Author Topic: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?  (Read 876 times)

How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« on: 15 February, 2012, 09:14:03 pm »
Whyohwhyohwhyonearth did my mum get a mac? No-one in my extended family knows how they work, least of all her.
Mum is staying with us for a few weeks to donate grannily emergency childcare services and needs to connect her mac to my wifi, but for the life of me I can't work out how. I found the 'AirPort' (ho ho ho) menu but it is not intuitive and nothing I try seems to be working. Not even the power of google.

It surely can't be that hard. Can someone help before I have to go and desecrate the grave of Mr Jobs out of sheer frustration?

ian

Re: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« Reply #1 on: 15 February, 2012, 09:23:36 pm »
Just clicking the little [Airport] wifi icon in the menu bar and selecting your network (ssid) from the list is usually sufficient. If it needs password, it will prompt, and Bob's your weird uncle that no one likes to talk about.

If you aren't broadcasting a SSID, click 'Join Other Network' and follow the instructions.

You can go via Network Preferences, if you wish, but assuming you have the icon in the menu bar, you shouldn't need to.

Edit: this assumes a modern Mac, don't ask me to remember how things used to work back in the Jurassic era.

Re: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« Reply #2 on: 15 February, 2012, 09:26:07 pm »
Should be as simple as choosing a network under system preferences, click the wi-fi icon on the left & choosing your network from the list.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« Reply #3 on: 15 February, 2012, 09:27:55 pm »
This has always been intuitive when I've done it, with the gotcha that "network name" is macspeak for "SSID" (and not, as you might assume, a user-friendly name for the connection you're defining).

Re: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« Reply #4 on: 15 February, 2012, 09:30:06 pm »
Yes, I did all that, and used the right password. It looks like it's connected, but when you open the browser it says 'you are not connected to tinternet' and when I click on 'network diagnostics' it takes me into the seventh circle of IT hell.

Network status (in Network Diagnostics) says green lights for AirPort and AirPort settings, and red lights for everything else (network settings, ISP, Internet and Server). I know the wifi is working because I'm using it right now...

Re: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« Reply #5 on: 15 February, 2012, 09:33:43 pm »
under network, click advanced & tcp/ip & list what's there under configure IPV4, address, subnet & router.

ian

Re: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« Reply #6 on: 15 February, 2012, 09:34:33 pm »
If you go to network preferences and click the Wi-Fi option in the sidebar with the green light next to it, what does it say in the main panel, beginning with 'Status:'

Re: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« Reply #7 on: 15 February, 2012, 09:39:51 pm »
Ok - in the Network menu, under TCP/IP list it says 'using dhcp' for 'configure ipv4, and 'automatically' for ipv6. Nothing for anything else - no dropdowns.

and in the wifi (airport) option which has a red light against it, Status is 'on' and network name is the correct name for my wifi.

Re: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« Reply #8 on: 15 February, 2012, 09:41:17 pm »
Also, under the Status 'on' bit, it says 'airport does not have an IP address and cannot connect to the Internet'

Re: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« Reply #9 on: 15 February, 2012, 09:42:25 pm »
try clicking on renew dhcp lease

Re: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« Reply #10 on: 15 February, 2012, 09:43:13 pm »
How many devices are connected to the router? it may have a limit on the amount of connections.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« Reply #11 on: 15 February, 2012, 09:44:03 pm »
Triple-check the password.  Failing that, is the router limiting access to known MAC addresses?

Re: How on earth do I connect my mum's mac to my wifi?
« Reply #12 on: 15 February, 2012, 09:44:25 pm »
Rusky, YOU WIN!!!! (the renew the dchp lease thing). Google is a-go-go.
Thank you so much.