Incorrect security protocol shown in System Preferences

With stepwise guidance from Verizon Customer Support, I changed the Verizon-supplied router from WEP to WPA2. System Preferences on MacBook Air (OS 10.7.5) shows "none"for the network's security. Rebooting the machine and logging in and out of the network don't make a difference. Verizon has confirmed remotely that WPA2 is indeed in place. Why won't my machine report that correctly?

Are you connecting to your router or a neighbor's unprotected router?

What networks are shown when you click on the network icon at the right side of the menu bar (top of the screen) - give us a screen shot of it.

I am connecting to my own network (and I am the only user). I can log in and out with the lengthy key provided by Verizon, and, as I said, Verizon has remotely determined that WPA2 is in place on my router. The question I have is: why does my System Preferences show that the network security is "None"? I believe that designation is an error, but I can't figure out what is causing it.

System Preferences? Where in System Preferences. What you are seeing is basically Impossible and I have a feeling you are looking at the wrong thing.

System Preferences, Networking, WiFi then where are you looking?

Where? Screen shot of what you're looking at would be nice.

First screen shot is Network/WiFi.

2nd screenshot is on Advanced. Every router I have is properly reported.

I am looking at System Preferences>Internet & Wireless>Network. On the Network screen, I press the Advanced button.That brings up another Network screen that shows the WiFi Network Name and its associated Security. The name is correct (it also appears, with a lock icon, in the pull-down menu accessed from the wireless bars icon in the header of the Safari screen), but the security is "none." It showed WEP before I changed to WPA2. Before I even switched to Verizon, I had used an Apple router, configured to WPA/WPA2 Personal, and the security designation was correctly reported in System Preferences. as I said, Verizon has confirmed that WPA2 is in place on my router. System Preferences doesn't seem to agree.

Try shutting everything down including the Verizon router. Reboot your machine and restart the Verizon router. See if that helps to show the correct security status in System Preferences. If that doesn't help, let us know. You then will likely have to delete your old network status preference file and let a new one be created.

In either 10.7 or 10.8 I see no System Preferences, Internet, Network. System Preferences, NETWORK, WIFI. Is that where you are seeing None? BTW the NONE in my pic on the netgear is deliberate as that router is used for old computers and kept off most of the time and just powered on for testing. I have it set to NONE for testing.

I rebooted both the router and my computer. No change to the "none" label.

There is no Internet in System Preferences. Will you please take a screen shot and post it here.

When you post a message click on Go Advanced and then attachment and add your screen shot.

Dennis,

The screen shots you posted are EXACTLY the same as the ones I am looking at. Once again, here is the route that I take to get them on my MacBook Air running OS 10.7.5:

System Preferences>
Internet & Wireless (iCloud, Mail, Contacts & Calendars, MobilMe, Network, Bluetooth, Sharing)>
Network icon>
Network screen>
Network screen (accessed via Advanced button on previous Network screen)

I hope this finally clarifies what I am looking at and how I got to these screens.

CRL said:

I rebooted both the router and my computer. No change to the "none" label.

Click to expand...

OK. We can try to delete the preference files that are causing the incorrect information to show up. But... before we do, make a complete backup of your hard drive. Use Time Machine or cloning software such as Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper.

Get back to this same thread when you've made the backup and we'll remove the preference files. By the way, it should do no harm to remove them as the system will re-create new ones on a reboot. The backup is just in case.

Internet and Wireless is a Category and not an icon you click on. That was the confusion there.

Is the Mac the only device you have that connects to your router? If not, does anything else that connects report None? Example a PC, iPhone, iPad, Android.

It would be interesting if Verizion is not telling the truth and your router is actually set to No Security.

Also I agree with Charlie, Try what he suggested and see if that changes anything. If not try another device, computer, whatever. If that shows none then it has to be your router.

I have an iPod Touch, but the info it shows about the network does not include anything about its security status. It shows only the IP address, the DNS, et cetera.

CRL said:

I have an iPod Touch, but the info it shows about the network does not include anything about its security status. It shows only the IP address, the DNS, et cetera.

Click to expand...

Yes unfortunately IOS does not show that easily. There might be some utility. I will see what I can find. Can you log into your Verizion router? I have never messed with a Verizion router so am not sure. If you can from your browser, are you sure it's set for WPA2 PSK or whatever it says?

Just what I figured! Apple blocked all utilities from the store that do that very thing!

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1097171

SUCCESS!!!

I decided to delete the network and then add it back. I also deleted an old, pre-Verizon network (it used an Apple router), but I don't think that had any effect.

I checked the security status after deleting and then adding the network, and it now shows the correct "WPA2/WPA2 Personal" security designation!

I have no idea what was causing the problem in the System Preferences report, but it's fixed.

Thanks to all of you who weighed in to help me. I appreciate it very much and will return to this forum the next time I have a problem.

Good Going! I had a feeling deleting would solve it as did Charley! Glad you got it sorted. Come back any time.

Slight correction: the designation is "WPA/WPA2 Personal."

Great to hear it's fixed. Deleting the network actually removes several of those preference files we were going to do manually. Glad it worked.

And... don't forget to make backups.