getting my partners MacBook onto our wireless home LAN using AirPort

zorba · 28-12-2009, 10:37

I don't have much experience with Macs but know a bit about basic networking, well enough to set up a home network based on a cable modem, cable router with both wired and wireless PC clients.

My partner has a MacBook which used to be on the wireless network. I had to reset our router and start again. I can get all the PC's back onto the LAN, but not the MacBook.

We are trying to use AirPort. I'm not even sure how/where to open up the network config. settings in MacOS so if we could start there.

I'm ok with most of the networking concepts (just need to know how/where to configure them in the mac)

**Chris** · 28-12-2009, 11:03

Go to the Apple menu (top left of the screen), click it and select System Preferences. Then look under Internet & Network, and click the Network icon.

You can then either set the thing up manually, or else click the 'Assist Me' button and let the wizard guide you. Post back if you're still stuck.

zorba · 28-12-2009, 11:05

ok thanks

airport is on, but not finding our network. Picking up a neighbours though!
Should pick up ours because this PC laptop I'm typing on is picking it up, and its right beside the MacBook.

**Chris** · 28-12-2009, 11:12

Is the Airport hub set to broadcast its SSID?

zorba · 28-12-2009, 11:32

I'm using a Netgear Rangemax router (WPNT834), so not specifically Apple or Airport-enabled kit.

in the router settings under "Wireless Advanced"
Enable SSID Broadcast = YES

---------- Post added at 11:32 ---------- Previous post was at 11:24 ----------

I'm thinking it must be some setting on the router is stopping the mac picking up the network's presence. Now we are right beside the wireless router and its still not picking it up!

Under Wireless settings I have :
Region: Europe (choices are Europe, Asia, Australia)
Channel: 01 (choices are auto, 01, 02 etc to 13)
Mode: g and b (choices are "g and b", "g only", up to 126Mbps, up to 240Mbps)

I tried changing channel from the defaults of auto to 01
and mode from default of 240Mbps to "g and b"

**Chris** · 28-12-2009, 11:34

Hmmm

When you say the Airport is 'on', do you mean that it is check-marked and at the top of the list when you view the Network Port Configurations pane within Network Preferences?

See screencap below.

zorba · 28-12-2009, 12:32

Our UI is slightly different (sorry, too much of a mac klutz to give u a screenscrape) but we have 3x protocols down the left, with location at the top.

the protocols are from top to bottom
Ethernet "connected" (green LED icon)
Airport "on" (yellow LED icon)
Firewire " " (red LED icon)

As far as I can remember, the Airport LED goes green when actually connected. By "on" I mean that Airport is enabled, and ready to connect, if only it could find an SSID.

**Chris** · 28-12-2009, 13:05

The problem you have is that the Macbook thinks it has a valid connection via wired ethernet. This is connected and active (green LED icon). It knows that there's a wireless connection available but isn't connecting to it because it doesn't need to, having already established a wired connection (hence the amber LED icon). Firewire is enabled as a networking connection but is not in use, hence red.

You should be able to click and drag in that list to put Airport to the top. Do that, then log out/in and see what happens.

zorba · 28-12-2009, 14:04

pulled out the ethernet cable (which I'd only had in temporarily - maybe for last 30-60mins, and not since this problem started) and rebooted the mac.

still not picking up our home wireless network (under the Airport icon in status bar), but picking up between 1 and 3 neighbouring networks...

---------- Post added at 14:04 ---------- Previous post was at 14:00 ----------

We are on:

Mac OS X
Version 10.5.8

(under Apple icon > About this Mac
... in case I forget! )

**Chris** · 28-12-2009, 15:04

I'm not sure what you mean by 'picking up'?

zorba · 28-12-2009, 15:48

picking up = showing up as available wireless networks (under the Airport menu)

---------- Post added at 15:48 ---------- Previous post was at 15:47 ----------

A few days ago to get the rest of the network going I'd reset the factory defaults on the router. Then I'd upgraded the firmware on the router from 1.041 (i think) to 1.051.

I saw something on the apple forum abut a guy with this router, needing to go back some versions on his firmware to be able to see his wireless network, so I went back to 1.041

Hey presto, now we can see the wireless network!
Joining it is now easy because by now I've disabled security to make it as simple as possible.

Maybe your solution @splait of "forcing" the connection, even without the SSID appearing would have worked. but for now, happy to run with older version of firmware.

I looks like this is why it used to work before I reset & upgraded the router.

Thanks to all!

**Chris** · 28-12-2009, 15:50

Yep, it would appear that there is something about the firmware you 'upgraded' to that MacOSX didn't like ...

haydnwalker · 28-12-2009, 18:41

I was going to suggest manually adding the SSID and seeing if that worked...but no need now