MacBook knocks Airport Express Offline

[yoda710]

This problem just started in the last week or so. My network configuration is as follows –

Airport Extreme --> Powerline communication --> Airport Express (kitchen) via Ethernet from powerline

Same Airport Extreme -->ethernet cable --> Airport Express (basement).

The Airport Expresses are set to create wireless network and DHCP is set to off.

This has been my configuration for at least six months and has worked with no issues. In the last week I have been having an issue where when the MacBook in the kitchen is turned on the, kitchen Airport gets kicked off the network (In the utility it has the yellow triangle with exclamation point) and the MacBook won’t connect to the network. If I unplug the power line adapter, the MacBook instantly connects to the Wifi. Once the Airport Express comes back up it stays online, until the next time the MacBook starts up.

I assumed this was being caused by some sort of IP conflict, so I setup an IP reservation for every device in the house including the two Expresses. This did not resolve the issue, so I deleted the reservations for the Expresses. Issue resolved….for three days. Now it’s happening again. This issue only occurs when the MacBook comes online. We have multiple other wireless devices (phones, tablets, rokus, TVs, PS3), none of them cause this issue. Any ideas?

 

[Altemose]

I assumed this was being caused by some sort of IP conflict, so I setup an IP reservation for every device in the house including the two Expresses. This did not resolve the issue, so I deleted the reservations for the Expresses. Issue resolved….for three days. Now it’s happening again. This issue only occurs when the MacBook comes online. We have multiple other wireless devices (phones, tablets, rokus, TVs, PS3), none of them cause this issue. Any ideas?

Verify that the MacBook is set to DHCP in System Preferences --> Network --> Wi-Fi.

Then try configuring the AirPort to use a static address in AirPort Utility. Keep in mind that DHCP reservations get overridden by static configurations on the client.

 

[yoda710]

Verify that the MacBook is set to DHCP in System Preferences --> Network --> Wi-Fi. View attachment 616473
Then try configuring the AirPort to use a static address in AirPort Utility. Keep in mind that DHCP reservations get overridden by static configurations on the client.

Yes, the MacBook is set to DHCP in system preferences.
I gave the MacBook and the Airport Express new IP reservations. This corrected the issue for about three days; then it started happening again.
I did a little more looking at my system, even though I have a reservation for the Express, it keeps grabbing the MacBook's IP address, then when the MacBook comes online it kicks the express offline and won't connect itself. As soon as I unplug the Express, the laptop connects. After the Express is plugged back in, it connects with the IP address I gave it in the reservations.

However, once the network 'goes to sleep' from not being used (not sure if this is what is happening, but it seems that way), the Express will grab that MacBook IP address again, and the cycle continues.

Last night I reset the Express to factory settings and set it back up, we'll see what happens.

 

[Altemose]

Last night I reset the Express to factory settings and set it back up, we'll see what happens.

Report back with the results of that.

 

[Alrescha]

I did a little more looking at my system, even though I have a reservation for the Express, it keeps grabbing the MacBook's IP address

Keep in mind that if you have any services enabled on the Macbook and/or Wake on Network Access turned on, the Bonjour Sleep Proxy in the Express is supposed to answer for the Macbook while the Macbook is asleep.

As an experiment, I would try changing the DHCP lease time in the Airport Extreme to the maximum (1 day).

A.

 

[yoda710]

Report back with the results of that.

Didn't fix it

Keep in mind that if you have any services enabled on the Macbook and/or Wake on Network Access turned on, the Bonjour Sleep Proxy in the Express is supposed to answer for the Macbook while the Macbook is asleep.

As an experiment, I would try changing the DHCP lease time in the Airport Extreme to the maximum (1 day).

A.

[doublepost=1455890636][/doublepost]Resetting to factory defaults worked for two days, then didn't.
I've turned off Wake on LAN, we'll see. So far so good; but no solutions seems to work for more than three days.

 

[Altemose]

I've turned off Wake on LAN, we'll see. So far so good; but no solutions seems to work for more than three days.

Let's see how that goes...