Disconnect on Log Out?
 

I had this problem. Just now I found that checking "Disconnect each time I log out" or whatever from System Preferences->Networks->Airport->Options seemed to solve the problem nicely. This may be a fix for a different, much more novice problem (I'm new to Macs) but since I was looking over this thread for a solution, maybe it'll help someone else!

I have the same problem (self-assigned ip address 169.254.xx.xx), but with my Ethernet connection... It is intermittent and I can't figure out how it happens. When it does happen, I try to switch from DHCP to a manual configuration, but even then, nothing works! I have a D-Link router, and only one computer on the network (which includes many Macs and PCs) have this problem.

Have you tried to replace the network cable you're using?

Yeah, tried that.

Anyway, I tried something from another thread (lost the url, sorry). I think the problem came from the fact that botth Ethernet and Airport were activated and, for some reason, the computer couldn't have an IP address assigned to it. So I created two different settings, one for Airport only and one for Ethernet DHCP only. We'll see how it goes...

What's strange is that there's other Powerbooks configured with both Ethernet and Airport in the same configuration that work flawlessly... Grrrrr...

funny i stumble upon this thread...

Just last night I was at a clients house fix their wifi network. they had a netgear 802.11b router one ibook and one imac. Both of the computers were about a year old with airport extreme cards in them. in the neighborhood he lived in, i found several unsecured wifi networks and he was scared about his being secured. So, I totally reset the router and set up his security, which was limited to wep, because that was all his router supported.

So i secure the network install some print drivers and other things and finally get everything talking to each other over the wireless network and it works, and i have to reboot from installing the newest print drivers to his network printer, and then boom, right after a reboot I get a signal from the airport it connects and I can file and print share but i can't browse the internet. This was because the airport was getting a self assigned IP.

so i go into the airport settings and make it so his machines only log onto his trusted network and make it so it automatically connects everytime. then i reboot again to test it out, and same results self assigned ip address.

long story short, i am pretty sure it is a software problem. probably OS related. I did about everythig to troubleshoot it short of wiping out the HD and reloading the computer. Now i thought it could have also been a bad airport card, but having both go bad at the same time was questionable.

My other opinion is that it is the B router, and is not fully backwards compatable with the G broadcom chipset that is used in airport exterme cards. I think this because my ibook at home connects to my linksys wrtg54L with out a hitch everytime and gets an IP everytime and its a b/g router.

This b router is kind of old like I mentioned earlier and only had wep as its only security feature, so maybe the old routers need firmware upgrades to be more compatable with the g cards, otherwise just pony up and buy a new router, i did for 50 bucks off of newegg.com and I love the new router i got. I can broadcast secure signal through out my whole apartment, meaning I can now do wifi system link games on my xbox with my neighbors:cool:

Has anyone come up with a broad stroke...
 

...solution for this issue? I'm experiencing the same type thing.

I have a cable modem, its worked great for months- the the other day- nothing. Tested my friends PC on it- worked great.

I went to a repair facility- they tried their DSL- worked on my Mac- they said its my cable modem.

Went to use wireless- all other computers in the area work great, mine won't gimme anything. Keeps giving the "there was a problem..." message.

Went back home, tried on cable modem again, nothing- back at repair shop- they know nothing- very few Macs where I am...

Any ideas on how to solve this issue would be helpful! Thanks!

I am sure it has to do with software, since in most cases it was working fine and now its not. in my client's case they had upgraded panther to tiger all the way up to 10.4.6 with out ever wiping and reloading the system.

at least when i ran into this problem I am sure its related to some sort of OS issues.

I have been reading this thread for awhile -- having this problem myself when trying to connect to my wireless network at home.

I seem to have solved it (for now) by creating a separate Location. I called it Home. Now it works fine. We shall see. Before this, I only had one default locaton -- Automatic. It seems to be a problem of some sort of timing. My MacBook somehow decided too soon that the network was not available and get a self-issigned IP address.

If you are still having issues
 

If you are still having issues use this thread I am trying to connect the dots and consolidate the problem.

http://forums.macosxhints.com/showth...809#post315809

Tony D

Bad link?

I'm having the same problem w/ a G3 iBook using Airport (not Extreme, i.e. 802.11b) connecting to a 4-year-old Netgear wireless router. MacBook Pro is connecting to the router just fine (802.11g), although the router has been acting up quite a bit in recent months, dropping connectivity and requiring frequent restarts...

So try a new router - they're pretty cheap now a days.

airport problem may be solved
 

Today I logged onto my Macbook via an ethernet connection, then unplugged it and tried logging on wirelessly.
No problem for about 5 minutes, then the connection dropped again and I got the self assigned IP address.
I turned off the airport card, and plugged in an ethernet cable.

At this point, I looked at the airport base station utility, and for the first time the airport base station was listed. It never had been before.
I downloaded the upgrade software for the base station. The software restarted the airport base. I unplugged the ethernet cable, turned on the airport card, and didn't drop the connection the rest of the afternoon.

I don't understand why the Mac could do that to the router when the airport card was turned off, but, oh well!

potential solution
 

Im new to mac and perhaps there is something else going on
BUT I was having the same problem of the airport self-assigning the IP address.

I tried multiple solutions including "reserving" an ip address for a specific MAC address on the actual router (which is acting as the DHCP server). even this did not work.

Then I checked the "Make AppleTalk Active" and had the "Configure" option set to "Automatically". its the only thing that worked. Hope this helps.

I have the same problem on an iBook 12" G4 running OS X 10.3.9 and conencting to a Linksys WAG54G. The problem started a few days agao and coincides with an auto software update:
2006-11-21 12:12:43 +0000: Installed "iTunes" (7.0.2)
2007-01-05 21:39:44 +0000: Installed "Security Update 2006-007 (PowerPC)" (1.0)

From all the information I have reviewed this sounds like it is a corrupted prefs file or a software bug from the security update.

Buying a new router is not the solution.....
 

There is a serious problem with OS X and certain types of secure wireless. Look at the number of unsolved issues just on this board.

Buy a new router? I have 200 computers that have no problem with the router and 5 Apples that do. So are you saying a new router will help?

There has to be a solution somewhere.

I only run into the wireless problem when there is 128 Bit WEP . I actually bought an access point that was weaker on the encryption side just so I could get on my school network. NOTHING would allow my MAC to connect.

Although LINUX and WINDOWS connect flawlessly.

This is a BIG problem considering that most people are wireless now-a-days and they need a flexible solution.

This is only one issue. The fact that my MAC cannot see Windows shares is also bad. And lets not even talk about binding to the domain.

What is the most frustrating is that it is not a WINDOWS problem. Because if you just use BSD or LINUX the issue goes away.

So my advice keep posting. Until we get some answers.

Tony D
---
I will try the Apple talk thing now.

Same issue but some results
 

As most of you me and all of my students who have Macs have this self-assigned IP problem at school. Now most of the time I don't have it-- at home, most I-cafes etc.

So I bought a Lynksis-G access point and lowered the encryption from 128 to 64(both WEP). And it works fine.

It seems to be the 128 WEP. I had the school update the server to be Mac Friednly based on some docs released by Apple. BUt we have hundreds of access points around school and all the windows and linux wireless computers work flawlessly on them -- and on my 64 WEP as well.

So it must be an OSX issue.

Maybe someone with this info and more knowledge than I can make sense of it and find a solution.

The MACs are perfect when wired into the network and Static IPs do not make a difference.

Ideas?

Tony D

The passwords are handled differently for "128 bit" and "64 bit" WEP.
So you need to make sure that you are entering your password correctly.
And of course it would be much better to use WPA instead of WEP.

Example?
 

Can you give me an example? Please understand there are over 600 PC's on the network and about 300 wireless laptops. SO everyone is just given the same exact WEP key. I have nothing to do with it. It isn't in my power to change it. Should I be asking for it in a different format? Here is what I am given (if anyone is in Dubai you can come by my school for free wifi)

Daaap$2170912

SSID Hidden: WIFI001

Is WPA better for everyone ? Opinions?

Thanks I feel like I might be onto a solution.

Tony D.

See the "AirPort client to third-party base station" section of this Apple doc:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106424

APIPA Addressing, ZeroConf, and self-assigned ips
 

I skimmed over the post but only saw one posting (number 7 from one of the site admins that seemed to come close to describing what is going on when you get a self assigned address 169.254.xx.xx.

When a client is unable to talk to the DHCP server or get responses, etc., the client assigns what is called an Automatic Private IP Addressing address (APIPA for short, Apple refers to this as ZeroConf instead)

What you have to do in in Windows is go to the command prompt and put in these two lines:
IPCONFIG /release [hit return]
IPCONFIG /renew [hit return]
That will force the client to send another request to the DHCP server for another address. Also, if it doesnt work, there could either be a problem with the router's built-in DHCP server or the server on another machine hosting DHCP service. (if others on the network are having trouble the same way- definitely a good indication of there being a problem with the server. - If not- troubleshoot the NIC or wireless card)

This used to totally drive me nuts when I would take my iBook to a cafe I used to go to. Here is the deal with Apple: in the Network panel with the Wireless card settings, it has a release/renew button, but IT WONT HELP! =(
I just came up with this Macintosh CLI fix which may or may not do the same thing I was saying to do on a Windows machine:

Open Terminal and type:
sudo ipconfig set en0 BOOTP (hit return)
ipconfig set en0 DHCP (hit return)

What this does is it tells the Mac version of IPCONFIG to detach itself from it's network bootstrap and point it at a DHCP server and go LOOK STUPID to the internet connection. It may not work in all situations, but this may be the only command line equivalent to force what that DHCP renew button is supposed to do but alas never does.

Anyway, I guess I should explain "why the hell would they make the damned thing have an IP address that doesn't #@$&* work?!?!" Well, remember that the message System Prefs>Network says is you wont be able to get on the *internet* with that address. That is the point- sortof. In principle, since the DHCP can't give you an address to get on the internet (is unable to respond to the request for whatever reason), this APIPA/ ZeroConf address is supposed to allow the client to be able to talk to LAN resources in the office (for example) so that people at the business can still talk to the local servers and keep working until the DHCP problem is resolved. I don't entirely trust APIPA addresses to actually do that though.

I hope it helps!
Tristan Mendoza
Austin, Texas
Penniless Sysadmin