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MacBook won't connect to the internet!!!

I recently switch wireless service at home to At&t.

Since, my computer "connects" to my network, accepts my password, and shows full signal, but when I open Safari, or any other app that requires internet, I just get the "failed to open page because you are not connected to the internet" page.

My roommates connect to use our wireless network with their PC's just fine, and my Mac connects to other wireless service at school and work and works just fine.

I have been on the phone with At&t many times trying to troubleshoot and fix the problem. No success.

Apple charged me $49 to talk to them, with no success.

I HAVE ALREADY TRIED RESTARTING both my Mac and my router, I have reset the router, I have restored original settings in both Safari and my router, I have tried removing the security from our network in order to connect without a password, I have tried re-configuring the router to work with Macs....all no success.

I am very frustrated with the situation as I, like most people, require internet access for both school and work.

Any help, tips, or advice on the situation would be grateful.

Thank you.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Jul 10, 2010 9:39 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 21, 2017 3:26 PM

I just purchased a brand new MacBook Pro today and spent my first four hours with it struggling to connect to wifi. After trying every solution I could find, this one finally worked. The solution I found (https://community.bt.com/t5/Connected-Devices-Other/BT-INFINITY-wifi-loss-on-Mac Book-Air-ready-to-quit/m-p/1160960#M7876…) noted that Macs often run in to trouble connecting to wifi when there are identical names assigned to 2.4ghz and 5.0ghz frequency bands.


To fix this problem: access your wireless gateway (For Xfinity users: go to 10.0.0.1 by typing it into the browser of a connected device, enter username: admin pwd: password <-defaults for all xfinity customers) and modify the SSID for the 2.4ghz frequency (e.g., add an 's' to the end of the network name). Then, restart your computer and voila, you should be able to connect. (I still can't access the original network name—the 5ghz frequency—however, I'm able to access the newly named 2.4ghz variation of the network, and it works perfectly).


Hope this saves someone else the headache!

211 replies

Nov 15, 2011 11:39 PM in response to BDAqua

How do you start a new topic? Sorry, I just joined because of this issue.


My MacBook with 10.6.8 can't connect to the internet, but my sister's macbook pro with 10.5.8 connects just fine(I'm on this now). Her iPad also connects fine.


I tried the deleting the airport from the list trick, but then when I created the new one it just turned yellow and I still couldn't connect. I also tried the prefences in the trash trick, no luck. I tried getting the DNS info to match the DNS info on my sister's laptop, didn't help. Diagnostics have the last two( internet and server) as yellow (green on the working laptop) and when I complete the diagnostics, it turns red and says failed.


The really strange thing is, the internet worked until about 10pm, and then just stopped working. the same thing happened yesterday. (Mind you, I'm only talking about my MacBook, not the other devices that have no issues). Hopefully it will work fine again tomorrow morning, but this is so frustrating. Also weirdly, I connected to internet on the troublesome macbook with an ethernet cord just fine yesterday, but now it doesn't work. I want to pull my hair out.

Nov 18, 2011 10:47 PM in response to Mich_Efro

Thanks, Mich!

I tried everything, including the popular Deleting AirPort, then recreating, which seems to work for a lot of people here. I tried your method--with high hopes since, like yours, my problem seemed to appear out of no where as well. It didn't work. I was about to give up on life.


But then I remembered to actually permanently clear out the trash! Then restarted yet again for good measure. And voilĂ ! Life is good again! :)

Nov 21, 2011 9:47 AM in response to mayfi944

I'm hoping someone can help me. I have a Macbook Pro and it was working perfectly fine until Saturday when I was rearranging things and I had to unplug the wireless Modem and Cable modem connection to get the wires unravelled. I plug them both back in and now I can't connet to the internet on my network. I can connect on some other unsecered network. My wireless network doesn't even show up as an option. And on my phone it says that my network is out of range. I have unplugged the wireless several times, restarted the computer, turn the airport on and off, clicked join another networkand put in all my information and it still doesn't work. I'm so frustrated!! I can't imagine that having unplugged everything screwed it up that bad. Please help!

Dec 1, 2011 12:26 PM in response to jadefrommanchester

I was having similar problems. Every time I returned to my mac and opened the lid, Airport would show I was connected to my router, but nothing would work. Safari gave me the 'your not connected to internet' page, mail couldn't connect to the server, etc, etc.


After googling 'delete system configuration mac' (I was sceptical of deleting configuration files), I came accross this advice and gave it go. Worked for me and I have now deleted the .bak file and emptied trash.


http://stevejamesson.com/2008/10/01/reset-mac-os-x-network-configuration-factory -default-airport-interface-disappeared/


Hope that helps.

Dec 1, 2011 10:17 PM in response to mayfi944


Wow can't believe many other users are having this problem.

To begging, I have MacBook pro lion (2011) brought couple of months ago. Ihave realized this problem was happening on/off especially when you put yourmac to sleep. Today I was at home and got fed up with 'restarting the router'due to no connection, even though I clearly see the router and my iphone4s isconnected to the same network.


I have briefly tried to follow as many posts as possible such as"removing/adding the airport (Wi-Fi on lion)" but the issue stillexisted, I also tried to go to library/preference/ --system configuration (so Icould trash it as someone suggested, but I couldn’t find the systemconfiguration folder on lion. Can someone PLEASE help..btw this happens attimes outside, for example at a coffee shop.


Cheers!

MacBook won't connect to the internet!!!

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