iBook-thanks! Need Airport help, though

[RecipeForDisaster]

Thanks for the quick and careful shipment of my mom's new iBook(you know who you are)! It looks great... just having trouble setting up wireless internet. I swear I have my network password correct(tried others just in case-but it seems to work on my Mini)but I just get 'there was an error joining the selected network' when trying to join. It does offer my network as an option-it isn't closed. I've enabled web sharing on my firewall and nothing seems to help.... ideas please? I've been doing this with the iBook near my Mini and also with it right next to the Airport Express.

I have a feeling it has to do with my network being WPA2-that wasn't an option on the iBook when setting up Airport initially, yet it was when I went into Airport manually(not in 'initial' setup of machine). I confirmed I had my password correct, since it worked to get me back into my network(WPA2)on the Mini.

Thanks,
Skye

[rgG]

Do you have the Airport set to b & g? I believe the iBook is only b.

[RecipeForDisaster]

I actually don't know... the end of my network name(Apple network.... )ends in 'b', though, does that tell you? I'm not sure how to check and/or how to change it, and I do believe you're right that the iBook wants 'b'.

Thanks,
Skye

[rgG]

Go into Airport Admin Utility then Configure. You should see a selection for "Mode" at the bottom of the window. Make sure it is set to 802.11 b/g compatible.

[RecipeForDisaster]

Thanks so much-I found it in Airport utility when setting up manually(could it be I don't have Airport Admin on this Mini? I see it on the iBook but not on the Mini... maybe I need to grab that from the CD?). It was already set to b/g.

Thanks,
Skye

[Black Landlord]

Wish I could help. The time I tried encryption I couldn't get past that same problem.
Pretty much everyone on the forum knows more about it though, so the answer can't me more than a few posts away.
I'm 90% sure that particular error has to do with passwords and encryption though-- routers will automatically negotiate down to a slower/older protocol.
I had experiences in a cafe where I had to change the type of encryption (there's a pulldown) to get it to connect. Can't remember the details.
It had no trouble with my Belkin g router, or any other unprotected routers in the neighborhood I ever tried to connect to.
RFD has an iBook G3/900 with original AP card.

(it's showing signal strength, right?)

[Black Landlord]

[quote RecipeForDisaster]Thanks so much-I found it in Airport utility when setting up manually(could it be I don't have Airport Admin on this Mini? I see it on the iBook but not on the Mini... maybe I need to grab that from the CD?). It was already set to b/g.

Thanks,
Skye
So that wasn't the answer, right?

[rgG]

Well, if it is set to b&g, then I would guess that it is a problem with the encryption. If it had been set to g only, (airports can be set up to do b only, g only or b & g) then that could have been the problem.

I would suggest taking the encryption off and see if it connects with the network open.

[RecipeForDisaster]

Yes, it wasn't the b vs. g issue... and it does act like a password problem, particularly since when I enter what I know is the wrong password it acts the same way. Would I be well advised to not use WPA2? I'm out in the boonies so wireless security isn't really all that scary. Apple told me to use that ages ago-I think I originally had it on WPA, but when I switched the Mini and iBook to WPA just now, nothing improved. For the record, the network is WPA/WPA2, not one or the other.

Thanks,
Skye

[rgG]

I am in an area where I don't really worry about people connecting to my network, so I run mine open. I would definitely give it a try and at least see if that solves it.

You can always do Mac address filtering instead of encryption, so at least you have some degree of security.