[peter_cph]

Hello friends

My friend and co-worker bought a new MacBook Pro 15" a few months ago in exchange for his PowerBook G4 1.67.

It has worked perfectly except for one thing - networking.

At the office we have a wireless network and it works fine.

At home he has a wireless network too, and that doesn't work too well.

His daughter has an iBook and his wife has a laptop-PC - both wireless and both working well. No connection problems.

But when my friend opens his MacBook Pro, there's no connectin to the internet.

The "wireless network indicator" shows full strength at the top bar. But around 80% of the time. he can not connect to the internet.

He gets a self-assigned IP-address.

Even with a manually keyed in IP-addresse, Subnetmask and Router-address, he can not connect. It just won't allow him access.

We have tried to set it to BootP and "save" and shut down the computer and restart later and then change back to "Using DHCP". No effect.

Yesterday, it did it again, ao he tried everything and it just wouldn't work. When he came to the office this morning and opened his computer, it works fine. Even though he - as we later found out - had forgotten to change from BootP to Using DHCP in the network settings. That puzzled me, but then again, I haven't got at clue what BootP is.

But can someone tell me why his computer works without any problems at the office, but not at home?

His iPhone works at home. His old PowerBook still works fine at home. And his daughters iBook and the wife's laptop-PC. But with his new computer, most days he just can't connect.

What can the problem be?

I guesss I should mention that there is no security - he lives so far from anybody, that nobody esle can use his wireless. So no WEP or WPA or ...


Thanks for taking the time

Peter

[MikeNN]

You say most of the time. How often can he connect? Also, is the wireless connection not being made, or is he just not able to load web pages when he connects? And again, how often is this? Also, what type of security does his office WiFi use?

[peter_cph]

Hello Mike

It's about 90% now that he cannot connect with his Intel MacBook Pro. It has never been good, but it has been much better.

The wireless connection is made to the wireless router or accesspoint (depending on where in the house he is). The Wireless Network Indicator show full strength, both at home an at the office. So his computer can see the wireless sender.

But he can not access web pages, and if we look in system preferences, he has a self assisgned IP address.

Even with a manual IP-address within til correct range, he can not load web pages or send/retrieve mail.

At the office we have WPA/PSK security.

Thanks,

Peter

[MikeNN]

What kind of equipment are you using? And how exactly is it configured? Have you played around with wireless channels? They should be at least 3-4 channels apart, set them manually. Assuming SSID is the same on both, and it is broadcasting? What is the DHCP scope? Is there any MAC address filtering enabled. Sorry about the random questions. Just trying to get as much info as possible. Again though, on the first question, is it connecting to the network and the network is not issuing the IP? Or can it just "see" the network and not connect to it? I understand it settles on a "default"(or "Automatic Private IP Address"), but is this because the router is not issuing, or because the notebook is not able to connect to ask for one? Also, it works 100% of the time at the office? Let me know, we will eventually get to the bottom of this!

[peter_cph]

From the wall where the cable comes in to the house, there is a SpeedStream DSL-modem. From there there is an ethernet cable to a D-Link wireless router with a built-in 4-way switch. The router sends out the signal, and there is also a cable out of it to the D-link accesspoint at the upper floor - the accesspoint and the router send out the same network (SSID).

His wife connects wireless with her Acer laptop (PC with windows XP) and the daughter connects wirelessly and his old PowerBook connects wirelessly and his iPhone connects wirelessly - all without any problems. When I bring my MacBook Pro I can also connect without any problems.

The wireless router and the accesspoint has been set up with the wizard according to the instructions. So we have not messed around with anything "dangerous".

I donøt know what you mean that the wireless channels shouls be 3-4 channels apart. I am not at his house now, and I can not remember, but I thing it said it would broadcast on channel 6. Does this sound possible? I can ask him to check it in the weekend.

Ther DHCP scope must be the area that it uses to give out adresses, right? That is set to default, because we have not changed that.

There is no MAC address filtering and no wireless security. Anybody can use the net without a code (there are no neighbours within reach of the wireless network)

I can't tell if it is connecting and not getting an IP-address of if it can just see the network but not connect. How do i know? Where should I look.

The router IS issuing, since the other computers can use the internet but I don't know if the MacBook ask for an address, Where can I check that? I guess it does ask, because it get an address when he is at the office and other places.

Yes, it works 100% at the office and at several hotels where he has stayed.

[MikeNN]

There is a setting that tells the router and also the access point with channel to broadcast on. By default, it is usually set to auto. In instances where there is more than one device broadcasting you want to set them manually, 3 or more channels apart. For example, set the router to channel 6, and the AP to channel 12. This setting should be in the router config settings, and also in the AP config settings. This will lead to better signal coverage and a more reliable network. This may not solve the problem though. Have you tried flushing the saved settings for the home network out of the MacBook Pro? You can do this from System Preferences>Network>Advanced then highlight the home network name and click the (-) symbol. If this doesn't solve the problem I am not sure what will. It may seem extreme, but reloading Mac OS might fix the problem. If there is a corrupt file associated with that network. It's quite possible that it won't fix it though. I don't think it's a hardware problem, since the wireless works on all other networks. A setting issue on either the network or the computer is most likely. However; if that is the case though, it should never work, not even 10 percent of the time. I think I'm stumped. Try those things and let me know.

[peter_cph]

Hello again.

OK, I get it. Tonight I will make sure that the two units broadcast on channels 4 channels apart. Or 5. We will experiment.
We are right now installing a new system, but I am not sure it will help. We do "Archive and Install" and I suppose this means that the network settings will be transferred.

Yesterday, we deleted the home network like you suggested. So I was anxious to know if it had made any difference.

When he turned on his compuyter, it said that none of his favourite networks were available and it suggested that he used his home neetwork, that the computer had found. Gladly he accepted this. And got a self assigned IP-address. Wife and daughter surfing away ... and his iPhone could connect too.

The REAL strange thing is, thatwhile this has been going on, he has been able to use his old PB G4, but now this computer is beginning to do exactly the same. Full signal strengthe, finde the network and get a selfassigned IP. Entering a manual DHCP-address close to what works for his wife and daughter does not help. He just can't get online. And now, as I said, both computers behave in the same way.

It's really really really weird ...

[dimmer]

In instances where there is more than one device broadcasting you want to set them manually, 3 or more channels apart. For example, set the router to channel 6, and the AP to channel 12.

Note that the above does NOT apply to 802.11n networking, which uses multiple channels simultaneously to achieve advertised speed. 802.11n routers / devices will also use channels from the 208.11a band as well as the 802.11b/g band. In general, leaving bast station settings at automatic (where the base station will monitor and change channels according to performance) is a much better idea.