Airport connection to router

Question

Level 1

4 points

Airport connection to router

My G3 iBook can't see my wireless D-link router. The router is correctly configured and can be seen by other WiFi-enabled gear (iTouch, for example). When I try use the Network panel to connect the IBook I get no signal. The panel tells me "Base Station ID is not available" and the connection "is not associated with any network." I know the router works wirelessly, but the iBook seems to disagree. I reopened the iBook and double-checked the Airport card install. Nothing amiss. Ideas?

G3 iBook, Mac OS X (10.4.11), 900 MHz 640 MGs ram

Posted on Jul 18, 2009 2:03 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 18, 2009 2:59 PM in response to petethepup

iBook G3 has only 802.11b -- 11 Mbits/sec capability. If your router is set to 802.11g -- 56 Mbits/sec ONLY, and does not also seek 802.11b connections, you will get no where.

Your iBook Airport cannot do WPA or WPA2 connections. Turn off encryption while you are debugging, and turn it back on later.

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Answer 2

petethepup Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 18, 2009 4:39 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks muchly. But may I ask a supplementary (and some would suggest stupid) question? How do I determine if the router is set to 802.11g and if it is, how do I reset it (or worse, can I even do that?). I'm beginning to get an uneasy feeling.

Regards,

Clive

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Answer 3

petethepup Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 18, 2009 4:58 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Further to my router issue, I went to the D-link website and determined the router has B and G capability. The G-setting was not checked, so the router should accept a signal from the Airport card in the B setting. It still doesn't, so there's something else amiss, I guess.

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Answer 4

Aug 2, 2009 3:40 PM in response to petethepup

It could also be a defective Airport card. I just went through a similar issue with an iMac G4 that would not connect. On the iMac it appeared it was functioning as you could turn on the card but it would not see any wireless networks.

At one point it did see the network I was trying to access but when entering the WEP password it would fail to connect. After some head scratching I discovered the card itself was defective. Once replaced everything was fine.

K

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Answer 5

Aug 2, 2009 5:33 PM in response to Niteshooter

Good point, niteshooter!

There has also been one post recently from a user who seemed unaware that the antenna lead MUST be plugged into the jack on the center end of the card for any hope of useful connections.

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