trouble connecting to unprotecte WiFi hotspots

kernel843kernel843
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
well if i am somewhere that i has wep or the like i can connect to it fine (so long as i have the key of course) but when i go to connect to routers taht aren't protected in any way, my pb tells me it needs a wep and i know for a fact the 2-3 routers i've tried it on don't b/c i can pull out my pc and connect to it no problem. I'm running on panther and am still relatively new to the Mac OS so any help would be greatly appreciated. btw i hope this is in the right forum, i wasn't reallly sure so if its not, sorry in advance.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    vox barbaravox barbara Posts: 2,021member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kernel843

    well if i am somewhere that i has wep or the like i can connect to it fine (so long as i have the key of course) but when i go to connect to routers taht aren't protected in any way, my pb tells me it needs a wep and i know for a fact the 2-3 routers i've tried it on don't b/c i can pull out my pc and connect to it no problem. I'm running on panther and am still relatively new to the Mac OS so any help would be greatly appreciated. btw i hope this is in the right forum, i wasn't reallly sure so if its not, sorry in advance.



    Perhaps the fix is an easy one. Next time you try to

    connect to an unprotected WIFI station make sure

    you really have choosed the desired WIFI router.

    Click onto the "Airport" symbol at top right in the

    main menu bar and see what "Airport" station

    your Airport card tries to connect to. If you think this

    is not the proper station than choose the apropriate station.

    See what happens. Well an "unprotected" WIFI router

    should give you internet access instantly. As far as my

    humble knowledge and experience goes
  • Reply 2 of 6
    kernel843kernel843 Posts: 50member
    yeah i checked that and it is the right router. I don't know why it won't connect. I have my router set to automatic but when i go i see its not connected so i click on the SSID of hte desired router and then it prompts me for a WEP or the like, i don't know how to just connect to it, seems simple but its driving me nuts.



    tia
  • Reply 3 of 6
    vox barbaravox barbara Posts: 2,021member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kernel843

    ...my pb tells me it needs a wep and i know for a fact the 2-3 routers i've tried it on don't b/c i can pull out my pc and connect to it no problem. ...



    Well, i want to believe, BUT this is suspicious, do you agree?





    Quote:

    Originally posted by kernel843

    ...

    so i click on the SSID of hte desired router and then it prompts me for a WEP or the like...



    tia



    Well. If the router prompts you to enter

    a WEP key, than the WiFi network IS actually

    protected with a WEP key. No question there.



    The reason why the other PC Laptops can connect

    to that particular Network easily is because

    the first time they connected to the WiFi network

    they surly entered a valid WEP key. Afterward the

    WEP key got stored into some pref.file. Each time the

    WiFi card finds the router they connect to the network

    automatically.



    Same here. I just forgot, that my WiFi net is

    WAP protected, because each time i launch

    my PB it connects automatically with my

    Router. Others do have to enter the WAP key.



    Perhaps this is the key to your issue.
  • Reply 4 of 6
    kernel843kernel843 Posts: 50member
    i know it sounds like i'm crazy. I work @ Circuit City and we finally got WiFi setup. I can literally, go to our open box room, grab a random comp and it will connect no prob, u just hit connect. When i click on the wifi icon at the top bar on my pb and then the name of the ssid it pops up the box w/ wep or you can select all the other types of encryption.



    Anyway thanks for all the advice, i guess i'll try again.

    kernel
  • Reply 5 of 6
    randycat99randycat99 Posts: 1,919member
    Actually, I've experienced this once. By all intents and means, the wifi was complements of the house, but I was queried for a password when attempting to connect with my iBook. Can't very well chew out the owner for discriminating against Macs. So I brushed it off. Ultimately, I was able to get in upon subsequent visits, as it seems they rearranged their network somehow.



    Can't say any of this points to anything specific, but on a hunch, maybe it could just come down to a certain brand of wifi access points that don't play nice with Apple hardware or maybe a firmware update is needed that makes them more "compliant" to the wireless spec?
  • Reply 6 of 6
    vox barbaravox barbara Posts: 2,021member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Randycat99

    Actually, ...



    Can't say any of this points to anything specific, but on a hunch, maybe it could just come down to a certain brand of wifi access points that don't play nice with Apple hardware or maybe a firmware update is needed that makes them more "compliant" to the wireless spec?



    on a hunch, could be so.

    Btw, I recently had some trouble to

    connect to a particular wifi access point. the router

    was configured with a PC Laptop (WAP).

    But when i typed the WAP key, the router

    denied access. The only way around was by

    changeing the WAP key. Then all of a sudden

    i've got access. Don't ask me why.
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