# Can't connect Airport Express



## audax (Aug 12, 2009)

I'm unable to get my Airport Express to connect to my 2006 Intel iMac (the one with a max of 2GB RAM). Should it connect or did this model not have Airport capability? Does it need an Airport card (like where would you put it?)?

Do I need a separate modem or can I hook it into a PPPoE input?


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Aug 12, 2009)

The 2006 Intel-based iMac comes with a wireless card pre-installed.

Can you please elaborate on what you mean by "unable to get my Airport Express to connect to my 2006 Intel iMac?"  What does or does it not do?  What stage do you get to where you encounter failure?  Does the iMac "see" the wireless network?  Could it be a password problem?  Have you successfully connected to the Express before, and it just stopped connecting?

Please explain in great detail what exactly is going on, the exact steps you're taking to try and connect, and the results of each step along the way.  It's easy to give too little information -- but impossible to give too much... remember, we're not sitting at your computer with you, so you will have to be extremely verbose in your explanation so we know what's going on.


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## audax (Aug 12, 2009)

I understand what you're saying - my concern was that there was no point in providing all the info if the iMac wasn't properly configured anyway.

OK - I've used the Airport CD to set up Airport Utility and to successfully install the Airport Express.  Airport is turned on in System Preferences.  I plug an ethernet cable and a USB printer cable into the AE and plug the AE into the power.  An initial green light is quickly followed by an amber light (setting up) and then a flashing amber.

I open Airport Utility and get the message that it's unable to find any wireless devices.  It's not clear to me where Bluetooth comes into this process but opening the Bluetooth SysPref and attempting to connect also has no success.

I'm presumably missing out on some vital but simple step here but reading and re-reading the User's Guide doesn't help as I've followed every step carefully.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Aug 12, 2009)

You may want to try performing a "hard" reset, or, preferentially, a "factory" reset.  The factory reset will return the device to the settings it had initially, out-of-the-box.

After that, your AirPort Express should be "seeable" by the config utility:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3728

Here's the relevant portion:


> To perform a *hard* reset, press and hold the reset button with a pen or pencil for 10 full seconds.
> Release the button. The AirPort Express will hard reset.
> 
> *Factory default reset*
> ...


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## Satcomer (Aug 12, 2009)

The Airport Express is a "router". So it can do DSL PPOE but you have to set it up. First connect get the DSL settings you will need to connect to the modem. 
The power off the modem while you are setting up the Express router. Take the Mac's Ethernet cable and connect straight to the Express. Then open /Applications/Utilities/Airport Utility and let it find the Express. 

Now before proceeding figure out what wireless security the Airport card can do in your Mac. You will need this information if you want to do wireless security from the router (b, g or n).

Now back to Airport Utility highlight the Express in the left hand corner. Then follow the steps to set it up to to PPOE into the router. Go through the setup without setting security yet to make sure you can connect to it. Then turn the DSL modem again and connect it to the Express. Let the Express connect to the modem and get a green light. If it only gets a yellowish orange light it means it is not speaking to the the modem. 

Tell us if you need to know how to setup PPOE in Airport Utility.  To give you help here is an Apple Express Setup Guide (it's about a year out of date but you should get the idea).

One more Note: When ever changing out a device (computer, router, whatever) from a ISP modem you must power off the modem for about 5 minutes so the ISP server will look for a new device that is connect to the modem.


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## djackmac (Aug 12, 2009)

Satcomer said:


> One more Note: When ever changing out a device (computer, router, whatever) from a ISP modem you must power off the modem for about 5 minutes so the ISP server will look for a new device that is connect to the modem.



Actually 30 seconds to a minute is usually plenty adequate. If its a telephony modem which is phone and internet, the old unplug reset doesn't work do to these boxes having battery backup. On these there is a small reset button that needs to be pressed with a pen. Or else you can unplug these and remove the batteries.


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## audax (Aug 13, 2009)

I did a hard reset of the AE and I'm now connected to the internet.  The one remaining problem is that my printer (HP P1006 LaserJet) doesn't appear to be connected - it's plugged in to the AE and it appears in the Airport Utility summary.  Do I need to do something else?


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## audax (Aug 13, 2009)

My thanks to all who contributed to this thread - through your assistance and a bit of bumbling on my part, all is now working on the Mac.  Now to tackle Windows XP in Fusion on the Mac and a separate Windows Vista machine!


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## Satcomer (Aug 13, 2009)

Sharing with a Vista machine: Sharing files between a Windows Vista Home Edition PC and a Mac running OS X Leopard 10.5

Boot Camp is a whole another kettle of fish and the one thing to remember is the Leopard Disk has Windows drivers for all the little things in your Mac.  Plus a lot of switchers really like [urlhttp://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/]VMWare Fusion[/url].


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## roodzal (Jan 1, 2011)

dear friends
my macbook pro can c airport express but cant connect.just try and then show connected failed.but other laptops can connect 
help me


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