Just got my first mac, but networking problems are holding me back...

[Lobo]

Just got the new 15 inch powerbook, but I can't get it onto my pre-existent wireless network. We have roadrunner cable internet and my dad's pc notebook is connected to it for internet sharing. My powerbook can see the network, but when I try to log on, it asks me for the WEP password, and I have no clue what that is. I called roadrunner tech support and they gave me the password, but said that they didnt officially support macs for wireless, only for wired networking, so all they could give me was the password, and no more tech support. I entered the password, but it doesnt even fit in the mac's password line (26 characters, 128k encryption) so then I went to a button that said "assist me" and it had another place to set up the internet network, and the password fit in there, but it said it was invalid, so I'm back at square 1. Just works... yeah, right.

I've called multiple times to confirm my password, and I've typed it in about 19 times, so I don't think the error is there. Any suggestions?

 

[Logik]

Just got the new 15 inch powerbook, but I can't get it onto my pre-existent wireless network. We have roadrunner cable internet and my dad's pc notebook is connected to it for internet sharing. My powerbook can see the network, but when I try to log on, it asks me for the WEP password, and I have no clue what that is. I called roadrunner tech support and they gave me the password, but said that they didnt officially support macs for wireless, only for wired networking, so all they could give me was the password, and no more tech support. I entered the password, but it doesnt even fit in the mac's password line (26 characters, 128k encryption) so then I went to a button that said "assist me" and it had another place to set up the internet network, and the password fit in there, but it said it was invalid, so I'm back at square 1. Just works... yeah, right.

I've called multiple times to confirm my password, and I've typed it in about 19 times, so I don't think the error is there. Any suggestions?

first off you're really jumping to conclusions on this "Just Works" thing.. seriously, chill. just because you might be upset doesn't mean it doesn't work, you're just having difficulties. So, you made the right choice, you came here to ask. How do you fix this? Easy.

First, in the menu bar at the top there is a "Airport" icon.. typicall a Wave looking icon with 4 bars on it. Click that, Click "Other..." and fill out the appropriate information.. you have different types of security that is supported.. make sure you select the correct one.

 

[wordmunger]

I think you need to ask your dad for the password. It's the password he used to set up the WAP in the first place. If he doesn't know, try "admin", which is the default on many WAPs.

 

[Logik]

I think you need to ask your dad for the password. It's the password he used to set up the WAP in the first place. If he doesn't know, try "admin", which is the default on many WAPs.

uh no no.. he's talking about the WEP password...

WAP = Wireless Access Point (ie Airport, Linksys Router, Router in general that does internet sharing)

WEP = Wired Equivalent Privacy

Wired Equivalent privacy is an encryption protocol used to encrypted network traffic on a wireless network.. WAP != WEP

however, this does indeed bring up an interesting point... you might be typing in the WAP password... the one used to change the configuration on the router.. in which case you will be required to go into the wireless access point and setup a WEP password... you MAY NEED TO DO THIS...

i thought it sounded strange that they had this setup for you automatically... i'd bet they gave you the WAP password... or the password to access the WAP configuration utility.. try using it there and going through the options on that to setup a WEP password

 

[musicpyrite]

My powerbook can see the network, but when I try to log on, it asks me for the WEP password, and I have no clue what that is.

There is your problem. You've password protected your network, and you don't know what the password is.

Roadrunner can't help you because they don't know your LAN password, only your roadrunner account password.

And roadrunner saying your Mac isn't supported is total BS.

Edit: omg i type so slooow.

 

[wordmunger]

uh no no.. he's talking about the WEP password...

WAP = Wireless Access Point (ie Airport, Linksys Router, Router in general that does internet sharing)

WEP = Wired Equivalent Privacy

Wired Equivalent privacy is an encryption protocol used to encrypted network traffic on a wireless network.. WAP != WEP

however, this does indeed bring up an interesting point... you might be typing in the WAP password... the one used to change the configuration on the router.. in which case you will be required to go into the wireless access point and setup a WEP password... you MAY NEED TO DO THIS...

i thought it sounded strange that they had this setup for you automatically... i'd bet they gave you the WAP password... or the password to access the WAP configuration utility.. try using it there and going through the options on that to setup a WEP password

I know he's talking about the WEP password, but my point is that the cable company probably didn't set this up for him; it's something that's configured by the home user when they set up the WAP. It's also possible that his WAP was configured with a different type of WEP password, such as hex, or ASCII.

 

[Applespider]

Is it a hexadecimal password? Are you putting a $ at the start of the password?

 

[Logik]

I know he's talking about the WEP password, but my point is that the cable company probably didn't set this up for him; it's something that's configured by the home user when they set up the WAP. It's also possible that his WAP was configured with a different type of WEP password, such as hex, or ASCII.

right, i understand that now.. my bad i just read it wrong and all that. sorry, i've answered so many questions today my brain is barely functioning at the moment

 

[Les Kern]

And roadrunner saying your Mac isn't supported it total BS.

Give me the guy's name and phone number. Sometimes when I'm depressed I like to call a technological dumb-ass and grill them.

 

[Lobo]

first off you're really jumping to conclusions on this "Just Works" thing.. seriously, chill. just because you might be upset doesn't mean it doesn't work, you're just having difficulties. So, you made the right choice, you came here to ask. How do you fix this? Easy.

First, in the menu bar at the top there is a "Airport" icon.. typicall a Wave looking icon with 4 bars on it. Click that, Click "Other..." and fill out the appropriate information.. you have different types of security that is supported.. make sure you select the correct one.

I was just joking about the just works thing. And thanks, you nailed it perfectly, I had it set to the wrong kind of encryption.

Smooth sailing now.

 

[Logik]

I was just joking about the just works thing. And thanks, you nailed it perfectly, I had it set to the wrong kind of encryption.

sorry just had a lot of people lately feel the need to whine and complain because it doesnt work the exact way they think it should. but you're welcome and glad it fixed the problem. any other questions? feel free to ask

 

[Lobo]

New Problem:

I got on the net last night just fine, but today, no luck. Every time I open safari I get "www.apple.com failed to load. Safari can't find the server. Safari can't open the page www.apple.com because it can't find server www.apple.com"

I go to open Internet Connect and it says status: connected to "name of network" and my signal level is 2 bars away from max, so I don't think its really a connection problem.

One thing of interest I kinda noticed, but can't yet confirm: I said above that my dad's laptop is also set to share our wireless internet connection, but we both have yet to be connected at the same time. Last night, after I fixed my problem, my dad said that he was connected, but no page would load, but I didnt really think anything of it, and now, tonight, while hes surfing the web, I can't load any pages. So, now I'm wondering if something is up, or maybe if roadrunner (who won't help me by the way, me being on a mac) limits the amount of computers that can be on at one time. Any idea how I might be able to fix this problem?

 

[panphage]

What's the difference between a WAP and a wireless router? Could this be their problem, they don't have a router with DHCP for multiple connections? If it is, talk your dad into spending $40-60 for a wireless router.

 

[daveL]

New Problem:

I got on the net last night just fine, but today, no luck. Every time I open safari I get "www.apple.com failed to load. Safari can't find the server. Safari can't open the page www.apple.com because it can't find server www.apple.com"

I go to open Internet Connect and it says status: connected to "name of network" and my signal level is 2 bars away from max, so I don't think its really a connection problem.

One thing of interest I kinda noticed, but can't yet confirm: I said above that my dad's laptop is also set to share our wireless internet connection, but we both have yet to be connected at the same time. Last night, after I fixed my problem, my dad said that he was connected, but no page would load, but I didnt really think anything of it, and now, tonight, while hes surfing the web, I can't load any pages. So, now I'm wondering if something is up, or maybe if roadrunner (who won't help me by the way, me being on a mac) limits the amount of computers that can be on at one time. Any idea how I might be able to fix this problem?

What kind of IP addresses are you getting? Are they 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x? If not, it sounds as though the roadrunner is giving out a "real" (routable) IP address, in which case, it probably only gives out one, unless you pay extra for addition static IP addresses. I just guessing here, but that would account for what you're seeing. If you are both set up for internet sharing, you are both routers. The roadrunner hands you the IP address for the "public" (internet) side of the router. Everyone on the interior side of the router is deemed to be of a different network/subnet, like the "private" IP addresses given above. A node, like your machine, when your Dad is also on, may have the "public" IP address, which your Dad, the current router, doesn't know who to route. Sorry for going on and on.

Anyway, another possibility is that only one of you is picking up the DNS server addresses. Can you ping your Dad's IP address?

 

[Kirbdog]

sometimes its not what you think

I was having some strange problems the other day. Safari would display the cannot find network sign whether I was connected or using Airport. But if I typed something into the googe finder it would open and search google. If I tryed to open a page from the search results I would get the error.
After a half hour of wondering I reset my router and the problem was fixed!
I just want'd to share that because it was something that I had never heard of before.