Airport Connection Timeout & Invalid Password?

ArtyMac · #1 May 26th, 2009, 07:44 AM

I am having seriuos problems with my internet conection. I have just moved my IMac (running Mac OS X 10.5.6) from the UK where it connected to the internet via airport with no fuss at all, to Germany where it refuses to do the right thing!

The airport status bar on the desk top menu can "see" my wireless network with full signal. When I click on it and enter the password, it tells me that it is connecting to the network, the airport signal bar turns black - but then connection timeout appears and it all returns grey....

Then when i open up network, there is the orange blob next to airport saying it is on. I use the assist button at the bottom, set up a new location and select my wireless network. I enter the password, hit continue and the signal strength bar again turns black - and again i get a dialogue box telling me "the password you entered is invalid" and the signal bar turns grey.....

The password is not wrong, as i have other wirless machines connected using the same password. I have put the MAC address into the router (via another machine, as i can't even connect to the router from the iMac). I have tried putting a $ before the password and 0x as well as using "xxx" to encase my password yet no luck. I have also reset the PRAM. Some people have suggested it may be the Firewall, but i have not found out how to turn it off to see if it is the case!

I am not 'good' enough with computers to think of anything else, and no other threads have helped. Having had the computer connected before and other devices connected now, frustration is mounting!

Please help, and if you can keep the help in as simple terms as possible due to my lack of computer expertise!!

Many thanks in advance.

Satcomer · #2 May 26th, 2009, 07:56 AM

Well try to open System Preferences->Network and at the top of the pane make a new custom Network (calling it what you want), then hit "Apply". See if that helps to create the new Location.

I say this because I am convinced the "Automatic" Location is broken because it has always given weird issues across all the Macs I have fixed wireless issues.

ArtyMac · #3 May 26th, 2009, 08:03 AM

Thanks Satcomer, just tried that yet i still get the connection timeout message when i try to connect to my Wireless network. Any other ideas??!

Satcomer · #4 May 26th, 2009, 08:05 AM

Make sure you put in the correct MAC address of the airport card into the router. Just make sure you are using the same format putting in the MAC address as the other PCs.

ArtyMac · #5 May 26th, 2009, 08:50 AM

I have rechecked the MAC address filter on the router, and it is all correct. Still no joy with connecting to the internet or the network.

Satcomer · #6 May 27th, 2009, 08:11 AM

Then is is time to get really technical and PLEASE follow these steps.

1. BACKUP! This is very important before you do anything else.

2. Disconnect the Mac from any network, Airport or any connections.

3. Then try the suggestions in the MacFixIt article Tutorial: Fixing Wireless connectivity (including AirPort) problems: Dropouts, slow speed, more and see if one them might help.

Good Luck.

ChadPil · #7 June 11th, 2009, 04:22 PM

I was having a similar problem. I was able to get Airport to work and then I would randomly lose my connection. Sometimes on restart I was not able to get it to work at all. Randomness is VERY frustrating.

I pulled up the activity monitor and started looking to see what was running right before I lost my connection. The only application that I did not recognize was SyncServer. I am unsure what it does, but it was modified on May 25, 2009 (Which seemed to be about when the problems started). I looked at my Time Machine backup before May 25th and found an older copy of it that was modified in December. I replaced it with the older version and everything seems to be working now.

Here is where you can find it.
/System/Library/Frameworks/SyncServices.framework/Versions/A/Resources/