Q: Help Networking Mac w/USB WLAN Client Utility Adapter

Hi BD, thanks for responding. I really have NOOOOOOO complaints about the Realtek USB Utility or the Tech Support @Rockland LLC. Those guys have been great. But, I was just thinking that an attachment like that could be the source of my problems. Im glad to find that you have a pretty high opinion of them. It's worked flawlessly for me for the past 4 years. But, now that I have been trying to network the machines Im having some problems.

The way it stands now, I have the my cable modem pluggged into the Apple Express Base Station. Im at a loss as to whether or not AE is considered a router. Maybe u can straighten me out on that. I hear some people call it that, and others call it a hub, or access point, not really sure what the difference is. Maybe that itself is the issue? Do I need a "real router"?

At any rate, the cable modem is plugged into the Apple Base Station, and the computers connect wirelessly to that. The Realtek USB Utility Ethernet Adapter is at the top of the "food chain" right now and I am connecting. But, I have been able to connect sporadically, in the past 2 weeks, but the connection has dropped. I dont live in a mansion, by any means, so I dont think proximity is the issue.

If I could ask another related question... I posted yesterday after crashing my network... when setting up one of these adapters should one set up the Airport Base Station first and then the adaptor or vice-versa? Bc yesterday when I was trying to reconnect I had the hardest time. The Airport IP settings and the Realtek USB Utility Ethernet Adapter were not matching... after several reformats of the Utility and Base Station and unplugging & restarting the modem.

Thank you sooo much for any help with this. Networking is tough on me.

UPDATE... connection dropped, 20 mins later and can not reconnect.

Omg, BD, my problems have gone from bad to worse. Im sorry I even attempted the network thing now. If you can help me w/the newest thing I'll leave it ALL alone for now on.

I managed to get the G5 and laptop up and running, as far as connecting to internet and airport. But, the d a r n iMac wont connect. Ive tried EVERYTHING I could find here on these forums as far as resetting the airport, disconnecting modem, waiting, etc... I tried disk permisssions, cleaning dns cache, Open DNS, cleaning old Keychain passwords, etc... If I do I diagnostic w/Airport Utility, it says its connected to Airport and Internet. It just will NOT connect to Comcast server, so I can not send or receive mail. As far as internet connection goes, for some reason some sites load, some do not. THAT, I dont understand, at all. to some websites. Comcast says its not their problem bc the internet is working, the modem is working and I can connect with the other two computers.

I feel like it is still trying to connect to an old Comcast dns that was being used b4 everything went haywire, and I dont know how to get rid of it. In Network Prefs the IP and server domain are greyed out. Thing is, on my laptop nothing shows up in those windows at all, and all is fine conecting to internet and mail on that machine. I just dont get it. Can you help?

Thank you for your responses.

Hey BD... I spent a hellacious weekend trying to get stuff up and running. What I learned was the iMac & my printer have the same IP address. Mind you, all 3 machines and the printer have been working flawlessly under these conditions for the past 2 mos. I dont know or undersand why. Once I tried to set up Sharing and view files between the 3 machines is when everything went bad. And I couldnt get the iMac to connect to internet & Mail.

Just to refresh you on the situation... I have 3 Macs;

- G5 w/ 10.4.11 (G5 does not have built in Airport. Uses Realtek USB WLAN Client Utility Adapter

- Mac Book w/10.6.8

- iMac w/10.8.2.

I also have an Airport Express Base Station. I am trying to get them all networked to share files.

I wound up having to Migrate my Laptop's OS over to the iMac again. Which is how I set up the iMac when I first got it. I could in no other way get the iMac to connect to the internet or receive Mail. I tried to get the Base Sation to assign a new IP to iMac, but it wouldnt. I tried manually assigning a new IP to the printer, and I couldnt do that either. So, right now, I totally disconnected the printer & reset the Base Station. All 3 computers are connecting to internet and mail. The iMac STILL has the same IP address that it had when the whole thing started. Today, I have to try and re-assign a new IP to the printer again. Wish me luck!

Thank you for your responses and always trying to help. I will check out your site when this fiasco is over.

Yes, it is using a Static IP. I dont know if it's supposed to but that's the way it was set up the first time I got it to work. I was able to change the IP today so that it doesnt conflict with the iMac, which is further than I got yesterday. But, of course, I can not get it to print from laptop or iMac. It will only print out of the G5 that it is USB-ed to. When I print out Network Configuration for the printer it says that the Wi Fi Network is connected and link status is good, but the Network Connection Status is unplugged. Have no idea why.

BD- I have tired resetting the printing system. I have not tried repairing permissions. I will give that a try next. Currently, I am trying to get the laptop to be recognized wirelessly. During set up it keeps failing with the following message... Invalid Network Security. It goes on to say... Confirm the access point's network password, reboot printer and restart access point. I have done that several times.

I prayed the first time that I set this Samsung printer up that I wouldnt have to do it again, but my prayers went unanswered. Its a nightmare. WHich is why I wanted to change the IP on the iMac to begin with. I didnt want to have to touch this thing again. Will try repairing permissions now. Thank you for your further help.

No dice, BD. Keeps saying... The computer cannot connect to the network due to invalid network security. I am not resetting the Base Station again. All my computers are connected to internet and Mail. This printer is ridiculously counterintuitive to set up. There are countless posts here regarding the same issues with these printers. For the first time EVER, in trying to get any equipment I have ever bought to work, I am throwing in the towel on this one. I will get a new printer. Its not worth the time and aggravation that I have put into this. Thanks for trying to help.