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iBook ethernet port

hippotech

hippotech

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 26, 2004
10
0
Chelmsford, UK
Hi all,

I've had my iBook for a month or so now ( my first - the iBook not the month ! ). I've been using the aiport almost constantly, but recently needed to transfer a couple of gig of data so I plugged in an ethernet cable.

It didn't work - after a bit of experimenting, I've found that the ethernet port only works if it is present at startup. After that it works fine, but if I boot up without it and then plug it in - no joy. I have to restart for it to be detected.

Not a biggy, but is this normal ?

Thanks,
Hippo
 
iBook Ethernet Problems

My wife just got an iBook, 12" 1Ghz. Her Ethernet works fine, even if it's plugged in while running.

Are you going into System Prefs -- Network -- "Configure" for ethernet? This may help your situation.

Good luck!

-alywa
 
It works fine - I'm using it now. It seems that if I boot up without it plugged in and the plug it it, it won't work.

If it is present when I boot up, I can plug & unplug to my heart's content without any problems.

Just seems to need to be there at startup time - not normally an issue as it works when it wakes up from sleep.

Hippo
 
OK some more detail.

Just started up without airport and the ethernet worked fine. Seems that if I start up on wireless and then add the ethernet, I get an issue.

Hippo
 
Hmmm..

I just moved my router downstairs, so I can't really test to see if my ethernet will connect when I'm using airport. It seems like it could when I was testing the connections a few days ago, but I can't say for sure.

Anyway, at least you got it working.

-alywa
 
One more thing

Thinking through your posts, I think the iBook is using airport as it's default setting, then using ethernet when it doesn't have airport on.

Again, did you check in the system prefs -- network -- configure ethernet? I'm sure I had both working when I tried it.

-alywa
 
Hippo,

That behavior is not normal. There's probably a setting that you have that's preventing the correct (or normal) behavior.

I would call up Applecare (especially since your's is new) and ask them about it. I don't know about the UK, but in the US, you get 90 days free telephone support.

Or you could take it into an Apple Store and have them look at it. It's probably something really simple.

ft
 
ftaok said:
Hippo,

That behavior is not normal. There's probably a setting that you have that's preventing the correct (or normal) behavior.

I would call up Applecare (especially since your's is new) and ask them about it. I don't know about the UK, but in the US, you get 90 days free telephone support.

Or you could take it into an Apple Store and have them look at it. It's probably something really simple.

ft
Click to expand...
Only one problem though - I don't think the UK has any Apple Stores yet...
EDIT: Scratch that - there is one Apple Store right now, and two more are planned.
 
not normal. i can plug/unplug an ethernet cable to my heart's content and my ibook will use the faster signal (inevitably the wired connection).

hippo -- what do you mean by "not work?"

my router is set up to as a DHCP server. so when i plug in the cable, on the Network control panel, Ethernet / TCP/IP page, i'll see the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway field filled out. unplug it, the fields go blank.

is your setup different? what behavior are you seeing when you do the above? have you tried using someone else's DHCP server?
 
I'm actually beginning to think it is the router and not the mac.

At one point DHCP had given the same IP address to the ethernet and the wireless.....192.168.0.10

The firmware on the router is very old ( about 18 months ) - I think I'll look at that first - thanks for all the suggestions.

Hippo
 
I think this problem has a very simple fix.

System Preferences -> Network -> Show "Network Port Configurations"

Drag "Built-in Ethernet" to the top of the list. As it says in that window... "Drag configurations into the order you want to try them when connecting to a network." I'm guessing that your airport connection is being tried before ethernet, so it's just using that.
 
hippotech said:
I'm actually beginning to think it is the router and not the mac.

At one point DHCP had given the same IP address to the ethernet and the wireless.....192.168.0.10
Click to expand...
yikes!

agree that the router needs investigation.
 
The last post is right. If you put Ethernet on top, when you plug the ethernet cable it, it will start using ethernet for all new connections. However, all existing connections on airport will remain on airport.
 
I've restarted the router - has been running since god-knows when !

Also set ethernet port to have fixed IP address of 192.168.0.21 ( wireless still has 192.168.0.10 as lease hasn't expired ) - seems to be okay now.

I can plug and unplug ethernet, turn off and turn on wireless in any order - must have been a screw loose in the router.

Thanks for all your help.....

Hippo
 
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