New Computer Internet Woes!

h.r.ford

h.r.ford

Messages
2,717
Name
Renee
Edit My Images
Yes
Ok as per my earlier post we have gotten a new Mac and a router/modem. And a problem has ensued! I'm hoping some of you computer geniuses (see I'm buttering you up) can help.

The modem works fine everything is green and the mac sees it. But when you go to open the browser it says you are not connected to the internet, would you like to run a diagnostic. So I run the diagnostic and then it says hey idiot you are connected to the internet and everything is fine! So it works for say 5-15 minutes then it says it isn't connected anymore but IT IS! everything is green and if you run the diagnostic again it tells you it is connected and it runs for 5-15 minutes with no problems again. Anyone noticing a pattern?? We have the Mac wired into the modem and the PC is running remotely with no problems connecting so it doesn't seem to be a modem problem it seems to be a Mac problem. HELP!!!!!!!!!!
 
Oooh I sympathise - 'fraid I know little about Mac's - are there browser options you can play with as with IE or Firefox on a PC related to connectivity?
 
It would appear that the Mac is having trouble retaining the IP address that the router is giving it.

Every time you run the diagnostics it is requesting a new IP address, which is then allowing you to access the internet.

Now this may be the Mac or the router playing up, my first suggestion would be to try a different network cable maybe?

Also, does the Mac have an Airport card, and if so have you tried connecting using this?

Let me know how you get on and if no luck I will have a look at my mac and see what options are there for checking IP addresses. Not too sure because I've never had a problem connecting Macs to networks, either at home or at work, so I haven't had to play around with them as much as Windows based PC's :)
 
Kasalic, that seems to be exactly it. We have "home" setting and it keeps switching off of that in search of a new IP address and if it just stayed at "home" it would be fine. Do you have a clue how to tell the Mac not to go hunting for a new IP and just stay where we tell it??
 
Yes it is we checked last night to make sure. My husband was talking to someone about something like "leasing" does that make any sense?
 
yeah the person you were talking to is talking about a DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol) address lease.

Basically your router hands out IP addresses to machines when they ask for them, and something isnt working properly with this.

If you go to your router set up page you should be able to figure out what ip range you are using - it will be either 192.168.0.* or 192.168.2.* or something along those lines.

Your router will be .1 - so possibly 192.168.0.1 and your other machines will be given an address from that range - so anything from 2 up to 254.

choose a number - somewhere in the middle - say 143 and set the address on the mac as static.

IP address - 192.168.0.143
Subnet mask - 255.255.255.0
Gateway - 192.168.0.1

I'm not sure where you would change this on a mac but it will be in the network card setup somewhere.

Remember if the up address your router is set up to use is different to the example above you'll have to change the addresses accordingly.

You're best off applying a static address as DHCP can be a little flaky sometimes depending on the hardware, with you having so few machines its just as easy to sort out this way.

If you need any more help give me a bell.

Matt
 
Thanks, I've forwarded this on to my hubby hoping he knows how to enter this info into the mac. As we've never had a mac before we are on a steep learning curve!
 
They aren't all that different to be honest, and what I've outlined above can be put towards any system that uses TCP/IP (basically the language used to communicate over the network) - so its the same as linux/windows/whatever
but it'll be configured in a slightly different place.

Good luck with it :)
 
Okies - I'll try to make this as simple as I can :) Apologies if I'm pitching this at too low a level and patronising you :)

1 Go to System Preferences (click on the Apple Icon in the top left of the screen)

2 Click on the Network icon - which should be under the 'Internet and Network' heading.

3 You should then see what network connections you have, which should include the network settings. On mine it tells me that 'Built-in Ethernet is currently active and has the IP address 192.168.1.68.

4 Select the Built-in Ethernet and click the 'Configure' button

5 It should have an IP address next to Router, if so make a note of the number.

6 Click the drop down menu next to Configure IPv4: - and select Using DHCP with manual address. (If this doesn't say Using DHCP already then you might want to change it to that now and click Apply Now and this should sort your problem out :))

7 Next, in the IP Address box type the first 3 numbers as the Router address you noted down in part 5, and then change the last number to something random like 36

8 Click Apply Now and see if that sorts the problem out.

If this doesn't work follow steps 6-8 again but this time select 'Manually' from the Configure IPv4 drop down list.

Hope this helps :)
 
THANK YOU everyone. I have printed this page and I will try it when we get home tonight. I'll let you know how it goes.
Renee
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top