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connecting a new iMac to the wireless network

S

shoogles

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2010
10
0
First post here, hoping I'm in the right forum.

I've brought home a smart new iMac 21.5" and it's lovely. But i can't get it to 'talk' to my wireless router. I've been into the router controls and added the MAC number of the iMac and even followed suggestions to change from WEP to WPA encyption, so it all looks good from that end. When I click on my network on the drop-down list, I am asked for the WPA password but entering it results in a 'connection failed' message.

If I remove all security from the network, so that my ageing creaking PC can log in without a password, the padlock symbol disappears from the iMac's network list, but I still can't connect.

Can anyone advise me, or should I contact apple's technical support?

the router is ZyXel 600. iMac is running Snow leopard 10.6.3.

It's doing my head in!
 
shoogles said:
First post here, hoping I'm in the right forum.

I've brought home a smart new iMac 21.5" and it's lovely. But i can't get it to 'talk' to my wireless router. I've been into the router controls and added the MAC number of the iMac and even followed suggestions to change from WEP to WPA encyption, so it all looks good from that end. When I click on my network on the drop-down list, I am asked for the WPA password but entering it results in a 'connection failed' message.

If I remove all security from the network, so that my ageing creaking PC can log in without a password, the padlock symbol disappears from the iMac's network list, but I still can't connect.

Can anyone advise me, or should I contact apple's technical support?

the router is ZyXel 600. iMac is running Snow leopard 10.6.3.

It's doing my head in!
Click to expand...
Did you turn off MAC filtering in the router? And not MAC as in iMac.. ha.
 
I believe I did - that's what I thought I had done when I removed all security - but it still didn't connect.
 
shoogles said:
I believe I did - that's what I thought I had done when I removed all security - but it still didn't connect.
Click to expand...

Ah - but on further exploration I realise that i hadn't. So i've done that now, but left the WPA key in place. The iMac behaves differently now - it says: connection to network... and then 'connection timeout'.

:rolleyes:

GadgetGeek71 said:
What other devices do you currently have on the network?
Click to expand...

The only other device is this PC that I am typing from. Windows XP.
 
I had a similar problem with that router. I had to open Airport Utility and under wireless security select WPA/WPA2 and then I was able to connect.
 
Ok guys, thanks for the help so far. It now seems that if I remove ALL security - the WEP and WPA key requirement and the MAC filtering, then the iMac can connect. But, if I put the MAC filtering back on, then it doesn't. And, yes, I have checked repeatedly that I have correctly typed the MAC address in.

I'm assuming that the MAC number is what I find in: About this mac>more info>network>ethernet>MAC Address.

Any further ideas? I'd rather NOT have an unsecured network!
 
Following on from this, if I reinstate the WPA keyword requirement, but leave MAC filtering off, the iMac asks for the WPA password but doesn't connect, saying: 'Connection timout'.

thoughts?
 
That sounds logical. Any idea where I might find it? I've looked in similar places to where I found that other MAC address but can't see anything that looks right.
 
System Preferences->Network->

Make sure that you select the Airport interface in the left hand dialog box.

Then click on Advanced. You'll see AirPort ID:
 
Thanks very much, that worked. So I'm nearly there.

I can set MAC filtering to protect my network, and put both my new iMac ans iPod touch onto it, and that works. When I try again and set the WPA password protection, the iPod connects, but the iMac fails, with that message of 'connection timeout'

So does anyone know what I need to do to take the final step?
 
Bouncing this up to the top in the hope that someone will be able to advise me.

Thanks
 
You only need WPA security so first of all, turn MAC filtering off in your router (and leave it off). It doesn't provide security that can't easily be cracked by someone that knows what they are doing. It will also make troubleshooting your issue easier...
 
If I turn off MAC filtering and go back to WPA, are you able to advise me with the trouble shooting? I'm aware that when I had the system set like that, the iMac wouldn't talk to the router, as per post 5, above. I note that there seem to be several threads around this topic of connection timing out, so is it a recurrent theme?

Many thanks
 
I'm genuinely not trying to be difficult, honest! I'm aware I keep coming back and saying, 'tried that but it didn't work'

ok, here's what i've done in clear sequence -

1. I've removed MAC filtering
2. I've rebooted router and iMac
3. I've reinstated the need for the WPA key.
4. iMac hasn't been able to connect, so I've followed the procedure in the link, as best I can as the screens aren't exactly the same as set out in that.
4. Gone into 'network diagnostics' by going to system prefs>network>assist me. As instructed, I choose the Airport radio button at 'Choose network port configuration'. (A this point, all the 'network status' buttons on the left (including Airport settings) are red apart from 'Airport'.
5. I then continue and select my network from the list and again continue. This prompts me for my password.
6. Then a drop-down appears saying 'Network change detected' and, briefly, the Airport settings light goes green and then back to red.
7. Final screen says 'Unable to join airport network' and suggests either wrong password, wrong network, wrong type of security or out of range.

I must say I resent having all this trouble having spent a grand on a computer which is claimed to be so much simpler than a PC. I've spent hours on the problem and am still having to run my PC alongside it.

So, i'd be glad of any further thoughts. I suppose I could go back to apple and see what their techy people say, unless that is likely to be a waste of time?

Many thanks in advance.
 
shoogles said:
I'm genuinely not trying to be difficult, honest! I'm aware I keep coming back and saying, 'tried that but it didn't work'

ok, here's what i've done in clear sequence -

1. I've removed MAC filtering
2. I've rebooted router and iMac
3. I've reinstated the need for the WPA key.
4. iMac hasn't been able to connect, so I've followed the procedure in the link, as best I can as the screens aren't exactly the same as set out in that.
4. Gone into 'network diagnostics' by going to system prefs>network>assist me. As instructed, I choose the Airport rasio button aat 'Choose network port configuration. (at this point, all the 'network status' buttons on the left (including Airport settings) are red apart forom 'Airport'.
5. I then continue and select my network from the list and again continue. This prompts me for my password.
6. Then a drop down appears saying 'Network change detected' and, briefly, the Airport settings light goes green and then back to red.
7. Final screen says 'Unable to join airport network'

I must say I resent having all this trouble having spent a grand an a computer which is claimed to be so much simpler than a PC. I've spent hours on the problem and am still having to run my PC alongside it.

So, i'd be glad of any further thoughts. I suppose I could go back to apple and see what their techy people say, unless that is likely to be a waste of time?

Many thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Curious, are you using Airport utility in your utilities folder? and are you using an airport express or extreme?
 
shoogles said:
I'm genuinely not trying to be difficult, honest! I'm aware I keep coming back and saying, 'tried that but it didn't work'

ok, here's what i've done in clear sequence -

1. I've removed MAC filtering
2. I've rebooted router and iMac
3. I've reinstated the need for the WPA key.
4. iMac hasn't been able to connect, so I've followed the procedure in the link, as best I can as the screens aren't exactly the same as set out in that.
4. Gone into 'network diagnostics' by going to system prefs>network>assist me. As instructed, I choose the Airport radio button at 'Choose network port configuration'. (A this point, all the 'network status' buttons on the left (including Airport settings) are red apart from 'Airport'.
5. I then continue and select my network from the list and again continue. This prompts me for my password.
6. Then a drop-down appears saying 'Network change detected' and, briefly, the Airport settings light goes green and then back to red.
7. Final screen says 'Unable to join airport network' and suggests either wrong password, wrong network, wrong type of security or out of range.

I must say I resent having all this trouble having spent a grand on a computer which is claimed to be so much simpler than a PC. I've spent hours on the problem and am still having to run my PC alongside it.

So, i'd be glad of any further thoughts. I suppose I could go back to apple and see what their techy people say, unless that is likely to be a waste of time?

Many thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
The only other thing I can suggest is upgrading the firmware on your router to the latest version available. I don't know OS X well enough to troubleshoot the WPA settings but maybe someone else can chime in. Since you don't have an Airport router, not sure why it says "Airport settings"...
 
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