Airport Extreme Base Station Problem

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Sadalmelik
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Joined:Fri Sep 02, 2011 9:32 am
Airport Extreme Base Station Problem

Post by Sadalmelik » Fri Sep 02, 2011 9:50 am

I have the original Airport Extreme Base Station and it has the latest firmware.

I have installed it behind my OOMA HUB (original model). In other words...

1. Clearwire modem
2. Airport Extreme Base Station
3. All computers and devices (including the OOMA).

I realize OOMA has suggested putting the OOMA between the modem and the Airport, but I think my setup here might work better because it would allow the Airport to do the routing as intended.

My OOMA tab glows "blue" and the light on my Airport glows "green." This seems normal.

Every device I have connected wirelessly to my home network seems to work fine -- EXCEPT FOR THE MACINTOSH COMPUTER (LATEST SNOW LEOPARD) I USED TO SETUP THE AIRPORT. That particular Macintosh computer -- after boot up -- sometimes does not connect to the network. When I open NETWORK UTILITY to investigate, I learn that the Airport no longer has an IP address.

If I click the renew DHCP LEASE button, I can sometimes get a new IP and my Mac can join the network. In every case, I can use an ethernet cable and physically connect the MACINTOSH computer to one of the Airport LAN ports and re-establish the Internet connection and then I can remove the cable and the wireless continues to work for some time, but -- of course -- this is irritating.

I've never logged into the OOMA's internal setup options using an ethernet cable before, but I am thinking about doing that next. I'm thinking -- after reading several posts -- that I might need to make some modifications there. But I'm not sure if the OOMA should be set to AUTOMATIC or DHCP. Which is best? Also, I understand I might also need to tell it to USE BUILT IN in relation to some parameter.

Any advice?

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lbmofo
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Re: Airport Extreme Base Station Problem

Post by lbmofo » Fri Sep 02, 2011 10:47 am

If your Ooma is behind the router, get in setup.ooma.com this way: viewtopic.php?t=11921#p83732 (setup port forwarding rule so you can get to setup.ooma.com without hooking up to Ooma's "Home" port in the future).

Do a couple of things:

viewtopic.php?t=9536#p66155

1) Use Built In Modem Port MAC address
2) Disable QoS: set QoS to 0 for both upstream and downstream

Sadalmelik
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Joined:Fri Sep 02, 2011 9:32 am

Re: Airport Extreme Base Station Problem

Post by Sadalmelik » Fri Sep 02, 2011 10:52 am

I'll try this when I get home later this afternoon.

Thanks!

thunderbird
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Joined:Mon Nov 08, 2010 4:41 pm

Re: Airport Extreme Base Station Problem

Post by thunderbird » Fri Sep 02, 2011 12:09 pm

Sadalmelik wrote:I have the original Airport Extreme Base Station and it has the latest firmware.

I have installed it behind my OOMA HUB (original model). In other words...

1. Clearwire modem
2. Airport Extreme Base Station
3. All computers and devices (including the OOMA).

I realize OOMA has suggested putting the OOMA between the modem and the Airport, but I think my setup here might work better because it would allow the Airport to do the routing as intended.

My OOMA tab glows "blue" and the light on my Airport glows "green." This seems normal.

Every device I have connected wirelessly to my home network seems to work fine -- EXCEPT FOR THE MACINTOSH COMPUTER (LATEST SNOW LEOPARD) I USED TO SETUP THE AIRPORT. That particular Macintosh computer -- after boot up -- sometimes does not connect to the network. When I open NETWORK UTILITY to investigate, I learn that the Airport no longer has an IP address.

If I click the renew DHCP LEASE button, I can sometimes get a new IP and my Mac can join the network. In every case, I can use an ethernet cable and physically connect the MACINTOSH computer to one of the Airport LAN ports and re-establish the Internet connection and then I can remove the cable and the wireless continues to work for some time, but -- of course -- this is irritating.
Is there a way to go into the Macintosh computer Network settings, and also reserve the Wireless IP address that was reserved or leased in the Router, in the Macintosh computer's Network setting? I know in the older Mac's this could be done, but I haven't used the newer Macintoshes, so...? If it can be done, it should help.
Sadalmelik wrote: I've never logged into the OOMA's internal setup options using an ethernet cable before, but I am thinking about doing that next. I'm thinking -- after reading several posts -- that I might need to make some modifications there. But I'm not sure if the OOMA should be set to AUTOMATIC or DHCP. Which is best? Also, I understand I might also need to tell it to USE BUILT IN in relation to some parameter.

Any advice?
You can use either Automatic or DHCP, but DHCP is a more positive connection.

Sadalmelik
Posts:13
Joined:Fri Sep 02, 2011 9:32 am

Re: Airport Extreme Base Station Problem

Post by Sadalmelik » Fri Sep 02, 2011 5:59 pm

Well, so far everything is working after following your recommendations.

I had to power down the modem, the OOMA, and the Airport Extreme Base Station two or three times to get everything back up and running properly, but now I seem to have a decent Internet connection, the phone is working and no error messages.

But I'll curb my enthusiasm until I've had a few days to test this setup further to make sure all of the bugs have been worked out.

Then I'll return and report.

Hopefully, it will continue to work well!

You guys are an amazing resource; I've manned tech support forums, myself, in the past and you are doing a real service here and please accept my humble THANKS.

See you in a few days.

Sadalmelik
Posts:13
Joined:Fri Sep 02, 2011 9:32 am

Re: Airport Extreme Base Station Problem

Post by Sadalmelik » Mon Sep 05, 2011 2:32 pm

Hopes here are dashed. Same problem. I turn on my wirelessly connected Macintosh computer and the Macintosh fails to connect to the wireless network. In addition, the Airport Extreme Base Station is said to no longer have an IP address. If I click on the Macintosh option to turn the Airport Extreme Base Station OFF and then click on the option to turn it back ON, I am sometimes able to coax the Macintosh to sense that the Airport Extreme Base Station is available and the wireless network is joined.

I get the impression that the OOMA and the Airport Extreme Base Station might be in conflict in some way. Would it be due to the fact the OOMA is connected to the Airport Extreme Base Station with an ethernet cable and would it be due to the fact the two devices are ROUTERS using DHCP???

I don't get it.

Every other computer connects without any problem to the wireless network.

Only the Macintosh that I used to setup the Airport Extreme Base Station fails to connect.

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lbmofo
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Re: Airport Extreme Base Station Problem

Post by lbmofo » Mon Sep 05, 2011 2:58 pm

Your Ooma is using built in modem port MAC address?

I've seen posts about putting your router in bridge mode? viewtopic.php?t=11474

thunderbird
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Re: Airport Extreme Base Station Problem

Post by thunderbird » Mon Sep 05, 2011 2:59 pm

Sadalmelik wrote:Hopes here are dashed. Same problem. I turn on my wirelessly connected Macintosh computer and the Macintosh fails to connect to the wireless network. In addition, the Airport Extreme Base Station is said to no longer have an IP address. If I click on the Macintosh option to turn the Airport Extreme Base Station OFF and then click on the option to turn it back ON, I am sometimes able to coax the Macintosh to sense that the Airport Extreme Base Station is available and the wireless network is joined.

I get the impression that the OOMA and the Airport Extreme Base Station might be in conflict in some way. Would it be due to the fact the OOMA is connected to the Airport Extreme Base Station with an ethernet cable and would it be due to the fact the two devices are ROUTERS using DHCP???

I don't get it.

Every other computer connects without any problem to the wireless network.

Only the Macintosh that I used to setup the Airport Extreme Base Station fails to connect.
Something else to try to see if your Airport Extreme's Wi-Fi signal to/from the Macintosh, are being conflicted or being interfered with by the Ooma device.

You haven't said it, but I assume that when the Ooma device is out of the picture, the Macintosh connects just fine.

Most routers allow you to change the router Wi-Fi frequency from the Automatic setting, to one set frequency and with several frequency chooses. If you Airport Extreme Router does this, try selecting just one Wi-Fi frequency, and test. If the Mac still doesn't connect, try another frequency, etc. and test, until you find a frequency that works.

mrjagster
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Re: Airport Extreme Base Station Problem

Post by mrjagster » Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:23 am

My set-up is: Comcast cable modem>Apple Airport Extreme>Ooma. I have a Hub and Telo plugged into my AE. I did have to do a reset of the AE when I switched from DSL to cable and I also rebooted the modem, router, and ooma devices.

After resetting and rebooting the AE automatically detected my connection and configured itself. I have had zero connection problems since then. Before the reset and reboot I had dropped connections and slow speeds.
ooma customer since September 2007
ooma hardware: Telo
Lifetime Premier Member

Sadalmelik
Posts:13
Joined:Fri Sep 02, 2011 9:32 am

Re: Airport Extreme Base Station Problem

Post by Sadalmelik » Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:54 am

This is so puzzling. I connected this morning and the Apple AIRPORT UTILITY software says all is well. No issues being reported.

But a speed test revealed my Internet connection this morning was slower than usual.

I'm just guessing at this point.

I wonder if the DECT 6.0 cordless phone near the OOMA and the modem and the Airport Extreme Base Station might be causing some sort of interference... ?

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