Tuesday, July 26, 2011

:: Networking On OS X Lion ::

Hello World! -An Introduction-

Fixing Mac OS X Lion (10.7) Network & Internet Sharing... Oh yeah!

When I first got Mac OS X Lion running on my MacBook, I went through every single "new feature", and everything worked smoothly. But when I was asked if I could share my ethernet connection through an ad-hoc network, that's where I found a problem. Internet sharing for me is crucial because I have an ethernet connection and I'm so cheap and stingy to buy a router. Therefore, finding a solution to have a wireless access point on my house with my laptop was magical. Previously, I had shared my internet connection through an ad-hoc network using Windows Vista (believe it or not), Windows 7, and Mac OS X Snow Leopard. They all worked flawlessly (though changing adapter settings in Windows because it magically changed permissions by itself was a pain), and me and everyone at my house were happy. So a couple of days back, when I upgraded to Lion, I noticed how creating networks and internet sharing were not working anymore. I was really sad. I honestly felt ripped off. I then began searching forums and exhaustively checked every single prompt on the Apple Support Discussions board, but found no answer. I was desperate, and when I had lost all hope (and thought of waiting for a Lion update), I found an interesting quote on a forum somewhere on the web. And thanks to whoever wrote it, I revealed the key to make it work! And here's how:

How To: Fix Mac OS X Lion (10.7) Network & Internet Sharing

Step 1: Open your System Preferences, which should be located on your dock or on your Applications folder.

PreferencesWidnows

Step 2: Click your "Sharing" folder under "Internet & Wireless".

SharingWindow

Step 3: Make sure "Share your connection from:" -> "Ethernet" is selected (it is the fourth choice on the dropbox), and "To computers using:" -> "Wi-Fi".

Step 4: Click on the "Wi-Fi Options..." button.

ConfigurePrompt

Step 5: Notice how the Network Name uses your computer's name. This is because the network driver is pointing at the old Airport utility (on OS X Snow Leopard and older), and to be able to configure it to the new "Wi-Fi" scheme, you need to rename the network to something short like: "SM MBP".

Step 6: After you have changed the name of the network, click "OK", and you will be prompted with the System Preferences Change window:

PWPrompt

Step 7: Type in your password, and click "OK". This will now point the network driver to the new Wi-Fi utility.

How to know it really worked: After you've done this, the arrow-pointing-up icon on your Wi-Fi status icon will show up. This also works with creating a network directly by clicking your Wi-Fi status icon -> "Create network". The prompt is similar to the "Wi-Fi Options" above. Rename the network to a shorter name, and voila! Your Wi-Fi statusbar icon should be replaced with the computer icon.

Update #1: Mac OS X Lion 10.7.1 does not fix the networking issues. You may use the steps on this guide to get it working again after updating.

Update #2: Networks created following the steps on this guide will be discoverable and usable by any Wi-Fi enabled device. I tested it with my Nintendo Wii console and it worked flawlessly. (It's weird since I had previously done this with Snow Leopard with no success at all, but it works now :')).

Update #3: Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2 is out and still no fix for networking issues. This guide is still useful.

Update #4: This was supposed to be my first Newsstand app publication, but for the time being, it'll be a public release through a public web server. Scroll to page #7 for the OS X Lion networking fix extended guide. Hope it helps!  http://dl.dropbox.com/u/40383609/Creative_September_NetworkFixLion.pdf

Update #5: This will work on OS X Mountain Lion as well. :)

46 comments:

Anonymous said...

you are king!

V. said...

Thank you very much! Great!

Matthew Knippen said...

Did not seem to work for me. The up arrow flashes and then goes back to unconnected. I can create an ad-hoc network, but cannot share it.

Anonymous said...

With me the arrow comes up and everything and my iPhone connects to the network great, BUT my iPhone has no internet connection! It keeps saying loading and eventually says that there is no internet connection, same with my iPad! This was working great in Snow Leopard and now with Lion just won't work!

Hector F. Sabillón said...

Make sure your ethernet cable is connected to your Mac and repeat the steps again. It should work eventually. :')

xandance said...

I finally made it work by using this system. It took me a while but I did it exactly the way you instructed by going to the WiFi icon and creating a new network. After creating a new network, click the icon again and you will see your new network under "Device". Once you click it, the icon changes to a TV looking appearance, not a pointed arrow. Now I can use the application "Remote" in my iPod to control my iTunes. Thanks a lot, you are the man!!

Mac OS X Lion said...

Thank for this article

I've done like this article
but still can not.
I use a modem and want to share connection using wifi to my phone.

can you help for my problem

Hector F. Sabillón said...

@Mac OS X Lion: The steps on this entry will work with an ethernet modem. Make sure the modem is fully working and that it's well connected to your Mac. Once you've checked this, you can follow the steps in this guide. If on the final step, your internet sharing still doesn't work, try again. This will work eventually though it takes some doing at times.

Cheers.

Unknown said...

I have followed the directions and I have the up arrow icon on my airport. I'm sharing from a USB dongle to another computer over wifi. This worked perfectly in Snow Leopard. I have the shortened name and have double checked everything. The other computer can connect to my new network, but it still doesn't get an internet connection. Any help would be appreciated.

Hector F. Sabillón said...

@Chris, I have not tested this with a usb dongle. But, if you choose "Share your connection from: Bluetooth DUN" - "To computers using: Wi-Fi", it should work. It may take some doing though, so I encourage you to keep trying. On my first run, same thing happened, but got it to work on the 2nd strike (because my ethernet cable was not connected).

Anonymous said...

Thank you immensely ! Your post saved me many hours of frustration and work, at least. This is really a big bug in Lion, no doubt many others have across.
I found I also needed (as you suggested) to click on the wifi icon on top, and selector "create network".
GJ

Anonymous said...

Genius! Thanks!

Mart1n said...

You Are The MAN!!!!..Thanks a million

Anonymous said...

How do you add a password to the internet sharing?

Hector F. Sabillón said...

@Anonymous, change 'Security' to WEP, and type your password on the 'WiFi Options'

Anonymous said...

I did that, and I only get two options: 40-bit WEP and 128-bit WEP. The problem is when I tried to connect my iPhone I have to type the password every time

tobias said...

Perfect instructions - i wonder if you know what to do if the sharing is lost after each startup. The Wlan-network is gone - then i go back to the sharing options and it is still activated - so deactivate and activate again than it works.

JonBirt said...

Hi
I can follow these steps and sharing seems to work great after setting up new network. Problem is that the ethernet connection to the mac seems to be lost!

Hector F. Sabillón said...

@Tobias: You should turn off Internet Sharing before turning off your Mac. The next time you startup, your configuration will remain the same (with the short name network). Just turn it on again and that should do. Sometimes Lion tends to forget the configuration on startup, so its good to double-check. Hope it works!

Hector F. Sabillón said...

@JonBirt: You lose ethernet connectivity after following the steps? That's really weird. I have no clue what could be the problem there. Sometimes when you set-up a new network, your ethernet connection gets lost because you can't have two incoming connections (receivers). You either use ethernet port or the Wi-Fi card. The only way to use both is by receiving through the ethernet and sharing through Wi-Fi.

NEW - ZEN said...

LoL

RI said...

Thank you it did not work for me but I found another solution. I deleted the un-unused networks. Apparently there were too many.

lucyjho said...

Do I need to tick Internet Sharing? If I do, then when I select the WIFI status icon, the menu that popped up didn't have a "create network" for me to choose.

LJH

Anonymous said...

Dude That Was Awesome !!!!!!!!

Raj Pawan said...

Cool, this helped. Previously Internet Sharing would enable you to use internet in both MacBook Pro and in iPhone through WiFi, but now it seems that you will have to delete all the other connections except WiFi. When I removed Ethernet option from the list of options for that Location, the internet in iPhone started working, but I lost connection in the MBP. Nonetheless this is a very helpful article. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

my hero

Anonymous said...

Worked for me. Thank you very much!

Anonymous said...

Thanks!

Ryan Peiris said...

Mine now working Thanks buddy.!!

George said...

Hi - on my internet sharing options, I only have two options popping up (as opposed to your four) - ethernet and firewire. Any clue as to why and how to get the other options?

Anonymous said...

You are amazing! It worked for me. Thanks alot!

Таралеж said...

I don't understand how is this called "fixing" anything, because this is just the way you are supposed to set it up from the beginning (at least since OS X 10.4.8

Anonymous said...

Hi:
This procedure works, but probably not in the way you thought. Actually I DID NOT change my computer's name at all. I just used the same name and press 'OK' again. In brief, JUST PRESS OK AGAIN. I bet there was some mis-configuration which could be reset by repeating the whole process. Anyway, thanks!

Best,

Anonymous said...

Hi:
This procedure works, but probably not in the way you thought. Actually I DID NOT change my computer's name at all. I just used the same name and press 'OK' again. In brief, JUST PRESS OK AGAIN. I bet there was some mis-configuration which could be reset by repeating the whole process. Anyway, thanks!

Best,

Anonymous said...

Hi:
This procedure works, but probably not in the way you thought. Actually I DID NOT change my computer's name at all. I just used the same name and press 'OK' again. In brief, JUST PRESS OK AGAIN. I bet there was some mis-configuration which could be reset by repeating the whole process. Anyway, thanks!

Best,

Niall Mc Phillips - Long Acre said...

Works great! Thanks.

Anonymous said...

AWESOME!!! Thanks so much!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for posting this. I just bought a new mini with Lion and I couldn't get Internet Sharing working the way I did in Snow Leopard. Google led me to the Apple support forums which led me here and this works perfectly. Very much appreciated!

Anonymous said...

not sure what the problem is here. i am on 10.7.3 and have not been able to turn on internet sharing (havent checked in a while, but now it is not working...) i followed the normal steps, then tried your method. the arrow that is supposed to show up in the wifi fan is not there. cant figure it out. any ideas?

Anonymous said...

Disgusting. It worked.

Thanks. I can't believe this crap got out of Cupertino. Makes you wonder if anybody whose applications don't have to launch rockets or control reactors really takes testing seriously. Clearly, they don't do much in the way of thoroughly testing machines that aren't fresh installs. I can understand that from a small software house with <1k developers... but Apple?

C'mon son! Ain't nobody got time for that!

Anonymous said...

F*CK ! i cant believe this is all i had to do to make the bloody thing work !!

thanks SO SO SO SO much dude !

and curse friggin apple for being so smug for nothing ! lion was a let down for me !

thanks again !! love u !

Anonymous said...

thanks man.. i'm using Mac Book Pro Mac OS 10.6.8 connected thru 802.11 n WLAN sharing it on my iPhone 4S ver.5.1.1

Anonymous said...

Sank you very much !

Mme Thomson said...

Thank you very much, that was very helpful

Anonymous said...

Step-3
My checkboxes are disabled. What to do now ?

disbellj said...

I had Network Preferences set to Automatic, which let me connect to internet through automatically detected WiFi. But in Sharing Preferences, Internet Sharing was unchecked, grayed out / greyed out, and there were no options under WiFi which was also grayed out / greyed out.

When I changed Network Preferences to Wifi, and it showed Wifi and Ethernet both unconnected. After Wifi connected and got an IP address, I was able to go to Sharing Preferences and place a checkmark next to Internet Sharing, and also Ethernet was available under Wifi and checked.

Hope this helps someone.

Kindest regards,

Don