AirPort Express has blinking yellow light -- why? what to do?
AirPort Express has blinking yellow light -- why? what to do?
iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)
6 replies
The amber light is blinking because the AirPort Express has a message for you. So see what it might be......please try these shortcuts if you do not want to spend a good deal of time working your way through the Apple support document linked above.
Open AirPort Utility on your Mac......(Finder > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility)
Click on the picture of the AirPort Express....and another smaller window will open with information about the device
If...you see an Update button, click it if you want to update the AirPort Express to the latest firmware
Otherwise....look near the bottom of the smaller window for a Status setting and click on the small amber dot there....and another window will open with more information about the issue along with a suggestion to fix it.
Problem solved through much trial and error rather than the apple link. I did the reset but that didn't seem to help. i then shut everything down: iMac , iPad, DSL modem, airport and after restarting started fiddling with choices... The light finally turned green but then I had no internet connection! without email I could not reply to you to ask for more help! Turning off airport at the iMac and only choosing Ethernet somehow seemed to do the trick. Now both airport and Ethernet show connected and wi if is working and I really don't know why but relieved to be reconnected! Thank you for replying!
Thank you Bob. Problem solved through much trial and error ... I did not see an Update option for my AirPort Express. Quite frankly I struggled to make sense of the apple link info ... nothing seemed to work. The I shut everything down: iMac , iPad, DSL modem, airport and after restarting the light on AirPort hadturned green but then I had no internet connection! Without email I could not ask for more help! Turning off airport at the iMac and only choosing Ethernet somehow seemed to do the trick. No idea why. Now both airport and Ethernet show connected at my iMac and WiFi is working (so IPad back up) and I really don't know why but relieved to be reconnected! Thank you for replying! Keeping fingers crossed this doesn't happen again.
I did not see an Update option for my AirPort Express.
This would indicate one of two things:
1) The AirPort Express already has the most up to date firmware
2) The Update option did not show since you were having other difficulties. In that case...and if the AirPort has not been updated....the amber light will likely start blinking in the next few days.
Quite frankly I struggled to make sense of the apple link info
The Apple document is unfortunately not easy for most users to understand and use....one of the reasons I tried to simplify things for you.
Turning off airport at the iMac and only choosing Ethernet somehow seemed to do the trick.
If the iMac is connected using Ethernet, then the WiFi at the iMac should not be turned on. Conversely, if the iMac is connected using WiFi, then the Ethernet cable should be disconnected at the iMac. Reason.....having both WiFi and Ethernet turned "on" at the same time on a Mac can sometimes create connection problems that are difficult to identify and solve.
Thank you Bob! I just followed your advice. Now on my iMac only Ethernet shows connected, FireWire shows not connected; Wi-Fi shows not connected and Bluetooth PAN not connected. Hope that's they way it should all look. My AirPort Utility indicates version 6.3.6 (636.5). Is that latest? My iMac is running OS X El Capitan version 10/11/5. Thanks again for your help.
AirPort Express has blinking yellow light -- why? what to do?