Unable to setup new Airport Extreme

Just purchased a new Airport Extreme (model A1521) I am getting a blinking amber light. When I go to AirPort Utility and go to Other Wi-Fi Devices (1), it sees my AirPort Extreme and tries to Gather Information then I get "An unexpected error occured. Try again." I have tried resetting the device, but no luck.

HELP!
Bill and Mark, I spoke too soon.
Setting up the Airport Extreme via the ipad, plus unplugging the modem and everything else, did work to give me internet access. But my desktop Airport Utility still doesn't recognize the Extreme. Everything in Base Station in the menu bar is grayed out - I can only access password, etc. on the ipad. When you open Airport Utility the big black box appears with the globe and a green dot next to "Internet", but the Extreme doesn't appear below it like it used to. CAN ANYONE HELP CLEAR THIS UP - IS IT RELATED TO OUR ORIGINAL "UNEXPECTED ERROR" MESSAGE?
Second issue: My airport express also is not recognized or functioning - and I can't find anything on the ipad to get it running. I need it to extend service to far end of house and to play music from computer itunes library on stereo system. I have seen other posts about problem with 6.3 vs. 5.6 version of utility, and needing somehow to run both.
Apple should make all this simple - not require hours of aggravation!

Similar Messages

Unable to connect new airport extreme to iMAC or MacBook Pro

This must have been covered but I am unable to find a thread addressing my problem. I have just purchased a new Airport Extreme Base Station (AEBS). I updated all of my software and have tried to configure the AEBS for both my laptop and iMAC. I connect to the internet (IN) using a cable modem (Motorola SB 5101). Using the ethernet cable I can connect to the IN with both computers. I have configured the AEBS and the "light" comes up green.
Using the "diagnostics" program associated with Safari on my laptop (OS 10.5.6), all but the last 2 lights come up green. I do not know how to overcome this problem.
On the iMAC (OS 10.4.11) I get the message "Airport not configured". When I go to the Airport Utility App and scan, it tells me that a wireless device is not detected, even though the unit is adjacent to the computer. It does have an early wireless card (0x14E4,0x89) Firmware (Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0).
I hope there are better directions somewhere than what came with the unit.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Bob Timmons, thanks for the response... I will respond to your questions..
1) Yes, I can connect to the internet by attaching the single ethernet type cable from the modem to each computer in-turn.
2) Yes, when I connect the ethernet cable from the modem to the airport base station, I get a green light. (circle icon)
3) I do not (as yet) have a spare ethernet cable to try the connection from the AEBS to either computer.
Making these connections work is a little like magic to me. I have an airport express at work that I successfully connected, but when it happened I was not sure what I did.
I get a little confused because there is the Airport programming software, the Diagnostics software that pops up from Safari, and Network software in Preferences. I am not sure which one is the main one to use.
In addition, I try to Connect, wirelessly in several places. Sometimes in an airport where an "automatic" IP address seems to be assigned and sometimes at work where we use static IP addresses.
I need a map...;o)

Unable to make new Airport Extreme a WDS Main station

I tried adding a new AX (dual band) to an older AX network to extend the cloud. The older AX does not "see" the new AX when I go thru the step to add remote base stations. I tried making the new AX the WDS Main but that option was not available on the new AX. Using Leopard with 5.1.4 of Airport Utility. New AX is firmware 7.4.1. Older AX is 7.3.x (7.4.1 screws this unit up).
Shouldn't the new AX be able to be configured as a WDS main?

EPILOG:
As far as I can tell, the new "Dual Band" Airport Extremes don't support WDS clouds. The only option in the configuration is to "Extend a network" and I was unable to get that to work with an older AX that was configured as a WDS Main base station. The Dual Band AX always came up yellow saying the network could not be found.
The only solution was to throw away the 802.11g WDS remote devices and turn the main base station into an regular 802.11n base station, allow it to be extended and extend it with the Dual Band AX.
As a breadcrumb to those who find this post, this device will waste alot of your time. Most of the Apple articles that come up when searching for how to do this give settings and screen shots for pre-Leopard versions of Airport Utility and are about setting up a WDS network. You also have to be careful about upgrading the pre Dual Band AX to Firmware 7.4.1 as it turns it into a brick in some cases.
I got it to work with the two different AX running different firmware (7.3.2 and 7.4.1)...YMMV
Its important to set the wireless channel specifically to one of the available ones and not let it default to Automatic.

Setup Problems with New AirPort Extreme and Dell Desktop XP with ethernet

I have a Dell desktop computer at home with a cisco cable modem connected to Comcast. I am trying to setup a new wireless network using new AirPort extreme so that new iPad can use wireless.
Connections seem to work but when running the AirPort Utility, it doesn't find my base station. The Dell doesn't have wireless. Does the Airport Utility only work via wireless? Or can it work across the ethernet connection?
I'd appreciate anyone's help.
Thanks.

Hello VL Crew. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
Does the Airport Utility only work via wireless?
No, the AirPort Utility will work whether your computer is connected to the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn) by wire or wireless.

HT4145 Does the new Airport Extreme allow "guest network" setup across all my Airports on my network? I have 1 Airport as a router and 6 others as WAP's (bridged)

Does the new Airport Extreme allow "guest network" setup across all my Airports on my network? I have 1 Airport as a router and 6 others as WAP's (bridged)

I assume that all of your WAPs are hard wired on the network.
If.....all of your WAPs are simultaneous dual band Apple AirPort devices like an AirPort Extreme or new AirPort Express.....and.....you have firmware version 7.6.3 (now 7.6.4) installed on all the AirPorts.....and.....you use AirPort Utility 6.3.1 to configure the devices......in theory.....it should work.
I don't have 6 WAPs, but I do have 3 and the network works perfectly allowing extension of both the "main" and "guest" network.

Just bought a new Airport Extreme BS. After setup my iphone4 won't find the network (not even with manual entries), but my iMac (2009) does. What is wrong?

Just bought a new Airport Extreme BS. After setup my iphone4 won't find the network (not even with manual entries), but my iMac (2009) does. What is wrong?

Well, after another call with Apple support and the engineers, no success. After spending over 20 hours trying to debug this, I give up. Apple was basically fishing for a solution with trial-and-error settings on the iphone. Then they wanted me to plug in software to log my iphone connections to the router, etc, etc., etc., at which point I decided I no longer wanted to participate in their testing process and will simply return the router.
25 hours of my life I'll never get back.
Big bummer, and frustrating for all the obvious reasons.

Can't Configure New Airport Extreme

My new Airport EXtreme is operational and I can access the net work from both my PC and 2 Macs however I have been unable to configure the base station to move it away from 'public' status with it's factory 10.??? IP address and thus have an open network.
On initial startup with the Airport Setup Assistant on the Mac I get "An error occurred communicating with the selected base station".
I've tried all the trouble shooting re-sets and the Airport Admin Utility but with similar results. At one point on the PC I got the slighlty more informative "the base station is in soft reset mode but does not appear reachable with the IP address configuration of this computer. Make sure your computer is configured for a 192.42.249.X IP address so base station can be configured". Don't know what this means ....
All the correct DHCP settings seem to be in place but a colleague across the street with an Airport Express has no problem. I'm at a loss...

Basic principle - setup instructions are there for a reason, and if you don't follow them then the thing won't work properly What happens if you connect your cable modem to the LAN port of the Base Station:
- you bypass the router built into the Airport Base Station
- your Mac will be unable to communicate with the Base Station.
Neither is a good thing - and you need to get to the bottom of the problem causing you to have to incorrectly wire the Base Station just to give it the "appearance" it is working properly (even though it is not). Usually the solution is simple - cable the modem to the WAN port, pull power to the modem and the Base Station for a half hour, then plug power back into the modem, then plug power back into the Base Station. That's it.
Incidentally - a temporary fix is to (a) disconnect the modem from the Base Station, (b) power cycle the Base Station, and (c) restart your Mac. Your Mac will now be able to "see" and configure the Base Station. However, as soon as you are done and you plug the cable modem back into the LAN port and restart your Mac - no admin access to the Base Station will be possible.

Help setting up Open DNS with new airport extreme

I cant seem to get Open DNS to work with a new airport extreme. The status says I am not using Open DNS and its not filtering anything. I have followed the exact steps for set up listed on their website, checked the dns settings, cleared both caches and restarted the computer, modem and router with no success. I set the airport up in bridged mode, although I tried the other option under setup, but not sure what I was doing? I picked up this router because I wanted easy set up and the apple store assured me it would work with Open DNS. Oh, and I also downloaded the latest firmware update on the router. Can anyone help me with the settings or what else I need to check?

Sorry, I am not familiar with this product, so I checked online to pick up some information. Here I am referring to the information found here:
http://www.dslreports.com/faq/6096
I found that your device is mentioned as follows in the intro under Section 1 of this document:
The BellSouth supplied Westell 2100, 2200 and 6100 models (Models A90-210030-04, B90-220030-04, and B90-610030-06/C90-610030-06, respectively) share many features and functions.
Next, I am referring to the information under Section 2, under the heading of Standard Default Mode Connection (separate hub or switch present). Unless you have changed the configuration on the Westell, this is how your device is operating. In this mode, the Westell device is acting both as a modem and router in one unit.
So, an attached router (AirPort Extreme) must be configured as a switch to work correctly. That is what Bridge Mode is....the AirPort Extreme is operating as a switch when it is in Bridge Mode (which would be the correct setting to use when the Westell is set to its Standard Default Mode).
Any changes that you want to make regarding DNS settings would need to be made on the Westell device, since it is acting as the main router on your network.
In Bridge Mode, the AirPort Extreme simply passes that information through to its connected devices. You will not be able to make any DNS related changes on the AirPort Extreme since it receives that info from the Westel device. Some service providers force you to use their DNS servers, so you might want to check with Bell South or AT&T for more information in this regard.
If you want to be able to configure the AirPort Extreme as the main router on your network, and instruct it to use the DNS information that you want, you will need to refer to the section under the heading of Bridged Ethernet Mode ( separate router present).
Please note that the first item under this heading specifies that "This is the preferred configuration when using a separate external router..." (which would be the AirPort Extreme in your case)
So, it appears to me that this would be the way that you must reconfigure the Westell device to allow the AirPort Extreme to function as the "main" router on your network. In this type of setup, you will be able to enter the DNS information that you want to use under the setup for the AirPort Extreme and it will act as you instruct.
The AirPort Extreme would not be configured in Bridge Mode for this....it would be configured to "Share a public IP address".
The next item in the article specifies that you "Must use a PPPoE client on the Router." This means that the AirPort Extreme would be configured to Connect Using = PPPoE as follows:
AirPort Utility - Manual Setup
Click the Internet icon
Click the Internet Connection tab
Connect Using = PPPoE
You would enter your user name (probably your email address), password, etc in this area. Leave the Service Area box completely blank. Set Connection to Always On, and Disconnect if Idle to Never
Click Update to save the new settings. Power off the Westell device after this and then restart it so that it will pick up the new information that you have programmed into the AirPort Extreme.
I want to stress that this is how I would try to configure the Westell and AirPort Extreme. But, as I said, have not used a Westell device, so I cannot say that this will work correctly for you.
It might be an excellent idea to contact Bell South or AT&T Support to ask for their opinion on this before you decide to change the configuration of the Westel device and the AirPort Extreme.
This type of thing can be intimidating for users, so you might elect to use the services of someone like the Geek Squad at Best Buy, or a similar service from a local computer firm. Perhaps the Apple store could help as well.
If it is not critical that you use Open DNS, you might want to simply leave things "as is", with the AirPort Extreme in Bridge Mode.

I am unable to see my Airport Extreme/Express on my MacBook via Airport Utility

I have two issues:
1. I am unable to see my Airport Extreme and my Airport Express via my MacBook Air's Airport Utility when I scan for Base Stations. However, the computer is happily connected to the wireless network of my Extreme (the Express is used to extend range)
2. I am unable to see a HDD that is connected via USB cable to the Airport Extreme.
Any suggestions welcome.
Thanks

Further info:
Setup
MacBook Air running OS X 10.5.8
AirPort Extreme Base Station
AirPort Express used to extend range
AirPort Utility v5.5.3
The MacBook Air is actually connected to the wireless network provided by the two AirPorts!
Oddly, I see both AirPorts just fine when using my older PowerBook G4 with an older version of the AirPort Utility.
In addition, I cannot see the external HDD connected to the AirPort Extreme Base Station, and my wireless printer (HP D410a) suddenly stopped working via the MacBook Air. However, it works just fine from my iPhone, which is connected to the same AirPort Extreme/Express wireless network.
Recently, at the request of Sky Broadband, I switched to fixed IP addresses instead of DHCP, as I was having issues with the DHCP set-up.

New Airport Extreme, new problems.

Hi all. I have just purchased and installed a new airport extreme and am having some issues with it already. Last night during install, When it got to the end of the setup process, the computer screen said that the Airport extreme was to restart. Well, that seemed to take forever, and then the airport that was visable from the Airport utility disappeared. The Green light on the unit was on, indicating no problems, but I was not able to access the internet. I played with it for a while, and tried resetting and going through the set up 2 more times, with the same result. I had given up and was going to contact apple in the morning when suddenly my Ipad received a message from my friend who had sent the message about an hour before. I assumed that the internet was now working, which I confirmed with my Ipad and my Imac. All seemed ok. I even downloaded the Airport app for my I pad and could see the device from the screen.
Today, my Ipad's airport app could not see the device, yet the network was working. Is this typical?
Also, can you hide the SSID (network name). My last wireless router had this feature, which I thought was nice.
Last thing. I can't seem to print from my wireless printer any more. My previous router worked fine for this. It now says it is not connected any more. The network name and password are the same with this Airport as my last router, so I figured it shoud work fine. In the manual, it doesn't seem to mention wireless printing, only printers connected to the Airport with a USB. Does it only work that way?
Sorry for all the questions. If This thing is not going to co-operate, it will be returned to the store. I normally love Apples products, but this one has me scratching my head in doubt.

First you can block the SSID, you need to go into Airport Utility and click on wireless then click the wireless network options and make sure the Create a closed network is selected. Regarding the iOS Airport Utility that could have sometimes. On your printer the Airport Extreme has a USB connector that you can connect a printer to it. It you want to add the printer to the network wirelessly then you may need to go in to you printer setup.

New AirPort Extreme Problems

Hello,
I just installed a the new AirPort Extreme connected to wired Ethernet as a Server for USB-Harddisks.
Unfortunatele, it seems to work very unstable. I want to use the connected disks with an iMac G5 and an MacMini Core Duo. Sometimes the Extreme does not appear in the Network list, sometimes it does but disappears after a while.
I got two updates (2007-1, 2007-2) on the Computer where I installed the disc that came with the AirPort Extreme. Is there any further step needed to actually upgrade the box or is it all done while "installing" the update?
2)
As I right now use the box as a file server only, can I disable WLAN somehow? The setup wizzard is not very clear and the former Admin Utility does not work with the new box.
3)
Is there a way to let the connected harddiscs sleep while no activity is going on? How to setup such details?
Thanks for helping,
Frank

The Windows AirPort Utility isn't constantly scanning for you network. Once it sees the network, it keeps it listed until you click the rescan button. If you were to click the rescan button when the network was not seen by your wireless card, I bet it would not show it then either. On the other hand, Windows itself is constant doing background scans. I've noticed with Windows, in general, networks come and go and you get those idiotic bubbles telling you so.

New Airport Extreme only connected with N protocol

I just got a brand new Airport Extreme. I disabled wifi on my verizon fios router, plugged in the ethernet, and went through the Airport's setup. I'm connected on all my devices and the range is so much better, but it doesn't seem like my MBP has connected using AC. Below, I have included some information about my computer and the router. Could anyone advise me on how to connect using AC? Do I need to do anything other than the default setup? I noticed in advanced options on the router, that 5ghz is not enabled by default? Also, I'm sitting about 10 feet from the router with no obstructions.
My Computer:
Model Name: MacBook Pro, Late 2013
Processor Name: Intel Core i7
Processor Speed: 2.3 GHz
My Airport Extreme:
Card Type: AirPort Extreme (0x14E4, 0x134)
Firmware Version: Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (6.30.223.154.65)
Locale: FCC
Country Code: US
Supported PHY Modes: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
My Network:
Network Utility Link Speed: 217 MBit/sec
PHY Mode: 802.11n
Channel: 1
Country Code: US
Network Type: Infrastructure
Security: WPA2 Personal
Signal / Noise: -41 dBm / -92 dBm
Transmit Rate: 156
MCS Index: 21

5ghz wireless is in fact working.. but the Mac is setup to connect to the strongest signal not the fastest.. so you have actually connected to 2.4ghz N wireless..
The way to fix this is simple.. change the wireless name for 5ghz in wireless options of airport utility.. ie.
Make the name short and sweet.. no spaces.. no apostrophe.. just simple.
Mine doesn't show as much because I refuse to buy the AC model..
But you can make sure your country is set correctly.. and all the rest can be left on auto.
Then in the laptop force the connection to AE5ghz or whatever you name it.

New Airport Extreme: no LAN lights, base station not found

I just brought home a new Airport Extreme base station 802.11n to replace a Linksys router which I used without too much trouble (it used to boot me off occasionally, which was annoying). I want to connect to my DSL internet using an ethernet cable. There's also a PC and a Mac in the house that are wireless. However, the Airport Utility doesn't see the AEBS, I've got the classic flashing amber light, and at the back, the WAN light shows a connection to my DSL modem, but I've got no lights on my LAN ports. (I have seen them light up very briefly but they never stay on.)
I've tried resetting the modem and the base station countless times. I've reconfigured using different ethernet cables. I've disconnected the base station for over 30 minutes before powering up again. I can get a connection when I connect my modem directly to the mini. I've tried using different LAN ports to connect the base station to the computer.
What should I try next? It's a really simple setup, and all I'm trying to do is to connect to the internet.
Thanks for any suggestions.

I know you have tried a series of resets, but please try the following with your Mac Mini connected directly, using an Ethernet cable, to one of the LAN ports of your 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn), and the AEBSn's WAN port connected (via Ethernet) to the DSL modem.
Try the following, in order, until the Mac Mini is able to access the Internet:
1. If the modem has a reset switch, use it to reset the modem. Wait at least 5-10 minutes for the modem to initialize.
2. Remove power from the modem. If it has a backup battery, remove this as well. Wait 5-10 minutes. Replace the battery, and add power back to the modem.
3. Perform a complete power recycle of your network components as follows:
Modem/Router Power Recycling - Quick
o Power-off the modem, AEBSn, & computer(s); Wait at least 5 minutes.
o Power-on the modem; Wait at least 5 minutes.
o Power-on the AEBSn; Wait at least 5 minutes.
o Power-on the computer(s)
If this fails to get the modem to "recognize" the Internet router, then try the "Full" version.
Modem/Router Power ReCycling - Full
o Power-off the modem, AEBSn, & computer(s). (Wait at least 30 minutes. If possible, leave the modem off overnight.)
o Power-on the modem; Wait at least 15 minutes.
o Power-on the AEBSn; Wait at least 5 minutes.
o Power-on the computer(s)
4. Contact your ISP to have them perform a "modem reset."

New Airport Extreme in Bridge mode -- some devices have no internet access

I just bought a new Airport Extreme as my old one which was probably 7 years old required restarting every day. My setup is as follows: DSL cable modem to Linksys Router (for a long set of convoluted reasons, I can't remove this layer) and then Airport Extreme. This is how I had it set up with my old one. The only difference is I recently started looking into using "Back to the Mac" on MobileMe and in order for it to work, I set my new Airport Extreme to Bridge mode due to dual NAT. I have an iMac, PC, MBP, MBA, iphone 4, AppleTV and ipad. All was working fine last night when I set it up. 24 hours later, for some odd reasons, I can't have my PC accessing the wireless network at the same time. If I did, it would knock my iMac off the network and says some other device is using the same IP address. For a while, only my iMac (my main computer) can access it and even my iphone can't. At this very moment, my iphone, imac and MBP all have access to the wireless network. My MBA and iPad has no internet connection. I've restarted Airport Extreme, Linksys, and modem more than once... If I switch back to "Use Public IP Address" instead of Bridge mode, everything works except for "Back to the Mac"... Help!

Hey Bob, Thanks...I have already repeated that multiple times yesterday and today but to no avail. I tried to get into the Linksys router control panel but unfortunately we can't remember the username and password (the router is not mine). The make things even more complicated, the router is actually part of the internet package provided by the ISP and they use a PPPoE to log in. Theoretically, we could do a hard reset but the problem is the ISP will not release the PPPoE information unless we sign a long and complicated form saying we want to bypass their Linksys router. We can do that but this process will take days and weeks... Our ISP confirmed that the Linksys router is set to max out at 5 DHCP but we can only connect 3 machines at a time. They are coming out to take a look tomorrow but in the meantime I have reset the Airport Extreme to "Distribute a Public IP Address" mode which will allow access to all computers/devices. What's even more weird is that if I did the Bridge mode, it messes up the Linksys router's own network as well. We can't even just sign into that network... Any ideas why?

New Airport Extreme (Jan 2007) with Comcast Cable Network

Im a total NOOB. Please excuse my poor knowledge of 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 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?
(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.

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)
Im a total NOOB. Please excuse my poor knowledge of
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
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?
(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.

Unable to setup new Airport Extreme

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