Mac Mini won't work with ATT Uverse

Note the time of the next freeze/beachball. After rebooting open the Console app in Finder>Applications>Utilities and look for log entries at the time of the freeze. Post suspicious ones here.

What type of wifi security are you using on the router?

Also, try different types of security on the wifi router. Include no security as a test.

Trying to help a friend whose Mac Mini doesn't seem to work with AT&T Uverse IP-DSL. It's a 2006 model running 10.6.8. AirPort sees the Wi-Fi network and you can connect to it. Network preferences shows an active Ethernet connection.

I am confused about the network connection. Is your friend's computer connected to the AT&T Uverse modem via an ethernet cable or WiFi or both? It should be connected only to one or the other. An exception might be if the Mac mini is connected to the AT&T modem via ethernet and in turn is in turn sharing its ethernet network connection by creating a WiFi network. However, the AT&T Uverse is probably creating its own WiFi network which would duplicate the network created by the Mac mini.

But if you try to work on the computer while connected, it's mostly unresponsive. Sometimes you can open a web site or an application, but you get the spinning beach ball within about 20 seconds. Have to use the power button and reboot. If you disconnect Ethernet and turn off the AirPort, you can use applications and utilities without any problems.

If the Mac mini is connected via ethernet, why is WiFi even turned on?

(My friend also has a newer iMac hooked up to the modem which works fine.)

Its the iMac connected to the modem via ethernet or WiFi?

The Mini AirPort is 802.11a/b/g and the modem is 802.11n/g. AT&T says it should work but maybe the Mini hardware is not fully compatible with IP-DSL.

802.11a/b/g is fully compatible with 802.11n/g that is a requirement of the 802.11 protocol but 802.11 is strictly for WiFi and has no connection whatsoever with ethernet.

My friend brought the Mini to a local shop and the tech found nothing wrong with it, but they didn't have Uverse. I've done some basic maintenance, like repairing permissions and cleaning out old cache files. The problems persist.

Dollars to donuts the local shop only connected using WiFi or ethernet and not both which is why the Mac mini worked there

Would it make sense to buy a Wi-Fi dongle for the Mini and bypass the built-in hardware? Can anybody suggest a fix? Thanks!

It would make a lot more sense to disconnect the ethernet cable and disable the ethernet connection or turn off WiFi and rely on the ethernet. Ethernet is generally faster than WiFi anyway.

Did you do this:

Note the time of the next freeze/beachball. After rebooting open the Console app in Finder>Applications>Utilities and look for log entries at the time of the freeze. Post suspicious ones here.

I had nearly the identical problem as the OP: MacBook Pro (versus Mac Mini) running 10.6.8 connecting to residential AT&T Uverse wifi. The MacBook Pro worked fine as long as you didn't connect to the wifi network, but as soon you did connect the whole computer would beachball and lock up, usually requiring a hard reboot. Other devices worked fine, including iPhones, Android phones, Windows 7 and Windows 8 laptops, as well as a newer model MacBook Air. But this particular MacBook Pro would lock up.

The solution ended being that I logged into the ATT UVerse modem (https://192.168.1.254) and changed the wireless Authentication Type from "WPA-PSK (TKIP) and WPA2-PSK (AES)" to just "WPA2-PSK (AES)". Once I did that, the MacBook Pro was able to connect fine. No idea if it's that generation's Airport or something in OS X 10.6.8 or what, but that fixed it.

I'm having this same problem, but with my late-2008 Mac Pro desktop (Intel Xeon processor).

I will try the router authentication workaround.

I Have an 2008 iMac and a macBook Pro both ruming OS 10.6.8. I have (had) the exact same problem as the OP. I follwed the directions (using my iPhone for web access) and it fixed everything.

A note for others: Your Modem Access code is printed on the side of the modem (you have to enter it after you make your changes to your setup.

Also, you must reboot the modem for the new settings to take affect. (Un plug the modem, count to 10, replug in.)

Thank you GnomeSane for this fix, that none of the ATT/Uverse help desk people could suggest after more than 4 hours of tech support phone calls!

the router configuration did not help, and now I'm also having the problem with my MacBook, OS X 10.6.8, 2 GHz Intel Core Duo.

I had no problems before upgrading my U-Verse from 1.5 mbps to 18 mbps.

Any ideas, y'all?

TerraCinque, did you ever solve this problem. I also tried the above router fix to WPA2 only and nothing helped. Same OS 10.6.8.

Its looking dark.