AirPort Express Network Connectivity Issue #16037

Question

DuckSocks Author

Level 1

21 points

AirPort Express Network Connectivity Issue #16037

Yep. Connectivity problem number 16037. (may have left off a zero)😝

Anyone would think Australians invented WiFi the way it fails so often.

... Oh wait. They did. (CSIRO) 😊😟

This has me stumped and has occurred for some time.

I leave the Airport express switched off most of the time now, which creates its own set of issues for devices relying on it for connectivity.

Airport express switched on = WiFi dropouts and all round calamity (a word not used enough IMO)

So I thought I should post some examples of what is happening through AirPort Utility to illustrate my conundrum (another word not used enough)

Yes I have read the instructions over and over, trawled the support pages for months in search of answers.

Network issue with airport express

Airport Express intermittent internet connection

AirPort Express 802.11n (2nd Generation): Guide to ports and connectors

Yes I have reset the unit. Many times.

Have set it up to have security and without. (= same result anyway)

I have reconfigured my router.

I have renamed the network and reconfigured everything from scratch.

Yes it has had firmware updated

Yes there is full bars on the WiFi thing-a-mee

Still get the same problem over and over.

WiFi disabled router and WiFi enabled AirPort Extreme Time Capsule in office at front of property.

Works great with fairly good reception throughout the property.

Airport extreme at back of property.

Connected to PVR, (used for) Apple TV audio output, and WiFi connectivity

Network looks like: PVR

|

(WiFi disabled) Router-----Airport Extreme Time Capsule ) ) ) ) ) ) Airport Express ) ) ) ) ) ) Devices (Computers, phones, Apple TV)

|

Apple TV Audio

")))" being WiFi

"---" or "| "Being an ethernet connection

With all things going well at each end, the network looks like:

In the office at the front of the property...

In the rear of the property viewing Airport Utility on MacBook...

and at the rear of the property (where the AirPort express is) viewing Airport Utility on iPhone/iPad at the same time.

Why the difference?

Airport express is not connected with an ethernet cable.

Wireless Extension only

Now it all works sort of ok for a few minutes and then the connections start going down quicker than prices at a post Christmas sale.

This happens on all WiFi devices at rear of the property.

Most commonly I get this.

(It comes on and off every minute or so with lots of hang time showing in a browser search bar)...

or sometimes it comes up with this...

or this...

Now if I crack the grumps with the situation, I get up out of my comfy chair (Yep I'm angry) and go into the office with my MacBook or chosen WiFi device and everything comes good. Nothing is switched on or off. The person left crying in the rear of the property because they have no connectivity still.

So the culprit is the AirPort Express.

How do I get this possiblymarvellous bit of equipment back on the straight and narrow with a happy ending for all?

iPhone 4, iOS 7

Posted on Sep 4, 2014 7:03 AM

Reply

Answer 1

DuckSocks Author

Level 1

21 points

Sep 4, 2014 7:10 AM in response to DuckSocks

I might also add the instant I pull the plug on the AirPort Express, there is peace restored in our WiFi network.

Everything works flawlessly as intended.

Reply

Answer 2

Tin Omen

Level 1

11 points

Sep 4, 2014 9:21 AM in response to DuckSocks

"So the culprit is the AirPort Express."

Or in my case the netgear, the linksys, or <insert brand here>

This behavior seems to happen with any wireless bridge regardless of brand.

Good luck with this issue, I have had this issue since I bought my 6th gen AE. After over a year of having this problem, it hasn't been fixed yet.

I don't expect it to ever get fixed.

Reply

Answer 3

Tin Omen

Level 1

11 points

Sep 4, 2014 9:57 AM in response to Tin Omen

ANYONE that has bridging on a 6th gen AE with some other device (Airport Extreme/Express, Netgear, D-Link, etc.) without the WiFi freaking out please speak up.

Similar threads:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6518354

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6518710

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6508056

And the end of this section. (Page 6+) Not the OP's issue which was fixed.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5134485

Reply

Answer 4

DuckSocks Author

Level 1

21 points

Sep 4, 2014 4:56 PM in response to Tin Omen

I will try setting up the AirPort Express as a client to the network rather than extending it.

This would work for me because WiFi is acceptable throughout the property from the AirPort Extreme Time Capsule.

As mentioned, we need the AirPort Express to connect sound for Apple TV and Ethernet connection to PVR. Setting it up as a client might work.

I found this to get me thinking:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1544511&highlight=airport+express+d ropping+connection

Reply

Answer 5

Tin Omen

Level 1

11 points

Sep 6, 2014 7:21 PM in response to DuckSocks

Good luck with it. I was setting up my devices in client mode and it causes the outage. Now, I just use my netgear WNCE3001 to take Apple networks offline at will. I find it rather enjoyable to walk into a bar and join the Netgear to a wireless network and it take the entire WiFi network offline (only happens on 802.11ac Airports). Drunk people without Internet do funny things.

Reply

Answer 6

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Sep 6, 2014 7:36 PM in response to DuckSocks

1. Which of the two devices (the 11AC or the AE) provide DHCP to clients? The same IPv4 range from multiple APs will cause connectivity issues.

2. Do you have IPv6 enabled?

3. On a Mac, Alt+WiFi icon brings up Wireless Diagnostics. It will also provide details of which AP you are connected to. If you can run Airport Utility 5.6.1, you may have better control of the configurations.

4. Wireless Diagnostics application for channel issues, performance, RF drops, etc., and is located as shown?

ls -ld /System/Library/CoreServices/Applications/Wireless\ Diagnostics.app/

drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Aug 21 21:28 /System/Library/CoreServices/Applications/Wireless Diagnostics.app/

Reply

Answer 7

DuckSocks Author

Level 1

21 points

Sep 11, 2014 8:51 PM in response to DuckSocks

Resolved Issue.

(#SaysTentatively)

Have had this set up in two different ways. Moved the office a couple of times and also renamed and reconfigured the network.

However the one thing that has stayed the same is where the AirPort Express is located. Right next to the Apple TV which has never really had a problem.

Moved the AirPort Express to a bench top and everything has been resolved so far.

Whilst I still had full bars showing for WiFi reception, that of course, was only what the Express was emitting, not how good the signal was receiving.

So the signal was good from the AirPort Express and the various devices had no reason to swap back to the AirPort Extreme TimeCapsual.

So that is why it was dropping out.

I haven't had to change any channels or DH things-a-mees or other assorted gobbled-gook that users shouldn't have to worry about with these things.

Plug and play. That's how it should be.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------

However, still don't know why AirPort utility shows as an ethernet connection to a non wireless router (solid line)

Router (No WiFi) - (Ethernet) - AirPort Express. (which is impossible)

and the MacBook shows it as it should be with a wireless connection to the AirPort Extreme TimeCapsual

Router (No WiFi) - (Ethernet) - AirPort Extreme ))) (WiFi) ))) AirPort Express (which is how the network is structured)

Reply