Mac Pro won't connect to WiFi

Any number of possible reasons. Have you tried restarting the hotspot? You may need to refresh the Mac's DHCP lease (Network Preferences > Advanced > TCP/IP). It may be that the hotspot has limits on the number of devices that can connect to the network, and you're over the limit... All guesswork, which is not a substitute for systematic troubleshooting. Try using Network Diagnostics (Network Preferences > Assist me... > Diagnostics).

 

if your Iphone or mobile device is able to create hotspots I would try link it to this first. let me know if it doesnt work we can try something else

 

Maybe..........just maybe the Mac isn't so pro anymore...

 

Correct you can’t hotspot a Wi-Fi unfortunately but what you can do is make a personal hotspot on a iOS device which has mobile data options, this should work with other devices like android also if you have a none apple device

All you then need to do is see if it connects to the phone! If it doesn’t there is something else we can try

 

What WiFi card is in your MacPro? What WiFi types (a,b,g,n,ac) on what frequencies (2.4ghz, 5ghz) does your router use?

1. The antique MacPro "early 2009" 4.1 did not have built-in WiFi, though they were often sold as build-to-order with the optional Apple AirPort card, which supports b, g, & n at 2.4ghz. Apple's card could also be added later, as could 3rd party cards.
2. There must be some common ground between the WiFi type and frequency supported by your computer and those supported and enabled on your router. Disabling the older, slower WiFi types is not uncommon as it can will improve the speeds seen by newer devices.

 

You keep leaking out new, important info. This is a key statement:

. You've had us scratching our heads as if it's restricted to a specific PC, rather than behaving consistently towards any PC to which you have access.

Let's assume that the Xfinity public hotspot does discriminate between device types (routers certainly can identify the types of devices that connect, and can be set to reject inappropriate connections). After all, it's in Xfinity's interest to do so - those hotspots exist to serve Xfinity's customers when they're away from their home network. It's not there to replace a home or office network. If the hotspot's neighbors permanently latch onto it, how much bandwidth might be left for transient Xfinity customers? It likely would reject a range extender, just as it would a PC, regardless of what OS that PC runs, and I'd expect you'd have a tough time connecting a wifi printer. One can argue that the hotspot should allow use by PCs while they're in true mobile use, but how would they make that distinction?

Overall, I think you have to adapt to the notion that Xfinity doesn't want you to use their hotspot in the manner you wish, and they're smart enough that they're not going to leave any gaping loopholes.

 

Why would you want to connect a Mac Pro by WiFi when it has two perfectly good Gigabit Ethernet sockets?

 

Sometimes it pays to read the "manual." Currently, Xfinity's secure hotspots are accessible by Macs running OS X 10.7 and higher (Windows 7 or higher, iOS 7 or higher, Android 4.3 or higher). Other device types are not supported (that presumably includes range extenders). They're not quite as clear about their unsecured hotspots, but there's no indication that there's a blanket ban on either Macs or Windows PCs.

However, between their support pages and TOS, it's clear that only Xfinity customers can automatically log in - others have to go through a login web page. Further, the hotspot will drop any device connection after prolonged inactivity.

So, if you're an Xfinity customer, I suggest you contact them for support. If not, assume that they're managing their free, public network in a manner that suits their desires.

 

This whole thread makes me really glad that I don't have a Comcast router for random people to be mooching from, especially if they are doing who-knows-what on my connection.

 

IMHO, every member of this forum should know better than to use a generic router from an ISP. Or is that just me????

I have CenturyLink and only use the router to get the wired signal. The wireless portion of the router is turned off. I have a well protected Linksys Router with an additional Linksys Range Extender to get a signal to the rest of the house. IOW, 2 separate networks, again both with a firewall and password protected.

Lou