AirPort Extreme fails to reconnect to ISP after power up

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Level 1

4 points

AirPort Extreme fails to reconnect to ISP after power up

In the quest to save energy, I recently turned off my AirPort Extreme (AP-E). Unfortunately, on powering up the AP-E, it will not now reconnect to my ISP.

I use the AP-E to provide a second WiFi network (for my kids). The AP-E connects to a Community Fibre (CF) Modem, via 2 Netgear Powerline adaptors and a networking switch.

I have reset the Powerline adaptors and they are connected to each other correctly.

I have also reset the AP-E several times.

A Linksys router provides the other WiFi network (for me). That router connects to the ISP without problems, via the same switch and the same CF modem.

Any ideas what I can do to get the AP-E to reconnect to the ISP ?

Posted on Sep 9, 2022 1:02 AM

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Answer 1

chjada Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 14, 2022 5:00 PM in response to Tesserax

Hello,

After much trial and error I have a solution.

The AirPort Extreme steadfastly refused to connect to anything via the fibre modem, even after I removed every other connection, changed all the cables and re-set everything.

I could find nothing online that really addressed the issue; most sites presume the AirPort will just connect.

I occasionally saw error messages through the phone app Airport utility complaining about weak security (WPA2 etc).

But I have now reconnected everything in a different order:

the fibre modem connects to the switch.
The Linksys router connects to the switch.
All the other utilities (TV, landline, Heating etc.) connect to the switch.
The single ethernet port on the Linksys router now connects to one Powerline adaptor, while the other PL adaptor connects the the AIrPort.
The Airport is now in Bridge mode.

The 2x WiFi networks downstairs from the Linksys router now work, one up stairs works (the guest network will not connect, having assigned itself a IP address that doesn't match any of the others).

Thanks you for your inspiration and I hope my notes clarify where I was going wrong.

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Answer 2

Tesserax

Level 10

151,755 points

Sep 9, 2022 7:18 AM in response to chjada

I'm a bit surprised you got this to work in the first place. The community "modem" is only expecting a single device to be connected to it in order to provide Internet access. If I understand your network configuration correctly, you basically have an Ethernet switch connected downstream of that modem, and in turn, connect two routers (the Linksys & the AE) to it.

If that is correct, then the modem would communicate with one or the other, and not both simultaneously. Somehow you got that to work, but after power cycling the AE, the modem "stayed" connected to the Linksys only. If you need to have two separate wireless networks, you will need to use a single router than can do this. For example, if the kids only need to access the Internet, you can use the AE's Guest networking feature to provide them that.

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Answer 3

chjada Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 9, 2022 8:32 AM in response to Tesserax

Hello, Thanks for your reply.

Yes I have the single Community Fibre "Modem", then the switch, which connects both direct to the Linksys router (for downstairs) and, via the power line adaptors to the AirPort Extreme (for upstairs).

There were in fact four wireless networks; two unrestricted main networks for the parents and two guest networks (with time and content restrictions) for the kids, printer and TV.

The switch also has the phone, the central heating controls connected to it.

The whole system worked very well all through lockdown with all of us working and schooling from home at the same time.

Was it just luck?

Or do you think there are any steps I could take to see if I can get the system to connect up again?

Thanks in advance for you help.

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Answer 4

Tesserax

Level 10

151,755 points

Sep 9, 2022 8:58 AM in response to chjada

Unless each router has its own connection to the upstream modem, there are very limited options to making this work ... at least, in all of my experience with networking.

Since that doesn't appear to be possible, then one option would be to leave the Linksys connected to the switch, but then, connect the AE directly to one of the Linksys' LAN ports. In turn, you would need to reconfigure the AE as a bridge so that you don't have a "Double NAT" condition.

Since I don't know anything about your community modem, and I'm assuming you do not have administrator rights to change anything on it, I'm not sure I can assist you with this issue. Sorry!

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Answer 5

Sep 14, 2022 5:41 PM in response to chjada

........(the guest network will not connect,......

If this is the AirPort Extreme, the Guest Network feature will not work correctly when the AirPort is in Bridge Mode, yet Bridge Mode is the correct setting to use on the AirPort Extreme in your network. Kind of a Catch 22.

Small details like this are not mentioned in AirPort Utility of course. The option to enable the Guest Network should not even appear when the AirPort is in Bridge Mode, but Apple never got around to fixing this one.

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Answer 6

chjada Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 15, 2022 1:06 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Now I have a solution that works, I will try some other options this weekend.

If I learn anything new I will drop a line here.

Many thanks again.

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AirPort Extreme fails to reconnect to ISP after power up

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