My father's wide-screen Mac (with OS X, not Panther) has the Wifi option
in the base of the unit. It works at least to some degree, i.e, you can
surf the web & get and send email. But when the OS notifies you that
there is a software update, 9 times out of 10, it fails. I suspected it
might have something to do with the wireless connection, and sure
enough, when I plugged it into the LAN directly, the Software Update
thingie worked like a charm.

None of the other machines in the house hitting the wireless access
point (Linksys WAP11) have any problems with software updates or
anything else. Any suggestion as to how to fix this, or do we just
resign ourselves to relocating the Mac to the wired LAN router every
time we want to download software updates from Apple?

Thanks,


--
da
~~
"OE Quotefix" http://flash.to/oe-quotefix
to fix Outlook Express' broken quoting.

In article <QN6dnZ1qFcLNhb3dRVn-gQ@comcast.com>,
"Donkey Agony" <root@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:

>My father's wide-screen Mac (with OS X, not Panther) has the Wifi option
>in the base of the unit. It works at least to some degree, i.e, you can
>surf the web & get and send email. But when the OS notifies you that
>there is a software update, 9 times out of 10, it fails. I suspected it
>might have something to do with the wireless connection, and sure
>enough, when I plugged it into the LAN directly, the Software Update
>thingie worked like a charm.
>
>None of the other machines in the house hitting the wireless access
>point (Linksys WAP11) have any problems with software updates or
>anything else. Any suggestion as to how to fix this, or do we just
>resign ourselves to relocating the Mac to the wired LAN router every
>time we want to download software updates from Apple?
>
>Thanks,

Perhaps theLinksys was cheap for a reason.

--
Ron

Ron Parsons wrote:

>> My father's wide-screen Mac (with OS X, not Panther) has the Wifi
>> option in the base of the unit. It works at least to some degree,
>> i.e, you can surf the web & get and send email. But when the OS
>> notifies you that there is a software update, 9 times out of 10, it
>> fails. I suspected it might have something to do with the wireless
>> connection, and sure enough, when I plugged it into the LAN
>> directly, the Software Update thingie worked like a charm.

>> None of the other machines in the house hitting the wireless access
>> point (Linksys WAP11) have any problems with software updates or
>> anything else. Any suggestion as to how to fix this, or do we just
>> resign ourselves to relocating the Mac to the wired LAN router every
>> time we want to download software updates from Apple?

> Perhaps the Linksys was cheap for a reason.

You mean you have to use some expensive Cisco router or some such for a
Mac to work with it???

That really doesn't ring right, especially when Windows, Linux, and
Pocket PCs work (using a variety of WiFi cards) work great with it.


--
da
~~
"OE Quotefix" http://flash.to/oe-quotefix
to fix Outlook Express' broken quoting.

In article <ML6dnSCfQPPs0LzdRVn-hQ@comcast.com>,
"Donkey Agony" <root@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:

> Ron Parsons wrote:
>
> >> My father's wide-screen Mac (with OS X, not Panther) has the Wifi
> >> option in the base of the unit. It works at least to some degree,
> >> i.e, you can surf the web & get and send email. But when the OS
> >> notifies you that there is a software update, 9 times out of 10, it
> >> fails. I suspected it might have something to do with the wireless
> >> connection, and sure enough, when I plugged it into the LAN
> >> directly, the Software Update thingie worked like a charm.
>
> >> None of the other machines in the house hitting the wireless access
> >> point (Linksys WAP11) have any problems with software updates or
> >> anything else. Any suggestion as to how to fix this, or do we just
> >> resign ourselves to relocating the Mac to the wired LAN router every
> >> time we want to download software updates from Apple?
>
> > Perhaps the Linksys was cheap for a reason.
>
> You mean you have to use some expensive Cisco router or some such for a
> Mac to work with it???
>
> That really doesn't ring right, especially when Windows, Linux, and
> Pocket PCs work (using a variety of WiFi cards) work great with it.

What's the signal strength of the wireless connection? Have you tried
updating with the iMac next to the base station rather than plugged in?

Oh, and FYI, Panther is OS X, it's just the latest version of OS X
(10.3.x). Your father most likely has OS X 10.2.x (aka Jaguar).

"Donkey Agony" <root@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:

> My father's wide-screen Mac (with OS X, not Panther) has the Wifi option
> in the base of the unit. It works at least to some degree, i.e, you can
> surf the web & get and send email. But when the OS notifies you that
> there is a software update, 9 times out of 10, it fails. I suspected it
> might have something to do with the wireless connection, and sure
> enough, when I plugged it into the LAN directly, the Software Update
> thingie worked like a charm.
>
> None of the other machines in the house hitting the wireless access
> point (Linksys WAP11) have any problems with software updates or
> anything else. Any suggestion as to how to fix this, or do we just
> resign ourselves to relocating the Mac to the wired LAN router every
> time we want to download software updates from Apple?

The most likely explanation for this intermittent problem is that the
wireless connection to the iMac is dropping out, causing the Software
Update downloads to time out. Try installing MacStumbler
<http://www.macstumbler.com/> or iStumbler <http://www.istumbler.net/>
on the iMac and watching the display for a while to see if there are big
drops in signal strength or increases in noise. You might need to change
the wireless network's channel on the Linksys to reduce interference.
Small changes in the location of the iMac or the router (or the
orientation of its antennas) might also boost signal strength. (IME,
wireless networking reception is a little like TV reception with a
rabbit-ears antenna -- fiddling required.)

The items that appear in Software Update usually get posted to the Apple
software page <http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/> a few days
later. I ~think~ the web site uses straight http and Software Update
uses secure ftp, although I know of no reason that should make a
difference. See if you can download to the iMac via the wireless
connection from the Apple web site.

In article <ML6dnSCfQPPs0LzdRVn-hQ@comcast.com>,
"Donkey Agony" <root@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:

> Ron Parsons wrote:
>
> >> My father's wide-screen Mac (with OS X, not Panther) has the Wifi
> >> option in the base of the unit. It works at least to some degree,
> >> i.e, you can surf the web & get and send email. But when the OS
> >> notifies you that there is a software update, 9 times out of 10, it
> >> fails. I suspected it might have something to do with the wireless
> >> connection, and sure enough, when I plugged it into the LAN
> >> directly, the Software Update thingie worked like a charm.
>
> >> None of the other machines in the house hitting the wireless access
> >> point (Linksys WAP11) have any problems with software updates or
> >> anything else. Any suggestion as to how to fix this, or do we just
> >> resign ourselves to relocating the Mac to the wired LAN router every
> >> time we want to download software updates from Apple?
>
> > Perhaps the Linksys was cheap for a reason.
>
> You mean you have to use some expensive Cisco router or some such for a
> Mac to work with it???
>
> That really doesn't ring right, especially when Windows, Linux, and
> Pocket PCs work (using a variety of WiFi cards) work great with it.

Linksys wireless (802.11b) router works fine with both a couple of my
Windows PCs and a pair of Macs-- one with an older Airport adapter, the
other with a new Airport Extreme adapter.

In article <QN6dnZ1qFcLNhb3dRVn-gQ@comcast.com>,
"Donkey Agony" <root@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:

> My father's wide-screen Mac (with OS X, not Panther) has the Wifi option
> in the base of the unit. It works at least to some degree, i.e, you can
> surf the web & get and send email. But when the OS notifies you that
> there is a software update, 9 times out of 10, it fails. I suspected it
> might have something to do with the wireless connection, and sure
> enough, when I plugged it into the LAN directly, the Software Update
> thingie worked like a charm.
>
> None of the other machines in the house hitting the wireless access
> point (Linksys WAP11) have any problems with software updates or
> anything else. Any suggestion as to how to fix this, or do we just
> resign ourselves to relocating the Mac to the wired LAN router every
> time we want to download software updates from Apple?

Could there be some interference between the iMac and the WAP? A
microwave, or phone, or concrete wall or metal heating ducts? Can you
check the 'noise' level on a signal strength monitor?
Also, try changing the orientation of the WAP--they don't radiate in a
perfect sphere, but usually a torus.