Odd wifi behaviour

[pullman]

The past few days I've been looking at wifi options for my new-to-me 15 DLSD. Then I realised that I have two old PCMCIA cards. One is an ancient D-Link DWL-650+, which isn't recognised at all by the computer so perhaps it's broken.

The second one is a slightly younger fellow, a Sagem 5167 which actually was installed in a wifi router that we got from our previous internet provider. It is also an 802.11g card.

I had low hopes when I put the Sagem card in, but the computer recognised it straight away and put it as "Airport (2)" in Sys Prefs-Network. This surprised me.

What surprised me even more was that the computer promptly connected to our WPA2-protected wifi over...wait for it... the built-in Airport. That card turned green in Sys Prefs-Network whereas the Sagem Airport (2) card is marked yellow as if it is not connected to the wifi.

Is this a glitch in Leopard perhaps? Evidently the built-in Airport can't connect to a WPA2-protected network. In fact, I haven't even able to connect it to our guest network on which I had temporarily turned all protection off

One of the threads I've read is this one which has a screenshot in post #19. Could it be that the Sagem card has one of the device IDs listed there and that this is the reason why it connected? That still doesn't explain why it's not listed as connected.

Confusingly yours 🤔
Philip

 

[eyoungren]

The past few days I've been looking at wifi options for my new-to-me 15 DLSD. Then I realised that I have two old PCMCIA cards. One is an ancient D-Link DWL-650+, which isn't recognised at all by the computer so perhaps it's broken.

The second one is a slightly younger fellow, a Sagem 5167 which actually was installed in a wifi router that we got from our previous internet provider. It is also an 802.11g card.

I had low hopes when I put the Sagem card in, but the computer recognised it straight away and put it as "Airport (2)" in Sys Prefs-Network. This surprised me.

What surprised me even more was that the computer promptly connected to our WPA2-protected wifi over...wait for it... the built-in Airport. That card turned green in Sys Prefs-Network whereas the Sagem Airport (2) card is marked yellow as if it is not connected to the wifi.

Is this a glitch in Leopard perhaps? Evidently the built-in Airport can't connect to a WPA2-protected network. In fact, I haven't even able to connect it to our guest network on which I had temporarily turned all protection off

One of the threads I've read is this one which has a screenshot in post #19. Could it be that the Sagem card has one of the device IDs listed there and that this is the reason why it connected? That still doesn't explain why it's not listed as connected.

Confusingly yours 🤔
Philip

Assuming you have an original Airport card installed, try removing it and see what happens with the other card.

If you only have the one card installed, remove the old Airport interface and see what happens with Airport (2).

My guess is that the Mac is reading the new card as the 'original' card and reporting your new yellow Airport (2) connection as the old one.

 

[Amethyst1]

Evidently the built-in Airport can't connect to a WPA2-protected network.

It should be able to - my older SLSD had no trouble connecting to my WPA2 WiFi. I could even connect to it using my 2003 12" Powerbook which had the optional Airport Extreme upgrade. My router's settings are for maximum compatibility (2.4+5GHz 802.11g/n).

 

[Project Alice]

I use my Aluminum PowerBooks on my modern WPA2 network all the time, it’s the old original airport card that doesn’t work. It supposedly works with WPA1/TKIP but I couldn’t ever get that to work either.

Your DLSD has an airport extreme card built in. Unless it’s broken, or you’re experiencing some weird software glitch it should connect no problem.

 

[pullman]

I do have the original Airport Express installed. Without the PCMCIA card installed the AE will not connect, even to an unprotected guest network. Here's how it looks:

Assuming you have an original Airport card installed, try removing it and see what happens with the other card.

If you only have the one card installed, remove the old Airport interface and see what happens with Airport (2).

My guess is that the Mac is reading the new card as the 'original' card and reporting your new yellow Airport (2) connection as the old one.

Ok that's good to know. I was under the impression that WPA2 Personal doesn't work in Leopard but requires Snow Leopard.

It should be able to - my older SLSD had no trouble connecting to my WPA2 WiFi. I could even connect to it using my 2003 12" Powerbook which had the optional Airport Extreme upgrade. My router's settings are for maximum compatibility (2.4+5GHz 802.11g/n).

This is encouraging. So perhaps the built-in card in my computer is broken then. How can I test that?

I use my Aluminum PowerBooks on my modern WPA2 network all the time, it’s the old original airport card that doesn’t work. It supposedly works with WPA1/TKIP but I couldn’t ever get that to work either.

Your DLSD has an airport extreme card built in. Unless it’s broken, or you’re experiencing some weird software glitch it should connect no problem.

 

[Amethyst1]

I was under the impression that WPA2 Personal doesn't work in Leopard but requires Snow Leopard.

It also works in Tiger - I've yet to check if it works in Panther.

 

[pullman]

The plot thickens, now BOTH are listed as connected.

 

[Amethyst1]

With different IPs I presume?

 

[pullman]

Yes, x.x.x.30 and .31. Weirdly, if I power off and pull out the PCMCIA the AE card continues to work. This was not the case a few days ago. Perhaps it just needed to be jump started It works in both Leopard and Tiger now. I'm most pleased.