AirPort keeps connecting to wrong network!

Hey everyone,

I have a wireless lan, and so does like 5 people in my condo nearby. Whenever I shut down or put my PowerBook to sleep and turn it back on it always connects to someone elses network. Sometimes even when I'm running my own at 100% signal it suddenly switches to a neighbours for like 20% signal and I have to keep switching back. Is there a way to tell it to never connect to certain networks like in XP? Sometimes it will show my wireless network as the only one and say its not one of my trusted networks and ask to connect, how do I make it trusted? I always click yet but it still says it. Other times it says the airport network is unavailable and then takes af ew tries to get it on. When I'm at school with my thinkpad, theres about 10 access points XP shows and I can connect to any one, with my powerbook it just shows one though? They all have the same ssid but is there a better way to view nearby networks and manage them than what os x has built in because its really lacking I find compared to managing wireless networks in XP.

Hey,

system prefs -> network -> configure (airport has to be selected, the configure button is near the button) -> change 'by default, join' to 'a specific network', and specify the network (yours)

Hope this helps, and good luck.

That's actually what's selected right now but theres no options for which one, whether I pick automatic or specific. There's just a big blank space and then the box for allow this computer to create networks and show airport status in menu bar?

OK, in the big blank space type your network name, by hand if you can. Click on the AirPort icon in the toolbar, and see the name of the network with the check beside it. This network is yours. Type the name EXACTLY into the 'Network' box. Push OK, and it should work.

Hope this helps, and good luck!
m1k

I understand what you mean but when I say blank space I mean like blank as in the background of the window, like thers nothing there. There's no input box or anything just an empty space with the osx background. I believe I've seen it before when I got the powerbook a few days ago when I couldn't find any wireless networks but now that my network actually works that spot is empty for some reason, I'm not sure?

Could you post a screenshot? Sorry, I don't really get what you mean...

Hey, actually its working now thanks! It was weird, like what I mean is you know the drop down box where you select the network you want, or type yours in? Then under it there's a password box? Those were like gone, its like when you click automatic, those options just aren't there, whether I chose automatic or join a default. I just tried again to take a screen shot and there it is, thanks!

Thanks for the Post!

I have been wondering about this myself. In the back of my house, when I start my iBook up, it always logs onto my neighbor's wireless network.

Oh well, then cancel your broadband subscription and buy yourself an umbrella to save a few bucks