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The Dreaded WPA Personal

Kirk Boragine

Kirk Boragine

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 12, 2016
85
16
Arizona, America
Okay, I realize this has been covered here mostly on a case by case basis. I suppose as it should when every Modem is not created equal. I have spent hours (days) and I'm at my wits end. I did get it to work once after rebooting my modem. Next morning Airport was down and could not reconnect.

I have all the right checkboxes ticked using WPA-TKIP and WPA2-AES as my security. I have the original Airport card. Firmware is 9.5.2 (I'm running Tiger and obtained the firmware update through Software Update...I've played with settings on the modem to no avail. Rebooting both iBook and modem too many times than I care to admit. I've trashed Airport preferences, etc.

Are there any tricks I need to know about? I'm running with my security OFF / OPEN at the moment and I really don't want to do that. I really wanna use this Mac on the internet, but if I can't secure my Network I just might give up :( Maybe I'm missing something obvious? What's worked for you?
 
Kirk Boragine said:
I have all the right checkboxes ticked using WPA-TKIP and WPA2-AES as my security.
Click to expand...
The original Airport card is capable of WPA, but not WPA2.

And that's WPA with TKIP and not AES. I'm not sure where the second security protocol is coming in to play but you cannot connect to WPA2-AES.
 
I was hoping "WPA-TKIP and WPA2-AES" meant WPA-TKIP OR WPA2-AES, like the iBook would just use WPA-TKIP and ignore WPA2-AES. I'm sure it was working at one point the other night. After a reboot of the iBook to connect a external device it came back offline. Weird.

I'm also using 802.11b, or g only / no n.
[doublepost=1487743676][/doublepost]My wireless security choices are...

1. Security off
2. WPA2-AES
3. WPA-TKIP and WPA2-AES
 
Kirk Boragine said:
I was hoping "WPA-TKIP and WPA2-AES" meant WPA-TKIP OR WPA2-AES, like the iBook would just use WPA-TKIP and ignore WPA2-AES. I'm sure it was working at one point the other night. After a reboot of the iBook to connect a external device it came back offline. Weird.

I'm also using 802.11b, or g only / no n.
Click to expand...


Do you have more than one router, or just one router using two forms of encryption? Or two routers using two different forms of encryption?

802.11 b/g is what the original Airport card uses so you're good there.
 
eyoungren said:
Do you have more than one router, or just one router using two forms of encryption? Or two routers using two different forms of encryption?

802.11 b/g is what the original Airport card uses so you're good there.
Click to expand...
One router running 2.4GHz and 5GHz. The 5 GHz is using the same encryption / different radios.
[doublepost=1487744411][/doublepost]I find it interesting that under preferred networks there is a setting for WPA2, as well as others.
 
Kirk Boragine said:
One router running 2.4GHz and 5GHz. The 5 GHz is using the same encryption / different radios.
[doublepost=1487744411][/doublepost]I find it interesting that under preferred networks there is a setting for WPA2, as well as others.
Click to expand...
OK. For the 2.4Ghz you want WPA-TKIP. And the 2.4Ghz SSID is the one you want to connect to.

As far as a listing for WPA2, keep in mind that Tiger ran on the Aluminum PowerBooks which have Airport Extreme and can do WPA2. It may be there but the original Airport Card is not capable of WPA2.
 
eyoungren said:
OK. For the 2.4Ghz you want WPA-TKIP. And the 2.4Ghz SSID is the one you want to connect to.

As far as a listing for WPA2, keep in mind that Tiger ran on the Aluminum PowerBooks which have Airport Extreme and can do WPA2. It may be there but the original Airport Card is not capable of WPA2.
Click to expand...
Understood. Still can't connect.
 
Oddly on a Win PC the SSD shows up as the name and then a space and a "2". It's not written like that in the routers setup pages.
[doublepost=1487745027][/doublepost]There was an error joining the Airport network "CenturyLink..."
[doublepost=1487745099][/doublepost](SSID)
[doublepost=1487745189][/doublepost]I setup a preferred network to join with the space and "2" at the end. No go.
 
Kirk Boragine said:
Oddly on a Win PC the SSD shows up as the name and then a space and a "2". It's not written like that in the routers setup pages.
[doublepost=1487745027][/doublepost]There was an error joining the Airport network "CenturyLink..."
[doublepost=1487745099][/doublepost](SSID)
Click to expand...
Do you have two separate SSIDs for 2.4 and 5Ghz?

Are there any special characters or numbers in the SSID?

What happens if you give it a really simple name?

EDIT: In the iBook's Network settings are there more than one name for the connection? I.e, WiFi 1, WiFi 2, and so on?
 
Kirk Boragine said:
When I use the Assist me option only CenturyLink comes up (along with the neighborhood) and not the CenturyLink 2 like on the PC.
Click to expand...
Ahhh. Don't use the Assist Me option.

From the Airport icon in your menubar select the correct network and then enter the password.
 
eyoungren said:
Do you have two separate SSIDs for 2.4 and 5Ghz?

Are there any special characters or numbers in the SSID?

What happens if you give it a really simple name?

EDIT: In the iBook's Network settings are there more than one name for the connection? I.e, WiFi 1, WiFi 2, and so on?
Click to expand...
SSIDs are identical. Will try changing the name. Only one SSID appears on the iBook.
 
Changing the name didn't help.
[doublepost=1487745872][/doublepost]Is there something I can run off the Tiger disk to help restore anything? Maybe there's corrupted files?
 
Sorry man, I'm out of ideas at this point. If the encyption is correct it should see it and you should be able to connect.

I hope someone else can help with something I may have overlooked.
 
I have the built in firewall on, that shouldn't matter, right?
[doublepost=1487746050][/doublepost]That's the thing, I think I'm overlooking something. I'll keep poking at it. Thanks.
 
Time and date are correct. Although I had network time turned off in the firewall before. I've tried turning the firewall off as well. No go.

Just made a new admin account to see if that helps. Nada.
 
Kirk Boragine said:
Time and date are correct. Although I had network time turned off in the firewall before. I've tried turning the firewall off as well. No go.

Just made a new admin account to see if that helps. Nada.
Click to expand...

Try this (although it says it only applies to WEP...also look at the last post here about which cards support WPA https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2710836?tstart=0 ) - I remember years ago I had to put a $ before my password on my home wifi with my PB.. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201506
 
topbanana_ said:
Try this (although it says it only applies to WEP...also look at the last post here about which cards support WPA https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2710836?tstart=0 ) - I remember years ago I had to put a $ before my password on my home wifi with my PB.. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201506
Click to expand...
That's good info. I kinda remember those tips from back in the day. However nothing worked.

From bits around the internet I'm starting to suspect I have one of the original Airport cards that didn't have a hardware revision or firmware. Not sure which. Possibly just a firmware revision. I haven't been able to locate the firmware. I thought I would have picked it up through Software Update.

I did however pick up a MacBook Pro today so I'm kinda stoked about that. Playing with the iBook got me excited about Mac again and made me realize how much I like and miss using them. Just a pleasure compared to other OS's.

So until I find that firmware or figure out the puzzle (I spent way too many hours trying) I'm happy I'm back on Mac at least in some capacity even if it's not old school PPC ;)
 
I use an Edimax miniUSB-WLAN adapter for my G3-Books (Clamshell and Snow).
Thought it's limited by the bottleneck of USB1 it works smooth with the latest WLAN-encryptions and there are drives for early OS X versions (Tiger, Leopard) and PPC.
 
Thanks. I've heard of that adapter being used. I wonder how much of an effect USB 1 actually has on speed.

I was also considering a router hub/station/bridge (forget what it's called) then run WEP from there. Possibility?
 
Kirk Boragine said:
Thanks. I've heard of that adapter being used. I wonder how much of an effect USB 1 actually has on speed.

I was also considering a router hub/station/bridge (forget what it's called) then run WEP from there. Possibility?
Click to expand...

Maybe you might look for something like that ... https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ions-for-mac-os9.1960993/page-2#post-22717102

Stuff like the "ASUS 3G MOBILE Wireless Router (WL-330N3G)" connects to WLAN at higher speed and passes traffic through the ethernet-socket.
It also works with OS9. Once you've set the connection to be connected within your home-WLAN you may plugin that router into any of your hardware (ethernet and USB for power) to get instant access to WLAN
 
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