Airport Extreme (802.11n) - Connection drops (no auto-reset)

I just started a new thread before I found this one, but I have a tiny theory here. My AEBS only conks out when I fire up Azureus, usually after about 30 minutes or so. When I don't use Azureus, all is fine. When I bypass the router and connect directly to the cable modem with Azureus all is fine.

Is anyone here having the router failure problem WITHOUT using a BitTorrent client?

I don't use Azureus, or any similar program.

Let's save our energy, and stop trying to troubleshoot.

The plain fact is that Apple broke the AEBS with that last firmware update.

Now they need to fix it again.

I was hoping the 10.5.2 update would resolve the airport problem, but it hasn't helped in the slightest.

In all the years I've used an Apple machine, I have never had a problem as frustrating as this. I've done everything short of going out and buying a new wireless router, which I'll probably end up doing.

I've stood by Apple for years, and it ***** to see more and more of their products having some rather serious defects. My iMac alone had overheating issues and serious graphics chip problems, not to mention the freezing issue which was finally resolved.

Am I going to stop using Apple? Of course not. But products as expensive as an Airport need to simply work. I know Apple will fix this problem, hopefully soon.

Just as an update, azureus wasn't running yesterday cause my mac mini was OFF and the airport still froze. it's on its side now with the IP6 changed and its still live for now.

lets see

ChromePlanet wrote:
I just started a new thread before I found this one, but I have a tiny theory here. My AEBS only conks out when I fire up Azureus, usually after about 30 minutes or so. When I don't use Azureus, all is fine. When I bypass the router and connect directly to the cable modem with Azureus all is fine.

Is anyone here having the router failure problem WITHOUT using a BitTorrent client?

Bittorrent clients are a problem and Azureus is the worst offender. Not that these apps are defective, but they have features that trigger bugs in the AEBS. If you have these and stop using them, you will experience a lower frequency of the problem, but it won't go away.

Taking out Airport Express Base Stations will also have a beneficial impact, but not take the problem to zero.

I've done these two things and reduced the mean time between failure from hours to days.

I got the same problem but i got it fixed by selecing a different default channel!!!!

The connection never drops anymore!!

I don't understand how your response helps those of us who have or have had problems? I'm happy yours works.

But, for me this was a fairly large expenditure for a piece of equipment that hasn't worked for 10 months. At all. So I guess you don't have much sympathy for those shoes hunh?

But the good news is that with the 10.5.2 update....it does work!! At last!!

But this only makes me feel that some kind of issue could have been dealt with in a more forthright and expedient way.

It's not just that the equipment didn't work for 10 months. I spent a lot of hours trying to get it to work.

My problem appears to have been resolved since update to 10.5.2. I've been using Airport now for a few days and have not had a problem.

I have been having the same connectivity issues - drops, cannot locate SSID, cycle power, etc.

I tried several suggestions listed above and one or a combination seemed to have worked for me:

- I used iStumbler to scan the other wireless networks in the area and set my channel in the Airport admin to an unused channel

- I changed my IPv6 settings to "Link-local only"

- I turned the base station on its side in case it was a heat buildup in the unit


My network has now been up and running for 4 days straight without a hitch.

I hope this helps.

I found my way here after dropped connections while using bittorrent and azureus and failing to solve the problem. I have an Extreme b/g round Airport and thought "it can't be the program since it happens with both..." but from these posts it does appear to have to do with either the protocol or the amount of data or some combination. I suggest everyone here that is having problems file a bug report with Apple.

Poking around at some azureus web sites I found some commentary on bad routers and potential fixes. http://www.azureuswiki.com/index.php/Badrouters#UsualSolutions is worth a look-see for many here.

I was constantly having dropped connections with my Airport Express. I downgraded to 7.1, and it hasn't dropped once since.

I have been trying to debug this monster for the last few days. Quick rundown. Two macs on an AEBS(n-fast e) network, one MBP, one Dual 1-GHz. Started noticing trouble trying to watch movies streaming from the tower to the laptop. Now trouble everywhere. I am getting ping times in the local zone in the 300ms-1sec time frame. (ugh). I have tried turning IP6 off, downgrading, switching to n-only, 5ghz etc. Am now trying putting the AEBS on its side and putting a fan on it.

I have a theory. I have noticed that people who run torrent clients seem to be the first (but not the only) people having problems. My thought is that the constant push/pull of torrent traffic is overheating the AEBS, causing malfunction on every level, and, malfunction that is difficult to describe much less duplicate.

If the side-placement/fan, works, I will go back through everything, one step at a time, and for now, not run Miro (or any other torrent client). But, most likely, I am going to go get a new AEBS while my warranty is still good, and try again. Heat may fry them, and gadgets don't return from those injuries very often or well.

Keep this alive, post problems to Apple, not just in the forum, and let's get this fixed.

After reading the Azureus wiki I went to the Option tab in Azureus and went to the UPnP section and unchecked Enable UPnP and restarted Azureus. I have been downloading overnight when previously I'd get an hour or two before my connection was dead and I had to restart my Airport. Only time will tell if it is rock solid (and since I'm pulling down an 8gig Grateful Dead home movie, it looks like I'll get a good test, but so far it appears the wiki was right. If your program enables UPnP, see if you can turn that off.

I've not had any failures in a couple weeks, but then have only been running the AEBSn and no other base stations and not using any bittorrent client. At the suggestion of some posters, after I updated my OS and tweaked the Azureus settings, I grabbed 3 bittorrent files in Azureus. The three all had many seeds and many peers, so it maxed out my connection continuously. And the AEBS went deaf about 2 hours later.

I restarted and got everything running and started Azureus just to nuke the torrent listings - about 2 minutes. In that time, the AEBS went deaf again.