TOTAL Newbie

TOTAL Newbie - Need WiFi assistance (AT&T)

I just got my first (used) Mac, but still kept my PC just in case I needed some help getting used to the Mac.

It is a Powerbook, Tiger software, in immaculate condition

Well, I am now on my PC because I cannot get my Mac connected to my AT&T WiFi.

I KNOW I will have a ton of questions, but I do need to get connected first to find out what they are.

HELP!

You'll need to give a little more detail.

Where are you trying to connect to AT&T's WiFi? What happens when you try to connect? Are you able to connect to WiFi anywhere else?

Also, as a tip, please use more descriptive headlines. "Total Newbie" doesn't really help people know what you want. You'll get more help, more quickly by being specific in your subject line.

+1 about more specific thread titles.

As for the wifi question, is Airport turned on? Airport is Apple's built in wireless card. If it's off, it won't detect any wifi signals. If it is, it will give you a list of all available signals. Then you just click on one and enter a password.

Try opening Airport Utility and setting it up. You can search for it in Spotlight, the little magnifying glass icon at the top right of your menu bar. (Pressing Command+spacebar also reveals Spotlight.)

schweb said:

You'll need to give a little more detail.

Where are you trying to connect to AT&T's WiFi? What happens when you try to connect? Are you able to connect to WiFi anywhere else?

Also, as a tip, please use more descriptive headlines. "Total Newbie" doesn't really help people know what you want. You'll get more help, more quickly by being specific in your subject line.

Click to expand...

I am trying to install my AT&T's Wifi less than 5' from the box in my house. I have enabled Airport and it just keeps configuring, never stops (the circle just keeps turning). Yes, I have a PC and it connects perfectly, no problem. Maybe I need to disconnect my PC from the WiFi?

I am using a 2 wire and put in the correct password, at that point, it just begins to configure and goes no further.

Thanks, I changed the title.

Which OS version are you running on the Mac? I know you said Tiger, but what actual version?

How do you have the WiFi configured at your home? Is it WPA, WEP, WPA2? Is it B/G compatible? etc.

Pasofino said:

I am trying to install my AT&T's Wifi less than 5' from the box in my house. I have enabled Airport and it just keeps configuring, never stops (the circle just keeps turning). Yes, I have a PC and it connects perfectly, no problem. Maybe I need to disconnect my PC from the WiFi?

I am using a 2 wire and put in the correct password, at that point, it just begins to configure and goes no further.

Thanks, I changed the title.

Click to expand...

Hi there,
If airport doesn't want to configure your wifi card, then there's a possibility of it either not being installed, or it's faulty in some way or other.

Go to your Apple menu and select About This Mac, then click on the More Info button at the bottom of that screen.
This will now open up System Profiler and you will then see a screen like the one below.
Next, click on Network in the left hand pane and you will see your network interfaces listed in the top right hand pane, along with their assigned IP addresses, if they're active.

If you don't see any information under the Airport listing, then that would suggest that either (i) there's no card installed or (ii) there is a card installed, but it's broken.

Hope this info helps.

AH!! THanks Rottie.

OK, now I am connected to my WiFi, BUT - it says that "Airport has a self-assigned IP adress and may not be able to connect to the internet"

When I try to connect to Safari, it says "could not open page because the server could not be found".


SO confusing!

Hi again,

Try connecting by ethernet cable to your router and see if you have a setting there for MAC Address filtering. It could be the case, that you have your router configured to only allow specific machines to join your LAN/WLAN.
If this is the case, then you will be able to find the MAC address for your wifi card in the lower pane of screen shot #2, above. This will need to be entered in to your router.

Although it seems more likely that in your case, it's a simple configuration issue, so if I were in your position, I would check and double check your password and the encryption type (WEP/WPA, etc) match up on both ends, before trying the above.

If all goes well, your router should now issue your PowerBook an IP address and you should be able to join the network.

Are you able to take some screenshots of your Wireless setup in the gateway? You should be able to access the settings by going to http://gateway.2wire.net

OK, I double checked the password and it matches. Mac even confirmed that it did.

I am not sure how, or where, to check the encryption type.

schweb said:

Are you able to take some screenshots of your Wireless setup in the gateway? You should be able to access the settings by going to http://gateway.2wire.net

Click to expand...

I'll try and see if I can

+1 for Schweb's suggestion about posting your config pages.

Another thing you could try, is to renew your IP address lease.
Follow the procedure listed under Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5 (3rd section down) here

It sounds to me as though the 2Wire is set to clone the first computer's (the PC's) MAC address and thus won't allow other machines on.

The 2Wire manual that came with the modem should have instructions for uncloning the PC's MAC address ... after that it should be a simple matter of power-cycling the 2Wire box.

schweb said:

Which OS version are you running on the Mac? I know you said Tiger, but what actual version?

How do you have the WiFi configured at your home? Is it WPA, WEP, WPA2? Is it B/G compatible? etc.

Click to expand...

It is 10.3 ( I was told it is Tiger, but I don't think it is)

It is the AT&T WiFi in my home, WEP. Not sure I know what B/G compatible is.

chas_m said:

It sounds to me as though the 2Wire is set to clone the first computer's (the PC's) MAC address and thus won't allow other machines on.

The 2Wire manual that came with the modem should have instructions for uncloning the PC's MAC address ... after that it should be a simple matter of power-cycling the 2Wire box.

Click to expand...

You are correct. I did reconfigure those settings to allow the Mac to be on the network.

I opened the Airport and I did get online. ONCE. I closed that site and tried to reopen another site and it would not work. The Airport had closed and for some reason, I could not get on any other site. The Mac just had no reaction to any key stroke.

I was on the phone yesterday with AT&T for over 1 hour trying to get me back on. They were helpful, but the Mac is not cooperating.

I decided to make an appt with the Apple store in Raleigh to see if they can first, check out the Mac to see if it is OK, then maybe we can work out the problem. I am going tomorrow morning. Hopefully, I will be on the road to using my Mac then.


I'll update you then. Thanks for your help, I did learn more about my Mac.

I'll probably be back for more help in the near future!

Well, the Apple store was a huge help. They updated my Mac and gave me some helpful info.

This is an older Mac, but a good starter one, The hard drive was updated to a 120G which I will never fill up, but has an old OS that seems to be a detterent in using a lot of programs.

I still have issues with some sites. Facebook for instance, only shows up on the left side of the screen and the rest of the screen is blank I cannot take a screenshot since there is no paint program on the computer.

I cannot right click or figure out how to configure it. If I get used to this fairly quickly, I will buy a new Mac. Dealing with problems on an older computer is not worth the hassle!

Thank you all for your help. This forum is a great resource.

Pasofino said:

Well, the Apple store was a huge help. They updated my Mac and gave me some helpful info.

Click to expand...

Glad to hear it.

This is an older Mac, but a good starter one, The hard drive was updated to a 120G which I will never fill up, but has an old OS that seems to be a detterent in using a lot of programs.

Click to expand...

Yes, and this problem will get worse as more time passes. Depending on the age and specs of your machine (under the Apple menu on the upper left corner, if you select "About This Mac" it will tell you this information), you basically have three options:

1. Live with increasingly limited internet access. Email will continue to work and some sites will too. Many won't.

2. Update your OS to the latest your machine can handle. Giving us the specs will help us make suggestions about that.

3. Start thinking about a new(er) machine. This doesn't have to be terribly expensive, a more recent used or refurbished machine can be very affordable. Computers, for a variety of reasons, have a useful lifespan of about 5 years or so (Macs tend to do better than PCs in this regard).

I still have issues with some sites. Facebook for instance, only shows up on the left side of the screen and the rest of the screen is blank I cannot take a screenshot since there is no paint program on the computer.

Click to expand...

No "paint" program necessary. Shift-command-3 will place a "screenshot" image of your screen on your desktop. You can "upload" it to here using the "paperclip" icon you'll see when you compose a reply.

I cannot right click or figure out how to configure it.

Click to expand...

On your machine right-click is probably turned off by default. Just press the "control" key, hold it down, and click to "simulate" a right-click. If you'd like I will describe (with pics!) how to "turn on" the right click if your mouse is capable of that.

Thank you all for your help. This forum is a great resource.

Click to expand...

Our pleasure, I hope we can be of further assistance.

Chas M - Thanks, I was going to quote, but it would be a bit messy ! Too many questions!

OK, this machine has an updated HD, to 120G as well as a new battery that has a life of about 3+ hours. So far, that has not been a problem.

As far as a new machine, where is the best place to look? Craigslist, here?


Last, is spell check! I am so used to it being resident on my toolbar and using it anywhere I need it. My typing is really bad, so that is a necessity! Does Mac have one that can be resident on either documents OR the web?

Thanks

The OS is 10.3.9, which I know is old, but it is better than my brand new Toshiba PC. If I can figure out how to transfer my info from the PC to this Mac, I will use it, get used to it and at some point, but a newer Mac. My PC has Carbonite, but it will not transfer to a Mac.

So, shift-Command-3, I understand the shift and the "3", but where is the command key?

Thanks for the right click info, that makes it SO much easier. My mouse is not working with the Mac, so that trick does help.

The command key is the key with the apple logo on it.

Pasofino said:

As far as a new machine, where is the best place to look? Craigslist, here?

Click to expand...

For NEW machines, the best place to look is Apple Store online, a corporate Apple Store if one is near you (or even if they're not -- they are exceptional stores and a great deal of fun to visit!), or a local independent Apple reseller (look for companies that are Mac-only rather than "big box" type stores). If all you want to do is run in and pick up a regular model, then a place like CompUSA (yes, they're still around) or Best Buy etc might be okay.

For less than brand-new, the BEST place to look is Apple's own refurbished page on their store web site. Refurbished = much superior to "used."

Beyond that, a reputable Craigslist or Ebay seller is a good option. Some real bargains to be had from time to time.

Last, is spell check! I am so used to it being resident on my toolbar and using it anywhere I need it. My typing is really bad, so that is a necessity! Does Mac have one that can be resident on either documents OR the web?

Click to expand...

It's built-in (along with right-click access to a dictionary and thesaurus -- just right-click on any word you've written that is underlined red!).

If I can figure out how to transfer my info from the PC to this Mac, I will use it, get used to it and at some point, but a newer Mac. My PC has Carbonite, but it will not transfer to a Mac.

Click to expand...

A simple thumb drive should do the job.

So, shift-Command-3, I understand the shift and the "3", but where is the command key?

Click to expand...

Next to the spacebar on either side. Sorry I didn't explain that.