as a citicard user, I was pretty pissed off when I heard this. I'm not quite sure what to do.

That'd be like if the URL of this post (http://buffistas.org/showthread.php?thread_id=178&post_id=16963) had a user_id parameter that I could change to, say, become logged in as ita.

Wow, that's remarkably stupid.

And le nubian, I'm in the same boat. I haven't heard anything from Citi, so I kind of assume I'm not one of the victims, but ARGH.

Can someone who knows more tech than I do track me on this?

We have DSL; it's a typical setup of desktop computer attached to DSL modem, which is attached to the wireless router. I am impatient, so I just manually set an IP address on my laptop, and for the first 3 years that I lived with Tim, our 2 computers and the interpipe played well together.

Then in the winter we started having intermittent issues of the connections dropping inexplicably for both computers. (This was pre-MacBook Pro.)

Then after I got the MBP and switched from the iBook, the connection started dropping for both computers all the time. And I made sure all the settings were the same on the MBP as they were on the iBook, including the manually set IP address.

I finally googled the problem, and while I couldn't find this specific problem, I read enough to realize I should check the router's settings (duh). And when I did that, when I checked the DHCP client list, it kept listing...the iPod Touch I got in late December/early January. I totally forgot that, duh, it uses wifi.

I *think* the router was dishing the same IP address to the iPod and Tim's desktop. (Tim just sets his network settings to whatever IP address gets automatically assigned, and I honestly didn't realize that I had an option to manually set the network settings on the iPod.)

So I changed the iPod's network settings to manual, assigned an IP address that won't get dished to Tim's desktop, and so far everything is peachy keen. (Also, apparently the network connection getting screwy is a known issue with Snow Leopard; my old iBook was Tiger but the MBP is Snow Leopard.)

Does that sound right?

If you have a router that is issuing IP addresses, then the best method is really to set everything to get an IP address issued from the router, that way the router can manage any conflicts and make sure that nothing is doubled up on addresses.

Also, you said something I'm not sure is normal, desktop attached to modem attached to router. If you have an ethernet jack on the desktop, you could probably go modem attached to router attached to desktop.

I agree with ND that if you're using DHCP to assign the IP addresses through the router, it really should all be through the router. I have made exceptions to this for a crotchety old large format laser printer that is deeply unhappy with its DHCP assignment, so you might look at our advice and decide that if it works, keep it.

I don't speak mac, but here's a thread that has some suggestions that may be relevant to your situation: [link]

Citibank just revealed that 80% more customers were affected than originally reported.

Also, you said something I'm not sure is normal, desktop attached to modem attached to router. If you have an ethernet jack on the desktop, you could probably go modem attached to router attached to desktop.

It might actually be set up in that configuration; I don't want to crawl under the desk to find out.

I agree with ND that if you're using DHCP to assign the IP addresses through the router, it really should all be through the router.

Okay, but the problem is that the router keeps trying to dish the same IP address to 2 devices. I know it *shouldn't* happen, but it has been for months.

Did you scroll through that link I gave you? There are some scenarios in there that might help you.

The thing is, it might matter how you've got things hooked up. Here's someone whose hookup meant that two different things were trying to serve up the ip addresses. [link]

The thing is, it might matter how you've got things hooked up.

Okay, we have DSL, a Windows desktop, a DSL modem, a wireless router, a MBP, and an iPod Touch.

The phone line from the wall should plug into the modem and then the modem should be attached to the router, and the router should be attached to the Windows desktop?

It's entirely possible that's actually how it's set up; I'll have to check tonight.

Is there something horrifically wrong with assigning IP addresses manually? Because that, so far, is the only thing that keeps the internet connection from dropping out for all the devices. Does manually assigning IP addresses do something...technologically bad? Am I damaging my laptop and iPod by assigning IP addresses manually?

I suspect that you need to change the band/channel of your router to stop the connection dropping. You probably have a remote that is interfering with the router's wifi and you just need to change the channel.

I had to do that about 2-3 routers ago.

If it is your MBP and your Ipod that are the worst offenders, let us know because Apple does have some airport challenges that have multiple fixes.