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General discussion

Apple laptops go off line.

Feb 12, 2009 8:49PM PST

Hi there,
I have an iBook G4 and a MacBook 2.2 both were doing fine, wirelessly going on line. Suddenly without any known reason, this morning, they do not go on line.
No changes were made, no software was downloaded or anything else I could put my finger on.
I ran the diagnostic teston the MacBook:
All the things from Airport to three or four down the list show a green spot, except the last two: Internet and the server, which have red spot .
My broadband is working on my PC. In fact I am using it to write this message.The PC is not wireless, it is connected by wire to the router.
Any suggestions.
Will be very grateful.
Thanks
Shafiq

Discussion is locked

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Just checking .
Feb 12, 2009 10:16PM PST

In our networking forum we have this complaint daily on wifi. Unless your wifi is secured with WPA or better then it is possible to have others swat your connection down.

That small detail of your wifi security was left out so I'm left to think 'another one?'
Bob

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possible security glitch!
Feb 13, 2009 12:32AM PST

Yes sir,
you are right. I do not have any security set up. Strange it may seem, I never had a security issue for years on end. Obviously my negligence,more like reluctance to put in a security barrier could be the reason.

I did not bother because I live in an old English village with relatively less congested housing.I guess I will have to do something about it now.

However my Apple laptop iBook G4 and the MacBook 2.2 both are working again. I do not know the reason, why they went off and why they are back to normal.

I have a D-Link DSL-G604T router,it is connected to my PC by ethernet cable. My iBook G4 used to work wirelessly. Then I bought a MacBook 2.2, which did not work well with the existing set up. So I was given an Airport Express Base Station, because I made a fuss for it not working with my,the then existing set up.(Now I think I was less than reasonable in my insistence.)

I connected the Airport Express gift (I wrote a personal letter to Mr. Jobs on your advice)to the D-Link router with ethernet cable. My MacBook started working fine(wirelessly). I never had any problem since something like two years ago.

How do I put security element in this set up?

I shall be grateful for your advice,
Yours
Shafiq

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Let's focus on just three letters.
Feb 13, 2009 2:44AM PST

Which are "WPA".

If things are working again and you don't have a neighbor for 100+ yards then you may just log this as a glitch and carry on just like we do with glitches.

If you start researching now you'll be ready in the future to enable WPA security when you need to. I'd start asking the following questions:

1. Do my laptops support WPA?
2. Does my wifi router support WPA?
3. How do I change to WPA on my router?
4. How do I change to WPA on my laptops?

This is not an offer to do your homework but the simple list of questions you want to have the answers before you try it.
Bob

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Thank you
Feb 13, 2009 8:30PM PST

For your helpful advice. I shall start finding answers to the questions. I guess the answer is yes, to all the questions. Now I have to figure out the solutions.

Grateful for your help.
Shafiq