Airport Express quit working

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Level 1

5 points

Airport Express quit working

I decided to change my wireless password so I went into Airport Utility and when my airport express popped up it said there was a firmware update. I took the update and ever since I cannot get the airport express to work again. I have done hard resets, powered everything down and back up again but nothing works. The device shows up in Airport Utility but I get the following error messages.

PROBLEM 1 of 3: Internet Connection / Your Apple Wi-Fi base station does not have a valid IP address. Make sure your Apple Wi-Fi base station is connected to your broadband modem or local network, verify your settings, and try again. If you still can't connect, contact your Internet service provider. PROBLEM 2 of 3: No DNS servers / This Aple Wi-Fi base station doesn't have and DNS server addresses and might have trouble connecting to the Internet. PROBLEM 3 of 3: Wireless Network / This Apple Wi-Fi base station is set up to join a specific wireless network that can't be found. IF you don't see the network you want to join in the Network Name pop-up menu, enter the network name and network password if necessary to try again.

I have connected the airport express via ethernet to my desktop and these are the error messages I am receiving. The wireless network is working fine. My iPhone still uses it no problem and as far as I can see it is working perfectly. The airport express was working fine before this process began.

What, if anything, can I do?

Posted on Jun 22, 2012 8:09 AM

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Answer 1

ThirdEye Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 22, 2012 8:20 AM in response to ThirdEye

Forgot to mention that the network uses an airport extreme (working fine) connected via ethernet to my AT&T UVerse modem.

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Answer 2

HACKINT0SH

Level 5

5,810 points

Jun 22, 2012 9:43 PM in response to ThirdEye

Ugh... I hate AT&T... That's so PPPoE ish...

Those 3 error messages often go hand in hand. The answer is to powercycle the modem.

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Answer 3

ThirdEye Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 23, 2012 5:15 AM in response to HACKINT0SH

Did that ... no effect. I finally hooked the AE to an older laptop (10.4) with an ethernet cord. I was able to talk to it then and I even got it to have a green light. The problem now is that it doesn't do anything. That is to say that it doesn't extend my network and I still can't see it in Airport Utility on my desktop Mac.

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Answer 4

HACKINT0SH

Level 5

5,810 points

Jun 25, 2012 12:15 AM in response to ThirdEye

Factory reset the router, and use your iPhone to set it up.

Set up your Wi-Fi network with your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Mac.

http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/features/easy-setup.html

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Answer 5

ThirdEye Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 25, 2012 9:14 AM in response to HACKINT0SH

Tried that ... still didn't work. The AE shows up on my wireless settings page after the hard restart and let's me go through the set up process but at the end of setup the progress wheel just spins and finally it tells that there is some unknown error and I should try again. I did, but it still didn't work. The AE light is green but still does not show up in Airport Utility.

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Answer 6

ThirdEye Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 25, 2012 9:16 AM in response to ThirdEye

I also forgot to mention that I have 2 other Airport Express's working fine on this network. The only difference that I can note is that I did not do the firmware update on them like I did on the one that's not working.

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Answer 7

HACKINT0SH

Level 5

5,810 points

Jun 25, 2012 3:57 PM in response to ThirdEye

Ok, which versions of airport utility have you used so far to set up the router?

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Answer 8

ThirdEye Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 25, 2012 6:05 PM in response to HACKINT0SH

I have tried using 5.6.1 (no luck), 5.4.2 (got the light to turn green), and also using my iPhone 4 with whatever that built in version is.

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Answer 9

ThirdEye Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 26, 2012 11:25 AM in response to ThirdEye

iPhone is the only device I have tried using that can actually see the AE wirelessly after a hard restart. It takes me through the setup process but the progress wheel just spins endlessly when I get to the end of it. Then I get this message ... "An unexpected error occurred. Try again."

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Answer 10

HACKINT0SH

Level 5

5,810 points

Jun 26, 2012 9:59 PM in response to ThirdEye

Alright, next job, let's see if we can get the firmware updated to be the same on all the routers.

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Answer 11

ThirdEye Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 27, 2012 6:02 AM in response to HACKINT0SH

What are you saying? That I should take the hardware that is still working fine and try to update it? That's exactly what got me into this predicament ... taking a firmware update on a working AE ... hasn't worked since. I can't (don't want to) afford to bring the whole thing down.

I can see the logic of systematically rebuilding the system but with the exception of this one device, everything still works fine.

Is it possible to revert firmware versions on the AE that stopped working?

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Answer 12

HACKINT0SH

Level 5

5,810 points

Jun 29, 2012 10:23 PM in response to ThirdEye

Well, technically what you are planning is not a Solution to the problem, just avoiding it! 😝 But I can understand.

Ok, let's just roll-back the firmware, no harm done there. Use your 5.6.1 and select your router, then click Manual Settup (bottom right). Then click on the VERSION heading in the Status tab. You'll have a drop down that will let you roll-back to prior versions.

Hit update/continue

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