Time Capsule WAP regular password error

gkainz

gkainz

Final Approach
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Feb 23, 2005
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Display name:
Greg Kainz
Since we seem to have a diverse bunch here -
Installed a 2TB Time Capsule a while back to replace the Belkin router that was acting flaky. Now the WAP throws "Invalid Password" at some cyclic interval (not sure how long, every 7-10 days or so? - didn't document the "when" on the prior reset). But, both 5ghz and 2.4ghz WAP refuse connection with the "invalid password" while the wired connections continue to work. Power down the TC, reset the Cable Modem and power back up the TC restores the WAP again.
Ideas? I've tried everything I could find on Apple Support - turn off Guest Access and whatever else I found then and don't recall now.
 
First comment I'll make is that I don't think you need to reset the cable modem if it's the access to the wireless network that is somehow not working.

What computer are you using? A mac or windoze?
 
resetting the whole stack was one of Apple Support's recommendation. I'm wondering if there's some IP lease expiring ... but that wouldn't explain why the wired connections continue to work - except the wired connection doesn't use WPA passwords.

The Invalid Password error, when it happens, shows up on everything wireless in the house - multiple Macbooks, Blackberry, Xbox, Wii, Win2k notebook, as well as the iMac when I turn on the airport card (normally lives in the network as a wired connection).
 
Which encryption type are you using. WPA2/WPA2 Personal is ultra-stable here.

Anything other than WEP rotates the on-air keys. Perhaps one of the machines isn't rotating properly?

Also, using 802.11 g? n? a? Or "auto"?

I had some issues when I attempted to get too "tricky" and split 2.4/5.8 into separate networks with one particular Pre-N standard Windows machine. Put everything back to "Auto" and let the Time Capsule and that machine figure it our on their own, and the flakiness went away.

The Macs and iPhones/iPad/AppleTV neve
r cared. They worked the whole time in any configuration.
 
WPA2/WPA2 Personal - Not sure what you mean by rotating the keys? I have the passphrase saved on TC, and manually shared/entered on all the wireless devices

Using 802.11 Auto

Initially I set up separate SSIDs for the 2.4g and 5g networks (checked "Separate Name" or similar in TC setup which appends '5g' or whatever after SSID name)

I also had Guest Access configured - saw an Apple Support note that turning that off resolved some similar issues. Turned it off on reset 2 weeks ago and still had the issue happen again a couple of days ago.
 
I just meant that by nature, WPA2 rotates the key that it hashed with your passphrase so the "over the air" key is constantly changing. You can change that rate of key rotation in the same advanced screen where you click the checkbox to split off the 5.8 into it's own network.

I dunno. Your setup sounds pretty "sane". You might try turning off the separate 5.8 network. I did some bandwidth tests and I didn't see any significant speed differences between the split network and letting the individual machines decide.

I did have one Mac that would constantly ask for passwords. I found the problem to be that it had stored some garbage in it's Keychain. I got the TC network set to "Auto" around that same time and then manually deleted all of the stuff related to the Airport network out of the Keychain on that machine and let it "set itself up" again. It asked for the password once and hasn't had a problem since.

If I recall correctly, it started after an OSX "dot" release that fixed a security problem in Keychain. Probably the upgraded trashed something in the plist file or the Keychain itself. I may have deleted the Airport plist stuff too, I don't remember.

Hope that helps.
 
P.S. I also had a Windows machine that didn't like the "()" used in the default 5.8 network's name and it would fail to login. Changing the 5.8 network name to just letters and numbers fixed that, back when I was running them split.
 
yep - cleaned up the keychain on the iMac after the latest 10.x upgrade, no change. (Shooting in the dark, since every device resulted in the same error, regardless of upgrade, no upgrade, keychain or no)

Will turn off the 5g network and test that if I get the error again next week.
 
denverpilot said:
P.S. I also had a Windows machine that didn't like the "()" used in the default 5.8 network's name and it would fail to login. Changing the 5.8 network name to just letters and numbers fixed that, back when I was running them split.
Click to expand...

Windows likes things to be 15 characters and upper case. Try making the password simpler with digits and numbers.

With my 2008 Time Capsule I didn't have that password expire problem.

(BTW, I have a new in box 1TB Time Capsule for sale.)
 
denverpilot said:
P.S. I also had a Windows machine that didn't like the "()" used in the default 5.8 network's name and it would fail to login. Changing the 5.8 network name to just letters and numbers fixed that, back when I was running them split.
Click to expand...

Windows likes things to be 15 characters and upper case. Try making the password simpler with digits and numbers.

With my 2008 Time Capsule I didn't have that password problem with PCs or Macs.

(BTW, I have a new in box 1TB Time Capsule for sale.)
 
Seems like a tough problem, Greg.

Do you administer the TC with one of the Macs? If so, I'd look at software update to see if there are any Airport Firmware or Utility updates available.

Other than that, I got nothin'
 
Yep, administered from the iMac. First thing I did on the install is get the latest version of Airport utility. The second thing I did was update the firmware on the TC. It was only 1 rev out of date.
 
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