Wifi connnection timeout

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Wifi connnection timeout

Hi,

I have a mid 2011 21.5" iMac. I cannot connect to any wifi source. I just moved, at my old apartment I used to run an ethernet cable from my router directly to the iMac. Now I can only use wifi and the iMac tries to connect and says "connection timed out". I have tried to reset everything including the router, iMac etc. I know it's not the router because my wife's Macbook has no trouble connecting to the router. Furthermore, I tried to share my iPhone 5's connection with the iMac through the hotspot and neither the wifi nor bluetooth options would work. Wifi says the same thing, "connection timed out". I have whatever the latest version is of Mountain Lion.

Please help!

Thanks!

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3), linksys router

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 8:46 AM

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Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

Apr 29, 2013 9:06 AM in response to airflite40

From the menu bar, select

 ▹ System Preferences... ▹ Network

Click the Assist me button and select Assistant. Follow the prompts.

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Answer 2

airflite40 Author

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Apr 29, 2013 8:00 PM in response to Linc Davis

Thanks Linc

The issues seems to have compounded:

Now the iMac doesn't even show my iPhone in the list of available networks even though the phone is sitting right next to it.

I tried to connect my MacBook in the same fashion and was getting the same connection timed out error.

I tried what you suggested and was able to connect to the phone, but was unable to access any webpages.

It said I was connected but the wifi indicator kept cycling and cycling.

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Answer 3

airflite40 Author

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Apr 29, 2013 8:03 PM in response to airflite40

Furthermore,

I found the longest Ethernet cable on earth and connected the iMac directly to the modem and tried to share the Internet connection from the iMac to be able to use wifi throughout the house but when I try to connect to the network it says, yup you guessed it, "connection timed out"

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Answer 4

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

Apr 29, 2013 9:38 PM in response to airflite40

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, or by a peripheral device.

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.

Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs. The next normal boot may also be somewhat slow.

The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

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Answer 5

airflite40 Author

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Apr 29, 2013 11:37 PM in response to Linc Davis

Linc,

Thank you for your detailed instructions.

The test did not show any changes.

My imac does not even see my iPhones wifi signal. The iPhone nor the MacBook can connec to my iMac hotspot.

MacBook recognizes iPhone and connects to it.

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Answer 6

Apr 29, 2013 11:45 PM in response to airflite40

Try the basics first if you have not already done so:

Change your router channel number. Most times this works & is all you have to do.

Disconnect & reconnect your modem. unplug it for about 10 seconds. Plug it back in. Do the same for Apple’s routers. Wait for everything to reboot.

System Preferences>Network

Click the Assist Me button.

In the next window that pops up, click the Diagnostic button & do the necessary.

Research Knowledge Base for network problems that pertain to the OS that is currently installed on your computer. See these basic networking KB Articles: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1401 AirPort troubleshooting guide

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2712 Using network locations in Mac OS X

Manually provided DNS server addresses are higher priority than DHCP's

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1714 Solutions for connecting to the Internet, setting up a small network, and troubleshooting

============================

What to do when you can't connect to the Internet

Also, run the Airport Utility app which is located inside the Utilities folder.

=====================

If using a Linksys router, contact LinkSys Customer Support and/or post in their forums.

If using Apple's Airport, please re-post over in one of the AirPort Forums.

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Answer 7

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

Apr 30, 2013 5:50 AM in response to airflite40

Boot into Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at the startup chime. Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial.

Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with proxy servers, or with networks that require a certificate for authentication.

From the OS X Utilities screen, select Get Help Online. A clean copy of Safari will launch. No plugins, such as Flash, will be available. While in Recovery, you'll have no access to your saved bookmarks or passwords, so make a note of those before you begin, if they're needed for the test.

Test. After testing, reboot as usual and post the results.

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Answer 8

airflite40 Author

Level 1

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May 2, 2013 4:50 AM in response to Linc Davis

Linc,

Thanks again for helping.

I followed your instructions and unfortunately for me the results were the same. The iMac does not even see my iPhone hotspot, nor my new Motorola gateway.

I also noticed that it only sees 2 or 3 available wifi networks, whereas every other device in my home sees about 20-25 in range.

Does this mean something is wrong with the wifi hardware inside my iMac?

Thanks!

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Answer 9

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

May 2, 2013 6:52 AM in response to airflite40

Does this mean something is wrong with the wifi hardware inside my iMac?

Yes. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store.

Back up all data on the internal drive(s) before you hand over your computer to anyone. If privacy is a concern, erase the data partition(s) with the option to write zeros* (do this only if you have at least two complete, independent backups, and you know how to restore to an empty drive from any of them.) Don’t erase the recovery partition, if present.

Keeping your confidential data secure during hardware repair

*An SSD doesn't need to be zeroed.

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