Can I do WPA in 10.4.11 iBook PPC?

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Level 1

95 points

Can I do WPA in 10.4.11 iBook PPC?

Folks:

I've been playing around with trying to get a partition in my iBook PPC to run a flavor of linux, and it's been OK except I'm having problems getting the wireless to work. Finally got the home wireless to show up today, but it couldn't find the IP address for it. The list moderator suggested that I need to use WPA-PSK (TKIP) and right now the router is set up for WEP and there isn't any key offered on my network manager for WPA if I wanted to just click on WPA. I guess I would have to call Verizon to get them to set up a WPA key for me?? Also, when I tried to set up a network on my iBook in the 10.4.11 partition all I could see was a place for a WEP password, nothing showed any other options. Can I access WPA encryption from my PPC devices running Tiger? I wouldn't want to change my encryption just to get the Linux side going when I'm mostly still happy with Tiger. How could I get the WPA options to show up in OSX so I can see whether I could still connect to them? Many thanks.

e.e.p.

MBP 15 2.53 GHz, Mac OS X (10.6.8), iBook G4, 14, 933 MHz (10.4.11), iMac G4, 15, 800MHz,

Posted on Aug 13, 2011 5:12 PM

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Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

239,393 points

Aug 13, 2011 6:17 PM in response to este.el.paz

Hi again! 🙂

The original 802.11b Airport card had 2 versions, both could do WPA, but not WPA2, the 1st one needed a firmware update to do WPA.

I guess I would have to call Verizon to get them to set up a WPA key for me??

Do you not have access to the Router setup page?

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Answer 2

este.el.paz Author

Level 1

95 points

Aug 13, 2011 10:24 PM in response to BDAqua

BDAqua!!:

Hey buddy, I thought I might hear from you on this one--level 9, wow--hope all is well in rain country. It looks like my airport extreme card does b & g?? but I don't see where I can select the encryption from between WEP or WPA, it looks like I would want WPA2?? to do the wireless in the Linux OS? Where would I find the various options for encryption in networks?? Like I said I only saw WEP. I do have access to the router setup page, are you saying that I could pick my own WPA key there? which could be anything? Why does that make "WPA more secure than WEP"? I've done most of the firmware updates on both of my PPC machines, except for a security update, so the wireless should be as updated as possible. The iBook is from around '05 and the iMac is from '00.

e.e.p.

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Answer 3

BDAqua

Level 10

239,393 points

Aug 13, 2011 10:44 PM in response to este.el.paz

Like I said I only saw WEP.

I'm not certain, but it may be due to that is the only network seen!?

I do have access to the router setup page, are you saying that I could pick my own WPA key there?

Abolutely, you have to.

Why does that make "WPA more secure than WEP"?

WEP can be broken in under a minute with easily available tools online, WPA takes a week or so, WOA2 with a good password hasn't been broken yet,

An Extreme Airport card shoud do WPA2 no problem,

Anyway, one of these will do it with better range & speeds than Airport...

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/MXP2802GU2/

hope all is well in rain country.

Not all that well, temps are in the 70s F here, Summer lasted more than 7 days this year, but hope springs eternal... some Rain predicted! 😉

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Answer 4

este.el.paz Author

Level 1

95 points

Aug 14, 2011 8:52 AM in response to BDAqua

BDAqua wrote:

Like I said I only saw WEP.

I'm not certain, but it may be due to that is the only network seen!?

I do have access to the router setup page, are you saying that I could pick my own WPA key there?

Abolutely, you have to.

BD:

Thanks for the add'l thoughts, and yes I realize this is all pretty general since we aren't going into the specifics for the various pieces of hardware involved . . . and, indeed it may be that the only reason that I can only see WEP is because that's how the router is set up . . . . Part of the confusion is due to changing back and forth between OSX and the new Linux, which is more like PC . . . . But, humor me if you don't mind . . . if I was to change my router to a WPA2 . . . and change the key code to something that will take a week to figure out?????, where in Tiger would that change have to be reflected?? Which application would that info be entered to mirror the key in the router?? Network?? or Internet Connection?? I'm assuming that if I changed the router that change would not be "telegraphed" magically to the computer. Obviously I've done this to get it set up as WEP but it's been a while . . . . Anyway, thanks for the friendly voice . . . not sure if I need or want to change my home router encryption for the laptop that gets used away from home . . . .

e.e.p.

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

239,393 points

Aug 14, 2011 10:54 AM in response to este.el.paz

Say you try WPA first, here's from 10.5.8 after clicking on the Airport icon in the top bar & choosing Join Other Network...

Now I've gone & done it... given away your Password!

EDIT: Just checked 10.4.11 & it's the same except under the icon it says just Other..., instead of Join Other Network...

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Answer 6

este.el.paz Author

Level 1

95 points

Aug 14, 2011 3:02 PM in response to BDAqua

BDAq:

EDIT: Just checked 10.4.11 & it's the same except under the icon it says just Other..., instead of Join Other Network...

The key point is to click on "Other" . . . because when I just clicked on the existing home network, the only options given were, WEP, WEPhex, and WEPACII, and LEAP. When the "Other" option is selected is when it shows WPA personal, and WPA2 personal, or both in "enterprise" as possible selections -- otherwise the WPA doesn't show which is what I was seeing before, just WEP . . . this is on my 800 Mhz iMac running 10.4.11. I didn't check it before because the airport connection doesn't work on the iMac, perhaps because it's wired in by ethernet??? Whereas on my iBook I can be wired in and the airport will connect--in WEP . . . . So, anyway, it is do-able to get into WPA if I desire. Many thanks, again.

e.e.p.

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Answer 7

BDAqua

Level 10

239,393 points

Aug 14, 2011 3:14 PM in response to este.el.paz

Good work, great news, thanks for the report & all ! 🙂

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Answer 8

Jan 20, 2015 6:22 AM in response to este.el.paz

I am having no luck getting an old MBP running 10.4.11 (updated with combo update) to connect to WPA-Personal "guest" network using a Dlink 655 router. (The Airport Utility version is 4.1.1.)

I can get to the WPA options in from the airport menu item. But everything I try results in an error connecting.

The pre-shared key above is an 11 character pass phrase. I've tried also a 13 character one.

I enter the pass phrase with the password option. I've also tried using a "$" before it, and also tried converting the pass phrase to hex using online generators and using the hex option. Nothing seems to work. Is there a definitive answer here?

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Answer 9

BDAqua

Level 10

239,393 points

Jan 20, 2015 9:47 AM in response to Loren Ryter

Where it says WPA Only, is there a WPA Personal choice?

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Answer 10

Jan 21, 2015 5:07 AM in response to BDAqua

Not exactly, but in effect yes. The router config has a "security mode" (not pictured) where the choices are: None, WEP, WPA-Personal, and WPA-Enterprise. That is set to WPA-Personal.

The WPA Mode choices are: Auto (WPA & WPA2), WPA Only, and WPA2 Only

The Cipher Type choices are: TKIP only or AES only or TKIP and AES

I've experimented with just about everything possible, including WEP for the security mode. Nothing works.

One bit of new info is when I get a new/different error when the settings are:

Security mode: WPA-Personal

WPA Mode: WPA2 only

Cipher Type: TKIP only or AES only or TKIP and AES

The new error is:

"The wireless network...does not support the requested encryption method."

This is distinct from using "WPA Only" as the mode, and each cipher type, or using WEP, which results in a simple "error connecting" on Tiger.

Note that I believe this problem is related to setting the router to a mixed b,g,n network. When it was set to mixed b,g, one of the WPA or WPA flavors worked ok. Unfortunately I need n enabled for other purposes on my network.

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Answer 11

BDAqua

Level 10

239,393 points

Jan 21, 2015 9:56 AM in response to Loren Ryter

That is much like the problem 10.4/10.5 on PPC Macs have connecting to an Apple 802.11n router, they won't connect & usually crash also, only making a second Guest network that is 802.11b/g only works.

If that isn't an option on that router, perhaps Internet Sharing from another "n" Mac or PC?

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Answer 12

Jan 21, 2015 10:36 AM in response to BDAqua

The guest zone on this router (which is what I'm trying to use anyway) doesn't allow a b/g only setting. Why wouldn't b/g/n work? If you're saying it's impossible, then that's good to know. Surprised neither Apple, nor any third party, has never patched that problem, though, as it's pretty big.

I will try internet sharing but I'm skeptical because the only always-on computer is 2 floors upstairs from the one in question.

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Answer 13

BDAqua

Level 10

239,393 points

Jan 21, 2015 10:57 AM in response to Loren Ryter

I'm guessing why "n" is a problem...

Router speaking... Hello, 802.11b/g/n here, first lets try connecting via 802.11n.

10.4.11 hearing... #@!g9*&^%

Apple isn't very good at supporting more than 2 OS versions ago, 10.7 got a rare patch for the bash & ntpd problems lately, 10.6 & earlier did not. 😟

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Answer 14

Jan 21, 2015 2:15 PM in response to BDAqua

That's funny. Unfortunately, the MBP on Tiger can't connect to MacPro either using internet sharing and with WPA2 enabled. The signal is fine, and it connects fine with no security (not a viable option). But Tiger apparently can't handle WPA2, and that's the ONLY security option on Yosemite at least.

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Answer 15

BDAqua

Level 10

239,393 points

Jan 21, 2015 4:07 PM in response to Loren Ryter

My 10.4.11 PPC/Mini connects fine via Airport to my Modem Router using WPA2 Personal !?

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