New iMac wireless problem
Just got a new iMac but it won't read the signal from my Qwest DSL modem with wireless gateway (ACTIONTEC) that is connected to my Dell PC (not wireless compatible). I was on the phone for 3 hours yesterday both with Apple and with Qwest (Actiontec doesn't provide tech support services).
I set the modem to wireless service following step by step instructions from Qwest. Actiontec was shown in the list of Airport networks being picked up on my iMac, but my password would not be accepted. From Apple (and later from Qwest) I was told that you need to put a $ in front of the password on the mac and no spaces. Ok, did that but still not accepted and after trying this several times the Actiontec network stopped being shown in the Airport list of networks. It has never returned.
On the phone Qwest had me do the wireless set up for the modem all over again (exactly as I had done it previously). We tried many different channels and network names but my iMac would never pick up my network signal (the names never appeared in my Airport list). They even had me turn off the WEP security and still it didn't read the signal. I've reset the modem, unplugged the power and waited a minute, set it back to non-wireless and back to wireless again (restarting the iMac at every change), all with no luck. I plugged the ethernet cord into the iMac and yes, I got internet that way but my modem only has one ethernet port and both computers need to get internet.
I thought about taking the iMac back to the Apple store to make sure nothing's wrong with the Airport card but I don't think there is b/c it IS reading other networks out there, just not mine. There is a communications problem it seems. Any suggestions on what else I can try?
The modem is less than 10 feet from my iMac, in the same small room as the Dell. No TV or cordless phones were on when I was trying all the above stuff.
I feel I shouldn't have to do this, but I suppose I can go get a router and another ethernet cable...? If I do that, can you tell me do I end up using both the router AND the DSL modem or just the router for both computers? Is there a special type of router I should get?
Thanks heaps.
I set the modem to wireless service following step by step instructions from Qwest. Actiontec was shown in the list of Airport networks being picked up on my iMac, but my password would not be accepted. From Apple (and later from Qwest) I was told that you need to put a $ in front of the password on the mac and no spaces. Ok, did that but still not accepted and after trying this several times the Actiontec network stopped being shown in the Airport list of networks. It has never returned.
On the phone Qwest had me do the wireless set up for the modem all over again (exactly as I had done it previously). We tried many different channels and network names but my iMac would never pick up my network signal (the names never appeared in my Airport list). They even had me turn off the WEP security and still it didn't read the signal. I've reset the modem, unplugged the power and waited a minute, set it back to non-wireless and back to wireless again (restarting the iMac at every change), all with no luck. I plugged the ethernet cord into the iMac and yes, I got internet that way but my modem only has one ethernet port and both computers need to get internet.
I thought about taking the iMac back to the Apple store to make sure nothing's wrong with the Airport card but I don't think there is b/c it IS reading other networks out there, just not mine. There is a communications problem it seems. Any suggestions on what else I can try?
The modem is less than 10 feet from my iMac, in the same small room as the Dell. No TV or cordless phones were on when I was trying all the above stuff.
I feel I shouldn't have to do this, but I suppose I can go get a router and another ethernet cable...? If I do that, can you tell me do I end up using both the router AND the DSL modem or just the router for both computers? Is there a special type of router I should get?
Thanks heaps.