Wireless network question for nerds

[Filo]

So, I have a wireless network. Using a DLink DIR-615 802.11 Draft N. Have a Inspiron B130 with Ubuntu, Inspiron 530 with Vista, two Lattitude D600 with XP, a ThinkPad T400 with XP, and a G4 with Leopard. The Dlink is setup to run 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b. WPA encription. Everything connects. Except the Mac. Ideas? Is it the WPA? Is there a WPA patch for Leopard?

Anyone? Ralph? Dana? Billy Bob?

[sloridr]

I know whats wrong the thing-a-majig isn't connected to the doddle whopper and the hootpoppy has a broken whatchamacallit. Do that and it should work fine. Any more brain busters???

[BlueDog]

WPA should work on Leopard just fine. You could try, if there is an option, switching between tkip, aes, and tkip + aes. You could also try disabling the wireless b unless you have a laptop that actually still utilizes b.

[rforsythe]

Hmm, I agree it should be fine. You should be using WPA2 if the access point supports it though, original WPA is now insecure (as bad as WEP); a European team just demonstrated that they can crack WPA keys in seconds.

I use WPA2 at home on a shit ton of machines (including 2, soon to be 3 mac laptops, a Mac Mini, Windows machines, etc) and it works good.

[Devaclis]

I don't worry about a European group of hackers trying to crack my WEP or WPA encryption. The encryption is generally not the target of cracks on a SOHO router, it is the local ADMIN login. Own the router and you own the data. :)

As for the connectivity problem, is the Mac the only computer using N connectivity? We have returned a total of 6 N routers this year because of flaky N connectivity. On macs and on PC's.

[Tylar]

I recently purchased an N Linksys router and while things connected, it was slow. The issue was running N plus G, I think it was called "Multi" in the configuration. Running G and B sped things up a bit and allowed the deskstation to join on. So perhaps yanking N and seeing if you can connect at a slower band. While the Mac should connect at N, it's worth a shot for the sake of troubleshooting, at least.

Dell XP Laptop, Gateway using Vista with a Wireless B PCI card and a MacBook Pro (then Tiger, now Snow Kitty).

[Filo]

Hmm, I agree it should be fine. You should be using WPA2 if the access point supports it though, original WPA is now insecure (as bad as WEP); a European team just demonstrated that they can crack WPA keys in seconds.

I use WPA2 at home on a shit ton of machines (including 2, soon to be 3 mac laptops, a Mac Mini, Windows machines, etc) and it works good.

Sorry, it is WPA2. My mistake.

[Tylar]

Sorry, it is WPA2. My mistake.

I'm WPA2 as well.

[TurboGizzmo]

Sorry, it is WPA2. My mistake.

WPA2 on my macbook and imac so i know it works.....not sure if you can mix up the Personal or Enterprise and it cause this problem....

[rforsythe]

I don't worry about a European group of hackers trying to crack my WEP or WPA encryption. The encryption is generally not the target of cracks on a SOHO router, it is the local ADMIN login. Own the router and you own the data. :)

Agreed, but they generally have to get on the network first to try and login to the router. I know a lot of people who drive around cracking into poorly encrypted access points. Also it's not the Eurotrash you should worry about, it's the local script kiddie who downloaded whatever tool they published to the intarwebs.


As for the connectivity problem, is the Mac the only computer using N connectivity? We have returned a total of 6 N routers this year because of flaky N connectivity. On macs and on PC's.

Not sure what you mean. But I use N and it's fine.


WPA2 on my macbook and imac so i know it works.....not sure if you can mix up the Personal or Enterprise and it cause this problem....

Don't do that.

[TurboGizzmo]

Don't do that.

The way things are going with WPA now cake to crack i should just go back to the wire.....

[Devaclis]

Agreed, but they generally have to get on the network first to try and login to the router. I know a lot of people who drive around cracking into poorly encrypted access points. Also it's not the Eurotrash you should worry about, it's the local script kiddie who downloaded whatever tool they published to the intarwebs.



Not sure what you mean. But I use N and it's fine.



Don't do that.

Read it again and you will see what I mean. I have not just set up 1 N router in my house. I have setup numerous N routers and had to return 6 of them as defective. They offered spotty connectivity, spotty speeds, and even had issues with computer connected directly to the 5 port switches built into the routers. reading the N router forums, speaking with multiple N router users, and personal experience has led me to the conclusion that "for the most part" there are no stable SOHO N routers available on the market.