Airport Express problems... please help!!!

[thewhitehart]

It takes ages for my imac and ibook to detect my airport express after I put the computer to sleep. Even if I shut off the imac and turn it back on, it doesn't detect the express right away. I have to shut everything off - the router, the express, and the imac, and only then will the express be instantly detected again.

Here's the current configuration: The express is connected to my existing wireless network powered by a DI-524 DLink router. I am only using it for AirTunes and as a print server. I have tried having the router assign a static ip address to the express rather than a dynamic one, but this doesn't seem to make a difference. I have also configured the ip address manually on the express to reflect the static ip I set for it on the DLink router. Still no difference. I have hard re-setted the express several times and reconfigured it to no avail.

I can turn everything off and back on again, and then iTunes and printing apps detect it, but if I put the computer to sleep and wake it again, it either takes the imac ages to detect the express again or I have to repeatedly scan for the express using the Airport Admin Utility. I can't seem to find a solution.

 

[mad jew]

What sort of security do you have on your wireless network? My machines connect instantly to my WEP-enabled Express network, but WPA takes a little longer. Also, is there much interference? Have you tried broadcasting on a different channel?

 

[thewhitehart]

What sort of security do you have on your wireless network? My machines connect instantly to my WEP-enabled Express network, but WPA takes a little longer. Also, is there much interference? Have you tried broadcasting on a different channel?

I will try changing the channel - thanks. The DLink router is set to auto change the channels. I am using WPA on the DLink router, I'll see how WEP works too.

 

[iSaint]

I had similar problems. In addition, I would lose my connection at times. It turned out to be an old/faulty modem. I bought a new Linksys cable modem and I haven't had a problem since.

 

[QuarterSwede]

I was having EXACTLY the same issue as you when I first moved my fiancee into our apartment (I'm not living in it yet ... yes, I'm very conservative). We would lose our connections all the time and the only way to fix it would be to restart our machines. It happened so much that it was really unusable.

I decided to change the channel on the AE and that fixed the problem. My guess is that it was getting interference from someone else's access point on the same channel. All I know is I haven't had a problem since.

*Remember, channels 1, 6 and 11 are the strongest so try to use one of those. I originally had mine on channel 1 (because if I remember correctly 6 is always the default and therefore causes the most problems). So I switched it to 11 and bingo, problem solved.

I hope this solves your problem as I know its very frustrating.

 

[thewhitehart]

Thanks so much for the responses... I will try all of them. It is driving me absolutely nuts.