Mac in Korea

[toljin86]

So, I recently moved to Korea for work and I am the only one in the office who has had a mac... ever... Everyones answer to all my technical questions is "why dont you just buy windows?"

So here it is... I dont speak korean and there are only 2 stores that sell apple propducts in korea and they are not apple stores... they just sell apple products and they are both 4 hours away from my by train. So I have to solve everything by myself.

Problem:

The internet at my office sucks... it is constantly being disconnected for one reason or another. Network diagnostics says that i always have a 1. good ethernet connection. 2. proper network settings. 3. good ISP... HOWEVER, either the 4. Internet keeps failing OR 5. the server can't be found. I'm not sure how you can have internet without a server or vice versa, but thats whats going on.

It keeps coming and going. Sometimes everything is working, most times its not. What is the problem?

Its not my laptop cause the internet is fine at my apartment. No one else in the office is having any problems.

Give me every suggestion you have and please make it simple since I have only myself to help with this problem.

Thanks all.
Fight the PC Power!

 

[pigoo3]

Problem:

The internet at my office sucks... it is constantly being disconnected for one reason or another. Network diagnostics says that i always have a 1. good ethernet connection. 2. proper network settings. 3. good ISP... HOWEVER, either the 4. Internet keeps failing OR 5. the server can't be found. I'm not sure how you can have internet without a server or vice versa, but thats whats going on.

It keeps coming and going. Sometimes everything is working, most times its not. What is the problem?

Just to be 100% clear...are you using Airport to connect to the network wirelessly...or are you "hard-wired" with an ethernet cable to the network?

Thanks,

- Nick

 

[Collin Bl]

You did not give your OS - For pre 10.5.5 or so, it often helped to add the DNS numbers if they did not show up. Look here. But my advice set yourself a Location for Office and one for Apartment and leave Automatic for roaming coffee shops.

 

[toljin86]

The office does offer wireless but I cant seem to get that one to work at all so I dont even bother. Part of the problem with the wireless is that the password is in korean and I cant seem to input a korean password on my laptop. (the keyboard keeps switching back to english every time i try to input the korean password) I got it to work once by magic and it was just as choppy as the hard line connection. In any case I dont use wireless at the office.

Back on topic...

My laptop is Tiger Version 10.4.11
I am using a hard line connection and the problems listed above are happening; My hard line is whats breaking in and out of connection.

The office did offer me some IP numbers and I tried inputting them (prolly incorrectly) and nothing worked. They are different numbers than what the automatic settings gather. Here they are (I'm not worried about sharring ip numbers with you since I'm prolly the only mac in korea

IP: 210.180.147.93
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 201.180.147.1
DNS: 211.182.233.2 OR 211.182.233.3


BTW, What's a location? And what's it used for?

 

[Collin Bl]

A Location is Home or Work or whatever you want to call it but just has different settings for different ISPs

My laptop is Leopard Version 10.4.11

No possible I'm afraid - you either have Tiger 10.4.11 or Leopard 10.5.8 for the latest of those OSs.
Get one of the Koreans to write wireless password and save in a Text Edit document and give it to you on a memory stick then u can use that file to copy and paste in password.

 

[chscag]

The office did offer me some IP numbers and I tried inputting them (prolly incorrectly) and nothing worked. They are different numbers than what the automatic settings gather. Here they are (I'm not worried about sharring ip numbers with you since I'm prolly the only mac in korea

IP: 210.180.147.93
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 201.180.147.1
DNS: 211.182.233.2 OR 211.182.233.3

Well, you're not the only Mac in Korea, it may just feel that way to you.

The IP address and other addresses seem OK. Since you're still using Tiger, I'm not sure how to advise you on making changes. You also stated that your machine works fine at your apartment. That would definitely indicate a problem at the office.

And you state that you get the net via an ethernet connection at the office - so that would eliminate any wireless interference or other problems with encryption.

Unfortunately, I have had Windows machines work without difficulty on some pretty shaky network equipment and a less than desirable ISP whereas my MacBook had all sorts of problems.

The only thing I can think of is that the net signal at your office is marginal (weak, up and down) and your Mac isn't keeping up with it. Your apartment probably has a stronger signal and that's why you remain connected.

My suggestion: Buy a cheap netbook and use it at the office. Use your Mac at home. You can't even install Windows on your Mac since you're still using Tiger - so that's not an option. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Regards.

 

[chas_m]

Another option (since you say you are working) ... buy a newer Mac, or if you have an Intel model, upgrade to Snow Leopard. That should fix that right up.

 

[toljin86]

Another option (since you say you are working) ... buy a newer Mac, or if you have an Intel model, upgrade to Snow Leopard. That should fix that right up.

I plan on getting the newest mac book when the year is over, but why would that solve everything? is tiger just not good with communicating inbetween windows and mac?

In regards to the earlier comment... yes I got a ****** cheap laptop that runs windows and now i have wireless internet at my office that is fast. So i guess im good, but I really would like to make my mac work so i can toss this old windows pos laptop im borrowing.

 

[toljin86]

I plan on getting the newest mac book when the year is over, but why would that solve everything? is tiger just not good with communicating inbetween windows and mac?.

I had a technician come to look at my laptop and he said the problem is that the internet at my office is very old and is set to Asian/Pacific Windows settings rather than universal settings... and so my American Macintosh wont work on the office.... I've never heard of such a problem.

So If I buy a new mac in korea does that mean it wont work in the US? Will buying a new mac even solve the internet problem at my office? or is it simply a windows vs mac problem that cant be resolved?