September 10, 2004

2:39 PM

iMacFilter. I'm attempting to connect my slot-loading iMac to a SBC DSL router. I can't get the iMac to recognize the DSL connection or locate the modem.

In my attempts to rectify this, I reorganized the hard drive using Discwarrior. Now the computer somehow boots up with MacOS 9.2, even after an OSX re-install. Help!
posted by JDC8 to (4 comments total)

Did you check the Startup Disk setting in the System Preferences? This setting is stored in such a way that reinstalls/OS changes won't erase it--it's like that on purpose.

As for the DSL: I recommend you go into the Network panel in the System Preferences and make sure your system is set to use Ethernet & DHCP (those are decent defaults that usually work; you may need to tweak those later depending on your needs).

Some broadband ISPs will only let you connect if your MAC address has been registered with them. You may have to call them to tell them the MAC address (this is a little code that identifies your ethernet connection, basically. It is not related to "Macintosh") or you may have to reset the modem to make it institute a fresh connection. I recall resetting a modem by leaving it unplugged and disconnected for 30 minutes, so you might try that.

By the way, DiskWarrior is used to repair a damaged file system on the hard drive; it isn't going to help with this particular problem.

Good luck!
posted by bcwinters at 3:25 PM on September 10, 2004

Oh, by the way, if your system is booted into OS 9.2, you won't have a System Preferences thing in your Apple Menu. It will be called Control Panels instead. My bad.
posted by bcwinters at 3:26 PM on September 10, 2004

Reboot and hold down 'Command-X'. On systems with both OS 9 and OS X installed, that's supposed to boot into Mac OS X.

If that doesn't work, boot from your Mac OS X install CD and do an archive and install. It will install a new system around your apps and docs.
posted by nathan_teske at 6:36 PM on September 10, 2004

In the event that you get back to OS X:

SBC DSL (at least in the part of california where I live) works via PPPoE, so just setting your computer to use DHCP won't work. You need to explicitly set up PPPoE using your the username and password for your SBC account, and then things should start to work.

OSX allows you to do this very easily in the network section of System Preferences (at least 10.3 does - 10.2 might have had a separate utility somewhere to do this). I don't know what OS9 has (I suspect it may not be so simple there).
posted by advil at 12:26 AM on September 11, 2004