Our Mac OS X 10.4.8 AirPort/Internet Re-Connect Problem Fixed

[10/6] [Updated] Our Mac OS X 10.4.8 AirPort/Internet Re-Connect Problem Fixed

After we tested the latest Mac OS X update, v10.4.8, on our 2.33GHz 24" iMac Core 2 Duo, we added another user account for the long-term tester. But after a restart or cold start, the iMac would reconnect to our AirPort network but it would get assigned an internal IP address rather than one from our router so it would not connect to the internet.

This problem could be temporarily solved by using the AirPort menu icon to turn off and then turn back on the AirPort card. This was frustrating because the original user account on our iMac continued to connect automatically to the network and internet after a restart or sleep as did all of our other Macs upgraded to 10.4.8.

We tried everything listed by Apple in its technical support articles (e.g. Article Number 304482) and provided on other Web sites, including deleting the preferred network in the System Preferences Network pane and re-adding it. We even tried deleting every AirPort-related preference ".plist" file including the "Networkinterface.plist" as recommended on another Web site yesterday. Nothing worked.

Then we tried a variation on Apple's suggestion and it worked. Here are the steps:

1. Open System Preferences, select the Network pane and select AirPort in the "Show:" popup menu.
2. Set the "By default, join:" popup menu to "Preferred networks."
3. Delete the listed preferred networks using the "-" button but this time we did not add it back again with the "+" button as Apple recommends.
4. Set the "By default, join:" popup menu to "Automatic."
5. Restart.
6. Manually rejoin the AirPort network using the AirPort menu icon, i.e. selecting the network (or selecting "Other" and typing in the network name if hidden) and typing in the WPA (or WEP) password.

Now every time we restart our iMac, it automatically connects again to the AirPort network and gets an IP address assigned by the router so that it also connects to the internet.

[Update: Reader Karl Warschau pointed out that his 24" iMac Core 2 Duo will not reconnect after a restart if his WiFi network's name (SSID) is hidden. However, if its name is broadcast, then it works. He confirmed this with an AppleCare tech. We have also confirmed this.] [Bill Fox]