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A new switcher who can't get on the internet

K

klyau6

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 19, 2004
40
0
DC
Hi--

My apologies in advance if I come off as an incompetent person who should not be using a computer. Anyway, I bought my very first Apple computer today (the "old" Powerbook 12" 1Ghz..). I brought it home, opened it up, and have been trying to figure out how to connect to the internet for the past 1.5 hours. I don't have the Airport Extreme Card yet (will get it sometime later). Anyway, I am clueless as to even how to go about doing this. In our house, we use Comcast Internet cable modem and use a router (I'm not sure which kind though). I've been on the tech support with Comcast for the past hour who have told me to use DHCP, have given me my IP address (but nothing more), and I am clueless (I'm not computer savvy at all!). I've followed the directions in the "getting started" guide too. Basically, the computer is telling me I cannot automatically connect, so I need certain information which Comcast isn't givng me.

So, to make a long story not very shorter...

How do i connect? Can i connect the comptuer to the actual cable modem? Is that the only way to do it? As of now, I am so clueless and so frustrated (I heard all these stories of people who bought apples, turned them on and they were automatically connected! If i buy an airport extreme card, will this be the case?!). I used the "assist me" part where it tries to connect it automatically through DHCP, but it didn't work, and I don't have any of the information to enter into the fields that are required because Comcast won't give it to me. All i want is to be able to have my wireless modem detect the cable internet. Any help will be muchly appreciated. THANK YOUUUUUUU
 
just plug in an ethernet cable from the router into your powerbook, and click on safari and it should work
 
connect the powerbook to the router via ethernet.

open System Preferences (in the Apple menu). Click on Network.

Select the built-in ethernet option in the list. Click Configure.

In the TCP/IP screen, select Configure IPv4: Using DHCP

You may want to click "renew DHCP lease"

that should have you connected...

paul
 
Did someone set up the router for you, or did you just plug it in and start using it?

If someone set it up for you, I'm wondering if they might have enabled some security measures like MAC filtering. All this means is the router would be only allowing certain computers (technically, their network cards) to connect.

If you just plugged it in and started using it, please ignore the previous paragraph - this will NOT be the problem. By default routers do not have security enabled, except they often have the wireless access turned off.

One thing that may help us - what brand and model number of router are you using? What types of computers (operating systems) are successfully using it to connect to the internet?
 
Hello there,

I have the same computer as you. :)

Firstly, your old computer connected to the internet through a cable that looks suspiciously like a telephone cord. However, it only looks like a telephone jack. You can connect to the net in several ways.

I am clueless as to even how to go about doing this. In our house, we use Comcast Internet cable modem and use a router (I'm not sure which kind though)

.....

All i want is to be able to have my wireless modem detect the cable internet.
Click to expand...

You mention that you have a router, but is it a wireless router? If the router is from your old computer, and you didn't have wireless internet before, you can't use that router for wireless internet because it doesn't have that capability. Try a Linksys wireless router or something. Its usually a good price. If you're sure you have a wireless router, plug your cable internet wire (the one that looks like a phone cord) into your router.
Once you get your Airport card, install it and see if you can get onto the internet. Your 12" PB should take care of everything else, since it should pick up the internet signal that your wireless router emits automatically. Make sure all your settings are on "Automatic" so that it takes care of everything for you.

Until you get the AE card, connect to the internet through the cord that looks "suspiciously like a telephone cord". One end of the cord should be connected to your modem (or regular router), and the other end should be connected to the 3rd last plug on the left side of your laptop (the ethernet port). The 2nd last plug is for dial-up internet, while the last plug is reserved for your AC Adaptor. Your internet should work configure itself if everything in NETWORK (under System Preferences) is set to "Automatic".

Oooh, one last thing: Try unplugging your (cable) modem from the power outlet for 15 seconds, plugging it back into the power outlet, and connecting the internet cord from your modem or router to your laptop. This wipes out some sort of data in your modem that keeps track of which computer is normally connected to it. I remember having trouble connecting to the net as well when I first got my computer because my old PC was usually the computer connected to it.
 
thanks for all of your help! quick question though, with the ethernet cord that "looks like a phone cord" thingy, i can still use it for the etnernet port? I ask this because it fits perfectly into the dial-up modem plug, but doesn't fit in the port where the ethernet cord should go...and I don't want to force it in just in case...? So is this still the right cord to use? And I hook it up to the cable modem?

Another question--If i just go back to the apple store and get an Airport card, will it just automatically detect the internet so I won't have to go through any of this confusion!?

Thanks again! :)
 
Westside guy said:
Did someone set up the router for you, or did you just plug it in and start using it?

If someone set it up for you, I'm wondering if they might have enabled some security measures like MAC filtering. All this means is the router would be only allowing certain computers (technically, their network cards) to connect.

If you just plugged it in and started using it, please ignore the previous paragraph - this will NOT be the problem. By default routers do not have security enabled, except they often have the wireless access turned off.

One thing that may help us - what brand and model number of router are you using? What types of computers (operating systems) are successfully using it to connect to the internet?
Click to expand...

We are using a Netgear router, and there are three computers hooked up to it...all Windows machines (indeed, I am the first and only Mac user in the family so far!) All three are desktops, I should add, and for my old computer I installed a wireless modem and my brother connected me using the Netgear Wireless adapter thing (where I plugged it into my USB port...) Netgear MA111 Configuration Utility is what it says....

I still haven't tried connecting the laptop with the actual cable modem using the cord....as of now I am kinda just lost (i'm new to the laptop world!)...thanks for your help!
 
klyau6 said:
Another question--If i just go back to the apple store and get an Airport card, will it just automatically detect the internet so I won't have to go through any of this confusion!?

Thanks again! :)
Click to expand...
yes , it will automatically detect your network, and if you dont have a password for it, it wd also log u on..

cheers
 
Hi,

The ethernet cable will fit into the ethernet port only. It won't fit into the modem port, so make sure you're using the right cable. Apple dont include an ethernet cable in the box, so you may have to borrow an ethernet cable from one of the other computers.

If you have MSN let me know, and I can guide you in real time :)

Thanks
Asif
 
thanks so much for your help everybody!! i just went to the apple store and bought an AE card, so i am now typing this on my laptop :) thanks again!
 
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