airport extreme connection problem ...

J

Johnny88

Registered
Hello!

I just purchased a 12" powerbook G4 1.5/512 with airport extreme (and I love it!!) but I cannot connect to the internet. I live in an apartment, and my landlord has a wireless router downstairs that she lets me connect too (WEP password is disabled). With my old crppy PC laptop, I just had to go out and purchase a PCI card, i came home, installed the card, automtically it connected to her network....and voilla, I was surfing in 5 minutes!

With my powerbook, I can't figure out how to connect. When i open up airport, it doesn't seem to find any connections. I am on this connection right now with my PC, so I know it is working. Is there an easy way to do this?? I'm a new mac guy...

Thanks in advance....and great site everyone!
 
Have you walked through the setup of your Airport using the Airport Setup Assistant?

Find it from the Finder. "Go" dropdown menu in top bar. Choose Utilities. Then the Assistant.
 
sgould said:
Have you walked through the setup of your Airport using the Airport Setup Assistant?

Find it from the Finder. "Go" dropdown menu in top bar. Choose Utilities. Then the Assistant.
Click to expand...

Hi sgould...thanks for the reply.

Yes, I did try that ...and it says "no new airport networks were found" which I assume means that airport cannot locate the router downstairs for some reason.
 
Make sure your Network settings are correct. In System Preferences, choose "Network". Then in the "Show" box choose "Airport". Under this there are tabs. Choose "Airport" tab. Choose By default join: "Automatic". You can also choose to tick the "Show Airport status in menu bar" box.


If it connects, OK. If not click on the TCP/IP tab and choose Configure IPv4 as "Using DHCP". You may also need to click on the "renew DHCP Lease" box. In this window you should see the router info like 10.1.1.1 or 127.2.1.0 or similar. If you don't you are still not connected.

Go to the PPPoE tab and make sure the "Connect using PPPoE" box is UNticked.

Ditto for Apple Talk.

If you are still unconnected - I am out of ideas unless you have a weak signal and need to take the Powerbook closer to the wifi router.
 
Thanks sgould....I did all of that, and still no connection...and in the TCP/IP tab, the router info is blank. Don't think it could be because of a weak signal, because my PC and Mac are right beside each other, and the PC connects fine.

am i possibly missing some kind of hardwre for the airport? I just assumed it was an internal hardware piece, and was good to go out of the box.

hmmmm....frustrating.
 
I've used my iBook in hotels and places all around Europe recently with no problem. It will find available networks quite readily.

The only other thing to try. Either from the pull down menu under the Airport icon in the top bar (or via Applications/Internet Connect). Choose "Other..." and type in the name of the network that the landlord uses.

Otherwise you may have a fault. Possibly with the aerial of the card.

Final (and desperate!!) thought to check if the card is working. Does the PC next to your Powerbook find the Airport card? Try making a wireless link between the two. In the Airport pull down menu, choose "Create Network..." and add the details of your PC, password etc. Your should be able to network the two. You will need to turn on sharing, System Preferences/Sharing, and tick the boxes to allow file sharing and Windows sharing etc. This is the firewall so make sure you only tick what you need to.
 
UPDATE...

Well, after trying everything, I finally just walked the powerbook down to the front door of my landlords place, and whattya know...it picked up her network (barely). My PC picks up her network anywhere in my apartment!

Is it possible that my crappy $20 bottom-of-the-line PCI card is that much better than brand new airport extreme??? What gives?
 
Doesn't sound right. I was using my iBook from a different building (hotel annex) last week.

Could be interference from something, but I would expect that to be more intermittent.

Last thing I can think of is System Prefs/Network/Airport. Click the options button at the bottom and turn on interference robustness.

Failing that it sounds as if the card is unseated or the internal aerial is not connected. I don't know your machine. But we had a lot of problems seating the card in my son's eMac - same card but needed a very hard push to get it in properly. Aerial is a separate connection.
 
Thanks, sgould.

Maybe the card or antanae got un-seated during shipping??

I guess I have to go in and check the card.
Any suggestions?
 
OK...now I think I've tried everything.
I re-seated the airport card and the antenae..re-started, and still no connections!

Is it maybe Mac/PC thing?
Like maybe my landlords router isn't Mac compatable??
It's frustrating because I'm on my PC right now, and the internet is working FINE!

should I just give up, and take it into an apple store??
 
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