WEP & WPA - Windows and Macs don't connect
I wanted to post this because I read all the posts before calling Apple Tech Support. I spent 2 to 2.5 hours on the phone over 3 calls and they could never get it to work correctly. My 4th call, I waited 1 hour and never got help, so I just hung up, couldn't wait any longer.
So here goes. If anyone has any ideas, let me know but I think the software in this box-AEn is screwed up.
5 computers, 1 Windows XP Pro sevice Pack 2, D-Link AirPlus DWL-650+ (B) card, 1 G5 Dual 2GHZ, running OS 10.4.8 Wireless card (G), 1 Powerbook G4, wireless card (G), running OS 10.3.9, Powerbook G4 1GHZ, running 10.4.8, 1 old iMac no card just Ethernet wired, running 10.3.9. All computers are up to date with repect to their operating systems and all dirivers are up to date.
Note: I have tried the AEn on channel 6 as well as Auto in many differnt combinations by myself and with Tech Support. We even went as far as, in Preferences, throwing away the System Configuratiion Folder and in Key Chain Access (in the Utilities folder) throwing away all references to Airport Internet connections. All computers will connect as WIRED ethernet no problem at all, Windows and Macs.
The Problems:
If I set my network to WEP; my G5 wirelessly connects no problem, my Windows XP connects no problem, but my 2 Powerbook G4's do not. When I go to connect to the network they both show the login box as WPA and ask for a WPA Password (even thought it's set to WEP) and it does not give any option to change it to WEP, so it will not accept my 13 character password. But if I go up to the menu and instead of trying to log into my Network that's listed, I go to "Other" which is just below my network in the list, I do get the opportunity to pull down to my saved network and set the encryption to WEP. I then can sign on with the 2 Powerbooks. The only problem is when I shut off the computers, since it's not stored in my keychain, when I start my computer again I have to manually go through this entire process to get logged in each time.
Now if I set my network to WPA Personal as is recommended; all my Macs will log in correctly even after shutting down the computers. The only problem is now I can't get the Windows XP computer to log into the network. It's kinda the same problem in reverse. The Windows machine can see the network, but when I go to connect, it doesn't even ask for a Password. It just won't connect.
I have tried: WEP, Shared, WPA (TKIP), WPA-PSK to connect up to WPA Personal from the AEn with no luck. Each time I have restarted the computer when deleting a preferred network to make sure it's out, then restarting and creating a new one manually.
Also depending on the settng that I choose the in the Windows computer, the signal strength is different. If I start my computer with no preferred network listed (created) the signal strength is 0 = Zero and the computer will not even try to log in. Although it does see my network name, it just says the signal strenght is zero. If I create a preferred network in my Windows computer as WEP it say the signal strength is 2 bars. And if I create a preferred network on the Windows machine that is WPA it sees the network and says it's 4 bars and is at full strength.
So, if I try to log in to a WEP encrypted AEn from the XP machine, I can get in under WEP but if I try to log into a WPA encrypted AEn it won't and I don't even get a Password field to put the password in. It's as if it doesn't know there is a Password needed.
So I can either, have WEP in the AEn and have to login each time manually with the Mac Laptops or go to WPA Personal on the AEn and not have the Windows XP be wireless.
As I said they all work perfectly on Wired Ethernet.
One last thing, and I stated this as a reply in another posting, I can no longer see any of the computers through Network (on the left side of a folder window) The only thing that works is, the Powerbook G4 running 10.3.9 can see the G5 running 10.4.8. That's it. My G5 network window takes 5 to 10 minutes to show anything sometimes.
And yes, PRAM has been zapped many times on the Macs.
As I said in my other posting, I'm not sure Networking is Apples best suit.
So here goes. If anyone has any ideas, let me know but I think the software in this box-AEn is screwed up.
5 computers, 1 Windows XP Pro sevice Pack 2, D-Link AirPlus DWL-650+ (B) card, 1 G5 Dual 2GHZ, running OS 10.4.8 Wireless card (G), 1 Powerbook G4, wireless card (G), running OS 10.3.9, Powerbook G4 1GHZ, running 10.4.8, 1 old iMac no card just Ethernet wired, running 10.3.9. All computers are up to date with repect to their operating systems and all dirivers are up to date.
Note: I have tried the AEn on channel 6 as well as Auto in many differnt combinations by myself and with Tech Support. We even went as far as, in Preferences, throwing away the System Configuratiion Folder and in Key Chain Access (in the Utilities folder) throwing away all references to Airport Internet connections. All computers will connect as WIRED ethernet no problem at all, Windows and Macs.
The Problems:
If I set my network to WEP; my G5 wirelessly connects no problem, my Windows XP connects no problem, but my 2 Powerbook G4's do not. When I go to connect to the network they both show the login box as WPA and ask for a WPA Password (even thought it's set to WEP) and it does not give any option to change it to WEP, so it will not accept my 13 character password. But if I go up to the menu and instead of trying to log into my Network that's listed, I go to "Other" which is just below my network in the list, I do get the opportunity to pull down to my saved network and set the encryption to WEP. I then can sign on with the 2 Powerbooks. The only problem is when I shut off the computers, since it's not stored in my keychain, when I start my computer again I have to manually go through this entire process to get logged in each time.
Now if I set my network to WPA Personal as is recommended; all my Macs will log in correctly even after shutting down the computers. The only problem is now I can't get the Windows XP computer to log into the network. It's kinda the same problem in reverse. The Windows machine can see the network, but when I go to connect, it doesn't even ask for a Password. It just won't connect.
I have tried: WEP, Shared, WPA (TKIP), WPA-PSK to connect up to WPA Personal from the AEn with no luck. Each time I have restarted the computer when deleting a preferred network to make sure it's out, then restarting and creating a new one manually.
Also depending on the settng that I choose the in the Windows computer, the signal strength is different. If I start my computer with no preferred network listed (created) the signal strength is 0 = Zero and the computer will not even try to log in. Although it does see my network name, it just says the signal strenght is zero. If I create a preferred network in my Windows computer as WEP it say the signal strength is 2 bars. And if I create a preferred network on the Windows machine that is WPA it sees the network and says it's 4 bars and is at full strength.
So, if I try to log in to a WEP encrypted AEn from the XP machine, I can get in under WEP but if I try to log into a WPA encrypted AEn it won't and I don't even get a Password field to put the password in. It's as if it doesn't know there is a Password needed.
So I can either, have WEP in the AEn and have to login each time manually with the Mac Laptops or go to WPA Personal on the AEn and not have the Windows XP be wireless.
As I said they all work perfectly on Wired Ethernet.
One last thing, and I stated this as a reply in another posting, I can no longer see any of the computers through Network (on the left side of a folder window) The only thing that works is, the Powerbook G4 running 10.3.9 can see the G5 running 10.4.8. That's it. My G5 network window takes 5 to 10 minutes to show anything sometimes.
And yes, PRAM has been zapped many times on the Macs.
As I said in my other posting, I'm not sure Networking is Apples best suit.
G5 Dual 2 GHz, Mac OS X (10.4)
