Airport express drops off network

I had this exact issue and had almost given up. I managed to fix it this evening, hopefully it works for you.

You can verify that we have the same issue by doing this:

1. Disable your Airport Express's wireless using AirPort Utility 5.6:

2. Connect it with Ethernet and verify that the connection is stable.

If this is the case, then the issue must specifically be with the WiFi and not something else going wrong inside the device. If you're still experiencing dropoffs in this configuration then sorry, I guess this won't help you.

The fix:

Update your router to use WPA2-PSK [AES]. This is the only configuration that worked for me. Second, set your AirPort Express to Join your network using WPA2 Personal security. Again, this is the only configuration that worked. The WPA/WPA2 Personal setting did not work.

Restart your router. It should work. My problem was identical to yours. I could see the AE in the AirPlay settings in iTunes for a few minutes after I booted it. Sometimes I could play to it, sometimes not. Once it stopped working, I would need to disconnect and reconnect the AE from power. The light would remain solid green.

But yeah, it works now. Good luck!

Ah yes! This solved it for me too! I've been streaming music to my AEX and airplaying on my Apple TV for years until I upgraded my devices and router. It was very frustrating not being able to figure out what the problem was (PC firewall, opening ports on router, WIFI extension etc) My router 2.4 GHz network was set to WAP2 Personal but the 5 GHz section my set WAP2/ WPA mixed personal. Switching that to WAP2 Personal fixed everything suddenly my Apple TV shows up on my iPhone and iPad for mirroring, I can stream music from my iPhone or my PC to AEX. All works like it used to and the way it should. Thanks for sharing that !

Hi - you will probably have to do a factory reset but before that, please post back with some info about your system - which Express do you have? - how ole is it? - is is your primary router? - if not what other router or Airports do you have and how are they connected?

Thanks

OK - check out this info the link to the Airplay setup - you will have substitute your devices but the concepts are the same - you will set up the Express as a wireless access point - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4587 -

To reset it to factory defaults, disconnect any devices from the Express - unplug it and press in and hold the reset button and plug it back in - when the light flashes, release the reset button - wait until the light flashes slowly indicating that the device is reset - then using the above info as a guide, re-configure the Express to join your existing network as a wireless access point using the Airport Utility - if it still doesn't work, then it is just not happy with your particular setup - this sometimes occurs in some non- Apple networks - of course I am biased and would suggest you repalce your BT router with a new Express or Extreme - but this is my opinion and the choice is yours - I hope this helps.

Charlie

I like your last idea - get a new Extreme and everything should play nice - note the keyword "should".

I have the same issue. My AE (2012) is in "client mode", connecting wirelessly to an Airport Extreme base station. I use the AE for AirPlay only. The AE works for a few hours, then the front light goes to amber and the device is no longer visible to the network (via AirPlay or the Airport Utility). I have to unplug and replug the power to get it working again.

I also have a prior generation AE configured the same way. It works without issue.

Exactly this problem too. With a BT router. Elsewhere someone has suggested disabling DHCP, but no idea how to do this... Any help appreciated. Thanks.

I run my iTunes music over the following network:

MacMini wireless to...

Main AirPort Extreme with a wired (old) and wireless AirPort Express (old).

wireless to

Remote Extreme with a wired AppleTV (new), wireless AppleTV (old), and a wireless Express (old).

All was fine until the last weeks or so, which I think may have corresponded with an iTunes or other software update. I've also been noticing persistent difficulty keeping a connection with i-Devices running the Remote app.

I'm seeing much the same thing many of the posters are: an unexplained simultaneous drop of all the Expresses after a few minutes of play. The only remedy is to turn off the WiFi on the host MacMini, and turn it back on. The connections reestablish, only to drop again. Do nothing and the connection will mysteriously reappear after a spell, only to drop again.

I've tried all the remedies here, including setting all the devices to static addresses, disabling IPv6, using AirFoil, saying voodoo chants, etc, etc.

There would appear to be some basic incompatibility between the AEX's and the MacMini, particularly apparent when being used in iTunes.

Hopefully this will be addressed in some fix along the way. Very frustrating.

If the light is turning to solid amber it could mean that the Extreme is experiencing an internal electronic issue such as overheating - if re-setting it helps, that is good, but you might want to be prepared for a complete failure in the future - if it is blinking, it just means an error condition such as a dropped connection is occuring and your Extreme is ok as far as electronics are concerned.

Amber light is a different problem to the pervasive one that keeps showing up. The thread start alluded to a repeatable problem with AirPlay in the latest configuration.

No blinking here, no AEX connectivity issues -- they all show up in AirPort Utility.

If you keep your Multiple Speakers dialogue in iTunes open, along with AirPort utility, you can watch it happen again and again. All wireless devices are fine, they just come and go from iTunes.

I think it important that we get cut through all the clutter of people flailing around, particularly those new to the technology. The note I wrote above documents a very particular issue: a simultaneous disconnect and reconnect of AEX base stations from iTunes AirPlay that is not remedied by the usual means. It affects both Macs and PCs apparently.

This is not an AEX hardware failure. It is not an interference issue. It is not a Firewall issue. It is not an IPv6 issue. It is not a TCP/IP isssue. Using ping doesn't fix it. We need to stop with all the guesswork and confirm the basic, repeatable conditions of when this failure happens.

The issue is almost exclusively reported in connection to iTunes AirPlay -- note the start of this latest of many thread. The problem cropped up in spades during the upgrade to iTunes 10, if you examine the discussions here and elsewhere.

Apple is in their usual public display of denial, which if they act according to form, will be fixed by some update along the way. The best thing is to document the particular, specific problem and report it over and over and over.

We are all volunteer users just like you - we only are trying to help - sometimes we know the answer and sometimes we make suggestions that might help and will open a dialogue that may lead to a solution - we have no affiliation with Apple nor do we know why Apple does what they do - I review unresolved posts to see if I missed something or to see if I can learn something new that can be passed on to other users - and according to forum guru King Penguin - "these are user-to-user forums, they are not monitored by Apple - there are too many forums/threads/messages for that to happen" - so I suggest that if you think you have something that Apple should know, contact Apple directly at - http://www.apple.com/feedback/