Situation

Netopia has just introduced a new line of Wireless Gateways utilizing 802.11x technology for complete interoperability and Wi-Fi compliance. Netopia 3-D Reach is superior to today's conventional wireless implementations by incorporating a wireless subsystem specifically designed for enhanced wireless range, coverage, and performance.

This technote will outline the configuration of the Macintosh AirPort Wireless interface to work in conjunction with the Netopia 3300 Series Wireless Gateway.

Parameters

Below is a list of hardware and firmware loads that this Technical Note is based upon:

Hardware	Type	Firmware/Version
Netopia 3347W/3347W-ENT	ADSL Gateway	8.2 R1
Netopia 3387W-ENT	Cable/DSL Router	8.2 R1
Netopia 3347NWG-ENT	ADSL Gateway	8.2 R1 and later
Macintosh Computer	AirPort Configured	OS9 / OS X

Before you start

• For the initial configuration, make certain your computer is connected directly to the router's 10/100 BaseT Ethernet port or to the USB port.
• Out of the box, the Netopia router is a DHCP server. Make sure the computer's TCP/IP properties are set to obtain an IP address automatically from the router.
• Be sure to remove any Gateway IP's you have installed and disable DNS.
• This document assumes that you have have installed your AirPort card correctly. Instructions for installing the AirPort card for your model of Macintosh are available at Apple's website (click here).

AirPort Setup -- Mac OS 9

1. Open the application AirPort Setup Assistant. This application is located in the AirPort folder, which is in the Apple Extras folder in the base Applications (OS9) directory.
2. When you open the Assistant, you may encounter a message that says that your AirPort card is turned off. This will ask you if you want to turn the card on. Select Yes and click OK.
3. On the Introduction screen, select the option that says Set up your computer to join an existing AirPort network. Then click the right arrow.

   

4. On the next screen, select your wireless network from the pull down menu. Your network will be the Wireless ID (ESSID) that you entered when you configured the wireless portion of your router. After selecting the correct Wireless ID, click on the right arrow.

   

5. On the next screen, you will be prompted for your Network Password. This is the Encryption Key from the Wireless Configuration page of the router. If you are not using WEP encryption in the router, leave this field blank.

   Important! On the Macintosh, you must enter a $ before the key in this field. For example, the Encryption Key shown in the router is 81e8a46005. In the field of the Airport Assistant, this is entered as $81e8a46005.

   Click the right arrow after you are done with the Network Password field.

   

6. Click Continue on the Conclusion screen and the Setup Assistant will attempt to connect to the router. It will either give you a message saying that the connection was successfully established, or an error message. If this was successful, click Connect Now and you are finished. If not, then go to Step 7.

   

7. If the connection was unsuccessful, there are two potential causes. Either the wrong network was selected, or the password did not match the encryption key in the router. Either way, the screen will look like this:

   

8. Click OK, and make sure that you have selected your network in the pull down menu on the screen that appears. You may see additional networks from neighbors or nearby businesses. Do not select any other network than your own. Click the right arrow, and re-enter the Network Password. This must match the Encryption key shown in the router exactly, and you must enter a dollar sign ($) at the beginning of the key. Click the right arrow, and try to join the wireless network again.

AirPort Setup -- Mac OS X

1. Open the application AirPort Setup Assistant. This application is located in the Utilities folder, which is in the base Applications (OS X) directory.
2. When you open the Assistant, you may encounter a message that says that your AirPort card is turned off. This will ask you if you want to turn the card on. Select Yes and click OK.
3. On the Introduction screen, select the option that says Set up your computer to join an existing AirPort network. Then click Continue.

   

4. On the next screen, select your wireless network from the pull down menu. Your network will be the Wireless ID (ESSID) that you entered when you configured the wireless portion of your router. After selecting the correct Wireless ID, click on Continue.

   

5. On the next screen, you will be prompted for your Network Password. This is the Encryption Key from the Wireless Configuration page of the router. If you are not using WEP encryption in the router, leave this field blank

   Important! On the Macintosh, you must enter a $ before the key in this field. For example, the Encryption Key from the router is 81e8a46005. In the field of the Airport Assistant, this is entered as $81e8a46005.

   Click Continue after you are done with the Network Password field.

   

6. Click Continue on the Conclusion screen and the Setup Assistant will attempt to connect to the router. It will either give you a message saying that the connection was successfully established, or an error message. If this was successful, click Connect Now, and you are finished. If not, then go to Step 7.

   

7. If the connection was unsuccessful, there are two potential causes. Either the wrong network was selected, or the password did not match the encryption key in the router. Either way, the screen will look like this:

   

8. Click OK, and make sure that you have selected your network in the pull down menu on the screen that appears. You may see additional networks from neighbors or nearby businesses. Do not select any other network than your own. Click Continue, and re-enter the Network Password. This must match the Encryption key exactly, and you must enter a dollar sign ($) at the beginning of the key. Click Continue, and try to join the wireless network again.