dcb16
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Q: Airport Extreme Setup Problem

I keep getting this error message when trying to setup a new Airport Extreme: "An unexpected error occurred. Try again." Same problem in Airport Utility on my iMac or on my iPad from wifi. Any ideas?

Airport Extreme 802.11ac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)

Posted on Jul 16, 2015 12:01 PM

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dcb16

Q: Airport Extreme Setup Problem

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  • by Tesserax,

    Tesserax Tesserax Jul 16, 2015 2:36 PM in response to dcb16
    Level 9 (54,618 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 16, 2015 2:36 PM in response to dcb16

    Even though it is a new base station, I would suggest the following to try:

    • Perform a "factory default" reset on your new base station.
    • Once completed, temporarily connect your Mac directly to the base station using an Ethernet cable.
    • Try using the AirPort Utility to access the base station again. If it connect go ahead and configure it as you originally intended it for. Update the base station and allow it to restart. Once restarted you can disconnect your Mac's Ethernet connection to it.

  • by dcb16,

    dcb16 dcb16 Jul 16, 2015 3:43 PM in response to dcb16
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 16, 2015 3:43 PM in response to dcb16

    Thanks. I tried the factory default reset three times but still the same result.  Utility recognises the base station, prepares and tries to join, then the error message pops up.  This Extreme is a replacement for one which stopped working, but had been connected the same way without problems and was my wifi base station.  I live in the Uk and have a BT Home Hub5 router if that helps.

  • by Tesserax,

    Tesserax Tesserax Jul 16, 2015 7:01 PM in response to dcb16
    Level 9 (54,618 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 16, 2015 7:01 PM in response to dcb16

    ...and have a BT Home Hub5 router if that helps.

    It might. What is your networking goal with the new AirPort Extreme? Is it to extend the range of the Home Hub? ... or something else? Will the Extreme be connected by Ethernet to the Hub or by wireless?

  • by dcb16,

    dcb16 dcb16 Jul 16, 2015 11:49 PM in response to Tesserax
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 16, 2015 11:49 PM in response to Tesserax

    Thats correct I am looking to extend the range through my house as i already have an Airport Express setup in another area, which all worked fine until my previous hub and Extreme got blown in a lightning storm.  The replacement hub is working fine and I could just extend directly from that and drop the Apple products but I was happy with my previous setup.  Thanks for your help so far.

  • by Tesserax,

    Tesserax Tesserax Jul 17, 2015 8:47 AM in response to dcb16
    Level 9 (54,618 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 17, 2015 8:47 AM in response to dcb16

    Ok, so you now have an additional AirPort base station in the mix.

     

    If your goal is to extend the BT Home Hub, I am going to assume the following:

    • You have the AirPort Extreme connected directly to the BT Home Hub by Ethernet and both are configured for a roaming network.
    • The AirPort Express (which exact model do you have?) is connected to the Extreme by wireless and is configured to extend the roaming network's wireless network.
    • You will be using a Mac, running OS X Mavericks, to administer the base stations.

    Are all of these correct?

  • by dcb16,

    dcb16 dcb16 Jul 18, 2015 2:11 PM in response to Tesserax
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 18, 2015 2:11 PM in response to Tesserax

    All correct except I cannot get to the point to allow the Extreme to be configured for a roaming network (because of the error message) and I wouldn't know how to do that for the Hub.

  • by dcb16,

    dcb16 dcb16 Jul 18, 2015 2:28 PM in response to dcb16
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 18, 2015 2:28 PM in response to dcb16

    A new piece of information - I just brought my Express up to where my computer/router and tried to connect that directly (to bypass the Extreme), and I got the same error message I was getting when trying to connect the Extreme.  The Express is probably 3 years old. 

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Jul 18, 2015 3:07 PM in response to dcb16
    Level 10 (105,198 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 18, 2015 3:07 PM in response to dcb16

    I'm trying to follow this.....but I am not clear on when the error message occurs. For now, please power off the AirPort Express and set it aside for now, and concentrate on the AirPort Extreme.

     

    If the AirPort Extreme has been reset back to factory default settings again.....and

    You have shut down the Mac for a minute, and then powered it back up.....and

    An Ethernet cable connects from one of the LAN <--> ports on the HomeHub to the WAN "O" port on the AirPort Extreme.....and

    You see AirPort Extreme under the heading of New AirPort Base Station when you click on the WiFi icon at the top of the screen.....

     

    New AirPort Base Extreme.png

     

    And.....you now  click on AirPort Extreme.......

     

    The first screen that should appear should look like this, except that you will see a picture of your AirPort Extreme model.

     

    Uverse - Fios Setup.png

     

    Does this screen appear?.......or......are you receiving an error message before the screen above can display?

     

    If the error message displays before the screen above can appear......then that is a serious issue that may be very difficult to resolve.

  • by dcb16,

    dcb16 dcb16 Jul 18, 2015 4:21 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 18, 2015 4:21 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    Hi Bob

     

    I re-did all your steps. That screen does not appear.  I get (consistently, every time I try):

     

    "Getting information about your network"
    "Preparing..." 

    "joining airport extreme..."

    then the unexpected error message I originally posted about.

     

    Again this has only been a problem since replacing my hub and Extreme (I think they were knocked out by lightning), my setup previously worked fine.

     

    Where do you think the problem is?

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Jul 18, 2015 5:15 PM in response to dcb16
    Level 10 (105,198 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 18, 2015 5:15 PM in response to dcb16

    And, you have tried another Ethernet cable between the Hub and the AirPort Extreme......one that you know is working because you have tested it?

  • by dcb16,

    dcb16 dcb16 Jul 19, 2015 1:54 AM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 19, 2015 1:54 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Yes I've tried 2 cables and know they are working because I've been running internet to my Mac wired through them with wi-fi off.

  • by dcb16,

    dcb16 dcb16 Jul 19, 2015 1:56 AM in response to dcb16
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 19, 2015 1:56 AM in response to dcb16

    Somebody suggested turning off the wi-fi on my hub and retrying but I haven't figured out how to do that yet.

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Jul 19, 2015 6:05 AM in response to dcb16
    Level 10 (105,198 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 19, 2015 6:05 AM in response to dcb16

    The next step would be to power off the AirPort Extreme and move the Ethernet cable from the WAN "O" port to one of the LAN <--> ports on the AirPort Extreme. Power the AirPort Extreme back up and restart your Mac again.

     

    See if the setup utility can establish a valid connection with the AirPort Extreme that way, and allow the setup utility to continue the process. If it can, leave the Ethernet cable connected to the LAN port. If you see the same error message, try each of the other two LAN ports on the AirPort Extreme.

  • by dcb16,

    dcb16 dcb16 Jul 19, 2015 3:30 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 19, 2015 3:30 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    Ok so the short story is my network is now up and working.  The long story went like this:

     

    I was trying Bob's suggestions using the LAN ports which didn't seem to be working.  Then my internet went down, but my broadband provider (BT in the UK) also provides free public wifi and my Mac was able to connect to a signal (so I had some internet but my router was being bypassed). At the same time as I tried to reconnect to my broadband the diagnostic checker asked me to turn off my McAfee security.  So both things were happening at the same time and either one or the other or both together must have overcome the Airport Utility problem because all of a sudden it recognised my Extreme and allowed me to set it up in the normal way.  Then I connected the Express. Then I was able to reconnect the broadband and it all works so I now have 2 networks up and running.  And the McAfee is back on as well. 

     

    So that's it. I will leave it someone else to figure out what the problem was.

     

    Will having wifi signals from both my router (2.4 and 5) and Extreme cause problems?  I kind of like the idea of having both available given my recent experience.

     

    Thanks very much to those who offered help, it was much appreciated.

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