WEP, WPA problems

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Level 1

5 points

WEP, WPA problems

My girlfriend's MacBook is having issues connecting to our wireless network. We set up the network with a WEP password. When she started having connection problems I went into the network control panel and there was some huge password that was not what we had programed. I typed in the proper one and it hit apply now. It connected to the network but in the control panel it changed the WEP to a WPA password. It won't connect again as a WPA password and everything I try to change it permanently fails. Any suggestions?

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Posted on Mar 20, 2007 5:06 AM

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Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

239,183 points

Mar 20, 2007 10:47 AM in response to Lunchbox16

Exactly what are you connecting to/through?

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Answer 2

Wade Peeler

Level 6

10,906 points

Mar 20, 2007 10:54 AM in response to Lunchbox16

there was some huge password that was not what we had
programed

It will display extra characters in the password field, so that somebody possibly looking over your shoulder or something will not know how many characters are in your password.

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Answer 3

Lunchbox16 Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 20, 2007 6:57 PM in response to BDAqua

She's connecting to the wireless network in our apartment.

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Answer 4

BDAqua

Level 10

239,183 points

Mar 20, 2007 7:10 PM in response to Lunchbox16

Like Wade says, it was probably just "masking" your original PW, but I'd try this even though it says WPA2 and different symptoms & HW, wish Apple would update that doc, as many other reconnect problems get fixed by it...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304482

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Answer 5

Lunchbox16 Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 24, 2007 12:28 PM in response to Wade Peeler

Ok, the problem is not the characters in the password field, it's with the security format. Everytime she puts the computer to sleep it will not automatically reconnect to our wireless home network. I went into the network control panel to try to fix the problem. When I went to Network, selected preferred networks our home network is the first one listed. The password was set up at WEP, in the control panel, under the security column, it says WPA Personal. When I click edit, change the password type from WPA Personal to WEP, click save, then apply changes in the control panel it connects to the network. HOWEVER, immediately after it connects, the control panel changes the security type from WEP to WPA Personal again. The next time the computer wakes up or is disconnected we have to go through the entire process to reconnect to our network. I have tried to delete and re-add the network to the control panel, but the same thing happens. On my iBook, OS X 10.4.9 (the same OS she's running) my network control panel has the security type as WPA Personal, but I'm not experiencing the same problem. Any ideas???

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Answer 6

BDAqua

Level 10

239,183 points

Mar 24, 2007 12:50 PM in response to Lunchbox16

Well, if this is the fix you tried already and didn't work...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304482

Then I'd try trashing...

/Users/nnnn/Library/Preferences/com.apple.internetconnect.plist

/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist

/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences.plist

Then Reboot and set the Network up fresh.

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Answer 7

Lunchbox16 Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 24, 2007 3:07 PM in response to BDAqua

The computer does not have the com.apple.internetconnect.plist file. I did even did a search in Spotlight, but nothing turned up. I found and trashed the other two files, rebooted, and re-set up the network, but the same thing happened. Any ideas?

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Answer 8

OC1

Level 1

8 points

Mar 24, 2007 11:04 PM in response to Lunchbox16

I believe I worked on this problem today. Mine was a password problem.

The Apple tech said to run WEP, a password of 5 letters must be used if your wireless network router encryption is about 64 bit...13 letters must be used if around 128 encryption.

Then I went back to my ISP that sold and services the 2wire router I just bought. The ISP tech said what the Apple tech said was fine but the brand new 2wire router won't take more than ten password symbols plus the lead $ indicating Apple for WEP. Our MacMini uses OS 10.4.9 and the new MacBook OS 10.4.8. The ISP tech also indicated that OS 10.4.8 uses Apple's new 'N" wireless protical which uses WPA and can not use WEP. He said the only way to connect two Macs to the router is to use WPA. He went on to say that Windows was close to achieving the 'N' proticol and that WEP would likely become ancient history.

(Unfortunately Nintendo DS wireless limits itself to only WEP. We had to drop the wireless Nintendo connection in order to use wireless for both Macs. The Nintendo wireless website solution said to purchase their new USB HUB or just run 'stealth' without a password and hope your neighbors don't jump on your wireless connection)

This means that maybe the only way to connect 2 Macs to a wireless router with standard password protetion seems to be to use WPA or have a router that allows at least 13 letter characters than most allow in WEP. If you have the latest OS 10.4.8 then maybe WEP cannot be accessed by that computer.

Macbook Mac OS X (10.4.8) + MacMini OS1 0.4.9

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Answer 9

Lunchbox16 Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 28, 2007 1:40 PM in response to OC1

So will simply creating a new, longer password solve this problem, or is this contingent on the wireless router we have? Everything had been working fine for a couple of months then she installed an update on her machine (doesn't remember what is was) and then the connectivity problem started.

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Answer 10

Lunchbox16 Author

Level 1

5 points

Sep 29, 2008 11:22 PM in response to Lunchbox16

No longer an issue, just noticed the problem was still open. I guess it resolved itself...

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