IMac 10.4 w/ Airport Card loses wireless connection

I just upgraded an iMac w/ Airport card to 10.4.6. Was running 9.2.2 w/ Airport card and it worked fine on home wireless network. Now, the signal stays on for 5 seconds, goes off for 1 second, and then comes back. iMac is in same location as before. 2Wire, the wireless modem maker, says I need to update Airport card driver? Can anyone please help?
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.6)

brawleymorgan, Welcome to the discussion area!
Not to worry. If you have applied all of the AirPort updates via Software Update, your AirPort card has all the updates that are available.

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Zyxel pk500z router/wireless modem loses wireless connectivity with imac

My iMac loses wireless connectivity with wirelss internet from my Qwest ZyXel PK5000Z modem/router intermittently. Have to constantly reboot the router to allow my Imac and other Mac notebooks nto reconnect to wireless internet connection.

Suggest that you take one or more of Mac laptops down to the coffee place and connect there to check your performance. If you get a good connection there....as I suspect you will...you know the Macs are functioning correctly.
If the Macs perform well at the coffee place, you need to contact the ZyXel support folks for ideas on why the PK5000Z device is requiring constant restarts.
As you might imagine....on an Apple support forum, we are not going to be able to provide much help with a ZyXel product.

New 6500 E709n loses wireless connection when it or laptop sleeps... & other problems!

Just got this printer and am hoping we can get it to work because we really like it. I believe we've done everything right - it is connected to PC via USB, and to laptop via wireless network. Both computers are Dells running XP. Our wireless router is a Linksys Wireless-G WRT54G. We installed the disk on both. Immediately after installing on the laptop by plugging in USB and then unplugging, we were able to get it to work. We printed and scanned from both . . . UNTIL the printer went into power save mode.
When it sleeps it loses all the network connections (but will still print from PC). Even the icons disappear from the laptop after it sleeps. The only way to get it to work with the laptop again is to start all over, plug in the laptop, enter the WPA key again, and so on. Then it's finebut for just a short while. Now, when I registered my protection plan, I was on the phone with a techie guy and asked him if it's normal to have to keep entering the key every time you want to print, and he actually said that maybe I shouldn't let the printer sleep - wow! I want to conserve energy, so I may even want to shut it off, okay, and I don't feel I should have to go through this rigamarole every time I want the darn thing to just be available to the network. Furthermore, what's the sense of having to turn "Wireless Radio" on and off all the time???
Anyway, there are other problems and the menus in the internal web browser is about as confusing as it can be. Is the passphrase the same as a WPA key? There's a passphrase in there which I did not enter, and I don't know what it is because it's been disguised with dots. When I enter the WPA key on the front panel of the printer, it doesn't stick. One thing I noticed in the instructions is to keep telephones away from it, so I moved ours (was right next to it) but it's still being ornery.
In addition, the scan function only works from the software, not as a standalone if I use the front panel. When using the button on the front panel, sometimes it sees the laptop, sometimes it doesn't, and then it starts to scan, but a menu pops up on the computer asking to update the buttons, and then nothing happens.
Have we a clunker on our hands that should be returned, or is there a remedy? All suggestions welcome!
Message Edited by geoxena on 10-20-2009 10:56 PM
Message Edited by geoxena on 10-20-2009 11:03 PM

Let me answer the easy stuff first:
Yes, the passphrase is the same as the WPA-PSK key.
No, it's not normal to have to re-enter the wireless security key over and over again. Politely tell our service agent that he is mistaken on this point.
There's no sense in having to turn the radio on and off all the time to get the printer to remain on the network.
When the printer goes into power-save mode, can you still access the printer's internal web page by browsing to it's IP address? When the printer loses wireless connectivity, can you wake the printer by pressing any of the buttons on the front panel?
I have a couple more questions:
What WRT54G HW version do you have (it'll be on the bottom label of the router)?
What version of FW does your router have? You'll have to browse to the router's internal web page to find out.
Finally, change the WPA-PSK group key renewal period to the largest value possible. Tell if this affects the frequency of printer losing Wi-Fi connectivity?
One more question. After you have the printer connected to your wireless network and it's working, if you turn the printer off (via the power button), wait five seconds then unplug it then plug it back in and turn it on, does it connect to your network?
Regards / Jim B / Wireless Enthusiasts
( While I'm an embedded wireless systems engineer at work, on this forum I do not represent my former employer, Hewlett-Packard, or my current employer, Microsoft )
+ Click the White Kudos star on the left as a way to say "thank you" for helpful posts.

Printer loses wireless connection when it goes to sleep?

My printer loses wireless connection to my router when it goes to sleep and I have to input the WEP key again. As long as the printer is awake it works fine. The wireless light remains on.
Printer is HP Officejet Pro 8500A Plus and the router is a Verizon 7500.

If you mean WPA, that is good.
Let's set a static IP address for the printer:
- Print a Network Config Page from the front of the printer. Note the printer's IP address.
- Type that IP address into a browser to reveal the printer's internal settings.
- Choose the Networking tab, then Wireless along the left side, then the IPv4 tab.
- On this screen you want to set a Manual IP. You need to set an IP address outside the range that the router automatically sets (called the DHCP range). If you do not know the range, change the last set of numbers (those after the last '.') to 250
- Use 255.255.255.0 for the subnet (unless you know it is different, if so, use that)
- Enter your router's IP (on the Network Config Page) for the gateway.
- Enter 8.8.8.8 for the first DNS and 8.8.4.4 for the second DNS. This is Google DNS. You can choose another external DNS if you wish.
- Click 'Apply'.
Now, shut down the router and printer, start the router, wait, then start the printer.
After this you may need to redo 'Add a Printer' using the new IP address.
Say thanks by clicking "Kudos" "thumbs up" in the post that helped you.
I am employed by HP

OJ 8600 Constantly loses wireless connection

My OfficeJet Pro8600 Plus works great, except when it loses wireless connection. I have an ATT wireless router/modem. Frequently, when the printer goes to sleep, it will not print. The wireless icon on the printer shows good, and says connected. But then I get the message on my computer that the printer is not connected. I cancel the print, restart the printer and then it will work. I also frequently get the message that scanning is also not connected.
Once I reboot the printer, it works fine. Any ideas?

brown7373,
If you have not done so for a while, I might suggest that you install (reinstall) the Full Feature Software for your printer. In August of this year (2014) there was an Update to the software that may well help with the situation you are facing.
Less clear, due to the usual less than full descriptive qualities of the documentation supplied with these things (in my opinion), is the need for the accompanying firmware Update that is shown for at least those users running the Windows 8.1 Operating System. Firmware updates, might be installed after software updates are tried -- and only at the user / owner's discretion.
General Instructions to Install the Printer Software
Reminder:
In most cases, the Solution Center has been replaced by the Printer Assistant.
The Printer Assistant shortcut will be installed on your Desktop during the last part of the installation.
Windows Operating System:
Create Restore Point: Create a Restore Point – Win7 OR Create a restore point Win8
Open HP Drivers & Downloads
Enter your Printer Model information
Select your Printer from the “Results” list
OR
Open HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus e-All-in-One Printer - N911g Drivers
Enter your Operating System in the Drop-down menu
Click NEXT and Scroll down
Look for category Driver - Product Installation Software
Select the Basic Driver, e-print, or Full Feature Software
Save the *.exe installation package(s) on your computer
The file(s) will likely save to the "Downloads “folder.
Be sure to look for Updates as needed for your installation. If available, you may download the Print and Scan Doctor and / or other programs from Category – Utilities.
If you have ‘Admin’ control, you may highlight the package and “double-click” to install it, else Right-Click, Select run as Administrator and install.
NOTES:
Look at the bottom half of the main webpage for your printer for helpful videos to assist with the installation of the printer software!
Scroll the video list back and forth until you find the video that most closely matches your situation.
If using a USB connection: Download and install the driver software before connecting a USB cable.
Ethernet: Connect the printer to the network and (Optional) assign the printer an IP address at the router. Once the printer is connected to the network, be sure the printer is switched on and then install the printer software.
After the initial installation is complete and working, check / install Category - Update
There is valuable information at the support website, including sections for Manuals, Troubleshooting > How-to, Troubleshooting > Solve a Problem, plus alerts and notifications for your printer. Be sure to take an extended look at what is available. Bookmark the page.
============================================================================
If you are running the computer wirelessly and using a notebook, you might consider the following:
Set the wireless adapter to "all on" as suggested in the following Dragon Document:
Settings to Improve Wireless Connectivity
See the Section on Page One titled
Wifi Power Management
============================================================================
What If: Bummer - Nothing works. Sad Story and all that.
If all else fails, you can call HP and politely ask for the printer code to switch off the sleep timeout on your printer model. This works when everything else fails. It is not a solution; this is a workaround and maybe not a pretty one -- there may be consequences down the road. Switching off the sleep timer will keep the printer awake and available.
Disclaimer:
There is no guarantee that HP will give you the code. This is not part of the service. You can ask the question.
Reference:
PhotoSmart 7520 Printer Loses Wireless Connection – Set System Mode Timeout to Zero
Contact HP – USA - Phone Assistance
HP tech support/ Customer Service Phone Numbers – Some English Speaking Countries
Click the Kudos Thumbs-Up to show you appreciate the help and time from our Experts.
Although I strive to reflect HP's best practices, I do not work for HP.
Click Accept as Solution when the Answer is a good Fix or Workaround!
Kind Regards,
Dragon-Fur

I use Time Capsule and Airport for my wireless connection and my speeds stink!

I am getting horrible speeds (250K downloads) any suggestions. I have the time capsule and the Airport for my wireless connection and I have a new MacBook Pro. My download speeds are about 250K. I have turned off my wireless and plugged into my network with a physical connection and I get great speeds so something is wrong wiht my wireless connection /setup......any suggestions?

Yep much better.
I recommend the following ..
Set wireless and TC names to SMB standard.. short, no spaces.. pure alphanumeric.
Lock the wireless channels and set a different name for 5ghz and also lock its channel.
Use only WPA2 Personal security with a decent passkey.. generally 8-12 characters is plenty. Still follow the rules.. pure alphanumeric mix of upper lower case and numerals..
If that does not improve things.. how old is the TC.. the wireless output does seem to slide as they age.
A simple WAP connected to the TC can provide far superior wireless for very little money.

Why does Airport card lose AX network connection intermittently??

I'll be working, and then abruptly the Airport card in my iMac G4 loses the AX connection to the Apple network, and can't find any network. My iBook picks it up fine. Then, maybe within a half hour or so, it suddenly finds the AX Apple network again. All the while my iBook is fine. The only difference between these computers is that the iBook has an Airport Extreme card, and the iMac has an Airport card. And, I'm also in the same room as the AX station. iStumbler appears to show a loss of signal when this occurs, but that doesn't explain the iBook working fine.
I looked in the AP mgmt utility, and saw this:
"Deauthenticated with station (iMac mac address) (inactivity)."
And then:
"Deauthenticated with station (iMac mac address) (received invalid class-3 frame)."
What is the problem here??
Config: Cable Modem > Belkin F5d7230-4 router > ethernet to AX > wireless to computers
iBook G4 / iMac G4 / iPod 20GB Mac OS X (10.4.7)
iBook G4 / iMac G4 / iPod 20GB Mac OS X (10.4.7)

I'm looking into that possibility.......have a cordless phone in the office, a PC, cell phones, etc. Will clear them out and recheck. The maddening thing is that the iBook is totally bulletproof even in that environment. Why would the iMac be having these issues, but not the iBook? Is Airport Extreme more robust, or that much better than Airport?
Even now, the iMac shows no network - yet I'm writing this on the iBook right next to it, and it's had no network interruption whatsoever.
Do you have any knowledge of those "error" notations from the syslog? Could they be pointing to anything else?
Thanks much.....

Do I Need Airport Express If Both My iMac and MacBook Have Airport Cards

Just ordered a new MacBook that has a built-in airport card. Also will be using my good old iMac (both running Leopard 10.5.6). Since both computers have the built-in airport cards, do I still need Airport Express so I can use a WiFi network? I've already set up an Airport WiFi network on my iMac so I can WiFi my iPod touch. Isn't it the same principle? Hate to waste money if I don't have to. Also, I've got another iMac in the house that also has an Airport card (also running 10.5.6). It's in the shop for repair now so I can't try this out to see if it works - but can I simply turn on airport and internet sharing on that mac and let it use the WiFi network already set up on my other mac? Hmmm??? Thanks for any help.

Basically what you have done is utilize OS X's Internet Sharing feature on your iMac. This turns your iMac into a "software" router. In this case, you MacBook (& other wireless clients) can access the Internet through the iMac so you do not need to get a hardware router, like an Express or Extreme base station in order to do so. The only constraint is that the iMac must be on for this to work.

How to set up wired PowerBook (dead airport card) to wireless network

The airport card in our PowerBook isn't working and not worth fixing. I wanted to hook it up via Ethernet to Clearwire modem, but it appears there is only one Ethernet port on it which I have to use for my airport express for my iMac to access. There is a USB port on the airport but didn't know if that would do anything. Darn, I'm usually good at this stuff, so please help!

Wow, thanks for that fast reply.
The PowerBook is about 6 years old, apple called it vintage. Although it has airport in it, this happened once before where the antenna or whatever came dislodged. Hubby likes to fall asleep with laptop in... His lap!
I also have a 2008 iMac running off the same airport and was trying to see if I could daisy chain something up. I have a FireWire cable too. I hear you smiling...
So if you can explain what a wireless USB adapter is I'd appreciate it. I thought I could just hook it straight up to my modem or airport express but apparently each have only one Ethernet.
I'm the kind that sits and looks at what I have, so never would have thought about buying more stuff! :)

IMac and other Apple devices lose wireless connections

We have two Apple iMacs, a MacBook Pro, an iPad and iPad2 and they all intermittently lose their Wireless connection to my network. All of my PC's work just fine and stay connected. This is funny... the MacBook Pro booted to Windows 7 Pro stays connected, but the MacOS doesn't.
It appears to be a problem with DNS, because if you ping to a remote host, you get a response back. Also, if you put an IP address into Safari on the iMac and MacBook then a site will come online. However, the iPads just say "You are not connected" while in Safari. I have verified that I'm using the correct DNS addresses provided by my ISP, and I have a Windows Domain server running DHCP/DNS on the inside of my firewall.
We recently moved and were issued a new wireless router by our ISP. I was thinking that might be the problem, but then we don't have the problem with any of the Windows PCs. This router is manufactured by Arris. My other router was a Cisco that worked like a champ.
Turning off the Airport feature and turning it back on restores Web Browsing capability. Interestingly, if I have a remote desktop session running, it never gets disconnected even when the web stops working. Again, symptoms point to DNS issues.

If you feel it's DNS related then change the DNS setting to:
1. System preferences
2. Network
3. Click Advanced
4. Click DNS tab
5. Click + sign
6. Add 208.67.222.222
7. Click + sign
8. Add 208.67.220.220
9. Click OK.
10. Exit System Preferences

Airport extreme loses internet connection all the time with imac and macbook pro

I keep losing the internet connection with airport extreme on my imac and macbook pro but NOT with my pc

Ok, so when you say you lose internet connection, is it disconnecting from your wireless network so there are no bars?
And are there usually full bars?

Orig. Airport card loses IP, maintains connection to Linksys network

I'm posting here because I don't see a listing for plain old Airport cards. If there's a better spot in the forums for this, please let me know where it ought to go.
The setup:
Dual 867 Power Mac G4 (MDD) with old-school Airport card (both purchased back in 2002), running 10.4.10, and connecting to a Linksys wireless network (WRT54G wireless G-router, with a WRE54G wireless-G range expander). For the most part, this has worked out very well for the past several months.
The problem:
The IP address seems to drop out randomly, but not the wireless connection itself. I'll lose internet access, but have a full four bars on the Airport signal indicator. Pinging either the router or the extender fails. Shutting off Airport via the menu bar and then turning it back on will bring back the IP.
The bigger problem:
This used to happen once in a while, now once or twice a week, but switching the Airport off and then on brought it back. Now it's happening every five to ten minutes, starting this evening. It does it with both static and dynamic IP addresses; the static IP remains in the System Preferences window, the dynamic one actually vanishes until I restart the Airport card.
I ran into wireless problems yesterday where the SSID and the network just up and vanished. I'd previously attributed this to environmental considerations since it had happened a few times before and normally fixed itself within 30 minutes to a few hours. After it failed to come back by this morning I upgraded the firmware on both the router and extender to the latest versions available from Linksys. All was right with the world for several hours.
Until the problem with the IP dropping while the wireless connection remains returned. Then it got worse. Now it drops on a far more frequent basis than before. This only happens on my desktop Mac. I'm on my Windows XP machine (same room, same wireless network, using a Linksys USB wireless adapter). The Windows machine is fine; it does not lose IP address when the Mac does. Since I have a full connection and the Windows machine doesn't seem bothered at all, I'm guessing it's something to do with the Airport card in the Mac.
Apple's software update tells me there's no new software available for my machine, which leaves me with no idea what's causing this or how to fix it.
Any advice, solutions, or tips are greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Some of this might be review for you...
An IP address is how the data finds you on your respective network, like the street address on your house. When you boot up your computer and connect to your network your computer is connecting with either a static or dynamic IP address. Static means every time you boot up, your machine is using the same one you've assigned to it. Dynamic means that each time you boot up your machine gets whatever one is next in line.
Odds are if you've never set this, you're using a dynamic address which means you're using DHCP. To check, go to your System Preferences -> Network Preferences -> and double click on the Airport connection. You'll see a few different options, so click on TCP/IP. That will show you if you've got a static IP address ("Manually" appears on the pull-down menu) or a dynamic one (DHCP).
Unless you have to forward ports or are looking for volumes on your network using a static IP, DHCP for a dynamic IP is fine.
The "new" Airport card wasn't a 100% fix. My IP address does seem to mean nothing every once in a while. I sometimes have to switch the Airport off and then turn it back on. Since toward the end, my old Airport card stopped seeing the wireless network entirely, even when my XP box saw it clearly, replacing the card was still a good idea for me.
Good luck!

Internet Wifi for Imac - to buy an Airport Card or Not to buy?

Has anyone had any experience using an USB wireless adapter for wireless internet instead of using an Apple AirPort Card? There is an website called: afterthemac.com who sells this wireless USB adapter that claims it is 10x faster than having an Apple Airport Card... PLease advise if this is the way to go? Currently I use A Ethernet/Cable set up. Thanks.

I'll post it here again, for your sake:
Honestly, this is the best solution I've found in your situation:
http://computers.pricegrabber.com/wireless-networking/us-robotics/m/2519622/
Its cheaper overall (especially if you don't already have the required cage for your iMac), and monkey-easy to use. You plug it in, run the ethernet to your mac, and wa-la, you're up and running. It even has some advanced setup, and best of all-you can always use it on any other ethernet device (Xbox, PC, etc) that needs to grab a wireless connection.

Imac 10.5.8 airport card problems

I'm a Mac newbie. Bought an iMac in Dec 2008, used Linksys wireless router with it successfully until about October 2009.
At some point, for several days in October (perhaps after an iMac software update?) no wireless networks were found by my iMac, despite the fact that my PC laptop had no trouble connecting. Restarting the iMac, the router, and the cable modem didn't seem to help, but less than a week later, the connection "magically" reappeared, and worked fine for several months.
This week, I've experienced the same issue. Restarting (the iMac, the router, etc.) doesn't fix anything. Looking at the details in "About This Mac" from the Apple pull-down, under "Network" and "Airport Card", it says "no information found". Does this mean my iMac thinks it doesn't have an airport card? Does that mean the hardware has failed? (The airport icon in the top right corner is now just an empty triangle and clicking on it gives me a message that says "No AirPort card installed".)
Since the connection has not reappeared "magically", I've done some searching around for solutions. I see lots of posts related to MacBooks, but can't find a similar description for an iMac.
I'm grateful for any suggestions. Thanks for your patience with a newbie.

If you have not already, reset PRAM
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
and if that does not help, reset SMC (power management)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
which is unplugging the iMac and reconnecting using a precise procedure. You should disconnect ALL cables when you do this. If you have been using a crowded or old power strip, you should connect it directly to a wall power outlet for this test. Power it up with nothing connected, except for power cord. Then add only your keyboard/mouse. Any improvement with the AirPort? If all is well, you can add back any other peripheral (USB/FireWire) devices; if the problem returns, see if one of the devices is causing the problem. USB and FireWire devices can sometimes cause interference.

Using the Airport Card as wireless access point

My iMac is connected to the internet via ethernet. A wireless network has been set up using the Airport Card (not base station) to share the internet connection with a Wii. Is there a limit to the number of devices that can use this access point since there is no wireless router being used?
i.e. can an iPod Touch or other Mac with an Airport Card also use this wireless connection at the same time?
Message was edited by: kasa

Yes more than one device can use the 'Airport Software Basestation' that you are running.
I am not sure what the actual limit is though, having never reached it, I have used three devices at the same time with no issues with my old iMac G4.
Ian

IMac 10.4 w/ Airport Card loses wireless connection

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