the imac and the internet

Hi, i'm trying to get my shiney new machine onto the web with no joy. I currently have an old pc with NTL world broadband and it all works great, no problems. I plugied in the ethernet cable into my imac and it keeps coming up that it cannot connect. On the status page i just get an amber light saying the IP address has been assigned automaticly and it cannot connect. So i phone NTL, went through a long list of stuff like creating a new set of settings and nothing worked. So here i am. the lady i spoke to claimed that the mac was creating its own random IP address and was not getting one from NTL as it should so can anyone please help me get this working? How can i get it to either setup properly or how can i find a way of setting my own ip or anything else that may help?

Thanks.

imac g5, Mac OS X (10.4)

Posted on Jul 1, 2006 9:35 AM

23 replies

Jul 4, 2006 5:14 AM in response to david_k

I would suspect a modem or line, as Myhighway suggested.

When you tell tech support that you aren't going to pay for the days that your internet service stinks they should get on the ball.

Jul 4, 2006 6:49 AM in response to Nick Stearns

Well, I returned to work today and was about to do a reinstall and test of a potentially problematic iMac CD and an extremely intermittent ethernet connection. Now, it is working. Previously, when the problem arose, if I were to plug the cable in to an eMac sitting right beside the Intel (or my oldder G3 iBook), it worked as expected (immediately and continously) but not with the iMac. Perhaps it needed a vacation as I did! 🙂

What I also find interesting is the appearance of another network port - not created by me - named 'Ethernet Adaptor (vi2)'. Interesting....

I'll be re-installing the system on the iMac anyway and will wait to see if the 'problem' returns.

Jul 4, 2006 6:54 AM in response to Patrick Ellis1

"Perhaps it needed a vacation as I did! 🙂"

Yes indeed.

Now if David_K's vacation helps we'll be in business.

david_k Author

Level 1

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Jul 4, 2006 8:33 AM in response to Nick Stearns

I could do with a holiday, i've not had one sinse Christmas. Booooo.

A mate of mine who lives just round the corner has an imac and uses NTL as well. I have a copy of his DNS and router settings so will try using those when i get home tonight. The IP address might be tricky but if i use the same one as my PC with it switched off i might be able to use that.

Jul 4, 2006 9:57 AM in response to david_k

I hope it works for you.

david_k Author

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Jul 4, 2006 12:28 PM in response to Nick Stearns

Crack open the plonk, i've got it working!

This is bizzare how i got it working, i've tried a couple of different variations and this is the only way so far.

1) switch off mac, pc +cable modem
2) switch on modem
3) switch on pc and connect to web
4) unplug pc from modem and plug in network hub and mac
5) try to connect mac, when the error message crops up plug in pc
6) wait five minutes (go put on kettle and make nice cup of tea, loverly)
7) refresh safari and voila! internet access.

it seems the pc sets up the connection then the mac piggy backs the connection but the downside is the pc gets booted off the connection and wont go back on until i shut down both machines and the modem.
Off to PCworld in the morning to buy a router methinks, to see if that works better then that mess of a runaround above.

A big thanks to everyone who suggested erm... suggestions. Now i just need a big stick to destroy all this hardware and take the pain away.

david_k Author

Level 1

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Jul 4, 2006 12:51 PM in response to david_k

OK another slightly easier way with out having to wiggle my ears while standing on one leg and reading Kipling is to select the network status icon on my PC and disable it. The PC still has to be switched on first before the mac but it works now. This message is proof of that. It's just a pain i need to switch both on.
I'm really sorry this does not help anyone else in this problem, my heart really does go out to you but all i can say is

WWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Sorry for that. 😉

Jul 4, 2006 12:52 PM in response to david_k

Good going!!

Have fun.

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the imac and the internet