My Apple Airport Extreme stopped giving me Internet access. HELP!!!

October 13, 2009 10:55 PM

I have DSL through AT&T, using a 2Wire modem, which is connected to my Airport Extreme. For over a year, I have used the Airport network to access both the Internet AND music files on an external hard drive. As of last week, the Internet no longer works on the network created by the Airport.

I do not know if this is related, but: the day that the Airport stopped bringing me Internet access, I had messages from AT&T when I opened my browser, which said something about the Internet not working, and that I needed to reboot.

I didn't pay close attention at the time, but when I turned the computer back on, the problem began.

What can I do to make the Airport Extreme bring me DSL again?

posted by kensington314 to Technology (4 answers total)

Here's roughly what I'd try:

1) Plug the DSL modem directly into your computer. Power cycle the modem (unplug it, wait 20 seconds, plug back in, wait for sync lights to appear).

2) Reboot computer. Do you have internet access straight into the DSL modem? (You didn't specify what computer/ operating system you have. I'm assuming it's an Apple since you have an airport express.) If no access try to repair your connection (Apple icon--> System Preferences--> Network)

3) When you get internet access straight from the modem run Software Update (Apple icon --> Software update). Let it fully update everything.

4) Switch the DSL modem cable back to the airport extreme.

5) Unplug the power cable to the DSL modem and the airport extreme. Plug in the DSL modem. Wait until you get sync. Plug in the airport extreme. Watch the indicator lights on the airport extreme. Hopefully the yellow will go green.

6) Connect your computer directly to the airport with an ethernet cable. Power on your computer. Do you have internet? If no internet, run repair connection. Hopefully you should have internet now.

7) Once you get internet straight from the airport extreme you can uncable it and switch to a wireless connection, which I'm assuming is your eventual goal.

8) Make sure you are connected to the correct wireless access point by checking the airport icon in the upper right (looks like a pie wedge).

The point at which you have trouble should help you diagnose whether it's the DSL modem, the airport extreme, or your wireless connection to the airport extreme.
posted by sharkfu at 11:50 PM on October 13, 2009

I had the same problem, but using an old Netgear router. I was able to get online when plugged directly into the modem, but not when running through the router—but I could see other nodes on my LAN through the router. Numerous reboots did nothing.

IIRC, I wound up having my ISP give me a new modem and that fixed it.
posted by adamrice at 7:34 AM on October 14, 2009

The modem was probably running in bridge mode before (bridge mode takes all the traffic going over the DSL line and passes it straight to a LAN port for use by another router). Perhaps a firmware upgrade pushed out by AT&T has changed the setting causing you some trouble.

sharkfu's steps are good, but..

3) When you get internet access straight from the modem run Software Update (Apple icon --> Software update). Let it fully update everything.

What's this step for?
posted by Chuckles at 11:07 PM on October 15, 2009

Chuckles: "sharkfu's steps are good, but..

3) When you get internet access straight from the modem run Software Update (Apple icon --> Software update). Let it fully update everything.

What's this step for?"

To find any possible updates for the airport utility or the airport extreme firmware, working under the assumption that having the latest updates may eliminate possible conflicts that have cropped up.

Again, just a rough outline of steps I'd probably take. OP doesn't have to follow them at all.
posted by sharkfu at 10:08 AM on October 16, 2009