# Airport Express Insanity



## cwolfson (Nov 14, 2014)

Is AirPort Express an evil tool designed to drive Mac users crazy? I'm thinking "Yes."

Here's my current setup:

iMac 27" mid-2010 w/16 GB RAM

I have an Xfinity X1 modem connected to my router via Ethernet. I use an Airport Express exclusively to get audio from my iMac to my sound system via Airplay. After numerous startup hiccups, this has worked pretty well for me for a couple years. I also use the Remote app on my iPad Mini 2 to control the feed from iTunes on my iMac.

Problems started to occur after I "upgraded" to Yosemite. Music would drop out for seconds to minutes at a time. Yesterday I got the dreaded flashing amber light on the Airport Express. Now I've spent hours trying to get BOTH my Internet and my Airplay working at the same time. I've looked at numerous instructions on message boards and Apple's site, including this one: Wi-Fi base stations: How to set up and configure AirPort Express for AirPlay and iTunes - Apple Support. 

I am able to get things working by running an Ethernet cable directly from my router to the AEx. Everything looks good in Airport Utility, green light solid on the unit. But as soon as I disconnect the Ethernet cable I get the flashing amber light. (Sorry, but it is not convenient to keep a permanent Ethernet connection running over 30+ feet from my router upstairs to the AEx downstairs.) When I click in Airport Utility I get the message: "Device not found. XXX Airport Express was previously part of your network. Check that it is still in range of your network and is plugged into a power unit. Forgetting this device removes it from this network." If I try to connect to it from iTunes I get "Unknown error (-65568)"
To get the AEx to work via Ethernet I have to set it up using Bridge Mode. If I try to use DHCP and NAT (where it was originally) it gives me a "double NAT" error. 

BTW, I have done numerous hard resets with no effect. I end up with the message about the AEx being previously part of this network. If I click on "Other Wi-Fi Devices" it shows up with an Apple ID number. When I try to activate THAT it tells me to connect via Ethernet and I end up back in the same place, i.e., as soon as I disconnect from Ethernet it starts blinking amber.

There just has to be a better way.

I've already spent hours on this. I could speculate and experiment endlessly, but maybe it's time to fall back on the collective knowledge of this community.


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## DeltaMac (Nov 14, 2014)

cwolfson said:


> Is AirPort Express an evil tool designed to drive Mac users crazy? I'm thinking "Yes."
> 
> ...
> *Problems started to occur after I "upgraded" to Yosemite.* Music would drop out for seconds to minutes at a time. Yesterday I got the dreaded flashing amber light on the Airport Express. Now I've spent hours trying to get BOTH my Internet and my Airplay working at the same time. I've looked at numerous instructions on message boards and Apple's site, including this one: Wi-Fi base stations: How to set up and configure AirPort Express for AirPlay and iTunes - Apple Support.
> ...



Yosemite MAY be your main issue. Wifi is the focus of testing in the current Yosemite beta for 10.10.1
That could be released in a few days, or maybe a few weeks (I don't have a clue about that release schedule) and you'll have to wait to test if that fixes any of your issues.


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## cwolfson (Nov 18, 2014)

10.10.1 came out today. I performed the update ... and nothing changed. Still cannot connect without Ethernet. Now even WITH Ethernet the AX light won't stay solid green -- it keeps flipping between green and flashing amber.


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## LX125 (Nov 24, 2014)

I have a similar problem:
I also updated to Yosemite and have version 10.10.1 running right now.
At a moment my APX (A1088) refused to send music to my stereo.
After research i found out that the APX broke down. (i opened it and saw two broken caps)
I  bought another APX (A 1264) and this also refuses to send music.
At this moment it displays a solid green licht with the ethernet cable removed.
I get this faultmessage when i try to send music : 65568


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## LX125 (Nov 24, 2014)

Even stranger :

I opened "sound" in system preferences and clicked on the external speakers.
As soon as i clicked on it, the external speakers disappear from the menu "sound" and from Itunes.
The APX can not be seen anymore in the Airport status menu.

The APX still displays a solid green licht.


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## cwolfson (Nov 24, 2014)

LX125 said:


> Even stranger :
> 
> I opened "sound" in system preferences and clicked on the external speakers.
> As soon as i clicked on it, the external speakers disappear from the menu "sound" and from Itunes.
> ...



I ended up going to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store, taking my Airport Express with me. It was working fine. Not completely sure about what he did next, but he somehow created a new connection that worked fine once I got home. 

If you can't do this  you might try calling Apple Tech Support, even if you're no longer covered by AppleCare. They're pretty flexible when a new OS has just come out.


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