Ginormous Wireless Issues

[tyoelin]

Oh geez, where to start. Short version: customer support with my ISP determined that my modem was not at fault. Customer support with Linksys determined that my wireless router (version WRT54G V5 with latest firmware 1.00.9) was the faulty product but after 1 and a half hours they couldn't fix it.

My setup: One PC with a direct CAT6 connection to the router (this is the computer that i use for administrating the router since it is tethered). Modem and router are connected with the cable that came with the router. No error lights on either device. I have 2 apple 17" powerbook G4s trying to connect wirelessly via the router.

I have tried WPA Personal, WPA2 Personal, and WEP. I could only get WEP to work in 128bit/26hex mode. I could not get WPA2 Personal to work. WPA Personal is what I have been using for a year.

My problem: the router will not assign separate ip addresses to the apple powerbooks. one one computer i get an error message saying the ip is in use, and on the other powerbook it is working just fine at the moment. this is likely to change in the next hour.

I know for a fact that the cables are working properly. The laptop with the ip address conflict just got back from the apple service center (they ended up replacing my computer with a brand new powerbook) so it is new. And it had this problem even before it went to the service center, in fact this was one reason why i sent it in.

Another problem I have is that the wireless internet goes out intermittently for no reason, but the cabled internet with my PC always works...

Help please!

 

[2nyRiggz]

So if you know your linksys router is the bad seed then the only thing to do is to replace it....it might keep knocking in and out if the router is at fault....get a new router.

Check the settings on your PB


Bless

 

[tyoelin]

So if you know your linksys router is the bad seed then the only thing to do is to replace it....it might keep knocking in and out if the router is at fault....get a new router.

Check the settings on your PB


Bless

Before I pay another $100 or so for a router, I need to make sure that this router truly does not work. When I said that the router was at fault I didn't mean that it had a hardware problem, I meant that its settings may not be correct. Who knows :shrugs:

I don't know what else I should do on the powerbook other than some random threads I found by searching here.

 

[tag]

Oh geez, where to start. Short version: customer support with my ISP determined that my modem was not at fault. Customer support with Linksys determined that my wireless router (version WRT54G V5 with latest firmware 1.00.9) was the faulty product but after 1 and a half hours they couldn't fix it.

I'm with you on the linksys problems, I used to think Linksys ones were the best but now I'm starting to think otherwise. I have two WRT54Gs and both have been giving me headaches lately. I ended up replacing one of them with a D-Link, but sadly it doesn't have nearly the range that the Linksys does.

I have tried WPA Personal, WPA2 Personal, and WEP. I could only get WEP to work in 128bit/26hex mode. I could not get WPA2 Personal to work. WPA Personal is what I have been using for a year.

How exactly is it not working? Is it rejecting the password? I have found with different computers, (even different Macs) that for some odd reason they sometimes accept different password inputs. Such as some will accept the plaintext password, other times it will need the hex equivalent, lastly sometimes it will need a '$' symbol infront of the hex code.

My problem: the router will not assign separate ip addresses to the apple powerbooks. one one computer i get an error message saying the ip is in use, and on the other powerbook it is working just fine at the moment. this is likely to change in the next hour.

You don't by chance have internet sharing on (via Sharing preferences)? I'm not sure if it would cause a problem or not, but if one or both of the Macs are trying to distribute DHCP that could be causing an IP error since it would be conflicting with the router.

Another problem I have is that the wireless internet goes out intermittently for no reason, but the cabled internet with my PC always works...

Are you sure it is for no reason? I know at my house if you turn on the microwave it knocks out wireless B devices for minute or so. Certain wireless phones can cause interferance as well. Right before the internet goes out, how was the signal? Was it full strength or was it wavering lower?

 

[2nyRiggz]

Have you tried resetting the router? try removing all of your WEP stuff and see if you can get into it from all of your computers with it open like that...


Bless

 

[tyoelin]

thats the thing, if i dont have any encryption on the router (just an open network) all computers connect just fine without any problems. its when i try to add any level of encryption is when the problems start happening.

when i said that the wpa2 personal would not work, it was because the macs gave strange errors saying that they cannot handle the encryption method (fully updated)