Level 1

0 points

Airport Express Mysteriously Disconnects and Requires a Restart

I have a theory...

My Environment:
Router: Linksys WRV200
Protocol: 802.11g
Security: WPA2-Mixed
Device in Question: AiportExpress v6.3 firmware

My Issue:
Airport Express will be working. After a period of time the AirPort Express will no longer be connected and will need to be unplugged and plugged back in. Note that this is not the "Audio Dropout" issue. The device goes offline and is not able to be seen by the Admin Utility or iTunes.

My Theory:
I had just purchased my AiPort Express and was getting it configured. After a brief struggle with a windows laptop, which resulted in an OS reinstallation, I had AirTunes up and running. After a while, 3600 seconds to be precise, the AirPort express mysteriously disconnected. So began my exodus to the root cause.

After a very lengthy tiral and error trouble shooting process I believe I have found the root. I believe it is the wireless security key renewal interval. In my router I can configure how frequently the router issues a new key. If I change this to 300 seconds, or 5 minutes, and restart my router AirTunes functions for precisely 5 minutes and then disappears. If I change this to 3600 seconds, or 1 hour, and restart my router Airtunes functions for precisely 1 hour and then disappears.

Last night I configured this key renewal interval to 99999 seconds. This is the maximum allowed. This morning I was pleasantly surprised to find my AirTunes was still connected. This was the first time since purchase that AirTunes had remained connected over an entire night. I will be out enjoying the sun and salt water this weekend. When i return home I will report the status of my AirTunes connection.

Various, Other OS, To many to list...

Posted on Aug 17, 2007 9:38 AM

118 replies

KingBee

Level 1

24 points

Jan 1, 2008 10:45 AM in response to SQLGeek

I've been having the same problem everyone else has described in more detail on this thread -- Airport Express extending an Aiport Extreme N base station via WDS constantly dropping the connection, but still showing solid green on the LED. I'm also using the WPA/WPA2 Personal encryption scheme over the whole network, and don't want to use no encryption at all or use WEP (which is pretty much the same as no encryption at all).

Anyway, I seem to have found a solution that works on my system at least. After I made the change outlined below, my connection has been up and running for 4 days now after losing the connection about once every 3 hours or so before that:

1. Open the Aiport Utility, click on the AEXN base station, and click *Manual Setup*.
2. Click the Advanced icon in the toolbar.
3. Click the IPv6 tab.
4. From the IPv6 drop-down menu, select *Link-local only*.
5. Click Update.

The AEXN base station will restart with the new settings. You may also have to unplug the Airport Express WDS remote, and plug it back in after the AEXN base station has restarted.

posnera

Level 1

10 points

Jan 2, 2008 11:31 AM in response to SQLGeek

I'll join the list. I've got two expresses (one old, one new) and an extreme N (not gigabit). I need to use both expresses to extend the network via WDS. The older express is stable, but the new one keeps dropping out of the network. If I am in a part of the house that can only "see" the new express, then I only get the new express in airport utility. Performing a reset of that express from airport utility brings the whole network back up temporarily.

I recreated the network with all 3 units in the same room, and the new express still dropped out of the network, so it isn't an interference issue.

I've already replaced the new express once with no change. I'm not sure what to do next. Should I try another new express? Should I try to replace the extreme? Or should I just resign myself to randomly resetting base stations whenever necessary?

Both expresses are running the newest firmware, but upgrading the extreme to 7.2.1 killed my shared hard drive, so I'm on the previous firmware.

Jan 4, 2008 4:50 PM in response to KingBee

Speedtouch 780 users (perhaps other routers too, can't speak for those): try completely disabling UPnP (and WDS) in the router's config. After doing that my AX has finally been up for more than three days. Knock on wood! As for the why... does anyone know of a relationship between upnp or wds and ipv6?

Jan 5, 2008 3:05 AM in response to SQLGeek

Same problem here - Airport Express loses WDS connection after a period and must be reset to re-establish the connection. APX is also invisible to the Airport utility when the dicsonnect occurs (and Airtunes doesn't work). Hello Apple - anybody listening? PS - I am a new customer to Apple and think that the fact that you don't provide support in these forums is atrocious!

Jan 5, 2008 3:15 AM in response to SQLGeek

I've been following this topic, and have been waiting for someone to address
my situation, but it hasn't happened yet, so here goes:

The one difference I have is, I'm not using the WDS setting. I've setup my Airport
Express as 'Join a wireless network'. I use Airport Extreme as my main router,
and use Airport Express to play iTunes in another room. While I've had some problems, it usually plays for several months, without any problems.

I had it setup like this using Tiger (or Panther--I can't remember what came
before Leopard), with the same reliability. I've kept everything updated, including firmware. So I'm not sure what the difference between WDS and 'Join
a wireless network', but it works for me.

Paul

Jan 5, 2008 9:22 AM in response to SQLGeek

Folks, I have a suspicion I'd like verified. I believe the problem may be associated in with setting up one of multiple expresses as a "relay" rather than as a "base station." Possibly somewhere in the system one of the base stations thinks the relay is a different network and gets hung up deciding which to join. Does everyone having this problem have an express set up as a relay somewhere in their network?

KingBee

Level 1

24 points

Jan 5, 2008 11:07 AM in response to Paul Csibrik

As I understand it, the difference between "join a wireless network" and using WDS to extend a network is that when joining the wireless network, the Airport Express just becomes another client on the network (like your computer). iTunes streaming will work using the sound input, but the Ethernet port on the Express is inactive in this mode and cannot be used to get another device (like a TiVo or an Ethernet-equipped network printer) onto the network. Extending the network wirelessly using WDS, the Ethernet port on the Airport Express becomes an active LAN port, and you can use it to add Ethernet-equipped devices to your network.

Jan 6, 2008 9:16 AM in response to Paul Csibrik

I'm using client mode, not WDS (although I have tried it). The problem occurs in all situations. Thanks for sharing though.

Jan 6, 2008 9:19 AM in response to Franklin Osgood

If by 'relay' you mean 'extended network' (using WDS), then, no (I'm using it as a simple client). My hunch is that the sitation you describe is not related to the AX's dropping out under WPA.

Jan 8, 2008 9:40 PM in response to KingBee

Has anyone else had success with KingBee's IPv6 link-local only solution? Now that I have my system working using WEP I hate to tempt fate by going back to WPA and trying out this link-local setting without someone else verifying that it works and is worth the trouble to change back. Thanks.

Jan 9, 2008 7:50 PM in response to SQLGeek

I join the mystery. Got an AX in November 07 to use Air Tunes. Use an older ABS for network connection. AX worked fine as far as I could tell until I changed from WEP to WPA (company requires me to use WPA with company laptop) a few weeks ago. Since switching to WPA, Air Tunes drops out consistently.

Jan 9, 2008 8:22 PM in response to gowenkelk

I tried something on our behalf tonight. I went to the Apple Store site and posted a review of the AEX as follows, using the title "Buyer Beware":

Go to the Apple Support discussion forums and read the thread "Airport Express Mysteriously Disconnects and Requires a Restart" before buying this product. Airport Express has extreme problems.
I am a Mac/Apple fan since 1984. This is not a typical Apple product. I rate it less than one star if I could.

I suspect the Apple Store monitors will find a way to make sure my review does not show up. We'll see. If it does show up, maybe others should write a similar review.

Jan 10, 2008 6:53 AM in response to SQLGeek

Thankfully, I found this discussion thread. I have an Airport Extreme Base connected to a Qwest DSL box and HP USB printer in my den. I have an Airport Express in my living room. I am setup for WDS and using Airtunes and ethernet port connected to DirecTV for VOD. I could not get my Airport Express to stay "connected" for months. I was constantly unplugging it and plugging it back then. THEN, I changed the security from WPA to WEP and disable DHCP. The whole setup has now worked flawlessly for nearly 2 weeks.

nickair

Level 1

0 points

Jan 10, 2008 4:18 PM in response to SQLGeek

Back I am...
I phoned the Apple Support yesterday. I explained what's happening to me and they decided to send me a new Airport Express. I got it today (wow)! So I spent the last two hours trying to set it up. I tried every single steps described in this topic. But nothing, nada, NO WAY!!! It just won't work. I can't even set it up. It won't join my network.

My next move is: back to Apple and refund. I've lost too much time beta testing this thing.
Unless Apple comes with a message of hope, telling that they have identified a problem and that it will be fixed very soon in the next firmware upgrade. But I doubt it, as we've never seen Apple writing in this topic... HELLOOOO APPLE WAKE UP!!!! There's probably a problem here. So many people can't be that wrong. Can they?

nickair

Level 1

0 points

Jan 12, 2008 2:05 PM in response to nickair

So I tried just a little more this week-end.
Here's the only way I found to make my Express work properly:
I set up an old extreme (which connects to my network without any kind of problem) in the room where I need the express and connected a cable between the old extreme and the express. Works fine. AirTune works fine. Everything is cool. Exept I had to connect a cable to the express... Here I have a slogan for Apple: Apple's new Airport Express, the only wirless device in the world that requires a cable to function correctly. Ain't it ridiculous?

Enjoy your new useless Airport Express and pray that Apple one day perhaps will help us out...

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Airport Express Mysteriously Disconnects and Requires a Restart