Airport Extreme - No Wifi SSID seen

If you performed a "factory default" reset the previous settings you made on the AirPort base station will be erased and the base station will be reconfigured back to its "out-of-the-box" settings. That is, it will perform as an Internet router that will broadcast an unsecured wireless network, with a network name of something like: Apple Network XXXXXX

In factory resetting it does seem to remember on occasion some of the settings previously held for some reason.

After a reset to default settings, AirPort Utility will suggest a wireless network name or SSID that is based on the name or information that appears on your Mac.

So, for example if the name of your Mac is "Toby's MacBook Pro", AirPort Utility will display a suggested name for the AirPort like "Toby's Wireless Network" after you reset the AirPort and start to set it up again. In other words, AirPort Utility is not remembering the wireless network name or SSID that you used previously, it is suggesting a default name based on what it "sees" on your Mac.

If the name of your wireless network on the AirPort Extreme is "Wireless", and you reset the AirPort Extreme back to default settings and then set it up again, you will see that AirPort Utility does not suggest "Wireless" as the SSID, it suggests a name based on the info that receives from your Mac.

Try this out, and you will see that we say is true, assuming of course that the AirPort Extreme is operating correctly.

Now, if you are saying that you are setting up a new, different wireless network name or SSID that did not exist before, and AirPort Utility advises that the AirPort Extreme has been set up correctly, so you have a green light on the AirPort Extreme.......and then......you cannot even "see" the name of the wireless network when you click on the WiFi menu at the top of the Mac's screen......the wireless radio on the AirPort Extreme may have failed, and the device will need to be replaced.

So, please set up the AirPort Extreme again from default settings and use a wireless network name or SSID that you have not used before. Then, check to see if that name appears as a wireless network or SSID when you click on the WiFi menu at the top of your Mac's screen.

Please report on your results.

Unfortunately, there is not really much that you can do at this point. Not sure how old the AirPort might be, but 5 years.... on average.....is considered normal as far as useful life for a router designed for home use.

If the AirPort is inside it's normal one year warranty, Apple will replace the device for you. Or, if you have AppleCare in effect on one of your Macs, and the AirPort is less than three years old, Apple might replace the device under the AppleCare coverage. Check with Apple for all the details.

From time to time, we see posts from users who claim that slapping the AirPort a few times has fixed the issue, or dropping the AirPort from 3-4 feet onto a carpeted floor has fixed the issue.

None of these "fixes" have ever worked for me though. Good luck!