May have to give up on Airport-what are my other options?

[auntieb]

Got a new iMac last week--spent hours and hours with an (excellent) Apple tech trying to connect wirelessly to the internet. Changed WEP to WPA encryption; the connection worked for a time, became intermittent, then quit. She ended up deciding the Airport card was defective and arranged for a replacement computer, which arrived today. Can't connect to the internet at all on this one, despite the fact that Tivo and a Sony Vaio laptop running Windows Vista are able to.

I have a call in to the same tech...but I have spent so much time on this and can't afford to spend much more. Is there some external adapter thingie I could plug into one of the USB ports that would bypass Airport and WORK? I'm also considering running ethernet into my home office (it's currently in another room downstairs). We have a 2wire router. As I said, it works with everything else.

Buying another gizmo seems kind of pathetic but it may be my only option. I should add that this is my first Mac and that I was looking forward to leaving the PC world behind....

Ideas?

 

[Big_Mac]

That's not a good intro to macs! Before you shell out any more cash - can you try logging into your router (via ethernet from the mac to the router) and checking the wireless settings please?


If you have already done this, ensure you have re-cycled the router (switch it off entirely, and leave for 30 seconds), before connecting the mac and booting-up - also ensure that you have DHCP settings through 'network preferences' set to 'automatic'.

Let me know how you get on...

 

[auntieb]

What am I looking for in the wireless settings?

The Mac is set to "automatic." I've also recycled the router countless times during this little escapade. I really think it's hopeless!

 

[Big_Mac]

Can you access the internet on the mac if the ethernet is connected and airport is disabled?

 

[harryb2448]

'Automatic' is just fine. Go into Systems Preferences > Network > and check if the Airport is turned on and your network appears under 'Network Name', then Advanced > Airport and make sure the Network appears under Preferrred Network and the 'Remember' is selected.

 

[Big_Mac]

I don't think this anything to do with Airport, unless you have been particularly unlucky with hardware..so it's not hopeless - A mixed network has some strange idiosyncrasies, that are easy to overcome once you find the root cause...don't give up on airport just yet..

Please try this:

Firstly, in network preferences, under the 'DNS' tab of Airport (through selecting 'Advanced') does the ip address listed correspond with the modem/router you are trying to connect to the net through?

If not, change this value to the same value you used to access the router config pages - this is your gateway address.

If the value you see is different, it might be that you have your router config set to 'Enable UPnP' which can sometimes lead to your windows laptop/PC acting as the 'gateway' to the internet (internet Sharing) - essentially acting as a 'network' switch of its own volition, which your Mac has to pass through - the Vista firewall will block it by default.

If the above is true - make the changes and then reboot - try and access the internet to test

Turn off UPnP on your router for aswell.

We'll go through this systematically...

 

[auntieb]

No address at all showed under DNS. (I got to it this way: System Preferences > Network > Airport > Advanced > DNS tab.) I added the router address manually and restarted. Same problem--keeps presenting me with a request for a password.

One tidbit: No check mark is appearing next to our network, no matter what I do. I do remember that with the last computer, when Airport worked briefly, that checkmark appeared.

 

[auntieb]

One other thing I forgot to mention--the computer does connect just fine through the ethernet. But the ethernet is in another room and it's not practical for me to use it unless I have someone add another cable.

 

[mbohn]

One other thing I forgot to mention--the computer does connect just fine through the ethernet. But the ethernet is in another room and it's not practical for me to use it unless I have someone add another cable.

I'm guessing the folks here can solve your problem. But if not and it does come down to sticking with the ethernet route, consider getting a wireless bridge. You'd wire it to your Mac with an ethernet cable and the bridge would wirelessly connect to your router.

I have a Linksys WET54g that I use to put an ethernet network printer on my wireless network. The other day I needed an ethernet cable to test a problem on my PC and I took the ethernet cable out of the printer and plugged into the PC. Instant internet!

 

[auntieb]

Thanks for this info.

The excellent Apple tech who was helping me before helped me again and got me online by shortening the length of the encryption key to 8 numbers. (It had been 10.) She used the OS installation disk to get to a network utilities window that allowed her to ping the connection with no security (I took it off) and then with the shortened encryption key. I hope the connection will be a durable one--I'll report back.

 

[BenB]

Turn off encryption altogether, you'll be fine.