Mac messing up my networking!
 

I'm running a wireless home network on a 2wire router/modem. The connections include a primary desktop PC (wired), 2nd desktop PC (wireless), laptop PC (wireless), XBox 360 (wireless) and Mac iBook (wireless).

Everything works fine when using the Windows based systems/XBox but when the Mac is introduced into the mix, the whole thing goes flaky. The Mac seems to retain it's connection but the other wireless connections keep dropping intermittently. On attempting connection I keep getting the Limited or No Connectivity dialogue, it all seems to fail when attempting to assign IP address.

Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this or how to fix it?

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

I'll take that as a no then :( excuse the bump ;)

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

Umm Your Mac isn't running a DHCP server of its own is it? Or something silly

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

What router?

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

It's impossible to say without being able to see all the settings in your Mac's System Prefs, although if the Mac is staying connected and the MS stuff is dropping it, I'd prefer to think there was something wrong in one or more of the other machines that is tolerable only so long as only Microsoft systems are attempting to connect.

What are the DHCP settings in your router?

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

Thanks for the replies :)

I know very little about DHCP, but these are the settings on the mac:

Configure IPv4: Using DHCP
IP Address: 192.168.1.67
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

And on my router DHCP settings, I have;
192.168.1.0 / 255.255.255.0 (default) checked and all the addresses seem to match up.

As I say, its an intermittent problem. Is there any specific info I can provide which may help troubleshoot?

The modem is a 2wire 1800HG.

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

Just as another bump, I'm still experiencing the same problems as above. I've tried eveything I can think of. After a recent reformat of my PC laptop, I've installed the latest wireless drivers, but the problem is just as bad. Whenever the iBook is on my laptop and even 360 wifi connections keep dropping. They fail on reconnection as they cannot acquire an IP address. As soon as the mac is off, all is well. The puzzler is that sometimes they can all work, but more often than not there's a problem.

Any new ideas I can try?

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

Can you borrow a mate's router?

The only thing I can think of is that the Mac is trying to create a ad-hoc network which is confusing the PCs. How or why, I don't know.

Do the wireless PCs work fine when you use the Mac via ethernet?

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

Very odd, as Zeph suggests it sounds like there's another DHCP service floating about on your network. Can you see where you're getting your dynamic IP address from on the mac?

Go into terminal and issue this command:

ipconfig getpacket en1

then check the value of the "server_identifier (ip)" parameter

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

I've got that server_identifier....what will that tell me, and what am I looking for?

Just had a look at the network settings on the mac - under the TCP/IP tab Configure IPv4 has 'Using DHCP' selected. Also at the bottom an IPv6 address is listed - this is set to automatic. Should I disable this?

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

it'll tell you which dhcp server is allocating the ip address to your mac. This should of course be the address of your router.

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

yep, I can confirm that they match.

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

Sorry, I just re-read your original post and it's just your wireless clients dropping connection. I'm wondering if this is some sort of RF/Crosstalk issue where your mac is basically blatting out the radio signal to your other clients. Have you tried shifting your Mac into another room away from the router and your PCs and running it like that for a while?

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

It does sound like thats the most likely answer. I think it seems that the problem is worse when the PC laptop is closer to the mac. The mac, PC and 360 are all in the same room.

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

whats the ip addresses for all the devices that are connected to the router, what I think it is myself is that something has the same IP address as the MAC and thats why you are getting these issues.

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

Just to revive an old thread...

After a repeated problems using using a new BT Home Hub router, I have reverted back to my 1800HG 2wire modem/router, but the same problems still remain. Whenever my laptop PC is on it's own it works just fine. When the laptop and mac are on, the PC keeps dropping connection, but more often than not, the wireless connection does not drop entirely but the internet connection fails - I cannot access websites. I can only resolve this by disabling and then re-enabling the PC's wireless adapter.

I now have both computers set up to use a static IP address. I can't help but think my problems with the Home Hub were also due to the same issue. Can anyone suggest anything I can do with this bloody Mac iBook apart from take a hammer to it's overpriced arse?

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

What OS are you running on the MacBook?
What wireless security mode are you running?
Do you have any other protocols enabled on the MAC?
How "Default" are all your settings - any tweaks to framesize, MTU etc?

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

What mode is the router using? 'g' 'b' or mixed ?
What encryption are you using on the laptop and ibook - try disabling and see how it goes. I think it's 40/128 bit on ibook and 64/128 bit on the PC, try changing this to 128 bit on both.

Are all wireless cards capable of the same e.g 54mbs, are they different makes.
Have you checked the maufacturers web sites for compatability issues with other maufacturers products?
As said before it sounds like the signal produced by the Mac is flooding or is stronger than the card used on the laptop.
If you go to a friends house with wireless access does the same thing happen using the ibook.

Untill you can verify that there is no compatibilty issues between the cards used you will not be able to narrow things down. Changes need to be made one at a time, test, continue.
Have you used the FAQ section for the mac, have others experienced the same problem, would do some digging around the hardware as it is not the routers.
sc00bie

Re: Mac messing up my networking!
 

you do seem to have been having these problems a long time now but its the first time iv seen the thread.

right, i did notice no one had told you to use fixed IPs on ALL your kit, but you set them up now anyway so thats good.

i cant tell you exactly as my MAC doesnt have wireless (its an old G4/400 bless it LOL) and i use PPC linux not OSX.

but does the mac card have a way to reduce the wireless DB and so lower the power output its creating?, if so make it as low as possible then increase in steps until it can connect to the router again.

as a ruff guide, its every 3db increase you double your distance.

the other thing id do as a quick test, as i do with x86 windows sytems too, is get a PPC liveCD for the MAC and boot that to see if its doing the same thing as it is in OSX.

you have apparently ruled out a faulty router, as i assume your getting EXACTLY the same on the other BT HH, although your not clear on that point?.

so its power or an oddball OSX/driver problem that might be messing with wireless cards power output, over driving it perhaps and swamping the x86 machines.

you might even go as far as boot an all round liveCD testing session for all the kit as a temp test so grab a x86 one at the same time you grab the PPC liveCD, assuming you can find a version that can work with your wireless kit.

if not seeing your talking smashing the MAC up is pull your OSx drives off the chain and install an old 20gig or something and install linux on that if your into that sort of adventure, its a good video steamer if your CPU is upto it, or a simple NAS if you like.

if you cant solve the problem, give it away, far better than smashing it up my friend .

---------- Post added at 02:45 ---------- Previous post was at 02:24 ----------

whats your Mac iBook spec BTW , you never said.