Airport Extreme not connecting to internet

Power off the entire network.......modem, computers, accessories, printers, iPhones, etc......in any order that you want.

Wait at least 30 minutes. 60 would be better.

After the power down period......

Power up the modem and let it run for 5 minutes by itself

Power up the AirPort Extreme next, and let it run for a full minute

Keep starting up devices one at a time about a minute apart until the network is back up

Check the network and report on your results

Thanks, this verifies that the modem is working correctly with your Mac.

Power off the modem completely by pulling the power cord from the back of the unit or the power supply from the AC wall jack. Leave the modem off for at least 30 minutes.

During the time that the modem is powered off, perform a Hard Reset on the AirPort Extreme to reset it back to its original factory settings by holding in the reset button on the back of the device for 7-8 seconds and then release. Allow a full minute for the AirPort Extreme to restart to a slow, blinking amber light status

After the modem power down period, connect the Ethernet cable from the modem to the WAN "O" port on the AirPort Extreme

Power up the modem and let it run for 4-5 minutes by itself

Power up the AirPort Extreme

Assuming that you are using WiFi on your Mac to set up the AirPort Extreme, click on the WiFi menu at the top of the screen and look for a setting of New AirPort Base Station

Click directly on AirPort Extreme

When you click on AirPort Extreme, that will start up the setup "wizard". It will take a few seconds to analyze the network, then display a screen that looks similar to this, except that you will see your device displayed

Make sure that the Create a new network button is highlighted

Click Next

The wizard will walk you though the setup of the AirPort Extreme. You can use the same device name, WiFi name and password(s) that you used before, or you can use new names if you wish.

If you are still having problems after the Airport Extreme has been set up again, then the only thing that I can suggest at this point is to reset the modem using the instructions from the Netgear guide below:

https://kb.netgear.com/000036374/How-do-I-reset-my-cable-modem-to-factory-defaul t-settings

Most providers can also reset the modem online from their headquarters. Check with Xfinity support on that. Make sure that the modem is connected to the AirPort Extreme.....not your Mac.....when the reset is performed.

If the AirPort Extreme will still not operate correctly, then there is likely a compatibility issue between the modem and AirPort Extreme. The AirPort Extreme model was introduced almost 5 years ago and Apple has made no hardware changes or updates to the device since that time, so while it is a good router, it is also getting a bit long in the tooth.

Good luck!

The Airport utility on the Mac does not give me the option of setting up a new airport bases station.

AirPort Utility will NOT provide the option to set up a new base station unless you have reset the AirPort Extreme correctly.

When you have done this, you must first click on the WiFi icon at the top of the Mac's screen and then click on AirPort Extreme under the listing of New AirPort Base Station.

This is the only way that you can set up the AirPort again as a new base station.

Try another Hard Reset on the AirPort Extreme as follows:

Power off the AirPort Extreme for a few minutes

Power up the AirPort Extreme and let it run for a few minutes

Hold in the reset button on the back of the AirPort Extreme for 7-8 seconds (When you do this, the amber light will blink quickly during the 7-8 hold process)

Release the reset button and allow a full minute for the AirPort Extreme to restart back to a slow, blinking amber light status

Then, try the setup of the AirPort Extreme again.

If you continue to have the same issues as before, or you do not see the amber light blinking quickly when you perform the Hard Reset, I have to conclude that the AirPort Extreme is defective and will need to be replaced.

Another way to say the same thing is that if the AirPort Extreme will not reset correctly, it is not possible to set it up again as a new base station.

If you have an Apple Store in your area, take the AirPort in and let them check it out. If that is not possible, contact the Geek Squad at Best Buy or some other similar tech organization and have a technician come out to check things out at your house.

Bob--I'm just writing to say thanks a heap; you're a gem! After a Cox Cable regional outage yesterday, Airport Express wouldn't connect to www. I directly connected to the modem via ethernet & confirmed only one machine was problematic; but I couldn't get the AE to respond to the modem. My MBP & iPhone detected wifi, but the www connection was lost. So, I found your posts from 2011/2012 after trying multiple times to unplug the Airport Extreme and the modem. The solution was the hard reset of the AE, including waiting several hours as you advised back then. I've pdf'd those posts of yours so I can use them when offline.

Again, thanks for taking the time to write clear instructions and explain the processes in your discussions. 🙂

When you say that you checked the Ethernet connection between the modem and AirPort Extreme, does this mean that you used that Ethernet cable to connect your Mac directly to the modem to see if the Internet connection was working that way?

If not, what happens when you try this test?

We ask because Cox might be saying that their signal looks OK to the modem, but they can't really look past most modems.

There are more troubleshooting steps that will be required to isolate the issue, so you will need to be patient with the process.

If you could provide the make and model number of the "modem" that Cox has provided, that would be helpful as well.

For example, the AirPorts are known to have problems with certain cable modem models from Arris, and the AirPort Extreme needs to be configured in what is known as "Bridge Mode" to work correctly with some other types of modems.

Finally, whenever you change the modem, or your Internet provider, the AirPort Extreme really needs to be reset to factory default settings and then set up again to pick up the correct settings from the new modem or service. We're trying to save you from having to start all over again on the AirPort, but it may be necessary if normal basic troubleshooting checks do not help to solve the current issue.

I have not tried connecting the computer directly to the Airport Extreme with an ethernet.

Please perform that check when you can, and report on your results. Obviously, if your computer cannot get a good Internet connection when it is connected directly to the modem, the AirPort Extreme will not either.

The modem is a Netgear CM500

Thanks for the info. I will try to find an online setup guide or manual to learn more about this product.

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See some articles Set up a new base station - Apple Support

If you can’t choose a Wi-Fi network - Apple Support

Items that can interfere with a Wi-Fi network - Apple Support