Any Macusers Wi-Fiers here?

[question everything]

Last year we bought SMC router that allowed spouse's iBook (G3) to use my Cable Modem (desktop G4). We both remembered installing both the card and the router as being very simple and straight forward.

Two days ago in mid sentence - literally - I lost any ability to connect to the Internet. The computer was fine (even though Comcast was trying to tell me that it needed a new network card) so I replaced the Comcast-issue cable modem. But when we tried to use the SMC router - no connection, so we decided that it was the source of the problem.

We have had reports of many power spikes in the area so the router might have shorted.

To play it safe, spouse went to a Mac store and got a D-Link router - and I can log on even through the router. But the iBook just does not see any network now. It does still recognize the old SMC, amazingly enough.

Calling D-Link support did not help. They do not help with the configuration of the computers.

Have any of you used these routers? Any idea of what might be wrong? Or where even to start troubleshooting? When we open the System Preferences of the iBook it does not see any network, even when we enter the IP numbers manually.

And that's the level of my techiness.

[awgoodkitty]

1. I have a D-Link

Try unencrypting your router - do a reset - and rename your network "default" and see if that works. You can always change it back if you want.

The same thing happened to me. For no rhyme or reason. I had Dlink router and pc-card on a Dell laptop, using Comcast Internet and Norton Anti-Virus and Internet Security softwares. The Internet Security has a firewall and during one of their "live updates" it stopped the Dlink cold. Something, somewhere was conflicting with the encryption of my Dlink router so that it got blocked by the firewall (at least that's what I was told by customer service after more than 12 phone calls).

(If you aren't running firewall software - maybe your computer had a live Windows update and some new code caused the conflict.)

I had to reset my router, rename my network "Default" and rely on the Internet Security and Comcast's firewalls to protect me. I never had a problem.

Not being a techie, these things can drive me crazy (and since 2000, that's a short trip!) Good luck.

[question everything]

6. unencrypting sounds like a good idea. I used the setup Wizard

and selected to enable encryption. Should try to go back and select disable.

Yes, have firewall net barrier which, tell the truth, is not easy to understand and to manage. I did remove all restrictions for the installation and couple of times this evening I was getting "ping flooding" from my own IP and just had to tell it to ignore.

Getting late, though. Will try a fresh start tomorrow morning.

[TriMetFan]

2. have you repaired disk permissions?

Then try again.

[question everything]

3. How do I repair disk permission? Where do I find it - System preferences?

Thanks

[Zorro]

5. It's an option in the disk utility

Depending on your OS version, you should find it under applications/utilities or somewhere similar.

[Zorro]

4. What OS are you running on the iBook?

OS 9 or OS X?

Does your internet provider support DHCP, or do you have a fixed IP address?

I suggest for starters you might want to temporarily connect the iBook up via ethernet port and download Kismac (freeware), then disconnect and run it on the iBook. If your wireless router is working, Kismac will see your network.

[question everything]

7. OS X. And, yes, using DHCP configuration.

Connect the iBook directly to the cable modem? I was thinking about it but it may need the cable software which, I suppose, can be installed.

Or, I can download Kismac to the Desktop, burn it on a CD and then run on the iBook.

Thanks. Great idea.

[question everything]

8. Was a stupid TX rate

Spouse was walking all around the house and was picking a router from a neighbor across the street. So it was clear that the computer was OK. (Still, used the information from above to clean our HDs with the Disk Permission)

Called DLink, again, changed some of the setting - still, nothing. Called Apple and were told to make sure that we are getting the 811b signal, since this is an old computer.

Finally called D-Link again as the last step before returning the product and this time was a smart help person who realized that the TX rate was at 36, while the old iBook can only accept 11. Told us to set it on Auto and I could hear the Hallelujah Chorus singing.

Thanks, again, for all your input.