How can I connect a MacMini2010 running Snow Leopard to the Internet

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Level 1

42 points

How can I connect a MacMini2010 running Snow Leopard to the Internet

I am trying to connect a MacMini 2010 to the Internet without any success. The machine runs and I have been able to get it to recognize my WiFi and accept my password. But I can't get any further. I have Verizon Fios and the Mini has an Airport Express built in, and am running Snow Leopard (10.6.8), which I think was original with the machine. Do I need to upgrade from Snow Leopard and if so, how can I do so?

I was using the machine until 2018 or 2019 running reasonably current operating systems from an external hard drive of around 1 terabyte, but I cannot recover the MacOS on the larger hard drive. I do have installers for Mavericks to High Sierra, and I think those versions were able to run on the 2010 Mini, but I cannot get any of the installers to run; they fail saying they have been damaged or fail without a response. Without being able to connect to the internet, I can't connect to upgrade the OS?

Any ideas? The Verizon Router does have Ethernet cables, but Snow Leopard OS wants details that I don't have to connect through the Ethernet. Thanks,

Mac mini, macOS 14.7

Posted on Mar 2, 2025 1:44 PM

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Answer 1

MartinR

Level 7

24,101 points

Mar 4, 2025 11:49 AM in response to fiberhome

There is no need to go through Network Diagnostics, and that could be part of the problem.

Turn off Airport.

Then just plug the ethernet cable into your iMac (make sure the other end is plugged into one of the LAN ports on your router). It should just work, at least insofar as connecting to your router & the internet. However, to use the internet your browser has to support sufficiently up to date security certificates, which could be a problem on a Mac that old running Snow Leopard.

I have an old iMac with Snow Leopard; I'll go see what happens when I fire it up. It may take a day or two before I get back here, however, but I'll let you know what I find.

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Answer 2

Mar 4, 2025 4:09 AM in response to fiberhome

I can't resolve your internet failure, but as for installers failing, it's almost certainly because they are older versions and their certificates aren’t valid. Apple has updated versions of all installers (except Mavericks for some reason) How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

Another thing you can try is to change the date on your Mac as a temporary measure, back to a point where the installer you want to use is valid, and try it again.

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Answer 3

MartinR

Level 7

24,101 points

Mar 4, 2025 6:31 AM in response to fiberhome

fiberhome wrote:?

The Verizon Router does have Ethernet cables, but Snow Leopard OS wants details that I don't have to connect through the Ethernet. Thanks,

There should be no "details" required to connect any Mac to the VZ router via wired ethernet. What "details" is it asking for?

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Answer 4

fiberhome Author

Level 1

42 points

Mar 4, 2025 10:50 AM in response to MartinR

Thanks. That's a good question, and it's hard to pin down because I have tried many times and gotten different results, and I have not been able to repeat the series of events that led me to that stage. What I can offer is a series of screen shots I took today which led me to a somewhat different state. I gave up trying to get a direct connection to the WiFi after several failures to succeed, and chosen the option of connecting through a Ethernet cable.

The screen shots follow my entering the password for my WiFi and my response. That leads me to the questions of what other devices are connected and -- when I answer yes (which I assume is what I should answer when another Mac is connected to the router through another ethernet cable). It wants me to restart the other "device" and I have other work in progress on that. Is there any likelihood of success?

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Answer 5

fiberhome Author

Level 1

42 points

Mar 4, 2025 6:21 PM in response to MartinR

I'd be interested in what you find when you have a chance to fire up the old Snow Leopard iMac. So far a I have gotten to the "restart your device" stage, tried it, and it doesn't work. I wouldn't be surprised if it was failing some security requirement. It runs with the original hard drive; I ran it from an updated external hard drive on later systems until 2018 when I replaced it, but the system on the external hard drive is dead, my backups cannot repair it, and my effort to install a fresh High Sierra failed to run successfully. I had tested it just 3-4 years ago and it ran, so this is annoying.

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