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Level 1

38 points

My devices all work (Airport Extreme and Airport Express), but Airport Utility says "Device not found".

So, everything works fine except that AirPort Utility insists that the Airport Extreme can't be found. Which is weird because the Airport Express is extending the network from the Airport Extreme.

This is true across all my devices when I open Airport Utility. It is frustrating because it prevents me from editing the settings on it and prevents me from remotely restarting it. I have updated SW on my iMacs, MacBooks, and iPhones. Same error on all of them. The router is just a few months old and it's been doing this intermittently from day one. If I go unplug it and replug it from the power, it will "resolve" for a few days and then go right back to "Device not found" but the network still works.

I have IP6 turned on and I am out of ideas as to why it is doing this. Any suggestions?

Posted on Mar 24, 2015 4:42 PM

24 replies

Oct 13, 2015 7:10 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Last question, do u have different ssids for 5ghz network on any or both of ur airports?

Oct 13, 2015 7:11 AM in response to Bob Timmons

But isn't that perfectly normal?

Oct 13, 2015 7:25 AM in response to misnomer01

No need to prolong this. Your statement that both AirPorts must be using the same channels on wireless extend is just not correct.

Oct 13, 2015 7:39 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Maybe. But explain this.

ON my main router ssids are ab and ab5 for 2.4 and 5 ghz respectively. router2 on extend mode is set to extend ab and it also extends ab5. Channels on main router are 9,149 and 9, 153 on router2 initially.

i Just changed channels on main router to 3,161. On updating, router2's channels automatically changed to 3,153. I'm thinking router2 did this to access ssid ab (Ab is 2.4 ghz sSid so only channel 9 changed to 3) There are no settings on router 2 to change channel manually.

Oct 13, 2015 7:52 AM in response to misnomer01

Things get really messy if you try to wirelessly extend using separate SSIDs for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

Use the same SSID for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and everything will work just fine.

Reason......the extender can only be set up to extend either the 2.4 GHz....or....the separately named 5 GHz band....but there is no setting to extend both separate SSIDs.

If you want to use separate SSIDs for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and "extend" a network.....then you must extend using Ethernet....not wireless.

Oct 13, 2015 7:58 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Nof true. If I have ab and ab5 from my main router and ask router2 to extend ab, airport utility on my iPad asks me if I also want to extend ab5. I say yes and the configuration works great.

using a wifi analyser android app I can distinctly see 2 ab ssids with 2 different Mac addresses and 2ab5 ssids with the same 2 Mac Addresses. Means both routers are generating ab and ab5 ssids.

Oct 13, 2015 8:01 AM in response to misnomer01

Have a nice day.

Oct 13, 2015 8:16 AM in response to Bob Timmons

You too Bob.

if you have time, please see discussions.apple.com/thread/7276505

i have posted a problem of mine. Ur help would be appreciated.

Aug 16, 2016 11:06 PM in response to misnomer01

Delete all Back to my Mac configuration info on the Airport. Refer to Re: AirPort Extreme: Device not found when connected to the AirPort Extreme

My devices all work (Airport Extreme and Airport Express), but Airport Utility says "Device not found".