Weird Internet problem, iBook, PowerMac connect, no problem...Powerbook not so much!

OK, here is my problem:

My collection of computers is as follows, iBook, PowerMac, and Powerbook. All are running the latest updates of Tiger. All of them access the internet through my airport extreme network, which is augmented by an airport express. Now, my iBook and PowerMac all access the internet w/ no problems, but the Powerbook either outright refuses to do so, or will connect for a second, then nothing. I should note that when I say connect...the airport signal is always pegged out, but when I use the Powerbook, its as if the broadband isn't there, but the iBook and Powerbooks are fine. I have checked the settings on the computers....they all seem to be as they should be...I have rebuilt permissions on my Powerbook...I have restarted my basestations...I have restarted my Powerbook...stil the same behavior. The only thing I can think of is that I accessed my University's wireless network with my Powerbook while I was in my office at the Uni today. Powerbook was working fine when I left the house and now nothing...did I inadvertantly screw something up, or did my preferences or settings get messed up when I was logging on to their network? I don't know what to do, can someone please help me?

thanks for the quick replies....I checked my powerbook...it is still set to join airport networks automatically and no proxies are on or set up or anything...I am not sure what madmax was talking about when he was talking about IP addresses. I thought that was all automatic between the computers on the network, and I just had to worry about the IP settings on my base station, which I have set and have had set for a long time. All other computers on the network work flawlessly. So I am still at a loss...

Allright, I will give that a shot...thanks

Allright, I tried that and didn't come up w/ an exact match but found a bunch of files w/ plist as part of them in the preferences section of the library that had to do with the internet, network, and whatnot, and I trashed those and restarted. It worked briefly, and then crapped out on me again...

So I probably should have trashed the preferences in the main library, rather than the one under my user name in my home folder, huh? I am going to go back and do that and see what happens.

Hey, thanks so much for your help. I am posting this from the Powerbook as we speak. It is really zipping along...hopefully, this fixed it. Once again, thanks so much for your help

yup

Well, the problem is back, and I for the life of me cannot figure it out. Anymore suggestions. I had a full 2 gigs of RAM in here, but I took it out and just have one, but it did it again anyway. Now what I have done is to turn the firewall on my computer off, do you think that this could have been causing this on the powerbook. Again, no other computers on this network have a problem like this, or have EVER had a problem like this. I don't know anything else to do if this firewall thing doesn't solve it, except to do a clean install of the system. Anyone got any new ideas? I am desperate

just a little bump folks...I am desperate here. Anybody with any new ideas please save me before I am down with a fresh install, which I really don't have the time to do, but will have to if somebody doesn't have any more ideas....

Yeah, I have tried that. I turned the firewall off that is built into the system, and haven't had any problems yet. I also took out a gig of the RAM I had in there. So far since I have done those two things, it hasn't quit working, but that has only been a few hours of use, so I am not confident as of yet that I have fixed it. Even if I have, I want that RAM back, so I don't know what I am going to do.

So far, since I did the last two things, it is working. But I am not ready to hold my breath. Does anyone really think that the firewall could have been causing it to drop the connectioin?

yes, the firewall was OSX's built in firewall. Since I have turned it off, I haven't had any problems....knocks on wood....I will put that memory back in tomorrow and see what happens.

Thanks for all of your help on this thread btw, mad jew

OK, so the firewall is still off, and the memory has not been reinstalled as of yet. Yet, the problem is back. When I reboot the computer it goes away for a while and then comes back either within a few hours or a few days, depending on the amount of usage. I guess I am down to a fresh install of the system software as my last resort, anybody got any more ideas we havne't already thought of?

Thanks. I think I have done the PRAM thing in the past, but I will do it again, it sure can't hurt. I have never done the other, so thanks for the heads up on the PMU reset!! I will give these both a shot, but its been a couple of days since I have had any problems, so i have no idea what is going on with this machine. Oh well, at least it keeps me thinking.