2007 iMac won't connect to WiFi

Question

Level 1

8 points

2007 iMac won't connect to WiFi

Hi all, I'm having trouble connecting my late 2007 iMac to the new WiFi signal.

We recently had Virgin Media fibre optic broadband installed and since then I've not been able to connect to the internet. I've already tried changing the channel number to one that's not used by my neighbours. I was borrowing my neighbours connection while we were waiting to get connected and I could connect to their internet, only their signal was about half as strong as the signal that I get on my 2010 MBP. We have 30mg broadband and plenty of signal, so the problem isn't there. I seem to remember the signal stength dropping back in mid 2008 on my iMac, but I connected through ethernet after that so I've not had a problem. My iMac has also been reformatted twice since then. I also can't connect when I try to share internet through ethernet from my MBP to my iMac, in fact, this just stops my MBP from connecting to the internet at all.

To summarise, I can connect to my neighbours 2meg broadband, but not my own 30 meg broadband. Can't connect through internet sharing with my MBP either.

Thanks in advance for any help that you can give me,

Josh

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Nov 28, 2011 3:26 AM

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Answer 1

Paul_31

Level 6

14,172 points

Nov 28, 2011 3:40 AM in response to JoshMD

I don't suppose it's as straightforward as changing a setting on the router?

I'm in France connecting via an Orange Livebox 2. When I set it up I had to select whether I was connecting via fibre or phone line. Just a thought.

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Answer 2

Paul_31

Level 6

14,172 points

Nov 28, 2011 4:44 AM in response to JoshMD

Some on here have been able to resolve wifi issues by completely deleting the existing Airport/Wifi connection and then recreating it: System Preferences>Network, click on Airport on the left and then delete the connection using the 'minus' key at the bottom. Then click on the '+' button and select Airport from the Interface drop-down menu, give it a name and save it. Select your Virgin network from the Network Name drop-down menu in Network prefs and hopefully you can join it, inserting your WiFi password.

A couple of other possibilities that seem to help some people is to add two new DNS settings. System Prefs>Network>Advanced Button>DNS tab - click the + sign next to IPv4 or IPv6 addresses and type 8.8.8.8 then click the = again and type 8.8.4.4 - save the settings.

Your wifi encryption is probably not set to WEP but if it is change to WPA/WPA2 (iMacs don't seem to work well with WEP, and it's fairly insecure).

And the last thing I can suggest that I recall has helped some is to look at the router settings and if it is set to b/g and n change it to b/g.

If you haven't already tried any of this maybe try one thing at a time to see if any one thing makes a difference. Good luck.

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Answer 3

JoshMD Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 28, 2011 6:54 AM in response to Paul_31

I had already tried the first option and it didn't help. I'm trying your second option, but when I add new DNS servers, they don't seem to appear. I can highlight them, and 4 are there, but with no info. When I add a new one, it even comes up further down the list of servers. Looking back now, I seem to remember when I first got my iMac having DNS problems and I might have had to install some DNS program. I'm not entirely sure I even know what DNS means though. I'll wait for my flatmate to show me how to get into the router settings when he gets home.

Thanks again, Josh

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Answer 4

JoshMD Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 28, 2011 3:46 AM in response to Paul_31

Virgin Media only does fibre optic broadband though, and my Macbook Pro is connecting just fine. Do you mean that I should change something on my iMac's settings?

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