New MacBook problem with Linksys Router

[dbart2]

Hey there everyone. Just made the switch over to Apple, and have loved it with the exception of this issue.

I have a Linksys wireless router WRT54G (version 5) with the newest firmware installed. The router works perfectly with my old windows laptop, both wireless and wired. The macbook picks up the network, says it is "connected" to the network, but stays permanently in the "getting status" stage. It won't work wired or wireless. However, if I plug the macbook directly into the dsl modem, it works fine.

Initially I called Apple, who said they couldn't help b/c it was a Linksys issue, but assured me it was a common problem, it was due to the router being set up for a PC, and said something had to be changed with the security settings (more digits in the password if i recall correctly) and that it was a very quick process with Linksys support.

Well.....after about two hours on the phone with a completely baffled support guy from Linksys....his only solution was that it must be an apple problem. He ran me through the typical string of banal solutions (reset the router, et al) put me on hold about 15 times, and nothing came of it. We did try to switch the router from WEP to WPA but that didn't seem to do anything.

Has anyone else had this problem? I've searched around and not found much about it, but Apple support seemed to know of it right away. Any help would be HUGELY appreciated, as this is begining to drive me insane.

 

[JHacker]

Do you have Mac filtering on your router? I set up that Linksys router in my apartment and it works perfectly. I went into the router settings through the internet and setup WAP2 and mac filtering. Now i'm the only one who can get on my router. Sounds like a problem with the settings.

 

[dbart2]

Tell me about mac filtering....what does that mean exactly. Is it a setting inside the router setup page?

The clueless guy from linksys certainly didn't mention it....

 

[mad jew]

Does it work if you strip all security settings? Try using a dollar sign ($) in front of the usual password.

 

[dbart2]

Nope....tried both without security and with a $ in front of the password

 

[ChickenSwartz]

I had the same exact problem with my WRT54G and MBP. POsted here, checked some threads and aparently this is a problem. After a while the MBP will connect to the router but cannot get an IP. Works perfectly with Windows. Reinstall OSX and still happens, reset router, reset security, still happens. Call Linksys and they say its an Apple thing call Apple they will say it is a Linksys thing. I sold my Linksys on E-bay. Looking for a new router. Any ideas? Probably going with Netgear.

 

[dbart2]

Sounds like my last 48 hours. Word for word, short of reinstalling OS. Ridiculous.

 

[ChickenSwartz]

Sounds like my last 48 hours. Word for word, short of reinstalling OS. Ridiculous.

Did it work for a while then stop?

I thought one of the reasons there were wireless standards is to avoid these problems. I wish I could find out who (Apple or Linksys) was responsable, I would let them know indeed.

 

[kalun]

To check if it is a OS X problem, you can probably just install windows and try to see if that works....

 

[ChickenSwartz]

To check if it is a OS X problem, you can probably just install windows and try to see if that works....

I'd say sell it. I was able to sell mine on e-bay for a very good price. All in all I lost $8 on the whole thing.

 

[dbart2]

The annoying thing is.....I suspect the Apple guy was right, and it is just a small setting change in the setup screen of the router....if it was anything more I think you'd see this problem all over the internet....but it seems like it's relatively rare.

 

[dbart2]

And I forgot to add the detail that my macbook does fine with every other wireless network......other than the one at my home

 

[ChickenSwartz]

The annoying thing is.....I suspect the Apple guy was right, and it is just a small setting change in the setup screen of the router....if it was anything more I think you'd see this problem all over the internet....but it seems like it's relatively rare.

I don't think there is anything you can change on the router that would fix this. I changed everything and nothing helped. There are differnt types of WEP and WPA and I had to change to the "longer" WEP key to initially get the MBP to work and it did for a couple days. When it stopped working I turned off all security, no WEP or WPA, no MAC filtering, and still nothing worked. Not to mention the fact that it did not work wired either.

 

[JHacker]

So you have password protection on the router? Into your internet browser type 192.168.1.1. The password is admin and the user leave blank. That brings you into your router setup. There should be a reset all button so you can start from scratch. If it works with no password protection then you're fine. You can just add WPA2 or whatever password you would like. Mac filtering means the router only allows computers who's mac addresses are given to access the internet.

There's no reason to sell your router. Under Administration you can select Restore Factory Defaults.

 

[dbart2]

Now that sounded promising.....but i reset to factory defaults, saved.....and it does the same thing. the macbook says "connected to network" but beneath it it hangs up on "Getting status..."

 

[dbart2]

Incidentally.....the windows computer works fine with the newly reset network. This is driving me mad.

I'm going to try doing a hard reset on the router proper, then a factory restore on the admin page.....then re-flash the firmware. If that doesn't do it, then I will place the router in a pot of boiling water and go buy airport express.

 

[dbart2]

Did all of the above. I should essentially have an out of the box router. Yet somehow....works with windows, but the MacBook doesn't work....still says "getting status", both in wireless and wired, with no security.

The pot of water on the stove is getting warm.....any last minute suggestions?

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

The pot of water on the stove is getting warm.....any last minute suggestions?

Add seasoning. Sell on e-bay as a gastronomic wireless experience.

 

[JHacker]

It's now out of my league. That's really strange though since mine works pretty flawlessly. Is your Aiport updated completely?

 

[killr_b]

Please Read This

We were having the same problems with our linksys network (same).

We had a Mac Pro, iMac CD, iMac G5, Macbook, and Gateway laptop w/ Windows 2000 all on the same wireless network.

First the macbook wouldn't acquire an IP address from the routers DHCP.
After the continuing and expanding (WTF) problems we had one person on the phone with apple, one on the phone with linksys and two manning the 'puters.

We determined the problems was not immeadiately determinable.

But everything will work fine if you manually set all the computers addresses.

Example:

IP: 192.168.1.50 then .51, .52, .53 ect.
Subnetmask: 255.255.255.0
Router address: 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers: 4.2.2.2

If you manually set all the computers they will work.
I just did this.

 

[S2NINJA]

Add seasoning. Sell on e-bay as a gastronomic wireless experience.

you probably won't get very much for it...

why not try buying a cheap wired router, disbable DHCP on the linksys and just use it as a wireless access point?

 

[dbart2]

yep, killr b, that's exactly right. We got to that point with linkysys, but that solution would mean that everytime I use my computer wirelessly anywhere else I would have to go in and turn dhcp back on, which would annoy me to no end. I just want the damn thing to work the way it's supposed to.

 

[MalcolmJID]

I have the same router. But mine worked fine :/

Try unplugging everything. Like, EVERYTHING. Then turn on the DSL modem, let that fire up to "Online" status. Then plug in your router, let the connect etc. Then turn on you Windows machine. Then turn on your MacBook. I accidentaly changed some settings on the router once, and it wouldnt work with my MacBook. I did that ^^ and it worked fine. try that?

 

[ChickenSwartz]

So you have password protection on the router? Into your internet browser type 192.168.1.1. The password is admin and the user leave blank. That brings you into your router setup. There should be a reset all button so you can start from scratch. If it works with no password protection then you're fine. You can just add WPA2 or whatever password you would like. Mac filtering means the router only allows computers who's mac addresses are given to access the internet.

There's no reason to sell your router. Under Administration you can select Restore Factory Defaults.

Did this. Did not work.

It's now out of my league. That's really strange though since mine works pretty flawlessly. Is your Aiport updated completely?

Yup. Pretty messed up. Everything updated. Seems to happen to very few routers.

If you manually set all the computers they will work.

I tried this as well but didn't work.

you probably won't get very much for it...

I bought my WRT54G for $49.99+tax. Sold it on e-aby,for $42 after fees.

I have the same router. But mine worked fine :/

Try unplugging everything. Like, EVERYTHING. Then turn on the DSL modem, let that fire up to "Online" status. Then plug in your router, let the connect etc. Then turn on you Windows machine. Then turn on your MacBook. I accidentaly changed some settings on the router once, and it wouldnt work with my MacBook. I did that ^^ and it worked fine. try that?

Tried that, a couple times. Left the router off for like a weekend. Did a reset...blah blah blah. Still nothing, but worked on Windows computer.


SO...
Today's Macrumors page 1 news... https://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/10/20061026001358.shtml

The wireless card in the Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro is identified as a D-Link RangeBooster N 650 which is another "draft 802.11n" card which is described as "Up to 650% Faster & 5X Farther than 802.11g".

I think I am going to buy a D-Link RangeBooster N router or at least a D-Link router. There should be no problem here, right?

 

[Patrick101]

I had the exact same problem with my MacBook...I guess its a common and known problem with that specific model of the router. I just gave up and bought a different router.

ANY of the D-Link routers will work perfectly without any security settings changes or anything. I bought the D-Link 54G router (WBR-1310) and it worked perfectly fine right outta the box. The N, or the Rangebooster one will work just as nicely. Also I've heard that D-Link routers are supposedly better, and they do always cost less too!

Good luck.