Wireless Connection - "Connection timeout"

Conrad11 · 27 Apr 2009 at 20:03

(I'm new to OSX)

Whenever I try to connect to my home wireless network it tries to connect and then comes back with the error "Connection timeout".

I have narrowed it down to being something wrong with the Macbook or OSX.

- It isn't a signal issue as I went close to the router.
- It isn't because the WEP key is wrong.
- I've double and triple checked that the MAC address is correct on the router filter.

What's going on?

Conrad11 · 28 Apr 2009 at 12:40

Whats the difference between them?

Conrad11 · 28 Apr 2009 at 20:41

Strange thing is that I don't know why I use even WEP. Surely the MAC filter I have on the router is the best thing? (Only lets certain MAC address' connect)

Conrad11 · 25 May 2009 at 17:12

Fillado said:
A MAC address can be spoofed. Easily.

Sorry to bring this up again. But surely they would have to know one of the MAC address' that are added to the filter list?

Conrad11 · 26 May 2009 at 19:33

yashiro said:
Don't bother with MAC address filtering it's pointless for intrusion prevention.

Why? Because it can be spoofed?....surely they must know a MAC address on the filter for that?

Conrad11 · 26 May 2009 at 22:42

Yes, but HOW do they get MAC address to actually spoof it if they can't actually get on the network?

Conrad11 · 26 May 2009 at 23:02

yashiro said:
They can get on the network if you use WEP. Keep up old chap.

But if a Mac filter is in place HOW CAN THEY??!

Surely the Mac filter only lets certain Mac address' on the network and obviously their Mac won't be in that list or have I misunderstood what a Mac filter does? The only way that they can get the Mac address' of one of the local machines is to have physical access to it?

Conrad11 · 28 May 2009 at 19:02

yashiro said:
If your network is unencrypted, then you just cap the packets and extract the mac address when it's sent, or in some cases just try sending arbitrary arp into the network and get it for free.

WEP is useless for security unless you have absolutely no other choice.
Mac filtering offers no protection against anyone who really wants in. It's like a plastic bolt on a door.

You want to be using WPA2, AES only encryption, with a huge non dictionary based keyphrase.
My iMac was fine using these settings on a Dlink router.

Sorry, I wasn't saying that what you were saying was wrong/wouldn't work....I was just interested to find out how they got the MAC address of someone who is on the network.

Thank you for the information.

Conrad11 · 29 May 2009 at 20:14

Nope. Changed it to WPA and it didn't help. Still have the same "Connection timeout" issue.