MBP not connecting to the internet

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014


What would I do without you guys being my IT support?


 


My daughter had given me her old MBP when she got a new one. At first, I could connect it to the internet, but that stopped suddenly a while back.  Comcast spent about an hour yesterday trying to walk me through possible problems. It seems to boil down to the MBP needing another IP address.  Comcast tried but was unable to provide that and suggested I contact Apple.  I hesitate to do so.


 


I thought the IP address might be in "About this Mac", but all it says is to use DHCP for IPv4 and Automatic for IPV6. No IP address.  Could it be elsewhere?


 


Any suggestions would be gratefully accepted.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    mr. memr. me Posts: 3,221member


    My head hurts.


     


    I gather that Comcast is your Internet Service Provider. If this is the case, then you have a cable modem. You have not said how you connect to your cable modem. If you connect directly via Ethernet, then your modem must be powered off for about 30 seconds before before turning it back on. Powering the modem off forces the modem to get a new IP address from Comcast.


     


    If you are accessing the modem wirelessly, then there are two possibilities:



    1. Your modem has built-in Wi-Fi.


    2. You have a separate router connected to the modem.


     


    Far and away, the preferred solution is to connect your modem to the WAN port of a router via Ethernet. For wired connections, connect each device via Ethernet to a router LAN port. For wireless connections, enable Wi-Fi on your device. Whether you are using Wi-Fi or Ethernet is selected in the Network preferences pane in the System Preferences utility.


     


    If you still cannot connect, then you need to explain how your network is configured.

  • Reply 2 of 4
    sequitursequitur Posts: 1,910member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post


     


    Far and away, the preferred solution is to connect your modem to the WAN port of a router via Ethernet. For wired connections, connect each device via Ethernet to a router LAN port. For wireless connections, enable Wi-Fi on your device. Whether you are using Wi-Fi or Ethernet is selected in the Network preferences pane in the System Preferences utility.


     


     



    Worked like a charm.  Wired not Wi-Fi. Used a D-Link 655 router to get the MBP online; then, a WD LiveWire PowerLine AV adaptor to the MBP in another room. 


    Thank you, Mr. Me. You saved me from pulling out any more hair.

  • Reply 3 of 4


    Sounds like you solved your problem, but by scanning, if that didn't work and it's a wireless connection issue on one mac, check for a self assigned IP address. Those are easy to solve, but a real pain when they happen. Yours sounds like something different though.

  • Reply 4 of 4
    sequitursequitur Posts: 1,910member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by obsessedapple View Post


    Sounds like you solved your problem, but by scanning, if that didn't work and it's a wireless connection issue on one mac, check for a self assigned IP address. Those are easy to solve, but a real pain when they happen. Yours sounds like something different though.



     


     


    That problem was resolved, but I may have created another in trying to connect the iMac and MBP.  I started a new thread about it but have received no replies.


     


    I'm trying to get the two computers to share.  The MBP can access and read the entire iMac, but the iMac doesn't access or read the MBP.  


     


    Your suggestion about a self assigned IP address may reflect what is happening.  However, the iMac doesn't recognize that new IP address.  


     


    The connection isn't wireless as the D-Link router doesn't penetrate the walls between the two computers. However, without the router's (ethernet?) 'innards', the set up with the LiveWire doesn't work.  The WD LiveWire PowerLine AV adaptor uses wall wiring to connect the two.  That in itself could be the problem.


     


    Both computers indicate that they are sharing by 'Sharing' appearing above each column of files, but the iMac still can't read the MBP.


     


    I've tried online suggestions, but I haven't found answers to my exact problem.

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