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Level 1

148 points

Airport disk: connection failed

Hello,

I currently use an 750gb airport disk for time machine backups at home. Only two computers use it as a backup volume.

I have a powered USB hub with a printer and the harddrive connected to the airport disk.

EVery now and then (lately everyday) the finder in either computer fails to mount the airport disk. I get a "connection failed" error. I can, however, print without any issues.

Any ideas what could be happening? I'm getting tired of resetting the airport extreme EVERY day.

thanks!!

Ps. I just tried and unplugging the USB cable from the airport extreme and immediately plugging it back solved the connection error. It's faster than restarting the airport extreme but still quite annoying to have to unplug the thing every day… a solution will be greately appreciated.!!

Message was edited by: Jose M Olaya

MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo Santa Rosa 2.4 ghz 4gb ram 160gb hdd + iMac 2.2ghz, Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Sep 19, 2009 6:31 AM

41 replies

Oct 22, 2009 5:58 PM in response to WindoraBug

Seems that firmware 7.3.1 is the best version I've seen so far. I'm using a 1TB MyBook connected via USB hub... today I switched from 7.1.1 to 7.3.1 because I read that 7.3.1 supported network hard drives for Timemachine (used iTimemachine to enable network disks to TM). Everything seems to be working so far... no disconnects from the hard drive and I've had several hourly backups run properly.

Oct 22, 2009 6:11 PM in response to mreynolds_728

How does one obtain said Firmware v7.3.1?

I wonder if Apple is taking this issue seriously...

Oct 22, 2009 6:17 PM in response to Janet Perr

When I open up AirPort Utility and click Manual Setup, there's a summary window that shows the current Firware version (Version: #.#.#). Clicking 'version' will let you select any firmware version you've already installed on the AEBS. If you click Other... in the dropdown box, you can browse to a file on your disk. I'm not sure where you would get the AEBS firware's aside from the Updater that runs periodically. Check through the support site here on apple.com to see if you can find it.

Good luck!

Nov 5, 2009 4:10 PM in response to mreynolds_728

Yes, I have the same issue. I have two Airport Extremes and they talk to each other via WDS. I just bought a new iMac so I now have 3 macs at home using the two airports. I have a Drobo hooked up to one of the Airports and I was so excited to put our entire family iTunes library on the Drobo disk array and share it to all the Macs. (We have a ton of HD content that we've paid for from the iTunes store and it's too big to have on one machine.) Alas, this is a killer bug and driving my daughter insane and she doesn't understand why Apple, which makes great products, would not allow her iTunes to work...

Apple, help me look like a good dad and fix this issue please!

Nov 5, 2009 4:40 PM in response to bluedrums

bluedrums, did you try switching to airport's firmware version like I mentioned in my previous post? I've been running with no disconnection problems for the past few weeks...

Nov 5, 2009 8:14 PM in response to mreynolds_728

I wish I could even get the old firmwares...I just got my AEBS last weekend and it had 7.5 on it and has nothing to revert back to. Then Apple teases you on the site by having links to download the old firmware that go nowhere...

Nov 6, 2009 6:32 AM in response to Optical27

Okay, I had to do some digging since it seems that firmware updates are listed in two separate areas of the Apple site. Apple seems to have removed the 7.3.1 firmware from the area where you can just download the package... BUT, I played around with the URLs in the apple site and found the 7.3.1 package:

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/firmware_hardware/timecapsuleandairp ortbasestation80211nfirmware731.html

Hope this helps others as much as it has helped me.

Nov 6, 2009 1:39 PM in response to mreynolds_728

Be careful with this...

I downgraded my Airport to this version and everything stopped working. The internet continued to work but all of my custom port forwarding rules and DNS configs got borked. I had to hit the manual reset and reconfigure everything. What a pain.

Using the latest firmware again. I hope Apple fixes this garbage soon.

dogpile

Level 1

0 points

Nov 7, 2009 12:05 AM in response to mreynolds_728

Its not working because when you click the "download"-button it reroutes you to a tech-document talking about an airport-update, but not to the firmware (what it is supposed to do).

So can anyone upload this file to a 1-click-host for god's sake?

I'm really suffering from this bug, especially when we are watching a movie in the eve and out of the sudden it stops and loses connectivity.

That bug really s*cks, especially on a high priced router like this...

Nov 8, 2009 5:35 PM in response to dogpile

Sorry about the useless link that I sent out before. I should have double-checked it first.

I did find the cached version of firmware 7.3.1 on my MacBook if anyone is still looking for it. You can get it from a post on my blog: http://www.mexicanratdog.com/2009/11/09/apple-support-airport-extreme-base-stati on-firmware-7-3-1/

osihara

Level 1

12 points

Nov 24, 2009 2:08 AM in response to Jose M Olaya

I'm also having this problem. Started in the last week or so. Since the last update anyway. Seems to happen after the machine has gone to sleep. But its inconsistent as to when I, just seem to find it like this after I wake it. Seems that finder crashes and dismounts the disk. I did see it do this a couple of times. I seem to have endless hassles uploading anything to the disk.

Using Airport Extreme with disk attached. Has worked perfectly for a long time.

Getting very irritated. Also noticed that my access to the disk is extremely slow compared to normal operation prior to the OS 10.6.2 update.

EDIT - Just noticed that before resetting, when I still get the error message while trying to connect to the network, I am unable to access the router settings manually.

Message was edited by: osihara

osihara

Level 1

12 points

Nov 24, 2009 2:26 AM in response to osihara

I'd like to add:

I have also noticed, since the update, that on occasion my MBP, which is the one having the most trouble with this, after waking has not reconnected to the network automatically as it has always done in the past. I just have to click the network menu and select the network. It is set to connect to it automatically. This only happens form time to time.

osihara

Level 1

12 points

Nov 26, 2009 9:16 AM in response to mreynolds_728

This didn't help me. I tired a bunch of them and got differing effects but nothing tolerable. Starting to get really frustrated with this B.S.

Apple do something to help.!

Dec 14, 2009 11:29 AM in response to Jose M Olaya

I have a AEBS with a 1.5GB WD Hard drive attached and was having the same issues as above (i.e. hard disk disconnecting while running time machine). I was running the 7.4.2 firmware and reverted to 7.3.1 as suggested in the previous post. For three days I have not had a disconnection issue, knock on wood. Seems to be a confirmed fix for now...

klucid

Level 1

0 points

Feb 20, 2010 11:41 AM in response to mreynolds_728

FYI, there is actually an option directly in your Airport Utility to downgrade. Rightclick on the airport image on the left column and choose UPLOAD FIRMWARE and look at the dropdown menu for previous versions.

I hope this works!

Airport disk: connection failed