Airport Extreme device unmanageable by Airport Utility

Thanks for the screenshot.. always helps.

The network layout is fairly complicated. When the airport extreme drops out does the wireless extended Airport Express Copa also disappear?

I guess the TC and wired Express work ok without issues?

This could just be age of the device.. it is in need of replacement.

But you can certainly help things along if you set a static IP on the Home airport extreme. This should be done both in the AE itself and the TC assuming it is running as DHCP and NAT.. you can set IP reservations. We can give you a bit more info on how to do this.

Once you have a fix IP it is much easier to locate the AE on the network.

Also in the Mac make sure IPv6 is set to link-local only.. it can also be set in the AE to link local only on the Internet Options area.

There is also a rather more complicated setup which might work better.. where you use the AE in DHCP mode..

To help you set that up please click/tap the icon of the TC.. and give me the summary page.. as well as the AE.

Like this

Please set it now.. You can use the identical setup.

There are two steps .. to doing this.. either should work alone.. but I recommend doing both.

Step 1.

( i am using the Mac version utility.. so you will need to modify slightly using the iOS version).

Click edit on the Extreme. Go to the Internet tab.. the current numbers will be different in your setup but that does not matter. This is very simple. At the moment it is set to DHCP and will get the IP from the TC.

Change to Static.

All the IP address etc should simply carry over.. ie it is identical to what it was. That will suit just fine. If anything changes or goes blank simply type in the same IP as it had before the change.

On the Internet Options tab.. change to Link Local Only.

Record the IP so you always have it available.

Step 2.

In your Time Capsule which I am guessing is running as DHCP and NAT.

Go to the Internet tab.

Click on the + beneath the DHCP Reservations and fill out the dialogue box.

Just use a simple name.. like HomeAE as description.

You can use either MAC address or Client ID

Then set the correct IPv4 address you have set already on the Extreme.

You can then always access the AE via its IP address in airport utility.

It may continue to not exist on the main view.. that is just a weakness in the whole bonjour thing.. and is a bug we have long had to deal with.. but you can always access the AE..

You simply click on Configure Other.. and put in the AE IP address and password.

It is also IMPORTANT.. to set IPv6 to link-local only in the computer.

For instance with wifi.. go to the Network Preferences and wifi .. advanced .. TCP/IP and set it to link-local only. Same for ethernet if you use it.

Mac OS has long got the IPv6 setting wrong but it is essential to bonjour discovery to have it set correctly.. !!

I see from your screenshots you are using 192.168.0.x

My screenshots are using my address range of 192.168.2.x but otherwise you should have no particular issues with the setup.

Yeah.. long wait between drinks around here.

The advantage of what I have suggested is that even if the AE disappears from the Airport Utility.. which is still possible you can access it manually.. and just ignore its otherwise anti-social behaviour.

I have another somewhat more complex remedy if that does not work.. but in the end.. even if you bought Extreme and Express around the same time.. it is well and truly EOL (end of life) and there is a particular problem in the Gen4 TC and Gen5 Extreme where poor soldering in the factory leads to all kinds of issues..

We need to know just a bit more about your network.

Are you using a Mac or iOS device to manage the Airport Extreme (AE)?

If you use a Mac any OS from Sierra added extra problems.. so also need to know what OS it is running?

Have you tried to use the airport utility in iphone or iPad.. it might work a lot better?

Is your modem also a router?

Is the AE setup in bridge or router mode?

For two years it worked very well, but suddenly he started to have problems.

A Gen5 AE is now at least 5years old and maybe up to 7. So does that mean you have been having issues for the last 3-5 years??

Can you remember if the issues started at upgrade to Sierra or High Sierra??

I am having problems with my airport extreme (EX), 5th generation, firmware 7.6.9

The 5th Gen AirPort Extreme was originally offered in June 2011 and officially discontinued in June 2013, so the product is at least 5 years old, and as much as 7 depending on when the AirPort was placed into service.

I'm a bit confused when you say that the product has worked OK for 2 years, since this would imply that you first started to use the AirPort about June 2016.

Can you provide a few more details to help with this puzzle?

Maybe you received a "used" device 2 years ago? Or, the product was really "new", but sat in the box for 4-5 years before you first began to use it? Or, something else?