Trouble accessing Internet/VPN on MacBook Air

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macbookclueless

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#112746 19-Dec-2012 03:06

my employer asked me to work from home this week, and said all i needed to do was to plug the ethernet cable at my home, to this adapter they gave me and I would be up and running......welll apparently it isnt that simple since its trying to find a wireless connection, and I dont have a wireless router at home. Is there a way to use my home's internet connection to access my works VPN?

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11 posts

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#734668 19-Dec-2012 03:09

I apologize that this question is probably in the wrong forum, but I am NOT AT ALL tech savvy and didnt see a forum specifically about MacBook so I thought I would start here....

tonyhughes

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#734685 19-Dec-2012 07:40

You need a working vpn client plain and simple. If they gave you a device that needs a wifi connection to the router you are stuck.

Whats the device?

How does your Macbook Air with no ethernet port connect to the internet if you have no wifi?

dimsim

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#734689 19-Dec-2012 07:51

sounds like your employer has given you a wireless router preconfigured with an ipsec vpn to your office. given what you've said it sounds like you need to connect that device to your broadband with an ethernet cable then connect your macbook to the wireless network the device is broadcasting.

what is the device (make/model) you have been given? What is the wireless network name your macbook is trying to connect to?

macbookclueless

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#734760 19-Dec-2012 09:46

Sounds like they didn't give me what I need... What I got was a short cord that has a usb jack for the laptop, and on the other end is a jack for an Ethernet cable....my impression was I just unplugged the Ethernet cable from my home router and plugged it into the cord they gave me, but that seemed to simple and apparently it is....anything that can be done guys?

freitasm

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#734783 19-Dec-2012 10:07

I suggest you talk to your IT guys again and ask for exact instructions. Without knowing the setup your employer is using is hard to give detailed instructions.

macbookclueless

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#734787 19-Dec-2012 10:12

Sounds like the best solution would be to just buy a wireless router, LOL! Any recommendations on the cheapest one that will meet my needs?

Also, I actually have one that my wife says ( slightly better than me tech savvy wise) only needs a UN and PW to hook up but I forgot what it was since its from 5+ yrs ago....any way to retrieve that or reset it?

freitasm

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#734789 19-Dec-2012 10:16

You can reset following instructions from the manufacturer - just search for "reset [model name]".

How do you connect to the Internet at home now anyway? What "box" did your IT give you?

As I said, without knowing your configuration, what the IT folks gave you and more it's pretty hard to guess how to help.

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macbookclueless

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Geek

#734792 19-Dec-2012 10:21

Through Windstream....just a little box that has a Ethernet and dsl cord coming out the back

The wireless router I have is a linksys wireless -g broadband 2.4 GHz 802.11g (with speed booster) if that's applicable.....

macbookclueless

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#734797 19-Dec-2012 10:24

So,this wireless router just has one port in the back that says internet, then 4 ports with just 1-4 on them so do I just plug the dsl line into it and that's it? Seems to simple...

macbookclueless

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#734799 19-Dec-2012 10:26

Sorry, they didn't give me a box, just the ethrnet adapter cable I mentioned

gehenna

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#734801 19-Dec-2012 10:29

Can you detail exactly what equipment you have? My reading of your OP is that you have an Ethernet Dongle for your MacBook Air (since the Air doesn't have built-in Ethernet)

If that's the case you should simply have to plug the dongle into your Air, then plug the ethernet cable into the dongle, and then the other end of the ethernet cable into your router.

If you aren't able to connect to the internet once all that is done you might not have your Air set to automatically pick up an IP address. Check this in System Preferences > Network.

Click on the Ethernet icon on the left panel of the window and it will show you the settings that are applied on the right. You want to set this to Automatically Detect Settings, or wording similar to that, and then click Apply.

Once you have established the internet connection successfully you need to set up the VPN connection to work.

You need the details of their VPN "server" for this. If it's standard Cisco IPSEC VPN that most businesses use then this is built into the Mac so you can add the connection in the same System Preferences area - but instead of clicking on Ethernet, click on the Plus + sign at the bottom of the window and choose VPN. Once this appears you'll see a number of fields on the right that you have to populate with the company settings (IP Address or Hostname, username, password) and then an Authentication Settings button that brings you to a window where you put in the Shared Secret Key and a Group Name.

If it is some different type of VPN, maybe SSL or a different vendor like CheckPoint, then you'll need to download or be given specific software for this to work as it won't work on the Mac without installing 3rd party software.

If all this is beyond you then you should take the Air to your IT people and get them to set this all up. It's ridiculous that they would give you equipment to use that isn't already configured. And if they have already configured it then they should give you instruction on how to use it.

If you do end up with a working WiFi connection you can leave out the Ethernet dongle steps and just use WiFi, and then add the VPN connection as detailed.

macbookclueless

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#734817 19-Dec-2012 10:49

All I have is the macbook air and that little cord that had a usb port on one aide and an Ethernet port on the other end....the dongle u described seemed to have 3 parts while this cord doesn't...

I am now trying to do the router instead...I reset it and went to the linksys site and they said I am supposed to have a startup disc I don't have, and said to try typing in 192.168.1.1 into a browser window but I only get an error when I do that....very frustrated but I really appreciate u trying to help me, I really do

dimsim

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#734818 19-Dec-2012 10:50

gehenna: Can you detail exactly what equipment you have? My reading of your OP is that you have an Ethernet Dongle for your MacBook Air (since the Air doesn't have built-in Ethernet)

If that's the case you should simply have to plug the dongle into your Air, then plug the ethernet cable into the dongle, and then the other end of the ethernet cable into your router.

If you aren't able to connect to the internet once all that is done you might not have your Air set to automatically pick up an IP address. Check this in System Preferences > Network.

Click on the Ethernet icon on the left panel of the window and it will show you the settings that are applied on the right. You want to set this to Automatically Detect Settings, or wording similar to that, and then click Apply.

Once you have established the internet connection successfully you need to set up the VPN connection to work.

You need the details of their VPN "server" for this. If it's standard Cisco IPSEC VPN that most businesses use then this is built into the Mac so you can add the connection in the same System Preferences area - but instead of clicking on Ethernet, click on the Plus + sign at the bottom of the window and choose VPN. Once this appears you'll see a number of fields on the right that you have to populate with the company settings (IP Address or Hostname, username, password) and then an Authentication Settings button that brings you to a window where you put in the Shared Secret Key and a Group Name.

If it is some different type of VPN, maybe SSL or a different vendor like CheckPoint, then you'll need to download or be given specific software for this to work as it won't work on the Mac without installing 3rd party software.

If all this is beyond you then you should take the Air to your IT people and get them to set this all up. It's ridiculous that they would give you equipment to use that isn't already configured. And if they have already configured it then they should give you instruction on how to use it.

If you do end up with a working WiFi connection you can leave out the Ethernet dongle steps and just use WiFi, and then add the VPN connection as detailed.

+1

They've provided you with a method to connect your macbook to your internet but haven't provided instructions on how to connect to your work VPN.

gehenna

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#734820 19-Dec-2012 10:53

macbookclueless:

Don't reset your router, it won't be the problem. I am pretty sure you just don't have all the gear you need.

The dongle is the little cord that you have. On one end of the cord is a USB plug - that plugs into the Mac. The other end of the plug is an Ethernet port - that's what you plug the Ethernet cable into. So the dongle itself is one piece.

But once the dongle is connected you still need an Ethernet cable that you can plug into it. That's what will go from the dongle to the router. If you don't have an ethernet cable you're dead in the water.

The dongle will look like this, and needs to be plugged into a USB port on the Mac:

This is the Ethernet cable, and needs to be plugged into the little port on the Dongle at one end, and into a port on the router at the other end...

If you don't have an Ethernet cable as shown above, then this will never work for you.

freitasm

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#734822 19-Dec-2012 10:55

I don't think you should mess with your router. It's working. The problem is not the router, but the lack of instructions on how to connect to the VPN.

I assume you were able to connect this Macbook to the Internet before? If so, then there's nothing wrong with your connectivity at home, only the lack of orientation from IT on how to connect to the Internet.

Do not mess with your existing router. If it's working, don't break it!

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