Macs and 64bit WEP, Changing Your Mail Files Location and Using a HP LaserJet 1600 :: My First Mac - Help Buying and Getting Started with Your New Mac

Macs and 64bit WEP, Changing Your Mail Files Location and Using a HP LaserJet 1600

Quick Scan

Yes, you can use 64bit WEP security with Macs.

If you need to, you can change where Mail stores your files.

HP doesn't make a 1600 driver, but people have found some success with the 2600 driver.

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Macs and 64bit WEP, Changing Your Mail Files Location and Using a HP LaserJet 1600

By: Chuck Konfrst
Categories: My First Mac Q&A

Welcome to My First Mac's Q&A column. It is said that Macs are easier to use, but they are still complex in their own right. Here are a few questions we have received lately from readers like you. Sometimes we reformat the questions for clarity and presentation.

This week Chuck answers your questions about Macs and 64bit WEP, changing your Mail files' location and using a HP LaserJet 1600.

		My sister in law just called asking why she couldn't get her new MacBook to hook up to their wireless network. I had to explain that Macs don't like 64bit WEP and had to walk her through changing her router setup to use 128bit WEP so all her family's computers could get online. Think this would be a great addition to a section to help people who need help to get online.

		Macs can actually connect to 64bit WEP, but it requires an extra step: Set up your 64-bit WEP as normal, and make sure Key 1 is selected. Go to your Mac and enable Airport if its not already done so. From the Airport menu, select the SSID of your network When asked for a password, enter 0x (thats zero-x) followed by your WEP key, i.e. 0xFF12345678 Your computer should now connect with no problems at all.

		I’ve just made the switch and largely very happy but am being frustrated as I try to switch to ‘Mail’ for my email. I want to choose a different location for storing my emails (ie, not ~/Library/Mail). The facility is obviously there in the advanced window of ‘Accounts’ in the preferences panel BUT it won’t let me change the location, and I can’t find any documentation on this in the Apple website.

		This one is tricky, but I like a challenge. Mac OS X is particular about where certain files are located and Mail is no exception. I was able to relocate my mail folder using the following steps. Be sure to quit the Mail application. Go to the Library folder inside your home folder (Macintosh HD\Users\YOURNAME\Library) Be safe - make a back up of the "Mail" folder inside the Library folder (right/CTRL-click and select Duplicate, put the duplicate somewhere safe) Move the "Mail" folder wherever you want it to be. Follow the instructions for making a symbolic link at MacWorld.com. Longer story short, Symbolic Links are a fancier way of doing aliases. Make a symbolic link of the moved Mail folder. Place the symbolic link in your Library folder (Macintosh HD\Users\YOURNAME\Library) Be sure the name of the symbolic link is "Mail" Start up the Mail application. It is now using the newly moved Mail folder.

		I have a HP Laserjet 1600 and I wish to connect to a PC via USB and print from my Mac. Can this be done? I have read somewhere that HP LaserJet 1600 is not compatible with the Mac but I am not connecting to the Mac. Help!

		It is true that HP does not make native Mac OS X drivers for the LaserJet 1600. However, according to various discussion board threads I have found, it seems at least people have been successful using the HP LaserJet 2600 drivers. There is also a more complex way to make it work. You can find one of the discussions threads here. Even though the Mac is not directly connected to the printer, the Mac still needs to use Mac OS X printer drivers made for the printer. The PC doesn't do anything other than provide the network connection to the printer.

You can send in your questions via the Contact page or email us at editor[AT]myfirstmac[DOT]com. Because of the volume of email we receive, we can't reply to each and every question personally. We read each question that comes in and reply to the ones that fit the scope of this column. We also save some questions for future columns.

If you need your specific question answered right away, try asking it in the Comments section of a related article.


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Your Comments:

In your explanation about 64-bit WEP, you missed a great example for INCREASING security. WEP (Wired Equivalency Protocol) is highly flawed and is INSECURE. WPA and WPA2 are MORE secure and should be used in place of the older unsecure WEP where possible. WEP is easily cracked in under a minute while WPA/WPA2 are not.
With the US Congress trying to put into place the law whereby any internet provider who furnishes a signal that automatically furnishes a IP address required to keep logs for two years that can be read to INCLUDE anyone with an open WiFi signal, this MAY be something that mandates locking down the wireless router. Otherwise, the person who owns the wireless router MAY be charged for any crimes committed by someone using that wireless signal. Would you want to be associated with porn/child porn/piracy that was accessed through your wireless signal?

Reginald W
03/20/2009 at 10:38 PM

Two things.
1. You should not use WEP, 64 or 128. WPA2 is the only way to go.
2. I would be careful giving people advise about change directory for mail. Especially when Apple do not have the option in Mail. Who knows what happens when Apple updates Mac OS X or need to do something in the ~Library/Mail folder.

Axl
03/21/2009 at 05:05 AM

The mail re-location worked great!... I actually called the script app "FancyAlias" ha ha ha... thank you so much!

Javier Villarroel
01/17/2012 at 09:43 AM