ScoobyDoo555

My Mac Mini won't connect to my wireless network via Airport.

I've checked the same connection with my PDA, and it works fine. So there's something amiss with the Mac.

The Airport finds my connection. I put in my WEP, and then the Airport connection changes to this :-


Any ideas where I've gone wrong.

A bit of info on the network.

All set up via static IPs. Assigned the Mac a static( manual) IP, and can point it to the router.

Suggestions?

Dan

ozzy

Have you tried DHCP, just to see if the Mac can actually communicate with the wireless router?

I would expect it to fail if the security info was wrong and give you a different icon.

ScoobyDoo555

yeh - tried DHCP and Static......

Dan

ozzy

Are they're any utilities on the Mac? I'd be wanting to know the signal strength and that it's actually connected to the Wireless network i.e. it knows the SSID and has actually authenticated using your WEP settings. I'd be confirming this before worrying about TCP/IP.

Does the Mac support any other forms of security? WAP, for example.

ScoobyDoo555

Yeh - got some extensive network utilities.

Will have a look after lunch - checked the signal strength.

My thoughts are that it's connecting in "computer to computer" mode (whatever that is - it came up on the screen!)

Dan

ozzy

You can connect to wireless in an "Infrastructure" or "Ad Hoc" mode.

Infrastructure mode is basically connecting to a router or wireless network.
Ad Hoc mode is "device to device" e.g. PC -> PC, Mac -> Mac, etc..

Check the Mac for any settings with that sort of terminology in there.

RichB

It might be you have another machine with a c2c network running and your airport has automatically joined it.

check sys prefs->network->airport->options
Does the popup say auto join open network.... maybe its that.

That icon you are seeing is indeed what you get when you create a network from the menu bar airport icon...

mattbeef

also depending on what router you have you might have to put in the converted hex password like i do with me Linksys access point.
I also had to do this when i set my old mans mini up this weekend.

ScoobyDoo555

It's a DLink DWL-G810.......

Just got a boggo WEP on it.

Dan

Tried changing from Ad-Hoc Infrastructure, and the
Mac couldn't find the bridge (in Infrastructure mode)

ozzy

Have you tried upgrading the firmware on the DLink? According to the DLink website it should support WAP (better).

http://www.dlink.co.uk/?go=gNTyP9Cgr...7n2afnL00Xt+vf

Markus

Dan,
First up, what version of OS X are you running and do you have the latest Airport update for OS X installed?

The icon is as you say a "computer to computer" network icon, which is what you'd not normally see when connecting to a wireless base station.

When you select the wireless network, what other, if any, encryption options does it give you (WEP, WPA, WPA2, etc). Try selecting another, if possible, and see if it makes any difference.

ScoobyDoo555

Running 10.4.6
Airport V. 2005-001 (latest one)

I've even turned off the wireless encryption - still coming up with the same icon......

Dan

Markus

How exactly is this Dlink thing connected up? Does it have the internet connection plugged into it? (if that makes sense).

The mac is seeing the device as though it's a computer, rather than as a basestation, I'm wondering if there is anything in the config for the DLink that lets you specify what it is, as in a base station or a relay.

I assume you're wanting to get onto the network/internet and in this mode it's not letting you do that?

Have you tried firing up safari, trying to hit a web site and then using the "network diagnostics" option to see if that helps any.

Markus

I've been reading this, which makes reference to the infrastructure and ad-hoc settings, am wondering if perhaps the DLink needs to be changed to ad-hoc, worth a shot.

Maybe it's me, but I'm getting the impression that this DLink device is not so much a base station, it's more like an external airport card, and so the mac can connect to it, but unless the device/machine the DLink is connected to is actually connected to the internet, then it's not going to do much. I could be wrong though.

ScoobyDoo555

Yeh. it's set up in "Ad-hoc" now.

Basically, teh D-Link ios being used as a wireless bridge for my PDA. This bridge is connected into my ADSL Router (the Macs/PC and 360 are also connected to this)

The nature of the wireless bridge was to allow me (and it successfully does) surf the net/email via my Ipaq PDA)

My assumption was to disconnect the PDA (although I don't really have to) and use the Mac Mini (with Airport card) in its place.

Hope this makes sense!

Dan

ScoobyDoo555

Wierd - it's working now. But in computer-to-computer mode

I thought this wasn't possible...

Dan

mattbeef

dunno, bridges can work weird at time and i guess that this is one of them