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Airport Express keeps disappearing

I have had an Airport Express Base Station for a few months and it has pretty much never stayted available for use for more than about 10 hours before disapperaing and going out of use (as far as AirPlay and AirPort utility can see). I want it ONLY for the AirPlay remote speakers functionality.


I am in the UK, and it is an AirPort Express Base Station (August 2012) version 7.6.3


Details:

  • (Note: My Airport Express Base Station is named APX1)
  • My router (BT Home Hub 3, with BT Infinity, using DHCP) says the device is:
    • Currently connected
    • Has an IP address (192.168.1.101)
  • Yesterday I was using the APX for AirPlay. Today it has disappeared from the list of AirPlay outputs.
  • I launched AirPort utility - V6.2 (620.33) and the device has an ALERT symbol next to it.
  • Clicking on it, it says: "APX1 was previously part of your network. Check that it is still in range of your network and plugged into a power outlet. Click Forget to remove this base stations from this network"
  • The signal strength was previously listed as "Excellent" and it ls 2 metres from the WiFi router.
  • The solid green light remains on the front despite the apparently problem
  • Unplugging it and plugging it back in seems to rectify the situation for a few hours, then it happens again.

APX settings:

  • Network Mode: Join a wireless network
  • Wireless Network Name: [my SSID]
  • Wireless Security: WPA/WPA2 Personal
  • Airplay: Enabled
  • Airply Speaker Password (none)
  • Internet: Connect using: DHCP


I have reset the thing MANY MANY times, including hard-resets, and setting it up again and again from scratch but I still need to cycle its power every 8-10 hours in order to keep using it.


Are there any specific wifi router settings I need to use?


I have searched the forums and found no satisfactory answers to these problems. Does Apple need to do a product recall here, or is it just me?

Airport Express Base Station-OTHER, Version 7.6.3 (August 2012)

Posted on Mar 4, 2013 2:09 AM

Reply
23 replies

Mar 13, 2013 12:56 PM in response to AR76

I have EXACTLY the same problem. Mine's in the attic running speakers in bathroom ceiling.

I have to unplug and replug it every morning and evening which fits with your 10hour cycle.


The annoying thing is I also have an Apple TV which is ALWAYS available as an airplay option.

Don't know why the express keeps dissapearing - and the green light is steady. Very annoying.

Have you solved it yet? Anything from Apple themselves?


If I can't solve it soon I have to try and get my money back as its no fit for purpose at the moment.


Best of luck

Mar 14, 2013 3:05 AM in response to AR76

Yep, its kind of strange.


I haven´t really measured the time, the AE keeps available. Yesterday night it worked well, this morning iTunes still displayed the AE symbol, but it got off. Tried to reconnect on iTunes without success - checked the sound settings as well, but wasn´t even able to click the AE - the "cursor" always jumped back to the old setting.


In my particular case, the Airport Express utility states, that it is well connected.


So, in other words - for some strange reason, I simply cannot connect my Mac with the AE base station. Hope this could be settled tonite, otherwise the utility is completely useless for me.

Mar 14, 2013 2:25 PM in response to AR76

I am having this issue also. I bought the thing just to make my HiFi WiFi, and it's not doing it.


I am using the AirPort express in client mode to airplay to some speakers. The connection between the AirPort and my main router is excellent, and the Airport itself is maintaining a connection to the Internet, but it keeps dropping air play.


I am using a Vodafone router as my main hub. I'm wondering if this is the issue, and the AirPort will run better in client mode with an Apple base station.. Shouldn't be the case.


Might have been better off going with the Audio Engine W1's.

Mar 15, 2013 1:01 AM in response to AR76

For the time being, I could at least solve my problem.


Yes, obviously, the connection between the AE and my MAC somehow sometimes falls asleep. If so, as described in my former message, the AE cannot be activated as my sound device.


To wake it up, all I had to do yesterday, is to reactivate it with the Airport Express utility. If done, it works fine again. Why it does fall asleep ? - No idea !


Anybody of you guys use the AE together with the Beosound 8 ???

Mar 17, 2013 11:15 PM in response to AR76

I've managed to solve the problem. It seems that the problem is in connecting the AirPort to a network created by a non-Apple router.


I've connected one AirPort to my Vodafone router directly via Ethernet and then established a second network off this connection. I've then set up another separate AirPort in client mode, connected to the first AirPort, and it works fine.


If you want to have a dedicated AirPlay device and aren't using an Apple base station as the primary network, you wont have a good time.

Mar 18, 2013 4:13 AM in response to Oscar.e

Hi Oscar,


That's great for you but is this the official advice?


I wouldn't mind if Apple openly admitted that their Airport Wi-Fi devices are ONLY supported when connected to a WiFi network broadcast from another Apple router. Otherwise I think a product recall is due.


WiFi is a set of open standards and all devices should interoperate as per the standard.


Regarding your solution - do you now have two WiFi networks with different SSIDs? This seems somewhat inconvenient as I assume you would now have to connect to a certain network for AirPlay functionality and a different one to connect to the internet. Is that the case or have I misunderstood. I'd love for you to explain the setup in more detail.


Cheers

A.

Mar 18, 2013 9:16 AM in response to AR76

I wouldn't mind if Apple openly admitted that their Airport Wi-Fi devices are ONLY supported when connected to a WiFi network broadcast from another Apple router. Otherwise I think a product recall is due.

Extending is *only* supported with Apple routers. Join a wireless network does work with any router, so I think the issue is WiFi interference.


Regarding your solution - do you now have two WiFi networks with different SSIDs? This seems somewhat inconvenient as I assume you would now have to connect to a certain network for AirPlay functionality and a different one to connect to the internet. Is that the

case or have I misunderstood. I'd love for you to explain the setup in more detail.

You set up a roaming network with the Express as an AP. Or, you ditch the Home Hub and get an ADSL2+ modem and use the Express as a router (not possible all the time).

May 28, 2013 3:19 AM in response to edex67

Have been fiddling round with this same problem for a few days, and think I've found the answer, from looking at the debug log in the airport wireless utility.


The airport express connects by default to your itunes computer by IPv6, but the airport express is set to 'Link-local' (i.e. off) by default. I changed this IPv6 setting to 'Host' and it's been stable for 24 hours! it would drop off everytime after 10-30 minutes before.


My setup: Airport Express N (2nd generation) v7.6.3 , Draytek router, mac mini itunes running 10.6.8, airport express connected as client ('join a wireless network'), regular WPA2 Personal wifi network etc.


To turn on IPv6 on the airport express, In Airport Utility, click on Manual setup -> Advanced -> IPv6, change this setting to Host (configure automatically).


Obviously this fix relies on IPv6 being turned on on your host itunes Mac, but it is by default.


Hope it helps someone else.

May 28, 2013 4:26 AM in response to tim246

This sounds tantalisingly useful but I can't follow your instructions.


You said:


"In Airport Utility, click on Manual setup"


– Where is Manual Setup? I'm in the utility and it looks like this:

User uploaded file

After clicking 'Edit' on the APX (as shown) I have four tabs:


- Base Station

- Internet

- Wireless

- AirPlay


By "Manual" Are you referring to [Internet] > Connect using > [ Static ] ?


I can't see any setting that I can change to Host.


Please help!


Cheers.

Nov 4, 2013 11:56 AM in response to paradoxicles

Thanks. Unfortunately I just checked and mine is already set to Automatically configure IPv6.


8 months on and the problem persists...


The frustrating thing is that my Apple TV works reliably for AirPlay, never having network problems. Why can't an AirPort Express work in the exact same way? I just want AirPlay speakers!

Jan 3, 2014 7:23 AM in response to AR76

Hi guys i thought i would throw in my tuppence worth


(i have two express connected to two amps feeding six speakers throughout the house)using Mavericks and an 2009 imac BThub 3 router


Both my airports (express) drop out over night or over the ten hours time limit


The only soultion I've found,with me its not the airplay its the router. I'm using bt hub 3 and if I just reset it and I can stream music again I dont need to touch the airports


Which leads me to think this is a router problem (does the bt router reset at night?)not the airports another way to keep them connected is to not stop playing music but to just turn the volume down and for some reason it keeps the connection for up to three days


To be honest this is a pain in the butt and something apple should address But its a much cheaper option than sonos so im sticking with it


can anyone else reconnect by just restarting the router?

Airport Express keeps disappearing

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