Airport SNAFU/Constantly Scanning...

[Mayo]

I upgraded to Leopard 10.5.2 on my 24" iMac a couple of months ago after carefully testing that everything worked OK... and it did until today.

This morning Airport began acting-up... connections would be dropped, I couldn't maintain a connection to online radio stations, etc.
When I clicked the Airport icon in the Finder Menu Bar it would indicate that it is "scanning" and then show that it is connected.

Connecting via Ethernet works fine.

A Google search turned up at least two threads at the Apple forums and it appears to be a rather common problem... And I haven't the foggiest notion how to proceed even after reading the threads...

One Thread...

Another thread...

I have tried disconnecting and reconnecting everything; switched base station channels; switched to a "g only" network; and even tried two Open DNS servers as suggested in one of the threads... No Luck.

Remaining tethered via Ethernet isn't a viable option... my iBook cannot connect because Airport is disabled.  Both of my printers are available only via...You Guessed It... Airport. And no more streaming of music to the Airport Express.  

I suppose that I could connected the USB printer and cable modem to the iMac, but I would have to disconnect the modem any time I want to use my LaserWriter.  And the iBook wouldn't be very usable if I cannot use Airport.

So I am open to suggestions, ANY SUGGESTIONS, up to and including downgrading my OS since I am only partly functional with things the way it is currently...

Seeing as how it is my 54th B-Day (we're having a little celebration this evening... I usually just ignore this day!) I am going to give up for the time being... hopefully when I sign-on tomorrow there will be some Sage Advice awaiting me!

[Xairbusdriver]

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Happy Birthday, Mayo! I hope some one brought some bread!

And just to rub some salt into your wounds, I've had absolutely no trouble with my older AP (spaceship model) and 10.5.2.

Are you sure nothing/nobody knocked the think off its perch? Has it been moved at all, lately? Anything i the area been added/changed, especially if it is metalic? How about in the adjoining room(s)?

Finally, of course, is that thing still under any warranty? :tear:

Logically, your OS shouldn't have anything to do with this since you've been using it for sometime without any problems. I suspect it is more likely an electro-mechanical problem in the router. Things break, ya know...

[Paddy]

Actually, in reading at least the first of those two threads, it appears that the problem is not related to the router, since people are using a variety of those (Airport, Linksys, Netgear etc.) in more than one setting too in some cases. It appears related to the OS or the Mac instead. Some have had success with various fixes - have you tried all of them Mayo? The one that struck me as being a possible culprit is the "Ask to join new networks" option. Do you have that unchecked?

For the record, I've not had any issues with my MBP running Leopard - it's been running Leopard longer than any other Mac in the house (since before Christmas). It's always connected wirelessly too.

[kimmer]

Sorry I can't help with the airport issue ... but let me second ABD ....

Happy Birthday! Hope you had a grand celebration, and may the year ahead bring you much joy!

[Mayo]

Thanks for the B-Day wishes  

I've spent a couple of hours trouble-shooting my problem...

I tried connecting via Airport using my iBook that is running 10.4.11; it could not connect, which leads me to believe that my problem is not related to the threads I posted above...

I then reconfigured my Airport Express as a base station and I am able to connect wirelessly using both the 10.4.11 and 10.5.2 Macs.

I could not access the AEBS wirelessly to reconfigure it but connecting an Ethernet cable to its LAN port allows me to access it using the Airport Utility.

I am apparently unable to perform a "hard reset" of the AEBS; its configuration info does not change in the Airport Utility window... The AEBS has firmware version 5.7; when I press the reset button for five seconds the center LED does not begin blinking.

Unless someone has an insight into this, I think that the AEBS may be broken... And if I want to continue printing wirelessly to my Apple LaserWriter it looks like a new AEBS is my only option.

[chriskleeman]

Hi Mayo,

First of all I'd like to join the chorus of birthday wishes to you, albeit a bit late! I'm traveling in California at the moment, and have been spending more time with my Grandchildren than on the computer!

Sounds to me if you are unable to do a hard reset that the AEBS may indeed be having some trouble. The only thing I can think of that I didn't see in this thread is to try to upload the firmware to the base station again through the Ethernet connection.

Other than that I too am stumped.

Chris K

[Mayo]

Hi Chris...

You may have provided the idea that got my AEBS up and running again.  While perusing Apple support regarding uploading firmware I discovered that I could do a hard-reset while connected to it via Ethernet.  I reset it using Airport Utility and reloaded firmware version 5.7. I unplugged the cable modem from its power supply when the AEBS didn't seem to be recognized and Volia! it is working again!  

I was this close to picking a new base station; I was going to do it this afternoon...  

I haven't tried setting up wireless security just yet, but if it keeps on working today I will take care of that this evening...

Regarding the "constantly scanning" I noted earlier... I now think that when the Airport Finder menu Bar icon is clicked that it must begin scanning since it does so whenever I click it.

Chris, in the future you can't stay away so long...  

[Xairbusdriver]

QUOTE

now think that when the Airport Finder menu Bar icon is clicked that it must begin scanning since it does so whenever I click it.

True, but it should not continue to scan more that a small portion of a second. Assuming your Mac is getting a strong signal, anyway. The 'scanning' should stop and the text changes to "Airport: On" in grey.

[Mayo]

QUOTE

True, but it should not continue to scan more that a small portion of a second. Assuming your Mac is getting a strong signal, anyway. The 'scanning' should stop and the text changes to "Airport: On" in grey.

That is what it appears to be doing...

[chriskleeman]

QUOTE(Mayo @ May 17 2008, 05:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Chris...

You may have provided the idea that got my AEBS up and running again.  While perusing Apple support regarding uploading firmware I discovered that I could do a hard-reset while connected to it via Ethernet.  I reset it using Airport Utility and reloaded firmware version 5.7. I unplugged the cable modem from its power supply when the AEBS didn't seem to be recognized and Volia! it is working again!  

I was this close to picking a new base station; I was going to do it this afternoon...  

Chris, in the future you can't stay away so long...  

Hi Mayo,

I'm glad to know that at least once in a few months I can contribute something vaguely helpful in the Tech Forum!

I've had my share of issues with base stations and routers, and I remembered doing just what I had suggested at one time to cure a similar ill.

How'd the wireless security issue pan out? Is the patient back to health yet?

Chris K

[Mayo]

When I connected one of my printers to the AEBS I think that I lost the connection, but I could not replicate the problem. I may have even been mistaken about the lost connection... You know how these things go sometimes...

I set-up WPA2 Personal and added the Airport Express to the network and All Is Well. I streamed music to the AE all afternoon without so much as a hiccup.