AirPort Express (2012) drops network connection after ~1 hour...ideas?

I just bought the airport express today to replace my 5 year old airport that was timing out twice a week. Since installing my new airport express, it's timed out 4 times today and clearly dropped out of the network. all OS updates and AirPort Ultilities updates have been made.....

would love a solve to this, as I upgraded so I wouldn't have a timing out situation anymore!

I returned the Airport Express. I tried many different settings on the AE and my router. It would join the network and stream music for 30 minutes then drop off. I bought an Apple TV to stream iTunes instead. 10x easier to setup.

I am having the same problem with my 2012 Airport Express. I purchased it primarily to use as a wireless bridge. When it drops the connection, the status indicator stays green and the computer connected to the ethernet can still connect to the Airport Express using Airport Utility. The Airport Express is joining a wireless network from a D-Link DIR-655 router. The drops happen when the Airport Express is configured for DHCP and when it is setup with a static IP address.

Hi, same issue here.

AX connected to the existing network (the previous AX is solid and stable with the same network).

Just after connecting it works correctly, but after some time it disappears from itunes and airplay.

Should I return it or is there a way to fix this issue?

I supposed to extend my home audio but I'm really disappointed with this device...

I ended up returning it and bought an Apple TV to stream music. Much easier to setup. It only has digital outputs so some stereos might not work with it.

I had this same problem with the airport express (1st gen). It would drop off the network after an hour of AirPlay streaming. I would need to unplug it for it to show up again. I was using the express to extend my wireless network.

Solved my problem by switching to an active roaming network. I no longer have the issue of AirPlay stopping after an hour, and the express no longer drops from the network. And as an added benefit I have a very strong wifi signal thought my whole home as well as the ability to stream audio to every corner of my home.

For me running Ethernet cable to each of my two express's was not that hard. So this solution might not be for everyone.

I finally returned mine (Apple was nice enough to exchange it even though I bought it almost two months ago), and the same thing happened with the replacement unit: Airfoil dropped after less than an hour of streaming. iTunes through Airplay is not as bad - it drops and recovers with some distortion of the music when it picks up the stream again.

I hope an update will fix this, it is quite annoying. I primarily use this Express to stream music.

I'm of the opinion that there's either a hardware or firmware issue with this AE model. I owned the previous model and used it mostly in hotels so I didn't have to pay the extortionate WiFi room fees. It was a gem. Unfortunately it was in the suitcase the airlines permanently misplaced last spring. I bought this one just prior to having surgery so I could move my office from the basement while I was recovering and unable to go up and down the stairs.

I've never had so much trouble configuring a device before - and this is my job! Every time it found my AEBS and I moved to the next step I got an error message and had to reset the darn thing to start over again. After 60 minutes of frustration and a trip to the forum here to see what others were saying, I made one last attempt. I was ready to box it up and return to the Apple store. It finally connected and has been working flawlessly since. But I don't stream music with it.

Given the number of people who have experienced what I have and the problem you all are talking about here - there must be something awry with the device.

I bought two Airport Expresses when they came out; the one I have written about above that drops the music stream using Airplay and Airfoil (and which I returned, only to have the exchanged model doing the same), and one for my father, who only uses it to connect his laptop wirelessly and to connect with his Kindle Fire.

I visited Pop yesterday, and he reported that he frequently loses his Internet connection on the laptop. The cable modem sits adjacent to his laptop with the Airport Express sitting on top of it, literally inches away from his laptop.

I connected his laptop to the Express with an ethernet cable (he rarely moves his laptop), but he is obviously having the same problem with wireless.

I wonder if the AE has issues with non-Apple routers?

I have a relatively-recent Time Capsule (and two older Airport Expresses and two Apple TVs that have had no problems). My father's AE is acting as his router.

SOLVED (for me)

I'm using my new AE 2012 to extend my network and to AirPlay thru its Audio Out. But it would drop its connection at least once or twice every evening : AppleTV and iPad would stop streaming and lose connection.

After reading quite a while, I followed this advice: make the AE's IP permanent (stop using the DHCP to acquire its IP). Now it's been 3 days since I've done that and it never did cause me any problem anymore. And by the way the range of the AE is AMAZING: I was jogging with my iPhone and it was connected to 3G... But at about 300m it connected to my WiFi and it was solid (2/4 bars)!!!

Yepe!

Johnny

I've been waiting to hear a solution for this issue. I've actually redone my network so my Mac Mini is hard wired to the network and no longer going through the bridged AE (was dropping everytime it would connect to the network drive to time machine backup). But I'll give this a try again to see if a static IP on the AE solves the issue.

Where did you find this solution?

Here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2294090?answerId=10888602022#10888602022