Question on replacing internet preferences..
Recently I had a loss of DSL service, which when I called my crack DSL provider I was led to believe it was a settings problem. They walked me through my settings about 900 times before finally running a check on my line, which was bad.
So they fixed the line, but left me with a problem. I had been connecting through an Airport Extreme base station, with my iBook on Airport and my iMac on a direct ethernet connection to the base station. I have the base with ethernet jacks but no antenna connector, if that helps. After all the help from the DSL provider, I can connect with EITHER the Airport or the hardwired ethernet, but not both. In other words, if I hook up the base station to the DSL modem, my iBook can connect just fine but the hardwired ethernet is dead. Right now I'm on a direct feed from the DSL modem, bypassing the Airport base station completely. This hardware worked just fine before.
Anyway, my original settings are toast, and I need to replace my internet preferences from a backup that I did. But I'm not sure which preferences to replace, or what their titles are in Prefs. They had me messing around with both the Network pane and the Internet Connection app.
What prefs control these? I don't want to blindly replace unrelated prefs.
Thanks in advance!
So they fixed the line, but left me with a problem. I had been connecting through an Airport Extreme base station, with my iBook on Airport and my iMac on a direct ethernet connection to the base station. I have the base with ethernet jacks but no antenna connector, if that helps. After all the help from the DSL provider, I can connect with EITHER the Airport or the hardwired ethernet, but not both. In other words, if I hook up the base station to the DSL modem, my iBook can connect just fine but the hardwired ethernet is dead. Right now I'm on a direct feed from the DSL modem, bypassing the Airport base station completely. This hardware worked just fine before.
Anyway, my original settings are toast, and I need to replace my internet preferences from a backup that I did. But I'm not sure which preferences to replace, or what their titles are in Prefs. They had me messing around with both the Network pane and the Internet Connection app.
What prefs control these? I don't want to blindly replace unrelated prefs.
Thanks in advance!
Comments
Sadly, I have a bunch of experience in this department.
The possible problem locations are:
(1) The DSL line - repaired
(2) The DSL modem - assumed good
(3) The Airport Extreme base station - not too hard to fix
(4) The iMac - easy to fix
(5) The iBook - easy to fix
(1) The DSL line - here you said the line is working after the phone company did some work on it.
(2) The DSL modem - I don't have any experience with DSL (I use a cable modem), but I understand you have inline filters. Check that the phone company has installed the filters in the right locations, and didn't forget to replace any they removed during troubleshooting. Also, pull the power from the DSL modem, remove any RJ45 connections from it, wait five minutes, and turn it back on. The DSL modem's lights may blink for a while to indicate it's status as "Connecting to DSL Provider." I recommend not connecting your DSL modem to your Airport Extreme base station until the end of step (3) as indicated.
(3) The Airport Extreme base station (APX). Disconnect the APX WAN port (the RJ45 slot with the dots in a circle). Read the APX manual to learn how to perform a hard-reset on your APX. Although you will have to re-enter some data, it's the quickest way to get back up and running. Do the hard-reset by pushing a pen into the slotted reset button. Connect the APX LAN port (the RJ45 slot with the horizontal two-headed arrow) to your iMac, and reconnect the APX power cable if it was unplugged. Next launch the AirPort Admin Utility on your iMac. Your iMac should find the APX, but if not, you may need to call AppleCare for some extra help. Select your APX from AirPort Admin Utility screen, and configure the APX. You'll have to set the APX name, the network name, an APX password (very important), and a network password (extremely important). I recommend using either WPA or WEP encryption. With only Macs on your network it will be easy to set this up, and encryption only needs to be setup for computers accessing the APX over WiFi. Next you'll configure the Internet settings. Configure your APX to obtain all configuration information from your Internet provider. Configure it to use DHCP to get a TCP/IP address. Next you'll configure your LAN settings. Configure your APX to distribute IP addresses, and to act as a router. (I forgot the exact verbage the software wizard uses...). Now click through the different configuration tabs and make sure everything is to your liking. Then click on the Update button, which should send the new configuration information to your APX, causing your APX to reboot. While it's rebooting, go ahead and plug the APX WAN port into your DSL modem.
(4) The iMac. Once your APX has rebooted, your iMac should be able to access the Internet. If not, then either give the iMac a reboot to force it to get new Network settings from your APX, or go to the Network Preference Pane -> Built-in Ethernet -> TCP/IP -> click Renew DHCP lease. Your iMac should be able to surf the Internet's WWW now. Test using Safari if you'd like.
(5) The iBook. Copy the procedure from the iMac, but instead of going to Built-in Ethernet, go to Airport to click the Renew DHCP lease button. Your iBook should be able to surf the Internet now as well.
If any of this doesn't make sense to you, then feel free to reply or send me a private email. I don't have my APX owner's manual handy, so I am writing this from memory. It is possible that I left out a detail or two, but Apple's website (www.apple.com/support) should be able to provide the information if you cannot find your manual.
Good luck!
Karrick
One thing - my DSL connects via PPPoE. Does that make any difference in the process you posted?
And I'm assuming the DSL modem is good since I can surf at full speed as long as my iMac is hardwired to it.
Thanks for the procedure - I'll let you know how it goes.
Originally posted by tekriter
Man, that goes deeper than I thought it would, but tonight after work I'll give it a try.
Good luck!
One thing - my DSL connects via PPPoE. Does that make any difference in the process you posted?
I've never setup PPPoE before, so I can't help much, other than to say that AirPort Admin Utility has a PPPoE setup screen.
And I'm assuming the DSL modem is good since I can surf at full speed as long as my iMac is hardwired to it.
The LAN port on the back of the APX has a 100 MB/s capability.
The WiFi port on the APX has a 54 MB/s capability.
The DSL modem has a 1.5 MB/s capability on its outbound side to your ISP.
The slowest link is the DSL modem to ISP connection.
Thanks for the procedure - I'll let you know how it goes.
I hope it works out for you.
Karrick