the main router is 10.x then move the AE to 192.168.x.x
Make sure the guest wireless is off.
Using a 5.6 utility on your 10.6.8 OS mini go to the log and see if the wireless is registering..
You should see lists of wireless connection like..
Post as many screenshots of the setup as you can.. it helps loads.
IPv6 is starting to become a pain.. try it off and try local link and try auto.. in the computer.

Airport drops out randomly

Hello..
Am trying to get to the bottom of why my airport drops out at random times roughly once every hour. I then just need to select my router again and it reconnects.
This isn't a massive dilemma unless i'm downloading a large file - can't leave it over night to download.
Is more of a gripe than a complaint - is just annoying when it happens.
Any ideas?

I have a 2 week old MacBook and am experiencing the exact same problem. I can make it happen more frequently by downloading a large file (220mb) from the 'net. Still have not been able to retrieve that file. If anyone knows what the **** is going on-please let me know -> [email protected]
I may try adjusting (or fixing) the transmission channel of the router as I have several other wireless networks in the immediate vicinity. But the fact that I can make it drop by trying to pull down a large file speaks to other problems.
One thing - in my widgets I have the iStat window running that displays numerous operating data. It is interesting the temperature of the Airport Card - according to the window- is running 142 - 151 degrees, much much warmer than all the other components WHEN I try to download the big file. ANd the conneciton was dropped when the temp exceeded 151 degrees.
As I type this the temperature has dropped to 130 degrees.
Is anyone else running the iStat widget and seeing the same thing.

Time Capsule appears twice in Airport drop down menu

Menu Bar > Airport drop-down menu: My Time Capsule's wireless name shows up twice in my list of wifi sources. Once in the group with all the other routers and again in a group called "Devices".
Long story short…
I start with a perfectly functional, WPA/WPA2 password-protected Time Capsule: Over a year old. Two MbP's using it for Time Machine backup. Connected to a 1.5TB MyBook external HD via usb. Doubles as my wifi router. Everything's connected to it, including my wifi-enabled printer. Works great. No issues.
I get this idea in my head that I need to hide my wifi signal. I figure it out and ¡Viola! Hidden. Then I try to add my wifi-enabled printer to the list of allowed devices in "Access Control". I hit a big snag and can't figure out how to get it to connect (btw, don't buy a Brother printer. Pure crap). So, I give up and revert permissions back to visible, password-protected state.
Skipping irrelevant issues that I already resolved, I now have the wireless name of my Time Capsule appearing twice in the airport drop down menu. It appears with all the other wifi sources my machine detects AND appears at the bottom under a new category called "Devices".
All I want is to have things back the way they were and this anomaly in the drop down menu is a constant reminder that I #1 failed and #2 bought a crap printer.
(Long story long, I guess. Sorry.) How do I delete this "Devices" group from the airport drop down menu?

Stilts McCoy wrote:
Menu Bar > Airport drop-down menu: My Time Capsule's wireless name shows up twice in my list of wifi sources. Once in the group with all the other routers and again in a group called "Devices".
You might find useful advice in this thread:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=12156248
If you want to post a reply, please do so to this thread, not the other one.

Airport Drops and Freezes---- Finally Fixed!

Ever since I bought my MBP in July, 2009, I have had trouble with total freezes and airport drops.
The fixes by Apple:
1. New hard drive, battery, keyboard, logic board
2. Problem persisted-- new logic board
3. Problem persisted-- heat sensor was missing the sensor part
4. Problem persisted-- Genius said it was 3rd party software
5.Problem persisted-- local Apple certified repair shop had no idea
6. Problem Persisted-- in the meantime I had done several erase and install. It froze up every time I installed SL
7. Problem persisted and I took it to Apple Store last week in one last final try. After hours of testing, it froze for them. They ordered new hard drive and logic board. Then the tech noticed it freeze and dropped the internet. He checked one of the logs and saw that the airport card had lost power just before the freeze.
He replaced the airport card and it is finally fixed-- the first time since July, 2009.
So if you have freezes and airport drops, be sure to check the airport. The airport was never changed when the logic board, et.al. were replaced.

Wow! I would think replacing the airport would be the first step in this madness.

AirPort drop out

Does anyone else ever have the problem where the AirPort just randomly loses connection? The signal indicator in the top bar of the screen drops from 5 bars to 4 (even the the AirPort sits right next to the computer) and I lose all connectivity. I cannot access webpages and iTunes stops playing through the speakers attached to the AirPort. My computer still says I am connected to the AirPort however. If I turn the AirPort card off and then turn it back on, my AirPort Express is no longer listed.
Equally as often, I have the problem where my AirPort Express is listed in my AirPort connections that I can connect to, but when I select it I get the error message "There was an error connecting to the AirPort......"
These both happen on average 4 times a day. I have the 6.3 update and I keep trying to change different preferences and things to help, but to no avail.
Any ideas?

The problem is not with the Airport card. I have Express with 2 macs on the network. One using the old Airport card and one using the New Airport card. When I lose connection, I lose it on both. I just added a PC laptop with it's own wi-fi card and it does the same. When I lose connection it is for all 3 machines. That narrows it to either the Airport Express or the Cable Modem or the actual cable signal. I get no change in the cable modem lights when the system goes out, so I strongly suspect the fault lies with the Airport express.
Sometimes the signal comes back on it's own, sometimes I can re-configure airport express and get it back, sometimes I have to unplug airport express for a short time before I can reconfigure.
A common failure warning is that the Airport card in my computer is 'out of range' of the Airport express when they are about 3 feet apart.
Dave Hill
eMac Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Connect to comcast with an old airport

I have a very old Airport and, although I can get Internet on my Mac directly through the Comcast modem, I can't get my airport set up to give me wifi. I am not great with computers, so is there anyone out there who can talk me through this from start to finish? Thanks

Check to see if the AirPort software is up to date.
Launch AirPort.
From the AirPort menu bar top of your screen click AirPort > Check for Updates
And make sure Wi-Fi is turned on. Click the AirPort icon in the status menu bar top right in your screen. You can turn Wi-Fi off and on from the drop down menu.
And try turning off the modem (disconnect the power cable) for about 5 minutes then turn it back on.

Using Old AirPort Express to Extend Network Coverage

I have an old AirPort Express sitting literally a yard away from my Mac mini. My Network Connection doesn't reach the room where my Mac is very well, so I thought this would help... but the network still only sometimes shows up on my devices. (2010 Mac mini, iPhone 4 CDMA, Original iPad WiFi)
I set it up from scratch, (it used to be near the router to connect to a printer, but I replaced it with a brand new AirPort Extreme and decided the Express might help back with my Mac) and I set it up to extend the network connection. It shows up, and I get better signal when I'm connected, but my Mac is the only device that can connect to it all the time. Both my iPhone and my iPad drop the connection frequently.
Any ideas what could be the problem and how to fix it?

The correct location for a device that is "extending" a wireless signal is a point that is about half the distance from the "main" router to the general area that needs more wireless coverage.
My guess is that you have the AirPort Express located too far away from the main router. The Express can only extend the quality of signal that it receives, so it is very important that it can get a strong signal from the main router.
Try to minimize obstructions in the signal path as much as possible. To give you an example, a typical sheetrock wall in a home will absorb 15-20% of the wireless signal on average. A ceiling will absorb much more since it is much thicker.
After the signal must pass through 3-4 walls, or a ceiling and a few walls, there won't be much of the signal left.

Time Capsule and Old Airport Express Conflict

Hello Everyone,
In my house i was using my TC in Bridge Mode from my Router without a problem. Then i needed a ethernet connection in another room than the TC located. I thought i could use my old Airport Express for Bridging and using its Ethenet Output for my new IPTV receiver.
I started to configure via Airport Utility, everything was fine. New Airport Utility even helped me to complete install process. But then my TC just start continous disconnections, 20 seconds of greenlight and then again amber flashing, then greenlight then again same as my Airport Express. When i cut the power from Airport Express everything turns out to be OK. But when i put it on the outlet, they starting to disconnect in 30 sec intervals. I even tried to connect AE to my MBPr via Ethernet, within the 30 sec of greenlights i can get internet connection but then it drops.
I assume there is a conflict between these two.
Can someone help me to figure it out ?

So far, everything that you are telling us likely points to a defective AirPort Express.
There are no known conflict issues between a Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express.
Here is what I would suggest:
Power off the main router, TC and the rest of the network.....all devices
Reset the Express back to factory default settings so you start over again with new, fresh settings.
To do this, power off the Express for a few minutes
Hold in the reset button first, and keep holding it in for another 10 seconds while you simultaneously plug the Express back in to power
Release the reset button after the hold period and allow a full minute for it to restart to a slow, blinking amber light.
Power up your network again starting with the modem/router first. Wait a minute, then start the Time Capsule next. Keep starting devices one at a time about a minute apart until everything is powered back up.
Now try to reconfigure the Express again. Temporarily, locate the Express in the same room as the Time Capsule for the setup and test it that way.
As another test, temporarily connect a laptop to the Express using a spare Ethernet cable. Turn off the wireless on the laptop and test to make sure that you can get a good Internet connection on the laptop.
If you can.....then you know that the Express is operating correctly.
Now move the Express back to the location where it is needed and test that way.
Report on your results.

Want to add old Airport Extreme for Printing

I just replaced my old Airport Extreme (white flying saucer style) with a brand new Airport Extreme. The new Airport is working great.
I'd like to add the old one back on to the network to use exclusively for printing (HP Officejet Pro L7650) 4 computers ranging from an iBook, to a Mac Mini, MacBook and a brand new iMac.
Did a hard reset on the old airport, plugged it in, and there's no sign of it in the Airport Utility. Tried unplugging, restarting, etc etc.
Any ideas? Thanks!!!!

Well, I went and left it alone for an hour and came back and both airports were recognized and everything is working fine!
Thanks for reading...

Old Airport Extreme software.

Hi All,
I have an old Airport Extreme Base Station which is not compatible with the currect AEBS software so I am looking for software that will support this AEBS. Anyone any ideas where I can obtain this. It is not available on any of the Apple web sites.
Many thanks
Roger

I have an old Airport Extreme Base Station
If by "old", you mean that you have a "round" or dome" shaped AirPort Extreme.....the most recent version of firmware that will work with this product was made available 8+ years ago.
There have been no updates offered for the older AirPort Extreme model since 2006.
That version of firmware.....which you may already have installed on the AirPort.....is version 5.7.
AirPort Extreme Firmware Update 5.7 for Mac OS X - Support - Apple
which is not compatible with the currect AEBS software so I am looking for software that will support this AEBS.
Apple dropped support for the older AirPorts when they introduced the version 6 of AirPort Utility in the Lion operating system a few years ago.
If you have a Mac running Leopard (10.5.x), Snow Leopard (10.6.x), or a PC, you can use AirPort Utility on one of those products to administer the older AirPort Extreme that you have.

AIrport dropping connection - new wrinkle

This just started happening for me in the past 10 days. I cart my MacBook Pro back and forth to work. At home I connect through a Linksys wireless router that holds a Sprint Broadband access card. At work I connect through a D-Link wireless router connected to my work network. Both use WPA2 Personnel security. At home there are 3 other users (my wife through an ethernet cable to the router, and my sons through earlier-generation Airport cards).
Work is universally working. At home, however, I am getting the dropoffs described in other threads in this forum. Sudden drop - won't even see the router for 10-30 minutes - then all can be fine for hours before it drops again.
Quite annoying.
I have reset the Linksys router firmware to the latest version with no help. I applied keychain first aid. I did an entire Archive and Install of my 10.5.2. My hard drive and permissions are copasetic. My parameter ram is so zapped that it weeps when I reach for the P or R keys. No help.
---Ken (does any of this spark a flash of insight in anyone?) Franklin

OK, I have a ritual that works.
When I first wake my computer from sleep (or turn it on), I let Airport find and log on to the home Linksys network. About 10 seconds after I start up my browser, it drops - and I quickly turn Airport off.
Then I wait over 5 minutes, turn it on again, and everything is fine - no dropouts for as long as the machine is on and awake. If I don't wait 5 minutes, it will either not see the network, or try to log on and "connection timeout".
This has got to be a clue. Is there a log that can provide more details? If so, where is it?
--Ken (over 100,000 files on this hard drive - gotta be SOMETHING) Franklin

My 5 year old Airport Expresses don't work with the new Airport Time Capsule?

My question is after wasting hours trying to install my new Airport Time Capsule, Ive noticed that the "Airport Utility" doesn't recognize any of my 4 five year old Airport Expresses. An error message says " This version of Airport Utility doens not support this (these) base stations"? Does that mean that their is no work arounds which means I have to purchase 4 replacements?

You need the older airport utility.. that can be installed on Lion or Mountain Lion.. it cannot be installed on Mavericks.. do you have an older computer even a windows one.. or can access, borrow or bribe a friend over for drinks with laptop.. then you can configure your expresses.. !!
There is a rather complex workaround on Mavericks.. when I posted it in the past.. Apple deleted it.. go figure.
Kappy's post is still there.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/24338414#24338414
Perhaps they like him more than me.

My new airport express does not connect my printer to my computer? My old airport did! then I updated to OS 10.9.2. How do I get it connected?

My new airport express does not connect my printer to my computer. The old airport did. I recently updated to OS 10.9.2. I have since bought a new
HP 6700 all in one wireless printer, got the latest Comcast router. None of which connect to my computer wirelessly. Which do I throw away the printer, router, or Mac? Help

Contact HP for support.
Explain that you are using a Mac, anticipate the inevitable groan, and wait patiently for their resident Mac expert to return from vacation.
Until then download and install its driver here: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?product=5058338&cc=us&dlc=en &lc=en
Otherwise return the printer and purchase one from a company that visibly supports OS X. HP isn't on that list.

I have an old Airport Express I want to use to extend WiFI (which is best Airport Express or Extreme) and to have a HD for storing Itunes connected to the old Airport as well. I would also like to have the new Airport hardwired to my Mac (desktop)

I am willing to buy a new Airport Express or Extreme so I can get at least one LAN port - but only if I can use that LAN port to connect to my MAC (desktop) so it doenst have to get internet via the WiFi- AND so I can set it up as its own hot spot. I think I saw that was possible?? That way my guest network would be separate from my home Network. Just trying to get the best layout. I have cable modem to old Airport now and USB from it to printer.
Maybe a new Airport - again USB to printer and LAN to MAC(?) then old Airport elsewhere in the house to extend the signal and use USB off it to hard drive to store Itunes? Would LOVE to have it there to use for Airplay etc- Is that possible- I have read many comments and still not sure if it is possible or not.
Baxically I need a simple solution to storing all my photos- music and movies (MAC only has 500GB) AND have a great back up; Currently have a 1TB drive as Time Machine - so could use that for back up- but running out of space on MAC for all the media I am saving. THANKS!!

You are asking several different questions. If you need to store your photos, music, and movies on an external volume, you certainly can. Any externally connected hard disk drive will work, connected either directly to your Mac or to your Time Capsule as a shared volume.
You should not rely upon using that as a backup device though. Although you certainly may use it for both purposes, it is a better idea to have dedicated backup devices for a variety of reasons not limited to redundancy. You would not want to simultaneously lose all your pictures as well as your backup. If they are all on the same device, that could happen. Furthermore, a backup cannot back up the volume on which it is running.
As for adding an Extreme or Express, using its LAN port for your iMac, and then enable Internet sharing so you can effectively use the iMac as a "hotspot", you can do that too, but I am unclear on what benefit you believe this arrangement would convey for you.
An Extreme's Guest network is separate from its Main network; that is the reason for having it.

QuadCore i5, 2 hours old, AirPort dropping

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