The basics of wireless networking (please!)

Hello all.  I have three laptops and I have always had a **** of a time getting them to talk to each other wirelessly.  The wireless router is a Belkin and works fine, I don't think there are any issues talking to/via it.  The main issue seems to be passwords, and what the computers are called, or rather, call themselves, since I don't remember giving them names!  Additional complication perhaps, two of them were bought second hand, so may have had some passwords buried deep inside.
With two of them I have persuaded them to each have access to the other's public drop boxes, but they won't connect as other than guests, which doesn't help much.  The third one, and why I'm here hoping this situation can be fixed at last, will connect to the point of asking for a password as a Registered User, doesn't understand the password (there isn't meant to be one) and when I try Guest it says Select the volumes to mount but shows precisely nothing!  Trying the same thing in the other direction does get the Drop box but really I need access to the desktop etc etc!
I guess the simplest help would be a step by step process describing where the names of the machines can be set so they can't be confused (they're all basically G4 powerbooks after all) where any passwords may be set, and what needs to be set how so these machines can have data shared between them without a drama each time, I don't need passwords, there are no security issues here.  It would be so neat to be able to actually use the system as it should be able to be!
Having written all that it sounds like a monster job, so I do hope somebody's got the energy!
Many thanks
Stephen

Find IP on computers...
http://www.helpdesk.umd.edu/topics/communication/ethernet/office/winxp/2882/
On this one In finder, select Go menu>Connect to Servers..., type in afp://ip.of.another.computer, like...
afp://10.0.1.5
afp://192.168.1.3
Or if it's a PC...
smb://10.0.1.5
smb://192.168.1.3
Mount that Share once, then once the Globe Icon shows up on the Desktop, drag that Globe Icon to the right side of the Dock between Applications & Trash. You now have a Dynamic Mount, a quick click on the Icon in the Dock will connect you.

Similar Messages

  • I'm suddenly getting the kernel panic message and constant restarts when connected to the time machine wireless network. if is switch to the BT network, all fine. no help found so far as to what's wrong or how to correct, anyone have any thoughts...

    Recently upgraded to mountain lion in order to buy the new tall tower for time machine backups. had to get technical support to help with set up as it wouldn't play ball with two computers. all working fine up until last week when the iMac started getting backup error messages. then system restarts independently when using time machine on the time machine wireless network. only stops restarting when I switch the wireless network back to he bt one, which is a pain obviously as can't back up to time machine then.  it has to be a problem with airport utility or something wireless but all says all up to date with software etc. all still works fine backing up from laptop on the wireless network, just the iMac is not happy. any help or thoughts very much appreciated.

    Hi, many thanks Bob, what you say is not unthinkable at all, although it does answer the question
    "what could I do *instead* of ..." rather than the one I actually asked, but seriously ...
    Shutting down might be an answer, although it would clear out my tmp directory - which I might not want to have to sort through looking for things I want to save every time I go to work, and also, now that nvram doesn't seem to work for disabling the boot chime, it can get a bit embarassing booting up in a busy meeting if I have forgotten to mute before I shut down. There are all sorts of other issues, such as editing documents, loading web pages and so on that I would have to set up again.
    Your suggestion of letting Apple know is a good one - thank you for the link.
    Take care,
    Mark

  • The password for wireless network was changed.  Airport keeps trying to sign in automatically with old password and won't let me put in new password. Any ideas?

    The password for wireless network was changed.  Airport keeps trying to sign in automatically with old password and won't let me put in new password. Any ideas?

    You really should change both the wireless network name and password to avoid potential conflicts with the old and new settings.
    Suggest you give that a try.

  • Lost Connection to C&C Generals Zero Hour Online using the WRT54G v5 Wireless Network

    I have this problem playing Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour online. I'm using the WRT54G v5 Wireless Network & when I'm in the game lobby, it kicks me off saying, "Lost connection to C&C Generals Zero Hour Online". This happens quite often variing on me entering & exiting rooms or other players entering & exiting rooms that I'm in. But it doesn't occur when I'm accually play a game with someone. It also does not happen at all when I'm connected directly to the internet connection so I know the network is causing it.
    I've never had any problem with this game on any other wireless network types before. I've tried port forwarding with a static IP address, disabling firewalls,  upgrading firmware, etc... No good. I've done some google research & found that varios other people on other forum sites have the same problem, it also occurs on  another computer of mine. 
    Is there some kind of feature on this network that isn't on any others? One wireless network specificly that I've found that the game works on is the WRT54GS.
    Any replies will be greatly appriecitated.
    Message Edited by Me Myself AndPi on 02-20-2008 03:13 PM

    Maybe I would if I hadn't stopped playing the game 3.5 years ago. You may want to check the date on those previous message. But here's what I remember:
    Turns out nothing worked the fix the problem. Not turning of a firewall, not port forwarding, not updating fireware, nothing. There must be a jitter on the routher that triggers the game into thinking it gets disconnected.
    Many other users on the forums posted the same problem with this one router too & no one ever figured out a solution. Eventually that router broke & my family bought the WRT54GS2, which worked perfectly.

  • PCs suddenly no longer see Airport Express wireless network - please help!

    Hi,
    I am new to this forum and I need help. Two days ago - without me making any changes to settings etc. my Airport Express wireless network at home was no longer visible to any of my devices except to the Powerbook (G4 OS 10.3.9) which controls it. From one second to the next two Vista laptops and my cell phone (Nokia, Symbian OS).
    My Powerbook has no problem connecting through AE to the internet. The two laptops are both able to connect to other wireless networks so they don't seem to be the problem. I just don't understand what caused this sudden drop-off/invisibility.
    I have already tried the following: resetting the base station, changing the channel on the base station (from automatic) removing the network security altogether (from WPA2). But none of the devices except the powerbook can now see or detect my network.
    Please - if anyone knows what the cause of this problem could be or how to fix I would be very grateful!!

    you name it : com.apple.airport.adminutility.plist
    delete it and do as advised.
    This isn't harmful, because it is only a preference list, so it will be created brandnew as soon as you re-setup the Airport stuff.
    Mac OS X ( especially Jaguar ) has a tendency to corrupt some plists out of the blue, it is more or less harmless and can be fixed with recreating them plus permissions-repair.
    Hint : repair permissions more than one time, it ALWAYS finds something to fix in Jaguar.
    You cannot destroy something with these actions, because it is Unix maintance so usual routines.
    A tool like cocktail or Onyx ( google them, onyx is freeware ) can help you run such ( and more ) routines on a scheduled base.
    Always remember that OS X is no longer "the Mac OS", it is Unix with a nice Desktop, the critical things run hidden in the background, so it has to be treated like any Unix/Linux sort of OS, even if from the outside everything looks nice and kosher..
    Best wishes from Germany

  • Step by step on how to add tc to existing netgear wireless network please

    Hi,
    Please can someone give me a step by step on how to achieve a working wireless network with a netgear DGN2000 router providing the network, my TC available for back ups / itunes library & an airport express to connect a usb printer into the network?
    Currently have following:
    ADSL Internet connection into Netgear DGN2000 Wireless N Router/Modem
    TC
    Airport Express
    Macbook Pro (running Lion)
    iPad (running OS5)
    iPhone (running OS5)
    Windows 7 laptop (personal)
    Windows XP laptop (work - so locked down on installing new software)
    USB Printer
    I did have it set up but think went a bit wrong and used TC as creating wireless network - and could no longer use work laptop over VPN - so have reverted back to netgear only.
    Please could someone give me / point me towards a blonde friendly step by step on how to set up my network so everyone is happy?!
    Thank you!!

    Suggest that you start by configuring hte AirPort Express to "join" the wireless network that is being provided by the Netgear router.
    In order to do this, you must provide the AirPort Express with the exact information that it needs to be able to join the network. This includes:
    Name of the wireless network
    Exact type of wireless security that the router is using
    Password for the wireless network
    I'm sure that you know the name of the wireless network and the password, but do you know the exact type of wireless security setting that the Netgear router is using? You may need to get into the configuration pages for this information.
    Hopefully, it will be WPA2 Personal, or WPA/WPA2 Personal, which the AirPort Express can match. If you see something like WPA-PSK-TKIP or WPA-PSK-AES, then things get more complicated, likely requiring some trail and error.
    Once you have the wireless security settings in hand, you are ready to follow Apple's step by step setup for the AirPort Express using the AirPort Utility application on your Mac.
    When you have the Express configured, you will already know how to setup the TC, since it will be configured exactly the same way with the same information.
    This assumes that you want the TC to connect using wireless only.
    It would be much easier to setup the TC to connect to the Netgear router using an Ethernet cable. You will be able to backup to the TC using the Netgear wireless network. Can you consider that option?

  • Understand the basics of wireless photo printing

    I've really found the reasons to use wireless printing, at least in the home. I have teenage kids and I've put laptops in their rooms. However, we only need one printer in the home so I've hooked up all the laptops with wireless access to the printer. The printer happens to sit by me in my home office, so it is always nice when I hear the printer start running and the nightly homework assignment comes out.
    Wireless photo printing is the ultimate in freedom and flexibility. You can print without the clutter of wires and save money by sharing printers within your household. Explore all the benefits and potential that wireless has to offer.
    Mobility - Enjoy the freedom to easily print photos, and whatever else you want, from virtually anywhere in your home. For example, you can print pictures from the den, the kitchen counter, or the kids' room.
    No wires - Enjoy clutter-free photo printing with no cords and tangled wires taking up desk space and tethering you to one location.
    Shared printing - Save money by sharing one printer between multiple Wi-Fi-enabled PCs or notebooks in your home, rather than having a printer for each computer.
    1-2-3 Setup: HP has one of the easiest wireless setups around. Learn more about this simple way to set up your wireless HP Photosmart printer.
    Touchscreens: HP Photosmart printers come with an interactive touchscreen that makes wireless setup easier.
    In-printer Wireless Setup Wizard: Wireless Setup Wizard software automatically finds your network settings and connects your photo printer to the network.
    Wireless combos: Some HP Notebooks and printers now feature wireless capabilities such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet, combined into one product.
    Print from an iPhone: Wirelessly print photos from your iPhone or iPod touch with the HP iPrint Photo application.
    HP has a wide range of wireless printers that are either Bluetooth- enabled, Wi-Fi-enabled, or both. 
    Some printers, like the HP Photosmart C5580 All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Copier, have Bluetooth wireless capabilities.
    Other printers, like the HP Photosmart C6380 All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Copier are Wi-Fi 802.11-enabled.
    And then there are products like the HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Fax, Copier which features both wireless technologies.
    Of course, all HP wireless printers also allow you to share and print photos from your networked computers using wired methods such as built-in Ethernet connectivity and USB ports. 
    To compare all HP wireless printers, check out this wireless printer comparison chart. 
    HP Product Expert for the Officejet Pro X Series.
    Was your question answered? Mark it as an Accepted Solution!
    See a great post? Give it a Kudos!

    I assume you have a wireless router.  Tell me about your network - router brand/model, encryption type (WEP, WPA, etc) and ISP type (DSL, Cable, etc).
    It sounds like there was a direct connection between the printer and computer (using the network 'hpsetup'?).
    You should be able to connect your printer to your wireless router (if you have one).  Please advise and I can help.
    Say thanks by clicking "Kudos" "thumbs up" in the post that helped you.
    I am employed by HP

  • Does my time capsule HAVE to join my existing wireless network please?

    ok i am trying to get my TC to join my wireless network but its not having it!!
    (it was but now i cant seem to get it to work)
    so my question is....can i just have its as its own separate wireless network just to talk with my macbook & imac so they can back up wirelessly please?
    or would this cause problems as they are on my personal home wireless network??
    anyone know please?
    thanks!

    so my question is....can i just have its as its own separate wireless network just to talk with my macbook & imac so they can back up wirelessly please?
    You can do, but you don't need to.
    If you create a separate WLAN for your Time Capsule then you'll need to switch your clients to the TC WLAN to make their backups, then switch them back to the regular LAN when they're done. Bear in mind that your regular WLAN (and, presumably your internet access, etc.) will be unavailable while you're switch to the other WLAN.
    There has to be a better way, surely? Of course. If your existing WLAN is working well enough for you, then just connect the TimeCapsule to your existing network via an ethernet cable. Now it will be part of your LAN, all your clients can see it and back up to it, but you don't have any issues with having to switch AirPort networks on the client (in effect, your client sends its data wirelessly to your existing base station which then forwards the data over the ethernet LAN. Problem solved.

  • Joining my Office Wireless Network - Please Help!

    Hi there,
    hope someone can help. I'm trying to connect to my office wireless network and although airport is picking up the network name, when it asks for a password and I enter this in - 'there was an error joining the ...network' message appears.
    The password entered is correct since this was obtained directly from our IT Manager. He has no real experience of MacOSX but seems to think we need to further tweak the wireless network advanced settings for this connection - things like network authentication, key index, etc.
    Where can I acess these more advances options on OSX??
    Any other feedback for this is greatly appreciated.
    Thanks
    Paulo
    1.33GHz Powerbook G4   Mac OS X (10.4.2)  

    Hi Tim,
    Its protected with a WEP Password which I've already
    tried but just keep getting the error message.
    Aha, WEP passwords can be troublesome on some Wireless routers.
    We've had another go at this today but still no joy.
    My airport card seems to be detecting the network
    fine but connecting to it with the password is a
    stalling point at the moment! I've also tried using
    the password with the other types of password
    encryption from the drop down menu with no luck.
    If entering a WEP key you need in somecase to put a $ infront of the passcode.
    Are you enterinig a full hexidecimal key?
    Also your IT manager shoud be aware that WEP is relatively straightforward to crack even by amateur crackers. WPA or WPA2 is the only wireless protection that you should consider.

  • Airport Extreme and Fios.... I had fios hooked up today (Internet and phone only)... Want to my aebs as the primary and wireless network. Would someone be able to provide step by step instructions because I cannot figure it out. Thanks!

    I had fios hooked up today and am about to rip my hair out... Would someone be able to share step-by-step instructions for connecting my airport extreme base station. I want to use it as my primary for everything including wireless (fios is Internet and phone only ). ThNk you in advance.

    Thanks for taking the time to detail that. I think I have it, but I have a few things to clarify.
    1. This negates the need for the Westell Series3 9100EM, because, the "router" mentioned in the line "Hook an Ethernet cable from the ONT to the router's WAN jack" is the Apple Extreme Base Station (or other suitable router), right?
    2. I haven't got the TV portion of FIOS service, although I may add that at some point, so in my case the COAX to NIM (and the NIM for that matter) aren't needed, right?
    I see a couple of issues. One, I have COAX run for the current connection. And, two, Verizon would need to come out again to do the CAT5 configure. Can the CAT5 run be that long and still be effective? Maybe the Westell router could be used to extend the wireless network? And, if FIOS TV is added could it be used in place of the NIM (since I already have the COAX and the Westell at the back of the TV)?
    Regardless, I REALLY appreciate your help. On a side note, it's interesting that the NIM takes both the COAX and CAT5.

  • Can't connect my Ipod Touch 2nd gen to home wireless network - please help

    I have just received a 2G ipod touch today and it will not connect to my home network. I have a SKY Netgear router with numerous devices wirelessly connected with WPA security. I have input the shared network key when my Ipod asks for a password but it will not connect (even if I am stood next to my router). I just get "Unable to join the network .........". I have tried connecting via the 'other' network route but still the same result. Please help.

    Here's a few things you can do to get to the bottom of the problem:
    - Have you ever connected to a public hotspot? The only reason I ask is this will rule out hardware problems. If you are not close to anything, download and install the free app WiFinder from the app store. Once you have the app installed, you see what networks are around you. If nothing is working, contact Apple and either visit the Genius Bar or return it Apple.
    - If you have disabled encryption in your router and you are still be prompted for a password, you need to tap on that network name and tap Forget Network. And to really make sure everything is cleaned out, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network settings.
    - After your iPod restarts, use WiFinder to find your network. WiFinder will tell you whether or not you have encryption on or off and the type of encryption used. If it is still off, just tap the Connect button. If you have turned it back on, go to Settings > WiFi > Other network and enter your network name. You will be prompted for your encryption scheme and your password. WPA and WPA2 should have a password entered. WEP should have the hex key entered.
    - If you still can't connect, I would check and reenter my password. Passwords are case sensitive.
    - Assuming you have connected, tap the blue arrow (>) next to your network name. You should see your IP address, subnet mask, router IP address, and DNS router addresses, you are good to go.
    - If you have an IP address of 169.x.x.x, your router is not supplying an IP address. Recommend router settings are:
    SSID - on
    DHCP - on
    MAC filtering - off
    Encryption - on and set to WPA or WPA2
    DNS - automatic from ISP
    Let us know what happens.

  • DNS Error when trying to connect xbox360 to WRT54G wireless network, Please help!!

    I recently purchased a new router (WRT54G Ver.6) and the initial setup went well. however, when I try to connect my xbox 360 to this network, the DNS does not resolve and it fails every time. what should I do?

    Hi…..
        Well in this case first make sure whether the computers which are connected [wired or wireless] to the router are able to get online.
    If the computers are not able to get online through the router then you will have to configure the router. And if the computers are able to get online then in order to resolve the DNS Error in order to get the X-Box360 working you can assign Static DNS Address to the X-Box
    The Static DNS Address you can use can be 206.13.29.12 and 206.13.30.12

  • Why can't i down load a movie from I-tunes using the 3 g wireless network? I have no wi-fi at home power is out.

    I need help with downloading movies without having a wi fi connection, during this recent snow storm in CT we have lost power to our house, so no WI FI. I would like to use the 3 G network but it doesn't work to down load I-tune rented movies? I don't understand this. This is why I bought the IPAD to watch movies away from home, or in the home if the pwr goes out.

    There is a 20 meg download limit per file over 3G - if the film is larger than that (and unless it's a very short film it most likely will be) then you will need access to a wifi network.

  • HT2822 could you hook the apple tv wireless network online?

    i need so much help trying to hook this apple tv up? we lost our remote .

    Welcome to the Apple Community.
    If you have the appropriate hardware you might try this feature:
    Using your mobile device to set up the Apple TV.
    Otherwise you will need to purchase a new remote from the Apple Store.

  • Can I connect my Mac to two separate wireless networks at the same time?

    Need some assistance with some advanced wireless networking please....
    Upstairs I have a D-link wireless router connected to the internet and wired to a couple of PCs. Downstairs I have a minimac linked to my hifi via an airport express. I have bought a D-Link DWL-G122 usb wifi dongle.
    So I want the mini mac to connect to the airport express on one wireless network (strong signal) and to be able to connect to the internet on another network (weak signal) via the usb wifi /router.
    But the airport software and the d-link driver seem to conflict and both try to take control of the two wireless devices.
    Is there any way round this to be able to run one mac with two wireless network devices at the same time?
    Thanks

    While those with more experience may be able to correct me, I'm pretty sure that you can only connect to one wireless network at a time with your Mac Mini, unless D-Link provides their own proprietary software that bypasses the computer's Airport settings.
    Using the AirPort hardware you can only connect to a single wireless network at any given time. However in this situation the 2 attempted connections are via USB and AirPort. Therefore this requires nothing special of the AirPort drivers or settings.
    It does require that the Mac OS and applications have the capability to use either network connection (USB or AirPort) depending on what data they are trying to get. In general I understand how it is theoretically possible but I have no idea if you can configure OS X to do it.
    ...I believe one of the options when setting up the Airport Extreme Base Station is that you can extend a wireless network already in place.
    True but the D-Link is not compatible with Apple's WDS therefore this is not possible in this situation.
    If you have a newer Airport Extreme Base Station with a USB port on it...
    FYI, every AirPort Extreme base station (AEBS) has a USB port.
    BTW, birky has indicated that he/she is using an AirPort Express (AX) not an AEBS.

Maybe you are looking for