Been reading since I got my lappytop (two months ago), and for the first time, something's gone wrong!

I'm having some trouble with my wireless connection at my school, and the support people here are being useless as usual. I'm running 10.4.3 on a 12" Powerbook G4, 512 mb ram, combo drive.

The way the wireless connection is supposed to work is that you connect to the network (and get an IP in the 130.x.x.x range, specific to my school), then open a web browser, which takes you to a log on page where I would log on with my school account. Then, the connection is active until I am inactive for 15 minutes. The technology used is provided by BlueSocket. There's no WEP or any other encryption on the connection.

The problem is that Airport sees the wireless network and connects to it, but gives me an invalid ip (169.254.x.x range). I can't get to any websites, ping anything, nothing. Turning Airport off and on doesn't fix anything. MacStumbler shows four access points in range, two on channel 6 and two on channel 11, both with decent signal (the Airport meter thing shows full signal). The only other information from MacStumbler that I guess would be of use is that the vendor is Cisco-Aironet. I turned the firewall on and off, tried using interference robustness, and still am having no luck.

The problem only happens in one room in the entire complex, no matter where I sit in that room. Also, the three other people in my class that have Powerbooks/iBooks are having the same exact problems. People with PC laptops are doing just fine. I don't think it's a problem with 10.4.3, because in the couple of days after I upgraded everything was still fine, this just came up recently. I upgraded the Airport software from the Software update site on November 2nd, which may be the problem. is there a way to roll that back, short of a reinstall? I'm new to the Mac, I don't know if it works like Windows Update.

The support people at school say it's a "Mac problem with the security software", which of course is pretty vague and not helpful.

Any help would be most appreciated, as sitting in law school classes for four+ hours a day without some distraction is HARD. If there's something that I need to provide that would help, please let me know and I'll do so. Thanks!

[Franz Josef]

Originally Posted by bandar8338 The problem is that Airport sees the wireless network and connects to it..........MacStumbler shows four access points in range, two on channel 6 and two on channel 11, both with decent signal (the Airport meter thing shows full signal)

By 4 access points you mean 4 networks, right? MacStumbler should pick up all the wireless networks.

Sounds like you simply aren't joining the right one - does your PB ask you before joining a network? You can switch networks simply by clicking on the AirPort icon near at the top of the screen (which will display all visible - non-stealthed - networks). Does this work?

I guess it's 4 networks...the way the school network works though, all of the access points are named "law-net0", so there's only one entry when looking at visible networks.

Either way, thanks for the reply. Turns out they replaced the router in the room after I left class, and I'm back in the same room now and happily surfing away. Thanks!