help: airport connects to wrong network

[jesuscandle]

I'm running a regular airport card on a 900 MHz G3 iBook with OS X 10.3.8. Sometimes - but not all the time - when I wake the computer from sleep or otherwise re-initialize the wireless connection, the computer connects to the wrong wireless network in my building. Presumably someone else's in the building.

I'd rather not do this for two reasons:

1) The signal for the wrong network is weak. Often, I get poor or nonexistant connectivity.

2) Just doesn't seem right. If I'm paying for DSL, I want to use it, ya know?

So, how do I force my mac to connect to my network? Two things you should know:

1) I've already used the Network System Preference to join my "specific network" by default. But it still usually connects to the wrong network.

2) The wrong network in question has an SSID of <default> which I think might be gumming up the works.

Really, all I want to do is force my mac to connect to my network or blacklist the wrong network it keeps connecting to. Any advice?

thanks.

 

[BigDogg]

Huh.Is the signal stronger that it keeps switching over to at times?

 

[BigDogg]

Another question- do you have an ecryption? If so this would be the reason you have to switch back over I believe.

 

[jesuscandle]

Huh.Is the signal stronger that it keeps switching over to at times?

No. In fact, the signal is significantly weaker.

 

[jesuscandle]

Another question- do you have an ecryption? If so this would be the reason you have to switch back over I believe.

No encryption on either my router or the other guy's.

 

[Koodauw]

That happens to me too. We have about 6 Networks in our building. You should have the little Airport logo in your on the upper right hadn side of your Finder Bar Next to the time. Just click on that and choose the network you want. Yours should show up in there. It takes 1.5 seconds to do it. Its just something you get used to.

 

[jesuscandle]

That happens to me too. We have about 6 Networks in our building. You should have the little Airport logo in your on the upper right hadn side of your Finder Bar Next to the time. Just click on that and choose the network you want. Yours should show up in there. It takes 1.5 seconds to do it. Its just something you get used to.

1.5 seconds!? Are you kidding!? That's entirely too much!

Actually, this is basically what I do now. It's obviously not a BIG deal, but still a pain. Four reasons why I think I ought to be able to fix this (can you tell I'm big on lists?):

1) It's a pain because Adium starts to connect on the wrong network and sometimes succeeds. Switching to the right network just makes Adium clunky.

2) There's a specific setting in the System Preferences that should fix this. It doesn't. Why?

3) It just doesn't seem very Apple to have your wireless card just connect to random networks when you don't want to.

4) What else will I obsess over if not every nook and cranny of my iBook? I mean...come on!

 

[Koodauw]

Gee, and here I thought you had a real problem....

 

[stoid]

If it's listed as <default> it's probably an unconfigured straight out of the box Linksys or something. In that case, you should be able connect directly to the router and have full admin privileges. Go in and set a password, or better yet enable an invisible mode if it supports it so that it has to be entered manually if it has it. It'll disappear from your list. Eventually the owner will probably reset it, but just keep doing that, and either he'll get wise and protect it himself, or stop using it altogether. Either way, you win.

 

[jesuscandle]

If it's listed as <default> it's probably an unconfigured straight out of the box Linksys or something. In that case, you should be able connect directly to the router and have full admin privileges. Go in and set a password, or better yet enable an invisible mode if it supports it so that it has to be entered manually if it has it. It'll disappear from your list. Eventually the owner will probably reset it, but just keep doing that, and either he'll get wise and protect it himself, or stop using it altogether. Either way, you win.

I kinda already tried that. At least wanted to see if there was anything un-invasive I could do. But, alas, the bad network in question is dumb enough to use <default> as the SSID, but not dumb enough to forgo an admin password.