iHelp - Mac support needed for a techno know nothing

The situation is my MacBook pro has stopped recognizing my home network wirelessly. I am connected via the ethernet right now and it can see it through the airport, but It wont connect. The wifi is working fine as my old PowerBook G4 and my wife's iPhone can still connect wirelessly, just not this computer. I guess I'm not taking it to bed to watch Netflix tonight!

I'm getting the following message:

802.1X is unable to authenticate. It is possible that the configuration you have provided is invalid. If you are unsure about what configuration to connect with, check with your network administrator. ( Error: 1 on port en1 )

I have no idea what this means or how to fix it.

I tried forgetting then re-finding the network, but with no luck

The modem / router is a Netgear Wireless - N150, but I don't think that's the issue as my other mac and the iphone are connecting just fine. I've had this router for over a year with no issues. I tried turning it off but it's made no difference. The other devices see it and this one see's it but wont connect.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Adrian

Crap, that's 'know nothing' not 'no nothing' in the title. I guess I'm tired and need to go to bed.

I posted the same Q on a Mac Forum and I've been surfing GRM waiting for a reply with no luck. For some reason I'm sure one of you will know the answer before I get it from there. GRM rules for every question that can be asked!

Honestly, even though it's not Windows, the next thing I'd try is a reboot.

I don't know what the precise problem is, but if you've already power-cycled the router and the other devices were able to reconnect, I have to suspect that something's gone sideways with the Mac's network configuration. Since you've already tried ditching and recreating the Mac's info for your network, the next-simplest guess is something deeper into the network workings than the network config, and a reboot the simplest way to find out.

I'm afraid I don't have a guess if that doesn't do it.

I tried turning it off and on again, not luck.

Looking at the other Mac, it had a different IP address, so I tried changing to that, but it tells me something else is already connected to that address, which makes sense I suppose. So how do I find what address I should be connecting too?

You shouldn't have to specify an IP address. Most networks are set up so that during the connection phase an IP address is assigned on the fly (DHCP, or Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).

The authentication bit makes me think that basically the router and computer aren't agreeing about the password for your network, or there's a hiccup in getting that information to your router.

The most obvious part of that configuration is the password itself. The other part is the type of network security: WEP (outdated), WPA, if WPA which type, and I want to say there's another... I'm not sure whether the Mac gives you any opportunity to configure this or whether it auto-detects the security type.

And of course if you're having to manually enter the password, caps lock is off, right?

I don't know which version of OS X you're using, but you might look at the network config section for wireless (here's for 10.7 http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3326 ), and compare with the other mac.

Not so much the numbers as the options (security type, protocols, etc).

Well this is interesting. My network used to be password protected, but I now notice it isn't. I have no idea why, how or when it became open, but right now I'm not being asked for a password. I'll have to figure out how to put the password back on another time.

I tried forgetting and re-finding the network again. It finds it, I connect, it shows full strength, but isn't connected. aagghhh

The trouble is I can't find the details for when i set the router up. I guess tomorrow night I'll have to call AT&T (the provider) Netgear (the modem/router manufacturer) and or make an apointment with Apple at the genius bar to sort this out.

Time to go and meditate on my mantra "I love Apple products. I love Apple products. I love Apple products. I love Apple products."

ransom wrote: I don't know which version of OS X you're using, but you might look at the network config section for wireless (here's for 10.7 http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3326 ), and compare with the other mac. Not so much the numbers as the options (security type, protocols, etc).

I think this is probably it, but I can't find the username and password info. I know I wrote it down and put it in a safe place just for this sort of situation, but it's obviously a really safe and secure place as I can't find it. crap crap crap. time for bed.

Thanks for your help

When I worked at the paper, the router would routinely stop talking to some of the Macs. Just Macs, not the PCs. Probably 99% of the time, it was an IP address issue.

Lesley wrote: When I worked at the paper, the router would routinely stop talking to some of the Macs. Just Macs, not the PCs. Probably 99% of the time, it was an IP address issue.

I think this is good news as it means that once I figure out that info, it'll be easy to fix.

But surely your wrong, Macs are perfect and work all the time with no issues, it must have been the PC's that acted up. mutter mutter mumble mumble.....keep drinking the Kool aid, that's it more Mac flavoured Kool aid and everything will be fine in the morning!....Adrian is now sitting in the corner hugging himself and rocking back and forth mumbling quietly, let's leave him there for the night shall we!

And I spend all my time trying to keep my PC connected and up and running.

My 5 Macs mess up so infrequently that I feel like the OP. I'm completely lost because it's been so long I've forgotten how to fix it, presuming it's even the same problem.

Every time I've had a problem like yours it has always ended up being the router. The fact that you've lost your password also makes it sound that way.

When you reboot are you letting the router sit a while before restarting? I don't know why but a quick restart hardly ever fixes a boot problem.

Mac people won't be much help because they honestly hardly ever have problems. PC people don't like it when they say it, but it's the truth.

That's not to say never have probs, but it is so infrequent you forget what to do.

I'm betting a GRM staffer will have a solution for you - once they check the forum since they run Macs. But I'm betting most of them are already in bed.

just to make sure... you also restarted the router right?...

anyway for netgear the standard login is www.routerlongin.net, username: admin, password: password

lick the "wireless" tab and then find one that says security... choose wpa or wpa2

Lesley is probably right, unless this is some weird issue I've never seen before. It's probably an IP address issue.

How many wireless devices do you have in the house? What method do they use to establish their IP addresses? I've seen situations where two Macs on a network will have IP addys that bump into each other, even when they're set to use DHCP to establish their address.

You can try manually setting a DHCP address. Just use 10.0.1.XX and start with, say, 20 for the XX and work up from there and see if that helps.

You can also try turning off all the security settings on your network and router. There could be a conflict occurring there as well. If that works, you can start resetting your various security settings and seeing if any of them trigger the same response in the laptop. Although, on a related note, my WiFi signal at my house is unsecure. I catch my neighbor on it from time to time, but he's got to put up with screaming cockatoos from our side of the fence, so I figure it's the least I can do to slide him some WiFi.

jg

Yes I've restarted the router and it's made no difference.

JG, We've just got the one router, the two macs, the iPhone and my work PC lap top.

Now asking me about how they establish their IP address etc is like interrogating a French monkey by asking questions telepathically in Russian. I have no way of understanding you or answering!

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Now asking me about how they establish their IP address etc is like interrogating a French monkey by asking questions telepathically in Russian.

LOL, that was my first job when I started at the CIA.

is there a public library nearby with wifi? see if your macbook can connect to theirs. BTW, what does the router report for the security settings for wireless? Once you can login to the router admin setup, that is.

you may have to reset the netgear router to the factory defaults to reconfigure. When ya do, choose WPA2 for the wireless security.

heyduard wrote: is there a public library nearby with wifi? see if your macbook can connect to theirs.

Good idea, I'll do that when I get home.

heyduard wrote: BTW, what does the router report for the security settings for wireless? Once you can login to the router admin setup, that is. you may have to reset the netgear router to the factory defaults to reconfigure. When ya do, choose WPA2 for the wireless security.

More telapathic Russian here! but hopefully I can learn it. When I get home I'll try and see what I come up with. I might need some virtual hand holding though.

Thanks for all the help

The short version is the IP address for a particular device is either set manually by the user physically typing in the address, or automatically, where the device sets an address that it doesn't see anywhere else on the network within a certain range.

On the Mac, these setting will be under System Preferences > Network. You can change the DHCP setting there.

jg

OK, head meet wall, wall meet head. Please interface hard.

Went to Mac store, and the computer finds their wifi no problem. They also checked the airport, fine, I cleaned out the cookies and cache. Cleaned out some old profiles in the 802.1X and did something else I can't remember.

Get home, still no joy. Daughters boyfriend manages to access the router wirelessly with his PC. Still no joy for me.

Check with ISP and get the user name and DSL network password before calling Netgear the maker of the router. Manage to access the set up through the default access 192.168.0.1 but don't know what to do with that. Call Netgear to find they only had 90 day support and they want $69.95 for another 6 months support before they'll talk me through anything. I'm sure it can't be that hard.

Help, please someone talk me through this.

Well bugger me, it's started working. No idea why. I do an automatic set up on the router page that made no difference. I then turned the airport off and on again just to prove to my wife that I'd done that before (which I have) and bugger me this time it works. So now my wife is super happy and wanting me to tell the world she's fixed it.

bugger bugger mumble mumble.

head wall bang head wall bang repeat.

Off to bed to watch netflix and cry into a glass of whisky

So, you're a techno no-know fix it guy. Cheers.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I'm getting the following message: 802.1X is unable to authenticate. It is possible that the configuration you have provided is invalid. If you are unsure about what configuration to connect with, check with your network administrator. ( Error: 1 on port en1 )

Hmm. from your original error message and the subsequent behavior of the mac book, my best guess is the keychain entry for your wifi network was scrambled until it got overwritten with the correct info. 802.1X is not typically used on a home wifi network. Unless somebody was monkeying around with your settings whilst you were away.

heyduard wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I'm getting the following message: 802.1X is unable to authenticate. It is possible that the configuration you have provided is invalid. If you are unsure about what configuration to connect with, check with your network administrator. ( Error: 1 on port en1 )

Hmm. from your original error message and the subsequent behavior of the mac book, my best guess is the keychain entry for your wifi network was scrambled until it got overwritten with the correct info. 802.1X is not typically used on a home wifi network. Unless somebody was monkeying around with your settings whilst you were away.

What is the Keychain entry and how do I konw what the # or code is?

Adrian_Thompson wrote: What is the Keychain entry and how do I konw what the # or code is?

If it's working so far, I wouldn't worry. But there is a keychain utility that will wipe the slate clean, so you can redo your password protected network connections. The Keychain is a system data file that has username/password combos for the network resources your mac connects to.

More trivia to clog your mind.

heyduard wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: What is the Keychain entry and how do I konw what the # or code is?

If it's working so far, I wouldn't worry. But there is a keychain utility that will wipe the slate clean, so you can redo your password protected network connections. The Keychain is a system data file that has username/password combos for the network resources your mac connects to. More trivia to clog your mind.

Thanks, I'll be saving this for future use, I hope I never need it. BAck to chanting my mantra

Mac's work perfectly every time. Mac's work perfectly every time. Mac's work perfectly every time. Mac's work perfectly every time. Mac's work perfectly every time. Mac's work perfectly every time. Mac's work perfectly every time. Mac's work perfectly every time. Mac's work perfectly every time. Mac's work perfectly every time.