MetaChat - AskMeCha: Help!!!

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06 February 2006

AskMeCha: Help!!! Mac networking/wireless stuff
→[More:]so, i have the router and the usb thingie. The router is all set up ok, and i'm using it as we speak.

I can't get my ibook to recognize the usb wireless thing at all! help!!

post by: amberglow at: 19:24 | 38 comments

should i try one of these???

posted by amberglow 06 February | 19:26

Since I can think of nothing remotely constructive to say here, may I suggest that one of these...

≡ Click to see image ≡

...may resolve the matter?

posted by killdevil 06 February | 19:35

Drivers may be the issue but if the usb ports on the laptop are usb1 and the device is usb2 then the laptop just won't see it. You will need a Mac person to help you check that. Last Mac I used had a little black and white screen.

posted by arse_hat 06 February | 19:59

Oh, congrats on the router success.

posted by arse_hat 06 February | 19:59

A problem I had with my router a little bit ago - I couldn't get my new notebook to find my wireless network. Turns out that I had turned off the "broadcast wireless network" on my router. Turned it back on and bam, worked.

posted by puke & cry 06 February | 20:13

well, there's a green light at the end of the stick when i stick it in...

it's wlan i think...

can i connect thru Network???

i just need the ibook to recognize the usb stick, and then to connect...

posted by amberglow 06 February | 20:19

this is my ibook

posted by amberglow 06 February | 20:21

amber do you have a link to a description of the usb "thingy"?

posted by arse_hat 06 February | 20:27

yup, but they say they have no mac driver, but they have linux, which i thought didn't matter...it's not the brand i wanted...maybe i'll have to exchange?

here it is: Hawking

posted by amberglow 06 February | 20:41

OK so it is USB2 but backward compatible with USB1. The only issue is they don't support Mac. Sorry but it won't work. Perhaps one of the Mac users can make a recomendation?

posted by arse_hat 06 February | 20:45

damn...

posted by amberglow 06 February | 20:51

but macmall sells it! http://www.macmall.com/macmall/shop/detail~dpno~563634.asp

posted by amberglow 06 February | 21:02

i need something like this maybe?

posted by amberglow 06 February | 21:13

Well that's odd. It says universal but the manufacturers site makes no mac mention. From the manufacturer's description just plug it in and run the cd. Can you get an e-mail to who you bought from? Ask them if it should work with whatever Mac OS you have.

You may need a driver but again all the Apple stuff is out of my area.

posted by arse_hat 06 February | 21:18

Cryptical Envelopment is a mac user.

posted by arse_hat 06 February | 21:31

i'm going to return the stick tomorrow...

the router works fine tho...

any ideas on where to find a mac usb stick?

thanks all tho : (

posted by amberglow 06 February | 21:58

Let me go hunt up my USB stick and see if it works on my iBook G4. If it does, you're welcome to it...

posted by Five Fresh Fish 06 February | 22:23

thanks fff

and i found this from dorian...maybe i can tweak?? or something?

if i can find out what chip it uses...

posted by amberglow 06 February | 22:29

I think you're on the same path I am, amberglow.

Try here as well.

Mine is an Elias EW-100U, which appears to be a completely generic USB wireless device. The chipset is an Atmel At76c503a, the radio ... I dunno. Difficult to tell which chip that'd be.

Also check out this, too.

FCC ID on my device is Q2MEW100U. Which, alas, fails to bring up anything on google.

Apple System Profiler shows it as VID 0x03eb, PID 0x7605, which seems to dovetail nicely with the Cameo SOHO-WLB140, and possibly others.

Which means it might be hackable to run on your box.

posted by Five Fresh Fish 06 February | 22:53

It appears your Hawking device uses the ZyDAS zd1211 chipset.

This will be helpful.

posted by Five Fresh Fish 06 February | 22:57

And here is the driver for OS X.

posted by Five Fresh Fish 06 February | 22:59

ooo! here goes!

i'll report back in a sec....

posted by amberglow 06 February | 23:14

wait a sec...i only install that, or i install then i try to figure out what to change in terminal? or i don't have to???

posted by amberglow 06 February | 23:20

ok--installed...

my Vendor is AboCom, and my product id is : 24577 ($6001)

posted by amberglow 06 February | 23:33

I have no idea. I'd guess you install the driver, see if it does the trick, and then resort to hacking...

posted by Five Fresh Fish 06 February | 23:34

i don't even know what's supposed to happen....

posted by amberglow 06 February | 23:45

ok...nothing happened except that now i have a new option in my system prefs--- ZyDASWlan, but it's dead..

i think i have to do the terminal thing....

posted by amberglow 06 February | 23:55

You may also have to check out Apple Menu > Sys Prefs > Network.

posted by Five Fresh Fish 07 February | 00:13

i did---i don't have any new options anywhere there...

i just emailed dorian, offering him $ to walk me thru the terminal thing--i don't know how to open or edit files in there...

if anyone is good at terminal, please let me know...there's cash in it if you can make this painless and brainless for me!

posted by amberglow 07 February | 00:27

I'll be back in about 1/2hr (10:30ish PST). Meet you in mefi@metafilter.com.

posted by Five Fresh Fish 07 February | 00:42

i'll be here...i got Pseudo and BBEditlite, and i'm in the actual file i need to change, but i still don't know how to convert the vendor and product ids to the right format to insert.

help!!!

posted by amberglow 07 February | 00:59

I await you on Jabber. Or ICQ, if you tell me which one.

posted by Five Fresh Fish 07 February | 01:18

i did it but i think i did it wrong...dorian's on the case...i emailed him the file and all the info i had...

thanks, fff! : >

(whatever i did didn't do it)

posted by amberglow 07 February | 01:38

You're gonna have to grab Adium and contact me in chat.

Adium > Prefs > Accounts > + sign > Jabber

Use amberglow@metafilter.com for the Jabber ID, your mefi password for the password.

Then Prefs > Options, and use metafilter.com for the Server. Close prefs.

Now Contact > Add Contact. Jabber for Contact Type, five|fresh|fish@metafilter.com for the Screen Name, and click Add.

To get to the chat room, File > Join Group Chat. Use mefi for the Chat Room Name; the Server should be autofilled; and use Amberglow for the Handle. No need for pw.

posted by Five Fresh Fish 07 February | 01:42

You're gonna have to grab Adium and contact me in chat.

Or not.

:-)

posted by Five Fresh Fish 07 February | 01:43

hallo?

posted by Five Fresh Fish 07 February | 02:43

hi : (

posted by amberglow 07 February | 11:12

ok, i'm meeting dorian later, and he's gonna help

: >

posted by amberglow 07 February | 13:38

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