Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Enthusiast Zone > Networking > Airport Card of Death: Help?

Airport Card of Death: Help?
Thread Tools
no use for a nick
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Lynchburg, VA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 20, 2003, 12:44 PM
 
Here's the scenario:

I've got a D-Link DI-614+ wireless router connected to a Linksys cable modem. There are a couple of machines cabled to the router, and 3 or 4 connected via wireless.

One of the wireless machines is a slot-load iMac. I have had no problems for a year, but the iMac has suddenly stopped "seeing" the wireless network.

I removed the Airport card from the iMac and put in a spare, but still...no network. I then put the Airport card that was originally in the iMac into a clamshell iBook. Now it can no longer see the wireless network, no matter what Airport card is in it, just like the iMac. My 17" PB and an old PC both still connect to the wireless network without any trouble.

I'm definitely thinking that the Airport card from the iMac is the culprit here, but my question is: How do I get Airport working on these machines again? The wife is not happy that both her iMac and iBook are dead now.

Help? Please?
--
nick
     
ghporter
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 20, 2003, 04:37 PM
 
Have you deleted your network settings and reset them? The card is probably causing some or all of your settings to change, and that keeps you from being able to connect.

If you have the Admin Utility working in the computer that has the offending card installed, you could try to upgrade the card's firmware, which is probably the culprit.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
no use for a nick  (op)
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Lynchburg, VA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 20, 2003, 06:36 PM
 
I have deleted the networking preferences, but I have not attempted to update the firmware of the card. Where would one acquire firmware for Airport cards?
--
nick
     
ghporter
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 21, 2003, 10:29 AM
 
Apple, of course. Usually the firmware is found with AirPort software upgrades. Search the knowledge base for AirPort software, and you should find the latest version without any problems. Here's a good place to start. As you'll see, some firmware upgrades are released separately, usually when Apple has to fix something that wasn't working. Look through what you find and use the right version for your needs.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
no use for a nick  (op)
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Lynchburg, VA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 21, 2003, 11:10 AM
 
From what I can tell, it's possible to update the Airport software in Mac OS X, or update the Firmware on the base stations. It doesn't seem possible to update the firmware on the cards themselves. Do they actually have firmware?

Upgrading the Airport software didn't seem to help. I probably could have guessed that would be the case as neither of the machines has Airport functioning in OS 9 now either.

I'm really starting to get frustrated. I've never had something on a Mac just stop working for no good reason.
--
nick
     
no use for a nick  (op)
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Lynchburg, VA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 21, 2003, 04:04 PM
 
Finally! Success!

Even though I had never changed settings in the router, changing the Preamble Type from Short to Long in the Wireless settings on the D-Link seems to have fixed things.

Thanks for the help.
--
nick
     
ghporter
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 21, 2003, 06:41 PM
 
Originally posted by no use for a nick:
Finally! Success!

Even though I had never changed settings in the router, changing the Preamble Type from Short to Long in the Wireless settings on the D-Link seems to have fixed things.

Thanks for the help.
Oooooo... I never thought about that. Long preamble helps clients with synchronizing with the base, and some clients only accept long preambles. It also helps with ensuring WEP synchronization works, which can be a very hard to find problem.

By the way, installing new(er) AirPort software usually updates the firmware on the card. That's how Apple updated the original AirPort cards from 64-bit WEP to 128-bit WEP.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:41 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,