Airport ---Is it strong enouth

Ok, so basically my G/F just got a new iBook. It has the same wireless card as mine, speciffically the Airport Extreme.
While sitting in the exact same location, she appears to get a stronger connection to our wireless network then mine, and also she can see another network on her airport that I can not. I have to move closer to the signal to see it.
What also confirms my possible problem, is that at school their is a WiFi network that is very low, but I can see it (sometimes) in the location that I am in. My buddy who is using a Gateway laptop, can get online using his computer going onto that network, but mine on the other hand, fluctuates so much. I see 3 bars, then none, followed by my airport changingn between 1 and 0.
So im trying to figure out what gives. Is it just that the Powerbooks have a lower recieving strength on the airport cards due to where the recievers are placed, or could I have a bad card?
But what leads me to thinking that my card is fine, is that it still works, just not to the extent that I would like it too.
So getting to my question(s), is their a way to eextend the range that my airport card is recieving? Is their a reset on the card that I can try to possibly increase my range? The airport card is covered by applecare right?
Any other help would be greatly appreciated.
-Tim
1.25 15in G4 Al Powerbook, 80GB HD, 5400rpm's Mac OS X (10.4.4) 3G 40GB iPod, Logitech MX900, Canon Powershot SD300

This is a long-standing problem with the PowerBook. It has to do with the metal casing (where your girlfriend's and your buddy's machines are encased in plastic).
Open AirPort Admin Utility and go through all of your settings, especially the Channel setting. See if enabling or disabling Interference Robustness helps. I wouldn't be too concerned about how many bars you see as this has as much to do with data transfer levels as it does with reception....

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Airport time capsule, add Airport extreme for stronger signal

I have a new Airport Time Capsule set up and running. My old Airport Extreme (5th gen) is sitting unused. I'd like to hook it up because I can't get a USB drive to work off of the TC (according to posts here it requires a powered hub).
I've read posts about setting up more than one Extreme, but feeling overwhelmed by all the terms. Also, much of the advice, including articles here, pre-dates the TC. From what I've read, the version of Airport Utility makes a difference too. I have the latest, 6.3.1.
First question: Can somebody explain, or point me to current articles, the differences between hardwiring (ethernet) the old AE to 1) the TC or 2) my wired Internet router (Verizon). A third option is, I think, is to set up the old AE stand-alone, connecting via wifi only, in a different part of the house.
Here's what I'm trying to accomplish. I live in a big old house with internal brick walls. I want to strengthen the signal throughout the house. One network, one password, security not a huge problem because we're rural.
I'm all Apple (Windows is banned from my house), and all software and OS up to date (10.8.4; I forget what cat it is).
Second question: depending on the answer to the first, am I looking to do an extended network, bridge network, hidden network (what is that?), roaming? I see these terms but am unclear on the distinctions. I'm sure many lurkers will have the same question.
Thanks,
Steve

Hi Again.. !!
There are two basic methods of connection.. wired by ethernet.. much the superior method to be used in every case possible.. (less gremlins!!). Even homeplug (EOP we call them here).. adapters are a better alternative to..
Extend wireless. This is apple terminology for what everyone else calls wireless repeater.
Wireless repeater as the name suggests.. picks up the wireless signal from a wireless source and retransmits it.. in the process it slows all transfers by half.. or more.. so it is inefficient.. only use where wire cannot be run.
Now to your specific question.
First question: Can somebody explain, or point me to current articles, the differences between hardwiring (ethernet) the old AE to 1) the TC or 2) my wired Internet router (Verizon). A third option is, I think, is to set up the old AE stand-alone, connecting via wifi only, in a different part of the house.
If the verizon router is the main router of the network.. with the TC plugged in and working in bridge mode.. then you can plug the old AE into TC or verizon router.. it will make no difference. The TC is working as a switch and AP only.. so plug into one or the other both are handled by the verizon router which does not know or care where the devices are plugged in. There is one consideration.. the TC and AE are gigabit.. the verizon is likely to be 100mbit.. so if you can plugging into the TC will provide gigabit link. Only relevant to ethernet connected computer on the AE and TC talking to each other.
AE stand alone is useless to you.. in stand alone you connect to it but have no connection to the rest of your network or the internet.
Second question: depending on the answer to the first, am I looking to do an extended network, bridge network, hidden network (what is that?), roaming? I see these terms but am unclear on the distinctions. I'm sure many lurkers will have the same question.
If you connect by ethernet you set up roaming.
See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4260
If by extend wireless you simply set the extend.. it is by its very nature nothing but a repeater so must use the same wireless name and password etc.

Airport connection is strong but unable to load pages

On my Macbook all of a sudden now it says it is connected but web pages won't load at all I have tried to restart and turn on and off the airport, and nothing. Tried with Safari Chrome and Firefox. Tks

Are other Internet services available, such as email? Are other computers on your network able to get on the web?

Setting up airport extremes with mobile netbook cart

I work in a school environment, running windows. We have four mobile carts in the high school. We have an airport extreme for each of the carts. In our situation, the airport extremes are mobile. They do not stay in one location all the time. The teachers connect the airports to a wired connection in their classrooms. We have the netbooks set up to automatically connect to an airport when in range. I have each of the airports setup the same way; create a wireless network, each has it's own network name, radio mode is automatic, channel selection is automatic. Internet options are connect using ethernet, connection sharing is off (bridge mode) and tcp/ip is static. There are a couple of issues we seem to be having. One is that the airport with the stronger signal is not always the one the netbook connects to. I could have one classroom of netbooks connecting to an airport that is located two classrooms down the hall when there is airport in the classroom that has a stronger signal. What could be causing this? We push out settings to the netbooks via group policy, such as redirected desktop and network shares. When a user logs in they don't seem to get the whole policy all of the time. If you restart or logoff then login, the netbook gets the policy correctly. Could this be a problem when multiple airports are in range of the netbook trying to access the network? Is having the airports mobile, moving from one room to the next, a bad idea? Thanks for the help.

tried this but it didnt work that well, the distance between the main airport and the extenders is too long. Also, when choosing extending, it came bugging me with incorrect dhcp settings. Couldn't solve that.
So i configured allt he extremes with creating a wireless network, same ssid and same wpa settings. Als bridgedsetting is disabled.
That seems to work. Anyone with an opinion about this configuration?

Airport will only give a signal to one device at a time

Went to access internet from Iphone. Iphone would connect and show good signal strength but not work. Imac was working. After resetting and unplugging cables I got the Iphone to work only to turn around and find the Imac not working. It seems I can fix the problem by unplugging the cat 5 cable from router that feeds the airport. Devices continue to work unless i leave the covered area or it somehow looses its connection overnight. I cant tell if I have a bad router, airport or cable? If I plug the cable from the router directly into the computer it works as it should. Any guesses?

Please post screenshots of the setup of the Airport.
I strongly recommend you reset it to factory and start over.
The Factory Reset universal
Unplug your TC/AE. Hold in reset. and power the TC/AE back on.. all without releasing reset and keep holding in for about 10sec. The time is not important.. it is the front LED rapid flashing that indicates you are in factory mode.
Release reset.
If it doesn’t flash rapidly you have released reset at some point and try again.
Be Gentle! Feel the switch click on. It has a positive feel.. add no more pressure after that.
TC/AE will reboot after a couple of minutes with default factory settings and will wipe out previous configurations.
No files are deleted on the hard disk.. No reset of the TC deletes files.. to do that you use erase from the airport utility.
When you do the setup take particular note of the names that are recommended by the utility to use.. and DO NOT USE THEM.
Use names that are short, no spaces and pure alphanumeric .. eg AEgenx and wifi name AEwifi
Then show me in screenshots what the problem is.
I do not know the modem you use.. all I am interested in is the WAN setup so please show me that in the AE.

How to make the strength of my powerbook wireless stronger?

hi, im using powerbook g4 12inch and my friend is using ibook.
my problem is she can get stronger signal than mine. for instance, she can get 4 networks and i only have one or none network listed. and another example is that she could get full range 4/4 and mine is only like 2/4?
i hope you can help me solve this problem because im using alot of wireless for my projects. and this disturbs me because even in my home i have trouble connecting in the kitchen when my router is at my bedroom nearby!
anyway, i read somewhere that the support people ask a guy to open the network/airport card and do something like pressing it for 10sec?? and his airport card is stronger than before (he claims), but he did not provide enough details, info for the procedure. so i thought i might get more help here?
so anyone knows a way of how to make the strength of my wireless stronger?
much thanks!

Perhaps the advice was to make sure that the cable or card is firmly connected/seated. Here's some documentation on how to do that.
Historically, iBooks have had better AirPort reception than metallic PowerBooks due to the signal travelling better through plastic than titanium or aluminum. My 12" PowerBook has little plastic edges to allow better reception. I don't recall when these were added.
Right now, I'm able to connect to my router in my bedroom from the living room. In the past, it was pretty spotty, but I think an update fixed that. I can also see several nearby wireless networks.

Airport Extreme with Airport Express--unable to connect to internet

I am using an Airport Extreme and 4 Airport Expresses to extend the range of the Extreme which is connected to my modem. As long as I am in the immediate area of the extreme the internet connection works perfectly. When I move to another part of the house, ie upstairs the internet does
not work. Diagnostics tells me that the ISP has failed and the internet and server lights are amber.
I have a green light on all the airports and a strong signal strength on my computer. Sometimes
diagnostics tells me that my airport does not have an IP address. I have the Airport Extreme and
two Airport Expresses downstairs and two Airport Expresses upstairs. HELP!

+however I did not use the ethernet cable. Would you please explain why this+
+works as I am using a laptop to connect wirelessly+
I'm guessing here that you are talking about using an ethernet cable to connect the Express directly with the computer to help with configuration.
When you do this, AirPort Utility and the Express are on the same network, so they communicate together. It seems that a lot of users have trouble trying to configure the Express using wireless...probably because it is sometimes necessary to "switch" networks to find the Express. I think the ethernet method is much easier and there's just less to go wrong. But...other users swear by the wireless configuration method, so I guess the bottom line is whatever works best is best.

How does AirPort Utility communicate with remote/relay AirPorts?

1. Wireless case: Does the AirPort Utility always try to communicate with remote/relay AirPorts directly, or does it use the network WDS when another AirPort provides a stronger signal? If it's the former option, this might explain why people have problems sometimes configuring distant AirPort base stations in WDS setups. If it's the latter option, problems with configuring a distant AirPort might be caused by improper configuration of the AirPort providing the strongest signal (presumably, the nearest).
2. Ethernet case: When one attempts to configure an AirPort via Ethernet, does it matter whether the AirPort is configured to connect to the internet via Ethernet (vs. wirelessly)?

Thanks for the replies Bob

Wireless/airport/IP address problem- please help

I have a Powerbook G4, and have recently set up a wireless system in my apartment. When I open the network connection, I'm told that Airport has a strong signal, is connected to my wireless network, and is connected to the internet- yet I can't actually get on the internet or use any program that requires internet access. Can you please help me figure out what settings I need to change to get this to work?
Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Here is the only way I have gotten it to work. No one has provided a better answer and no one has provided a reason why this fails for so many people. This is a pain in the butt, but it works...
Unplug your laptop
Take out the battery (i use a penny as the key)
Push and hold the power button for 5-10 seconds
Put the battery back in
Plug back in if necessary
Turn on the computer and you should be able to connect.
Unfortunately, I have to do this EVERY time I open the laptop and want to access the internet. HORRIBLE!

Airport keeps cutting out on me

Hello I believe there may be an answer to this problem I have but due to this wireless problem I do not have the time to search and read the posts. I have notice for a month now that my wireless signal gets cut off. I at first thought it was my router but I have used my brother's and friend's computer and they connect and stayed connected with no problem. I have a 17" PowerBook G4 1.0 GHz and I notice that I can connect to the internet for a few minutes only. Depending how long the PowerBook has not been used, the internet connection can last from 1 minute to 5 minute tops. I have other computers and they connect no problem. Just this PowerBook stays connected for a little while and then disconnects. When I try to connect again, my wifi id can not be located. I can not connect at all. If I shut the PowerBook down and wait for 5 minutes, the power book connects again, for a little bit before the signal is gone. I believe that my Airport Extreme Card is going bad or gone bad but could it be anything else. I appreciate any info

I have also been having a lot of problems with my internet on AirPort. Everything is fine when connected with an ethernet cable. The Airport signal is strong and my iMac runs off the wireless network with no problems. The wireless network is run from a D-Link Extreme G wireless router.
My problem is that when surfing I will stall out at about 5 mins. I have to turn off the Airport and turn it back on, then I'll get another 5 mins. and repeat...
It's getting very frustrating. I have searched and have found that a lot of people have the same problem with their PB G4's but there have been no answers. I'm hoping someone can help.

Best way to extend Airport Extreme range in urban dwelling?

Greetings all.
I have a problem with the range of my Airport Extreme. It is likely due to the fact that I live in a large loft with metal studs between the walls, and a lot of masonry as well. It also might have to do with the fact that there are about 12-20 networks I can see at any time, and I live above an AT&T hotspot as well.
I am looking for a way to make my Airport Extreme broadcast stronger.
Is the best way to do this to add an aftermarket antenna? Is it to use one or two Airport Express-es? Is it to add another Airport Extreme entirely?
The linear feet I need to cover is about 30' more from where my base station is at currently... however, given the potential interference as well as the steel walls... I am thinking MORE is better.
I have a very secure network, and do watch to ensure no other devices are logged onto my AE.

Welcome to the discussion area!
+I am looking for a way to make my Airport Extreme broadcast stronger.+
Since the Transmit Power of the AEBS is set at 100% by default, I doubt that you have lowered this setting, correct?
You won't be able to do anything about making the broadcast from the AEBS stronger, but you may be able to extend the existing signal using an AirPort Express or AirPort Extreme.
The "best" way to do this is to run an ethernet cable from your AEBS to the extending device and set it up to duplicate your network. This type of setup preserves the bandwidth on the network more effectively than other wireless methods and will yield the best results. Is this a possibility?
Ethernet powerline adapters might be an option if running the ethernet cable is not possible. These devices transmit an ethernet signal over the AC powerline and generally work quite well.
For a potential wireless only solution, you could make use of the Apple's "extend a wireless network" feature using an AirPort Express or AirPort Extreme. There will be some bandwidth loss using this "wireless only" method, but it may help extend the signal.
Since the AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme have the same broadcast power, it would be simplest and also the most economical to use the AirPort Express. The compromise here is that the Express is a single band device and your AirPort Extreme may be a dual band device. If your device is a newer dual band version and you want to "extend" both bands, you will need to use an Airport Extreme.
Given the challenge of your very crowded airways there, unfortunately, there's going to be no assurance that adding another wireless device will really help your situation. If wireless interference from other networks is an issue now...and I suspect that it may well be...adding another device to extend your wireless signal may or may not help.
If you cannot get a good, stable signal with your laptop at 15-20 feet from the AirPort Extreme now, you have an interference issue, not a signal strength issue at that position.
If you decide to try an AirPort Express or AirPort Extreme, either using ethernet or wireless, it would be wise to understand the store's return/credit policy in case things don't work out as hoped.
Let us know if you have any questions, etc.
Message was edited by: Bob Timmons
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Connecting via AirPort Base Station

I recently gave an iBook (running OS 10.4.11) and an AirPort Dual Ethernet Base Station to a friend. This combination worked flawlessly at my house, but I cannot get it to work at her house. Curiously, everything indicates that AirPort is functioning, that the iBook is connected to the Internet via AirPort, and a strong signal exists. However, we cannot connect to the Internet. I tried a hard reset to the Base Station, but that did not seem to have any effect. What are we doing wrong?

Hi David,
For a start, type this into the bowser's URL bar...
17.254.3.183
If that gets you to apple.com, then try putting these numbers in Network>TCP/IP>DNS Servers for the Interface you're using...
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
Then Apply. These are safer/faster than most ISP's DNS numbers, and have been patched against DNS poisoning.
DNS Servers are a bit like Phone books where you look up a name and it gives you the phone number, in our case, you put in apple.com and it comes back with 17.254.3.183 behind the scenes.

Interoperability with older wireless standards using new Airport Base?

my question to everyone is how will the new base station inter-operate with existing Apple Wireless equipment, like the older Airport Express 802.11g?
I have the older base station at the moment, which is 802.11g compatible and I also use Airport Express to stream music to my Amplifier from iTunes.
Off course because they all have the same speed and use WDS to work as a pair, I get extended wireless signal all around my house which is great.
How will that work with the new base station?
Will they still work together, and how will you stop devices that support 802.11n from stepping down to 11g if the signal from your airport express is stronger as part of the WDS network?
Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
cheers
G

I couldn't find any manuals or guides that include
the new AEBS with 802.11n.
They haven't been released yet.
I would guess that with
the new AEBS, it will work with 802.11a,b & g, but
operate at the speed of the lowest common
denominator. So if you had three 802.11n devices and
one 802.11b, all would operate at the 802.11b speed
because the AEBS would switch to that mode for all
wireless. This is how it has been done before on
previous Airport Base Stations.
This is not correct.
When a device 802.11b or 802.11g joins an 802.11n network, yes it does slow it down, but not down to the lowest denominator.
If an 802.11b or 802.11g client joined an 802.11n network, 802.11n clients would still connect at speeds faster than 802.11g, but not as fast as a pure 802.11n network.
With the 802.11g Airport Extreme and Airport Express, a similar thing would happen when a 802.11b client joined the network, 802.11g clients would still connect at speeds faster than 802.11b, but just not as fast as a pure 802.11g network.

Weak Airport.. killing me

hi all
my powerbooks airport signal is always really low or unable to pick up wireless connection even if they are close by.. meanwhile my ibooks airport is really strong & gets a high signal even when the wireless device is far away...
can anybody help me with any suggestions as to why this is
& how i may be able to fix it
thank u

PowerBook - Metal
iBook - Plastic
That's why the iBooks signal is better. The antennas work better out of a plastic case than a metal case. The Titanium PowerBooks probably had the worst Airport reception.
I can't think of a way to fix it, except for buying a cardbus slot wifi card. The antenna will then stick out the side of the case, improving reception.

MacBooks disconnect from Airport extreme

My problem is this - I have laptops that are accessing an external drive attached to an extreme BS via USB. All is fine for the first few users but when connecting through Network to the drive after 4 connections I get a message that the server has been disconnected.. I'm trying to access word documents and Adobe files. My Airport signal stays strong but I lose connections anyway.
Any help appreciated! TIA

I checked that. I can forward ports all day long to anything connected directly (or wirelessly) to the AE N. Anything connected to the AE G, ports won't forward. For some reason the AE G in bridge mode is not letting ports forward through.
Thanks for responding, though.

Airport ---Is it strong enouth

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