Airport Express: speakers go silent

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Level 1

4 points

Airport Express: speakers go silent

I have a very simple setup: an Airport Express is connected to an old-fashioned stereo box, which leads to a pair of non-digital speakers. I play music from iTunes on a MacBook Pro.

My problem is that, every once in a while -- usually after a few hours of music, but sometimes sooner -- the speakers go silent. It's hard to tell what's wrong but it seems like the Express box is the problem. The sounds sometimes return after a few seconds; if not, I need to do something like un-select and re-select the Express speakers in the iTunes menu. If that doesn't work, I get antsy and reboot the Express, which also works (but takes a while)

Does anyone have experience with this type of behavior?

PS - The Express firmware is up to date.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Feb 14, 2012 8:44 AM

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Answer 1

Bob Timmons

Level 10

187,280 points

Feb 14, 2012 10:26 AM in response to gidiav__

You are picking up some form of wireless interference from another wireless network near you, or even more likely a cordless phone that interrupts the signal.

If you have any cordless phones there, move them as far away as possible from the AirPort Express.

Unfortunately,there is not much that you can do about a wireless network at the neighbors or a cordless phone there as well.

To give you just a quick example of the problems that cordless phones can cause.....my neighbor....across the street...can mess up things on my wireless network if he happens to be in his front yard talking on his cordless phone.

As soon as he is back in his house, the wireless works fine.

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