Airport Will Not Start

Try resetting the PRAM on your computer by holding the opt-cmd-P-R keys on boot until the computer chimes twice, and then release them. Hopefully it's just a funky setting in the "Parameter" RAM (PRAM) that is not vibing well with the OS.

Nope, no luck. Tried making changes to the Network preference in case it was just saving a bad file, no luck. Tried duplicating the existing setting, no luck.

Somehow it's trying to power up the Airport but when it makes the attempt it's using the wrong interface name/reference to do it. I wish I knew where the configuration file was for this so I could help you out more. The only other thing I can think of is to reset the power management unit as a shot in the dark. The procedure for doing this depends on your computer model, but here's the way to do it:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=14449

Whups! That links is for PowerBooks....here's the one for MacBooks:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303319

Hey, thanks for the help on this Topher.

I am running a PB, reset the PMU and again, no luck. Maybe if I look at what files Spotlight says changed today I'l find a clue. I don't think Spotlight monitors system files though...

Look in /System/Libraries/Extensions and see if you have multiple directories that start 'AppleAirPort'.

If you do, and you have one named, 'AppleAirPort2.kext', delete it and restart.

You can search system files if you press cmd-F and then in the menu where it says "kind" you can select "Other...". In the resulting list you should see a filter called "System Files". Select that and it will give you the option to include or exclude system files in your search query. By default it's off.

Nope. Just one kext. Tried creating a new interface for Airport from scratch and that didn't work either.

Looked over your post again - I doubt that error message is related to your airport.

Have you recycled the home router?

Cool. Hadn't seen that one before. Didn't find anything interesting, unfortunately... I'm not finding any key files changed today, and I'm finding even less including the word "airport".

I guess Spotlight wouldn't register corrupted files though, it only triggers an index on intentional changes.

I'm at work, so it's the corporate WLAN. My wired network seems to be working ok. I should list the actual error messages as I'm seeing them though. Every time I try to turn Airport from the menu bar item I get these two messages:

---
12/7/07 10:25:20 PM SystemUIServer[128] Error: ACInterfaceGetPower() called with invalid interface
12/7/07 10:25:20 PM SystemUIServer[128] Error: ACInterfaceSetPower() called with invalid interface
---

When I try to turn Airport on from System Preferences, I get this:

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12/7/07 10:27:26 PM System Preferences[536] Error: airportd MIG failed = -1 ((null)) (port = 78319)
---

Actually hadn't noticed there was a difference before now. What's a MIG?

That airportd message is exactly what I wanted to see - there isn't much info on airportd. Let me search around and see if I can figure out any way to get it to tell us what is going wrong...

Can you try manually connecting? You'll need to run this in Terminal.

cd /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources

./airport -I

./airport -z

./airport -s

./airport -A

... and answer the questions ...

./airport -I

Ok, here goes.

First, to anyone else reading the thread, the switch on the first command "./airport -I" a dash-capital-eye, not a one or an el. The forums obscure the character a bit. Lower case eye is a different switch, one and el just bring a complaint that you've entered something it doesn't understand.

I'm at home now, so I'm trying to attach to a different network, with the same problems. I don't know what the info would have shown at work-- if it thought I was attached or not. That said:

------------
[504]Outlandos:/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A /Resources gbest$ ./airport -I
agrCtlRSSI: 0
agrExtRSSI: 0
agrCtlNoise: 0
agrExtNoise: 0
state: init
op mode:
lastTxRate: 0
maxRate: 0
lastAssocStatus: 65535
802.11 auth: open
link auth: unknown
BSSID: 0:0:0:0:0:0
SSID:
MCS: -1
channel: 1
[505]Outlandos:/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A /Resources gbest$ ./airport -z
[506]Outlandos:/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A /Resources gbest$ ./airport -s
SSID BSSID RSSI CHANNEL SECURITY (auth/unicast/group)
Zenyatta' Network 00:11:24:96:63:c7 -61 11 WEP
clayton 00:14:6c:d1:5d:5a -90 6 WPA(PSK/TKIP/TKIP)
coalescence 00:12:17:b9:d1:dc -88 6 NONE
2WIRE261 00:d0:9e:f4:b4:89 -90 4 WEP
2WIRE326 00:14:95:74:9e:21 -50 6 WEP
[507]Outlandos:/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A /Resources gbest$ ./airport -A
Network Name (SSID): Zenyatta' Network
password:
[508]Outlandos:/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A /Resources gbest$ ./airport -I
agrCtlRSSI: -63
agrExtRSSI: 0
agrCtlNoise: -98
agrExtNoise: 0
state: running
op mode: station
lastTxRate: 54
maxRate: 54
lastAssocStatus: 0
802.11 auth: shared
link auth: unknown
BSSID: 0:11:24:96:63:c7
SSID: Zenyatta' Network
MCS: -1
channel: 11
[509]Outlandos:/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A /Resources gbest$ ./airport -I
agrCtlRSSI: -66
agrExtRSSI: 0
agrCtlNoise: -96
agrExtNoise: 0
state: running
op mode: station
lastTxRate: 54
maxRate: 54
lastAssocStatus: 0
802.11 auth: shared
link auth: unknown
BSSID: 0:11:24:96:63:c7
SSID: Zenyatta' Network
MCS: -1
channel: 11
--------------------------------------------------------------

No console messages at any time during that run. The command line thinks I'm connected, apparently, but I have no networking through the airport, the menu item still shows powered off (and gives the same console message when I attempt to power on), as does Network Preferences with this message:

-----------------
12/8/07 6:44:58 PM System Preferences[1279] Error: airportd MIG failed = -1 ((null)) (port = 60367)
-----------------

Since the Airport is responsive from the command line, it's almost at though the hardware has fallen out of sync with the GUI and higher level services...