Thank you David for the very informative response! She is getting the signal from the wireless modem and using the WEP key printed on the modem. The ESSID is also the same as on the modem. I will remove the airport base station and see what happens; the base station then is not needed in this case, since she is getting a signal from the dsl modem. She also has a small Canon PIXMA printer, iP90v. Everytime she wants to print she just takes the macbook and walks it to the printer and connects to it via usb. Can the Airport base station be used in this case to get the printer to work wirelessly from the Macbook? Thanks again.
On Thu, May 21, 2009 at 5:50 PM, David K Watson <davidkirkwat...@gmail.com>wrote: > First, turn off the Airport for now, so it doesn't complicate things. > Also, go to Network preferences for your macbook and select the > "Show Airport status in menu bar" option if you haven't already. > > Try unplugging the power from the Verizon modem and see if > the MacBook is still getting a signal. Given the bad performance > your mom's been having in the same room as the modem, I'm > betting she isn't even connecting to her own modem and is instead > using someone else's open network. > > Whether that's the case or not, power the Verizon modem back > up and make sure that the lights indicate that it's getting a > network connection and the wireless is turned on. If the modem > lights are not showing green, make sure that the coax cable is > firmly connected to the modem,and if so, then call Verizon to > straighten things out. (They'll want you to have the Macbook > connected to the modem with an ethernet cable for this.) > > If the modem shows green after it is powered up (after a few > seconds of blinking you should see green lights next to the > power, world and antenna symbols on the modem), try > connecting again. Sometimes the modem will freeze for no > good reason and re-powering will fix it. Click on the airport > symbol in the menu bar and make sure that it is your modem's > wireless that you are connecting to. The factory defaults for the > modem's wireless name (ESSID) and password (WEP key) > are printed on a plate on the modem. > > If the verizon modem is not in the list of available networks when > you click on the airport symbol in the menu bar, then reset the > modem to its factory default by gently poking a paperclip end into > the reset switch hole in the back and holding it there for a few > seconds, then try again. > > Once you have gotten a wireless connection to your modem, > go to the Network pane of System Preferences, select the > airport and the advanced tab, and delete every network but > yours from the preferred networks list to make it less likely > that you join someone else's network by accident. > > If you get this working, check to see if it is adequate to your > mom's needs. If it is, then the airport base station is an > unnecessary complication and I'd just forget about it. If the > Verizon modem's range is not good enough, or if your mom > wants to be able to print by wireless to a USB printer, then > get back to us on that. > > > From: Sandra Raredon <aster...@gmail.com> >> >> I have looked over the whole system at my mother' house yesterday. Wow, I >> dont know how she even got on line!!!. Here is the actual scenario: >> DSL wireless modem from Verizon , Actiontec model M 1424WR. >> The coax cable is coming into the house and is attached to the wireless >> modem...(.the modem has a cheap looking moveable antenna). The only other >> thing attached to the modem is the ac adapter......there are no other >> cable= >> s >> or wires plugged into the modem. The modem is in the same room where the >> ne= >> w >> MacBook is located. >> In another room at back of the house, there is the Airport base station, >> looks like an Igloo). The only things attached to that are a telephone >> line, and a ac adapter. >> >> The MacBook does pick up a signal....but it must be the signal from the >> wireless modem....it takes a long time for internet sites to open >> etc...... >> I am wondering how to get a better connection? The Airport was put in >> because it routed the signal to a mac mini. An ethernet cable was used >> between the mac mini and the base station. The mac mini is no longer in >> th= >> e >> house. The Airport base station just sits on the desk in the back room. >> >> I really would appreciate any more ideas how to make this better. >> Thanks, >> Sandra. >> >> > > ************************************************************************* > ** List info, subscription management, list rules, archives, privacy ** > ** policy, calmness, a member map, and more at http://www.cguys.org/ ** > ************************************************************************* > -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ><((((ª> ><((((ª> ><((((ª> ><((((ª> ><((((ª> ><((((ª> ><((((ª> Sandra J. Raredon New home email: aster...@gmail.com New work email: rared...@si.edu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ************************************************************************* ** List info, subscription management, list rules, archives, privacy ** ** policy, calmness, a member map, and more at http://www.cguys.org/ ** *************************************************************************
