iM 4,1-14,4 connect old imac to internet

[fmillerphoto]

Hi
I'm trying to give away my old (2012) imac.

The gadget appears fine, but when we tried to connect to the internet (either via wifi or ethernet) we could contact the router, but not get to the internet.

An hour with xfinity didn't help and they concluded that the computer was just too old. Not sure I believe this.

IS it possible to connect it to the internet?

If so, can someone point me toward instructions that will work with Mountain Lion?

Thanks!

 

[Ben J.]

First thing I would try is to start your Mac running OS X Mountain Lion in Safe Boot (Safe Mode), shut down your computer, wait 10 seconds, and turn it on. Immediately after hearing the startup chime, press and hold the Shift key. Release the key when you see the Apple logo and a progress bar.

Can you verify that the router/wifi is working by using a different device?

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Shut down, boot while holding Command + Option + R.

It should have you sign in to WiFi there.

If that works and you get to the Recovery screen (with Reinstall, etc) - then it’s a software issue. You could go ahead and do an erase & install right there, which is the BEST solution IMO, or you could troubleshoot why it’s not working in Mountain Lion at that point.

If it’s not working there either - “probably” some sort of issue on the network but could be a hardware issue too. Test on a different WiFi; if it’s the same there then it’s probably not worth fixing.

 

[TheShortTimer]

An hour with xfinity didn't help and they concluded that the computer was just too old. Not sure I believe this.

You shouldn't believe that - because it's not true. Whoever you spoke to in the call centre didn't have the ability to troubleshoot the issue and so they took the easy way out.

IS it possible to connect it to the internet?

Following @Ben J.'s advice, you can test whether the Internet is restored under Safe Boot.

 

[Nermal]

How are you testing the Internet connection? It's possible that you're using a browser with no recent TLS support, and trying to access a site that requires it. Try testing with something that doesn't require TLS, such as http://httpforever.com.

 

[Mrbobb]

Do you have a working LAN? I mean do your other devices are able to "get out?" and only this old Mac is unable to?