Airport extreme Wifi drops

Might it be possible that someone had recently set up a Wi-Fi that may be interferring with your Extreme's wireless network? Have you verified that there are no other Wi-Fis operating nearby?

I just started having the same problem but it started last month (August). I can restart and things are OK but after a day webpages start to not load or load very slowly. I noticed people have had the same problem last year even. For me it just started. Is there a software problem or hardware? I have one new neighbor but what do you do to change the airport settings?

Use your Mac's OS X built-in Network Diagnostics to determine the Wi-Fis operating in the area. Note those with the strongest RSSI value and what channels they are operating on, then change yours to at least 3-5 channels away.

To access the diagnostics:

• Option-click on the AirPort icon in the OS X menu bar.
• Click on the "Open Wireless Diagnostics ..." menu option.
• Enter your Mac's Administrator credentials.
• Do NOT click on "Continue." Instead click on Window > Utilities from the diagnostics menu bar.
• Click on Wi-Fi Scan icon to select it, then click on "Scan Now."
• Note the Wi-Fis with the highest (least negative) RSSI values and the channels they are operating on.
• Use this information to change your wireless router's radio channel as appropriate.

Thanks, I finally found another thread about dropping wifi every 30 minutes and figured out to change the channel on the airport extreme through the Airport Utility. It has worked so far. Faster internet connection upstairs for me now. I just don't understand why the only options for channels are like 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,9,11 and then 149.

I looked at my neighbors channels and almost all of the numbers were taken except 11 and 149. Not many options I think.

I just don't understand why the only options for channels are like 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,9,11 and then 149.

In the US channels 1-11 are the only ones available on the 2.4 GHz radio band ... and of those, only channels 1, 6 & 11 do not overlap.

Similarly you are also limited to which channels are available on the 5 GHz band as well. This is a restriction on a country by country basis. Apple further restricts which channels are on this band as well. Again using the US, the following channels are available: (36), (40), (44), (48), 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 136, 140, (149), (153), (157), (161), (165), & 167. Note: Those channels surrounded with parenthesis are the ones support by Apple routers.

To get a better understand of all Wi-Fi channels, please take a look at the following Wikipedia article.

Same problem here, I am using last generation (before the design change) AirPort Extreme at the office and when everything seems like working the only thing I can see is the gray AirPort/WiFi menu signal. If I try to reconnect instantly I get the message below, then ofc I need to wait a few minutes and try to reconnect to it again or the hard way remove the power and put it back again.

I thought that the AirPort might working hard cause of the PPPoE, DHCP reservations, NAT and all these settings and that a roaming Extreme network might help there.

The thing is that even this way the only thing I got was more disconnects and signal freezes. This is how was my roaming network.

Forgot to mention that we have also an AirPort Express at the warehouse that is connected with wire on the main switch. Now I need to check the channels of the neighbors WiFi networks and change my own in some different number, but which is the best way to setup it when more than one AirPort Extreme/Express is on the same network?

Also, in my case the router only "helps" the AirPort Extreme to make the call and connect to ISP so it's in bridge mode, should I change any settings on my router? Like turn off all the DHCP settings, turn of WiFi signal and such things?

Thanks in advance! 🙂