airport extreme has gone dark

My indicator light on my Airport Extreme has gone out. I've powercycled it but still no light. I do have small flashing green lights next to the connectors.


No sounds and nothing appears amiss except the light and no network.


Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Posted on Sep 2, 2016 12:24 AM

Reply
9 replies

Sep 2, 2016 8:09 AM in response to langolier

What model of AirPort Extreme do you have?


Is this the current "tower" shaped version......or......an older "flat or square" version of the AirPort Extreme?


IF.....you have the older "flat or square" version of the Extreme, the symptoms that you are describing indicate a power supply problem either with the outboard power supply "brick".....or...... the internal power supply components inside the AirPort Extreme.


It might be a $20 gamble.....unless you have a money back guarantee.....to try a new outboard power supply for the AirPort Extreme to see if that will solve the issue.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-OEM-APPLE-AIRPORT-EXTREME-BASE-STATION-POWER-SU PPLY-AC-ADAPTER-A1202-/370810566512


If a new outboard power supply will not work, then the AirPort Extreme has failed, and will need to be replaced.


IF.....you have the current "tower" shaped AirPort Extreme, a power supply component has failed and the AirPort Extreme will need to be replaced. The warranty is one year on the Extreme, but if you have AppleCare in effect on one of your Macs, the AirPort Extreme is covered up to three years from its purchase date.

Sep 2, 2016 8:08 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Thanks Bob. I have the old square extreme but do have the outboard power supply. Is there any way to check the output of that before ordering a new one?


I noticed in your answer that Carolyn referred me to that they had a 'flashing green light' while mine is just dark. Should that tell me anything? I do have those tiny flashing green lights next to the connectors on the back, though, so I must be getting some power.

Sep 2, 2016 8:19 AM in response to langolier

If you have a small voltage tester or could borrow one, the outboard power supply should deliver 12 volts.


I think that Carolyn may have been confused by your post, and thought that you had an AirPort Express, not an AirPort Extreme. Two completely different products with similar names.


Another thought.....if the AirPort Extreme is 5 years old or older, even if a new outboard power supply might get things going, the internal power supply inside the AirPort is already at or past its useful life, so the fix will likely be temporary before something else goes wrong.


If you can find the model number of the AirPort Extreme......it is on the bottom of the device......starts with an "A"followed by four numbers........we can tell you more about the product that you have.

Sep 2, 2016 10:55 AM in response to langolier

The A1143 AIrPort Extreme was introduced in August 2007 and discontinued in March 2009, so depending on when you purchased the AirPort Extreme and placed it into service, it is at least 7+ years old and as much as 9.


5 years, on average, is about the useful life of a wireless router designed for home use, so you have done quite well.


If you can secure a return privilege for a replacement power supply.....in case it does not help.....you might be able to stretch another 6-12 months out of the AirPort Extreme if a new power supply does get things working.


On the other hand, sometimes a new power supply will place added stress on other older electrical components that have also gone downhill, and cause them to fail within a short timeframe, so the "fix" turns out to be temporary.

Nov 25, 2016 12:16 PM in response to langolier

Following up for anyone else trying to diagnose this problem.


I've had it happen twice now in the course of a month. I finally figured out that unplugging the power supply brick itself for a little while is what got it working again. The power supply had a slight high pitched whine prior but is now quietly working again.

(Simply disconnecting the AirPort from the power supply was not sufficient, because the power supply was likely not delivering sufficient voltage. Just enough for the AirPort to try to power up, blink the lights on the ethernet ports, and then shut down, repeatedly.)


I suspect that these are early signs of eventual failure of the power supply, but that the AirPort itself is in good condition.

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airport extreme has gone dark

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