Help! Stuck in an Apple user's house!

[Markymark]

The router has no controls on it except the sort of reset button that you need to stick something pointy in. There is also something called an Airport Extreme Base Station, FFS. That has no buttons on it either. I am posting from the iMac that is connected via the router. Thanks for above suggestions, which I will study and see if I can make sense of them. The laptop I wish to connect is an HP elitebook with Windows 7, but the problem is the same for any non-Apple device - my brother's Windows phone, my Android phone, other laptops etc...

Can you post the difference in connection settings between a working iDevice and a non-working computer?

 

[AndyRM]

See if a neighbour has left their WiFi unprotected and nick it.

 

[Crackle]

or just use the Android phone as hot spot.

 

[theclaud]

[QUOTE 3284271, member: 259"]The easiest thing to do if you're having problems with access via the router is to share internet access from the Mac.

They need to go into preferences, select sharing, check the box that says internet sharing and follow the instructions to name their wifi share and a password if you want to. Then you can connect to that hotspot[/QUOTE]
Thanks Mort. The internet sharing box is already ticked...

 

[theclaud]

or just use the Android phone as hot spot.

I could do that, but the reception is rubbish and the reason I need the connection is to access a VPN, which is all a bit too much for my clunky little smartphone.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Now you are being (a bit more) helpful

On the PC ( I am assuming it is a windows PC ? if not then ignore this ) goto the command prompt and type ipconfig then press the return key and have a look at the settings and it should have been assigned an IP Address, Subnet Mask and a Default Gateway. The Default Gateway should be the IP Adress of the router if it isnt or it is missing this could be the problem.

 

[MacB]

Choose your friends more carefully

I'd guess at security in the router or it's on a different channel, I think my Virgin router can be set for 2 or 3 different ones.

 

[jefmcg]

It sounds like there are 3 different wifi networks you can connect to: the virgin one, the airport or the one on the iMac. Have you tried all 3?

 

[phil_hg_uk]

The router has no controls on it except the sort of reset button that you need to stick something pointy in. There is also something called an Airport Extreme Base Station, FFS. That has no buttons on it either. I am posting from the iMac that is connected via the router. Thanks for above suggestions, which I will study and see if I can make sense of them. The laptop I wish to connect is an HP elitebook with Windows 7, but the problem is the same for any non-Apple device - my brother's Windows phone, my Android phone, other laptops etc...

Are you connecting to the Airport or the Virgin Media Router ?

 

[theclaud]

On the PC ( I am assuming it is a windows PC ? if not then ignore this ) goto the command prompt and type ipconfig then press the return key and have a look at the settings and it should have been assigned an IP Address, Subnet Mask and a Default Gateway. The Default Gateway should be the IP Adress of the router if it isnt or it is missing this could be the problem.

Thanks Phil. The default gateway is the IP address of the router.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Thanks Phil. The default gateway is the IP address of the router.

Which router are you connected to ?

 

[theclaud]

It sounds like there are 3 different wifi networks you can connect to: the virgin one, the airport or the one on the iMac. Have you tried all 3?

Are you connecting to the Airport or the Virgin Media Router ?

My laptop finds two wi-fi connections, and the problem is identical whichever I connect to. I assume, after having followed Phil's instructions above, that it is connecting via the Virgin router because it specifies the connection as cable.virginmedia.net

 

[jefmcg]

My laptop finds two wi-fi connections, and the problem is identical whichever I connect to. I assume, after having followed Phil's instructions above, that it is connecting via the Virgin router because it specifies the connection as cable.virginmedia.net

If the imac is sharing it's internet via wifi, you should be able to see that. And connect to it.

 

[Fnaar]

The router has no controls on it except the sort of reset button that you need to stick something pointy in.

Miss Goodbody asks me to do the same for her little box.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

My laptop finds two wi-fi connections, and the problem is identical whichever I connect to. I assume, after having followed Phil's instructions above, that it is connecting via the Virgin router because it specifies the connection as cable.virginmedia.net

What are the symptoms you are getting i.e. I know you can connect to WiFi so what happens when you try to open a website ?