how do I reset an airport express

press the reset button and hold it for more than 3 sec using the tip of the pen.. then its back to factory default.

I have two early model Airport Express Base Stations. Neither is working. I plugged them into the wall and held the reset button until they started blinking rapidly. They now flashing amber slowly. Airport Utility 6.1 cannot find them. I know their ID numbers and it still cannot find them. I attached them to my Mac with ethernet and it cannot find them. I looked for them with my iPad 2 and it found them but could not reset them. What next?

Check the label on the side of each Express for the Model Number. If you see A1084 or A1088, AirPort Utility 6.1 cannot configure these devices, nor can AirPort Utility for the iPad.

Download and install AirPort Utility 5.6 for Mac OS X Lion and it will allow you to configure your older Express devices as well as the newer devices.

Keep both AirPort Utility 5.6 and 6.1 on your Mac and use the one that you need.

FIrst Express: I got 5.6 and the AE appeared in the software. I selected update firmware, and then went through configuration to extend the network. It dismounted the Express to restart it and after perhaps 10 minutes the software said it could not find the device. It Never showed up in 5.6 again. Lite is pulsing amber.

Second Express: Same procedure except this time I did not update firmware. Same result.

Airport configuration is so un-Apple like.

I selected update firmware, and then went through configuration to extend the network

Sorry, I am not following this.

Was the AirPort Express a Model A1084 or A1088? If yes, there is no setting under Wireless Mode to "Extend a wireless network"

You can confirm by resetting the AirPort Express back to factory default settings again and then opening AirPort Utility 5.6 and selecting Manual Setup for the Express.

Click the Wireless tab below the row of icons to display the wireless settings page.

Check the available settings for Wireless Mode and you will see that there is no option to "Extend a wireless network". That's becasue the older models of the Express do not have this capability.

Or, are you saying that you have a previous version of the Express....Model Number A1264? Please clarify on the model(s) of the Express that you have as they should appear in AirPort Utility 6.1.

I'm having the same issue. Mine does have A1084 on it. I downloaded the older Airport Utility 5.6 but it won't install on my Mac because Mountain Lion won't let it - compatibility issue I guess.

So, is there another way to do this on the latest Mac OS?

So, is there another way to do this on the latest Mac OS?

The good news....yes.

The bad news....this is not supported by Apple, so you will be on your own if you decide to try this.

It works fine for me, but I cannot say how...or if....it will work for you.

See this article for details:

http://www.macworld.com/article/1167965/mountain_lion_and_the_ancient_airport_ba se_station.html

There is another way. Some really decent chap set up a nice Workflow script that works marvellously. You may have to run it a couple of times, but it does the trick, nice and easy!

Bob,

I have this old Airport Express model A1254. I have Macbook Pro and iMac running Yosemite. I want to add this to my AT&T Uverse wireless network, to boost the network reception to the farthest limits of the network, in our house, only get one bar on laptop there.

Do I download the link you posted in your post here, to use with OS Lion? Will this work with Yosemite?

I have rest the Airport Express to factory settings, but Airport Utility 6.3.5 does not even show this express.

Thanks in advance to your help, suggestions.

John

John,

Let's clarify a bit on what you want to do before diving into unknown waters.

First, the AirPort Express would not be compatible with a Uverse wireless network if you are planning to have the Express connect and "extend" the network using a wireless connection.

The Express can only do this if it connects to a wireless network produced by another Apple wireless router.

The only way that the Express could be used to extend the Uverse network would be if you were able to locate the Express in the remote location where it is needed and then have the Express connect back to the Uverse router using a permanent, wired Ethernet cable connection.

Is this something that you are willing to do?

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the info. I am a little confused. At my last home, I had U-verse wireless service, and connected 2 Airport Ex wirelessly to the network in a relay pattern - one on the bottom floor, one on the 2nd floor, this old model and the newer model Airport Express - the house was MUCH biggerthan the one now, a tri-level home. But now that I think about it, even with the two AE's connected as relays to extend the range, it did not improve the wireless range much, to the bottom floor - 2 bars instead of 1 bar.

But what mainly gets me, in the new place, Airport Utility does not even "find" this old model Airport Express in the new home, even when the AE is plugged into a socket just a few feet away from the U-verse modem, and iMac or Macbook Pro as near, but was easily found in the last house, 2 floor down. The new place is a ranch style, one floor home.

But it would not be easy to hard wire diagonally thru 3 rooms, and front of house to rear. Oh, well, guess I will have to find another way - the modem is in the office, left front of the house, my "office" is in left rear of house, thru 3 sets of walls - kitchen, dining room, bath room.

Can not even connect to to U-verse modem in that back room, so I was trying to find a way to boost, relay, the signal, to my back right room...

John

The Expresses that you previously set up "joined" the wireless network that was being provided by the Uverse router. The Express can "join" virtually any network.....but it can only "extend" the network if it connects to a network provided by another Apple router.

When the Express joins a network, it can be used for AirPlay, or to connect a remote USB printer.....but it does not "extend", "boost" or "repeat" the wireless network when it "joins".

If you thought that the Expresses were "extending" the network before, that was unfortunately an illusion, since they were not.

Another example........a computer "joins" a wireless network as well. But, the computer does not extend or repeat the network when it joins the network.

The Express will only "extend" when it connects to another wireless network that is being provided by another Apple router. In other words, the "extend" feature is proprietary among Apple products. It is not compatible with devices from other manufacturers.

Another way of saying the same thing is that if you want to extend an Apple network wirelessly, you need two Apple routers.

in the new place, Airport Utility does not even "find" this old model Airport Express in the new home, even when the AE is plugged into a socket just a few feet away from the U-verse modem, and iMac or Macbook Pro as near

Power up the Express for a few minutes

Hold in the reset button on the Express for 7-8 seconds and release

Allow a full minute for the Express to restart to a slow, blinking amber light status

Now click the WiFi icon at the top of the Mac's screen and look for a listing of New AirPort Base Station

Just below that, click on AirPort Express

What happens?

But it would not be easy to hard wire diagonally thru 3 rooms, and front of house to rear. Oh, well, guess I will have to find another way - the modem is in the office, left front of the house, my "office" is in left rear of house, thru 3 sets of walls - kitchen, dining room, bath room.

I understand.

it would be a bit more complex, but you could connect one AirPort to the Uverse router using a short Ethernet cable....4-6 feet or so.....and locate it near the Uverse router. That AirPort would "create" a wireless network signal.

Then, you could use a second AirPort located remotely to wirelessly "extend" the network.

If you did this, you would obviously be using the Apple wireless network and not the Uverse wireless network. In fact, you could turn off the Uverse wireless network since you would not need it any longer......unless you wanted to reserve that network for guests or some other purpose.....or.....Uverse requires the network to be on for other Uverse features.

Bob,

You're the best! That is what I wanted to do, and now I understand how!

Thanks again for all!

Joh

Been trying to fix this for ages, sorted cheers jjb