[GLLUG] Anyone with experience with Macs and AirPort Extreme?

Michael George george at idealso.com
Mon Jul 7 16:01:29 EDT 2008 

Well, for anyone who cares about this thread, the "fix" didn't.  It helped
a bit, but the connection would just drop without reason.  We moved the
computer to the other side of the room to hopefully get better reception,
but it is still unreliable at best.

We could sit there with a fill signal indicated and start browsing and the
signal would drop to nothing and get dropped.  It might not reconnect for
hours, no matter what I did.  Sometimes I'd come home from work and my
wife would be mad that she couldn't get on all day and I'll wake it up and
it'll have full strength signal and stay like that for hours.

The iBook, on the other hand (with an original airport card) will connect
readily from anywhere in the house and maintain that awesome signal.  So
it's not interference or a flakey WAP.  The only thing it *could* be is
that 802.11b is more reliable than the 802.11g.

So, I've given up.  Newegg has a special on Linksys WRT54GL routers (free
shipping, $50, and a $10 rebate on top of that) so I'm just getting
another one.  I'll put that one in place to see if that might be the
issue, but I doubt it is.  After that test, I'll use one of them as the
WAP and router and the other as a bridge.  It's $10 more than trying an
802.11 USB key, but it also gives me a second router on hand in case the
primary should fail and another unit to use for firmware updates.

On Mon, June 16, 2008 3:03 pm, Michael George wrote:
> Tried turning off the authentication.  Didn't help.
>
> I found a fix, though!  In reading and reading and reading, I saw a
> reference to how some people "fixed" the problem by activating and then
> deactivating IPv6.  I figured it was worth a try...  and it did!
>
> On Mon, June 16, 2008 2:53 pm, Sean O'Malley wrote:
>> My bad. I read what you said incorrectly about the intermittant
>> connections. :)
>>
>> From what I just read it appears it is an authentication/authorization
>> issue and there are firmware upgrades from linksys.. dd-wrt probably
>> hasnt
>> fixed it yet.
>>
>> If you turn off auth on the router, it supposedly works.
>>
>> *shrugs*
>>
>>
>> On Mon, 16 Jun 2008, Michael George wrote:
>>
>>> The GL has more RAM than the current G's do, not less.
>>>
>>> I haven't had *any* problems at all with 10.4, only with 10.5.
>>>
>>> On Mon, June 16, 2008 11:43 am, Sean O'Malley wrote:
>>> > Im cheap I guess. I would try changing the firmware on the router
>>> first.
>>> >
>>> > Weren't those the routers that had like 1/2 as much ram as the G
>>> series
>>> > and a few other shortcuts to drop the price?
>>> >
>>> > I am just thinking if you are trying to squeeze a gui and software on
>>> a
>>> > smaller space, you might actually drop a few things along the way
>>> just
>>> to
>>> > squeeze it on.
>>> >
>>> > The fact it doesnt really work with 10.4 (it is flaky) and it doesnt
>>> work
>>> > at all with 10.5 and other people are just having flaky issues with
>>> 10.5,
>>> > leads me to think something else might be wrong. I would triple check
>>> my
>>> > configs and make sure im running the latest known to work version of
>>> the
>>> > firmware.
>>> >
>>> > I have also heard of numerous issues with dd-wrt and people have
>>> switched
>>> > to openwrt.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Mon, 16 Jun 2008, Michael George wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> That is actually what I'm leaning towards.  I just hadn't looked
>>> into
>>> >> which ones were compatible with 10.5 yet.
>>> >>
>>> >> On Mon, June 16, 2008 7:33 am, Eduardo Cesconetto wrote:
>>> >> > another solution is to use a USB wireless adapter, Blekin and
>>> DLink
>>> >> > both make Mac compatible a/b/g cards
>>> >> >
>>> >> > On Jun 15, 2008, at 9:31 PM, Michael George wrote:
>>> >> >
>>> >> >> Well, what I found is that there are a lot of networking problems
>>> >> with
>>> >> >> 10.5.  Most of what I found had to do with extremely poor
>>> performance
>>> >> >> and continuously dropped connections.  One post in particular
>>> said
>>> >> >> that
>>> >> >> the Airport Extreme devices were no longer playing well with
>>> Cicso
>>> >> >> WAPs.
>>> >> >>  Whether the "cisco problem" extends into their Linksys
>>> >> >> acquisitions, I
>>> >> >> do not know.
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> My router is working fine, and I don't have any plans to change
>>> it.
>>> >> >> If
>>> >> >> I had a greater need for the Mini to work I might try OpenWRT, or
>>> >> even
>>> >> >> go back to the Linksys Firmware for the WRT54G...
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Given that the 10.4 systems and WinXP were no-effort connections,
>>> I
>>> >> am
>>> >> >> inclined to blame Apple and I am hoping that a future update
>>> might
>>> >> >> resolve the issue.
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Karl Schuttler wrote:
>>> >> >>> It might be worthwhile to see if the problem exists in OpenWRT,
>>> >> >>> another linux firmware for the WRT line. OpenWRT isn't tough,
>>> >> >>> especially if you've done any networking in linux, but it is
>>> mostly
>>> >> >>> command line (no web gui out of the box). It may be the easiest
>>> >> >>> migration to make it work, if you find that others aren't
>>> running
>>> >> >>> into
>>> >> >>> this issue.
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 6:18 AM, Michael George
>>> >> >>> <george at idealso.com> wrote:
>>> >> >>>> Yes, those bastards.  This is not an isolated dd-wrt issue, it
>>> has
>>> >> >>>> been
>>> >> >>>> happening to many people with the Airport Extreme devices under
>>> >> >>>> 10.5.
>>> >> >>>> It was a problem at 10.5.1 (but not under 10.4) and still is
>>> now.
>>> >> >>>> They
>>> >> >>>> aren't giving it attention because they made it work with their
>>> >> >>>> WAPs.
>>> >> >>>> If it doesn't work with Ciscos, they don't seem to care.
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> I have connected my iBook (10.4) with no hesitation.  I have
>>> >> >>>> connected
>>> >> >>>> Windows XP with no problem.  The software running in dd-wrt is
>>> in
>>> >> >>>> very
>>> >> >>>> wide use and I'm sure if there were problems with it meeting
>>> the
>>> >> >>>> standards of 802.11b/g, they would get fixed.  However, Apple
>>> >> >>>> adopted an
>>> >> >>>> unfinished (beta) spec (802.11n) and put it into production
>>> >> >>>> hardware.
>>> >> >>>> Internal to the computer, no less.  When it isn't backwards
>>> >> >>>> compatible
>>> >> >>>> their best answer (not that they gave one) is "spend several
>>> >> >>>> hundred $$
>>> >> >>>> and get one of *our* WAPs".
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> If you think dd-wrt is such junk, then why don't you download
>>> the
>>> >> >>>> latest
>>> >> >>>> linksys firmware and install it on your router?  When you do,
>>> >> please
>>> >> >>>> tell me if your problem goes away...
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> Eduardo Cesconetto wrote:
>>> >> >>>>> Those bastards? I blame your crappy Open Source driven router,
>>> I
>>> >> >>>>> have
>>> >> >>>>> the same issue with my WRT54GL w/ DD-WRT is junk too... You
>>> get
>>> >> >>>>> what u
>>> >> >>>>> pay for...
>>> >> >>>>>
>>> >> >>>>> On Jun 14, 2008, at 9:20 PM, Michael George wrote:
>>> >> >>>>>
>>> >> >>>>>> Well, no go on either of these.  I can set up an ad-hoc
>>> network
>>> >> >>>>>> with my
>>> >> >>>>>> iBook and an original AirPort card (802.11b?), but it keeps
>>> >> >>>>>> getting
>>> >> >>>>>> connection timeouts to the Linksys/dd-wrt WAP.  I am not
>>> about
>>> >> >>>>>> to spend
>>> >> >>>>>> $300 for a Apple WAP to connect this thing.  Those bastards
>>> make
>>> >> >>>>>> incompatible hard/firmware and expect me to spend more $$ on
>>> >> >>>>>> them?  No
>>> >> >>>>>> way.
>>> >> >>>>>>
>>> >> >>>>>> Sean O'Malley wrote:
>>> >> >>>>>>> It doesnt really seem to be a related issue, but the early
>>> 2006
>>> >> >>>>>>> minis
>>> >> >>>>>>> have a firmware update for them. It is called
>>> >> >>>>>>> Apple Mac mini early 2006 SMC Firmware
>>> >> >>>>>>>
>>> >> >>>>>>> A more related fix would be:
>>> >> >>>>>>> ----
>>> >> >>>>>>> from http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=4993837
>>> >> >>>>>>>
>>> >> >>>>>>> Alright, so we know that after updated to 10.5.2 people were
>>> >> >>>>>>> still
>>> >> >>>>>>> having
>>> >> >>>>>>> trouble with Airport. I was one of them, and I figured it
>>> out.
>>> >> >>>>>>> Here is
>>> >> >>>>>>> what I did:
>>> >> >>>>>>>
>>> >> >>>>>>> 1. Navigate to Library\Preferences\SystemConfiguration
>>> >> >>>>>>> 2. Locate com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
>>> >> >>>>>>> 3. Drag it to trash
>>> >> >>>>>>> 4. Hit the spotlight, type in "Keychain Access"
>>> >> >>>>>>> a) Remove all passwords to every network
>>> >> >>>>>>> *now I don't know if that's necessary, but I did it, and it
>>> >> >>>>>>> worked*
>>> >> >>>>>>> 5. Restart Leopard
>>> >> >>>>>>> 6. Connect to a network and you should be problem free
>>> >> >>>>>>>
>>> >> >>>>>>> By deleting com.apple.airport.preferences.plist and
>>> restarting
>>> >> >>>>>>> your
>>> >> >>>>>>> system, you are allowing Leopard to create the new 10.5.2
>>> file.
>>> >> >>>>>>>
>>> >> >>>>>>> My theory is, is that the two conflicted with each other so
>>> it
>>> >> >>>>>>> wasn't
>>> >> >>>>>>> copied properly, and thats why some people had the problem
>>> and
>>> >> >>>>>>> some
>>> >> >>>>>>> didn't.
>>> >> >>>>>>> ---
>>> >> >>>>>>> my guess is you just need to axe the password to the
>>> airport.
>>> >> >>>>>>>
>>> >> >>>>>>> That at least lets you start the config from scratch. :)
>>> >> >>>>>>>
>>> >> >>>>>>> Sean
>>> >> >>>>>> --
>>> >> >>>>>> -M
>>> >> >>>>>>
>>> >> >>>>>> There are 10 kinds of people in this world:
>>> >> >>>>>>    Those who can count in binary and those who cannot.
>>> >> >>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>> >> >>>>>> linux-user mailing list
>>> >> >>>>>> linux-user at egr.msu.edu
>>> >> >>>>>> http://mailman.egr.msu.edu/mailman/listinfo/linux-user
>>> >> >>>> --
>>> >> >>>> -M
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>> There are 10 kinds of people in this world:
>>> >> >>>>       Those who can count in binary and those who cannot.
>>> >> >>>> _______________________________________________
>>> >> >>>> linux-user mailing list
>>> >> >>>> linux-user at egr.msu.edu
>>> >> >>>> http://mailman.egr.msu.edu/mailman/listinfo/linux-user
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>> _______________________________________________
>>> >> >>> linux-user mailing list
>>> >> >>> linux-user at egr.msu.edu
>>> >> >>> http://mailman.egr.msu.edu/mailman/listinfo/linux-user
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> --
>>> >> >> -M
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> There are 10 kinds of people in this world:
>>> >> >> 	Those who can count in binary and those who cannot.
>>> >> >> _______________________________________________
>>> >> >> linux-user mailing list
>>> >> >> linux-user at egr.msu.edu
>>> >> >> http://mailman.egr.msu.edu/mailman/listinfo/linux-user
>>> >> >
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> -Michael George
>>> >> _______________________________________________
>>> >> linux-user mailing list
>>> >> linux-user at egr.msu.edu
>>> >> http://mailman.egr.msu.edu/mailman/listinfo/linux-user
>>> >>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> -Michael George
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> linux-user mailing list
>>> linux-user at egr.msu.edu
>>> http://mailman.egr.msu.edu/mailman/listinfo/linux-user
>>>
>>
>
>
> -Michael George
>
>
>


-Michael George

More information about the linux-user mailing list