How to connect 10.6.8 to wifi

Edward Cox wrote:

The MacBook is a late 2008, 13", Aluminium UniBody, 5,1 – well past what Apple terms its 'vintage' stage - prehistoric even. It has been in storage since about 2014 - till this week.

Apple is no longer showing MacBook5,1, but shows MacBook (13-inch, Early 2009) - Technical Specifications, which has

• Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi wireless networking2 (based on IEEE 802.11n draft specification); IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible

You may want to set your AP/Wifi Router/Gateway for 802.11b/g compatibility and then test connecting from the MacBook.

I was hoping that, considering that it's still working quite well, it would be a simple thing to add it to the network wirelessly. It seemed that I should be able to do that, simply because the MacBook can accurately see the network - both in the System Preferences>Network; and in the System Report>Network>Airport. That seems to suggest that connecting it wirelessly to the internet is something that I should be able to wrangle/hack/finagle, or setup.

The connectivity depends on the AP and the Mac talking to each other and agreeing to connect.

Thanks for your help and suggestions. OS Lion is worth a consideration - as is a USB device. Or back into mothballs.

Upgrading the macOS version is unlikely to address any hardware limitations that MacBook may have when negotiating a connection with the WiFI network or a configuration which disallows such connections.

Hey there, Edward Cox!

Thanks so much for using Apple Support Communities.

The best place to start here is going to be with this article: Connect your Mac to the internet using Wi-Fi. That is going to have the best steps to get started connecting your MacBook to a Wi-Fi network. If the steps there aren't helping, another good resource would be: If your Mac doesn't connect to the Internet over Wi-Fi.

Between those two resources, you should be good to go but if you're having any issues, feel free to reply back here. Be sure to include additional details about the issue including any error messages that you might be receiving. Other members of the community may be able to weigh in and help you resolve this issue.

Cheers!

Hey, Edward Cox!

Does that same password work with your Wi-Fi network when you connect on other devices? You should definitely be able to connect to your Wi-Fi network on your MacBook. Since macOS 10.6.8 is older, you may want to look into upgrading to a newer version of macOS (if possible). This would ultimately come down to compatibility with the MacBook itself, however you can learn more right here: Mac OS X Lion Installer

Many features come down to hardware compatibility so if you're not having any luck, it could simply come down to the MacBook being considered vintage or obsolete. You can learn more about that as well: Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty

Third-party dongles and accessories are also a really good option, but we wouldn't necessarily be able to recommend a specific model.

Thanks!

If your Access Point does not support the radio type in your MacBook, you will not be able to connect. What is the year/model of your MacBook? Also, click on About This Mac -> More Info -> System Report -> WiFi and look at the indicated radio type.

If your AP and MacBook do not use the same supported radio and protocols, you will not be able to connect.

Excellent!