Internet connection and base station troubles

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SteveFari

108 posts

Master Geek

Topic # 32977 27-Apr-2009 22:14

Hi,

Now I'll just explain that I am actually a PC technician trying to help out a mate on his Mac so my knowledge of Mac's isn't great but I'm hoping for help.

The problem is that he cannot get an internet connection wirelessly through his macbook and his base station.

His internet connects to a switch and from the switch is an ethernet cable to his base station. The light on the base station is green. His macbook shows status 'connected' to the base station but no internet!?

The IP address he gets is 169.254.20.90 - is this normal for Mac's ?

NOTE: he can get an internet connection when connected through ethernet cable from the switch to the macbook.

Do we need to log into the base station and configure an ip or some other setting?
I assumed connecting an ethernet cable from the switch into the base station would just do the job automatically with no config required.

Thanks to anyone that can shed some light.

Steve.

mjb

923 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 21

Trusted

Reply # 210080 28-Apr-2009 09:10

That's a zeroconf IP address - assigned automatically by the PC when you haven't given it one, and there's no DHCP server to give one out.

What is this 'base station' ? is it an airport? If so, try removing the ethernet cable from the WAN port of the airport, and just putting it into one of the 4 LAN ports. From memory, they bridge by default.

If it's an airport express, whip out the airport config utility and set it up so that it's in 'bridge' mode.

Make sure you have security of some description configured - WPA2 if you can.

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SteveFari

108 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 210149 28-Apr-2009 12:24

Hi, yes it is an airport, he was calling it a base station.

My mates airport only has 1 ethernet input so I do not have any others to choose from.

It has worked in the past from his old router to his airport and then he gets wireless internet from that to his macbook.
Just not sure why it isn't working now.

It might be the Airport express, I'll have a look for the bridge mode you mentioned.

As for secuirty, not a problem, he's on a rural property with nobody in range.

Cheers and I'll try your suggestions but prob wont be able to until the weekend.

Steve.

mjb

923 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 21

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Reply # 210152 28-Apr-2009 12:30

If it has one ethernet port, it's an express, unless it's a really old one. Seems like the macbook isn't getting an IP from the DHCP server on his router.. that's either because the airport is in 'share an IP' mode, or that even the airport isn't getting an IP. check that the airport has an IP in the range served by the router.

Can't tell you much more without some more information - screenshots of the current config from airport utility will help, and output of 'ifconfig' on the macbook (I presume it's running OS X, open Terminal.app and run 'ifconfig')

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SteveFari

108 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 210156 28-Apr-2009 12:36

Thanks mate, yeah I know it's a bit hard. I'm trying to do it remotely over the phone with him and he doesn't know too much.
Thanks for the ifconfig - I was wondering how to get that info on a mac
Next time I see him, as he only just bought the switch, I will log in to the switch and make sure dhcp is set etc.

Cheers,
Steve.

jmcollis

36 posts

Geek

Reply # 218854 28-May-2009 17:18

Configuring an Airport on a Mac is by running the "AirPort Utility" which lives in the /Applications/Utilities folder. It should find any Airport it can see on a working network interface on the Mac. There is a "Wizard" style of step through available to setup stuff. This should all work unless he previously used the Airport with a different Mac, set a password and doesn't remember it.

woody99

165 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 219881 30-May-2009 16:56

I'm trying to do something similar with a late model airport express. Am using an Orcon Homehub (Siemens SX763) on which I have internet connection - connected to Airport Express via ethernet cable. DHCP and NAT functions disabled on Siemens and enabled on Airport Express as I want the Apple NAT-PMP functions. I intend then to connect my iMac and Macbook via wireless network from Airport Express. =

However I've had no joy getting an internet connection into the Airport Express. I have also tried running the Siemens in bridge mode ("Bridge MER") - no joy here either. The Orcon connection is obviously PPPoA and when in bridge mode, the only selection I can see is PPPoE. It does give me some login options but no joy. I don't understand PPPoA vs PPPoE well enough to know if this bit's causing me trouble.

Any ideas? My main reason is to use NAT-PMP on the Airport Express to get Back To My Mac running.

Cheers

Darryn

magu

Professional yak shaver
1599 posts

Uber Geek
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BitSignal

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 221636 4-Jun-2009 14:55

I have a Dynalink RTA1320 set to half-bridge mode with Orcon+ at home, connected to an Airport Extreme. In half-bridge mode, the username and password is set in the Dynalink, and the AE sees the connection as an Always On connection.

Works flawlessly, and this way I'm only doing one NAT for every packet, which speeds things up a little bit. Haven't used Back to my Mac with it, but for me VNC works fine (SSH as well).

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