Going wireless with new imac

[jennysbelly]

My new (Intel) iMac arrived today. (2 days early, and I was actually here to answer the door when the FedEx guy came!

I got it all set up except for one aspect . . . connecting to the Internet.

My current set up in the house (pre-Mac) is this. There is an HP Desktop in my bedroom connected to a Westell VersaLink router/DSL modem gateway thingy. In another bedroom, there is an ancient PC desktop connected wirelessly using a Linksys USB wireless connector thingy. I was not the one who set this up.

Being naive, and new to Macs, new to wireless, and generally not to technologically savvy, I thought since my new iMac has a wireless card, and I have a wireless modem, I'd be able to set it up without issue. Wrong. The only reason I am up and running right now is because I moved the modem from my bedroom to my office. How do I do this? This can't be the permanent set up since the HP Pc doesn't have the ability to access wirelessly.

How do I wirelessly access the modem using the iMac? Keep in mind that I am new to Macs.

Please help!!!

 

[iEdd]

Go into system preferences(it's in the apple menu or in the dock) and click 'network'. Then click 'assist me'. It should take through through all the steps required.
After it's all done you should be able to access your modem through safari by typing in its IP address.

 

[jennysbelly]

System Preferences

I did try that . . . it is what came up when I set up my Mac this afternoon. Do I select that I am connecting via airport? How do I know the name of the network when I am creating it?

 

[iEdd]

Yeah it is via airport. In the menu bar at the top, when you click the airport logo, are there any networks listed? If so it should be above 'other'. If not, try clicking 'other' and then typing in the name and password of your existing setup. Otherwise you could create a new one with whatever name you want and have your other computer(s) join it. Sorry I'm not the greatest of help but I don't have a lot of experience with networking.
EDIT: Reading your post again the way it's set up makes it really quite hard to get this working.

 

[jennysbelly]

I hate Verizon

OK, I'm connected fine when I'm plugged into the modem. I can find the network in System Preferences and it says I'm connected, but when I open a Safari browser . . .nothing. What am I doing wrong?

 

[iEdd]

Instead of trying a website in safari when it's connected, try typing in the modem's IP address.
If you're not sure what it is, try these two:
192.168.1.1
10.0.0.138
Most modems will be one of those. If it displays the modem setup page then you know something is working.

 

[jennysbelly]

I'll try this when I get home.

Does anyone have specific experience going wireless with a Verizon DSL gateway?

 

[jennysbelly]

Big Problem

OK, I tried this. I have a Verizon DSL Westell Versalink modem/gateway. When I go to http://192.168.1.1 on either of the 2 PCs in the house I see the information for that gateway. One of the Pcs is directly plugged into the modem, the other has a Linksys USB Wireless adaptor. When I go to that IP address on my iMac it takes me to the page for a Linkys D-Link router which I don't own. What am I doing wrong? I don't understand why I can't connect wirelessly. Am I going to have to drill a hole in my wall to connect it wired? Will getting an Airport station help?

 

[law guy]

Yeah it is via airport. In the menu bar at the top, when you click the airport logo, are there any networks listed? If so it should be above 'other'. If not, try clicking 'other' and then typing in the name and password of your existing setup. Otherwise you could create a new one with whatever name you want and have your other computer(s) join it. Sorry I'm not the greatest of help but I don't have a lot of experience with networking.
EDIT: Reading your post again the way it's set up makes it really quite hard to get this working.

This seems pretty complete. Does your existing network have security on it (a password?). Let's review, when you click on the little logo for the wi-fi in the top bar, does it list networks? If so, which ones? If there is no security on your current wireless network, you should see it there in the pull down and click to join it. If there is security, you should still see it, but it will ask for the password. Anything listed there under the little stacked half-circle icon on the top right of your iMac?

From what I understand about your setup, you have a DSL modem (doesn't really matter that's DSL or cable etc.) hooked up to a wireless router that has some ports for direct wired connections as well? And so you've got an ethernet cable running from your HP to one of the ports on the wireless router? So there are two ether net cables going to your wireless router: the cable between the modem and the router and the cable between the HP and the router - correct? And your other PC sees the wireless router and connects to it with a wi-fi card, correct?

 

[jennysbelly]

We didn't set up a password. We never set up a wireless network. When we put the USB card on one of the PCs it just worked. I can only sometimes see the network that the other PC connects to, and then it asks for a password (which it doesn't for the other one). My modem is a wireless gateway, however, whenI go to the IP address from my MAC it brings me to the site for a Linksys wireless router that isn't ours . . . is my mac reading someone elses signal and not mine?

 

[law guy]

We didn't set up a password. We never set up a wireless network. When we put the USB card on one of the PCs it just worked. I can only sometimes see the network that the other PC connects to, and then it asks for a password (which it doesn't for the other one). My modem is a wireless gateway, however, whenI go to the IP address from my MAC it brings me to the site for a Linksys wireless router that isn't ours . . . is my mac reading someone elses signal and not mine?

Hmm - what confuses me is that it should be this simple. Open iMac. Turn it on. Look at Airport logo. Turn airport on. Look at list of networks. See your network and click connect - with nothing else to do. So just to pin it down - you don't see your network under the airport icon pull down - right?

 

[jennysbelly]

How do I know which network is my network? I picked all of the ones that I could see that didn't require passwords, and I couldn't connect to the internet with any of them. I was told to go to the IP address, and it went to the site for the wrong router. I am sorry. I've never used a computer wireless before.

 

[EHUnlucky7x9@ao]

You know, the PC computer that you have connected wirelessly...might be using the internet of the Linksys router...I would check again to make sure...

I would go to the PC that is wired to the router and check on the wireless setup on there. I own a Linksys router, so I don't know exactly how yours would look. Your router may only be allowing one wireless internet connection, that's why it's not showing up on your Mac. Routers have the ability to limit the number of computers that can connect to it wirelessly. Also, you need to check with your router on what Channel it is on. Most routers have this:

Ch: (drop down menu 1-6)
With Mac's, you have to set the router to Channel 1 for the Mac to see the wireless connection.

If that doesn't help, I would go to Sys Pref, double-click Airport and it will show a list of numbers. Try to set it all on automatic.

If it still doesn't work, the best way is to Sys Pref, double-click Airport. Choose the tab PPPoE (Verizon uses PPPoE) Type in:
Service Provider: Verizon
Account Name: Your User ID
Password: Your password
PPPoE Service Name: Verizon
Check save password
Check Show PPPoE status in menu bar.
(I use to have Verizon)

That will have your Mac setup for use with the internet. However, if you still can't find your router on your Mac, then the culprit is the router. Either it is only allowing one computer to connect wirelessly, the router on the wrong channel, or the router is too far away. There have been times my network hasn't shown up on my list of available networks. I would run down stairs and move the antenna a bit and I would come back up to check on the computer and it would be listed.

Hope I was thorough.

 

[jennysbelly]

That's what I thought, but when I type the IP address into the PC connecting wirelessly it has the Westell gateway, not the Linksys router. How do I know which network is my router?