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eimilia - Aug 1, 2005 - 4:33 pm

Hi again. I have a wireless AirPort network set up at home with my PowerBook. I have a new roommate who has a non-Mac laptop, and we are not having any luck logging her in to the network. Do you have any ideas as to how we can get her on? Thanks!

skapp - Aug 1, 2005 - 5:59 pm

Please describe your physical setup completely. Is this a dial-up, cable, or DSL connection? If DSL do you need to dial-in or is it "always on?" How do you connect to the modem: Directly, wireless router (what kind), etc.?

eimilia - Aug 1, 2005 - 9:14 pm

Hi Steven. I get Earthlink via my cable TV provider, Time Warner. My connection is wireless and "always on". I use a wireless router called "AirPort Extreme".

The laptop we're trying to have join the network is an IBM Think pad 570 using Windows 2000. It has a Belkin 11mbps wireless notebook network adaptor in it. Does that help? Thanks!

skapp - Aug 1, 2005 - 9:50 pm

Well, it should be a simple matter of configuring W2K networking to use the Belkin card, and set the configuration to use DHCP. The computer should then join the network automatically and be able to pull an IP number for network access. I assume that's all you want to do?

eimilia - Aug 1, 2005 - 10:18 pm

I have to amend my response to say we would also like to have a desktop PC join the network; in fact, this is the machine we prefer to have on it over the laptop. It is a T2885 Desktop PC from eMachines, with the following network: Intel PRO 10/100 LAN for DSL or Cable connectivity. Its operating system is Windows XP. We are trying to create a bridge from it to the wireless network using something called Linksys Wireless-G USB network adaptor, but we are not getting anywhere.

skapp - Aug 2, 2005 - 12:12 am

On the Airport Extreme Base Station there are two Ethernet ports. One, the WAN port, connects to the cable modem. The other, LAN port, can be used to connect to the desktop computer's Ethernet port. The USB port on the Airport Extreme can be used to stream music, but it is not usable as another network port for the other computer.

You can connect the desktop either to the LAN port on your Airport Extreme or you can install a wireless card in the desktop. If the LAN port on the AEBS is already in use, then you can buy an inexpensive switching hub and connect it to the AEBS LAN port, then connect the computer(s) to the hub.

eimilia - Aug 3, 2005 - 8:59 am

Thanks. Sorry for the delayed response. We are going to try again tonight. So the Linksys wireless G USB adaptor is not something we can use?

skapp - Aug 3, 2005 - 1:21 pm

I'm not sure I understand how you plan to use the USB adapter. Can you relate to me a little more about the physical arrangements? Are all the computers in the same room? How many computers are now involved and which ones have wireless capability? My unofficial count was 4: a Powerbook, a non-Mac laptop, a ThinkPad, and the Desktop machine. Only the Desktop is not wireless capable. Aside from the cable modem you have an Airport Extreme Base Station and the Linksys USB device.

Do I have the picture correct?

eimilia - Aug 3, 2005 - 4:03 pm

Almost correct. The non-mac laptop = the ThinkPad, so the count is 3. The PowerBook & AirPort Extreme & cable modem are in one room (mine); and the PC Desktop & ThinkPad are in another room. The two rooms share a wall. There is a TV cable line running through the wall from my room to the other room.

Currently the desktop is the only one without wireless capacity. We thought we could use the Lynksys device to get the Desktop on to the internet network. We have not been able to set up the ThinkPad or the Desktop to get internet.

skapp - Aug 3, 2005 - 6:31 pm

I checked the LinkSys site and it appears the Wireless G adapter is actually a range expander and not an access point. I don't think it will work with the desktop unless it has a wireless card. From what I can tell from the LinkSys site info this isn't going to help you much unless you had a weak signal in the other room.

If the Thinkpad has a wireless card or built-in wireless (Centrino) then you should be able to connect by using the Windows Internet Connection Wizard to configure the Windows to use a LAN and set up the connection type to DHCP.

You could connect the desktop by wire if you can run an Ethernet cable from the AEBS's LAN port to the next room and connect it to the desktop's Ethernet port. Otherwise, you'll need a wireless card for the desktop or a wireless access point (sort of like an Airport Express.)

Here's a site with some instructions for configuring Window's machines for wireless networks.

Also I suggest you consult the AEBS setup guide to be sure you have it properly configured as a base station. If you don't have the manual you will find it and several other guides for using the AEBS here.

Once you get the configurations set up, you should shut off everything including the modem, AEBS, computers. Wait at least 1 minute, then in sequence turn on the modem (wait for the connection lights to turn on), then the AEBS (wait for it to sync up and the center light is on alone), then turn on the computers.

eimilia - Aug 4, 2005 - 12:42 pm

Thanks so much Steven. We are going to make the attempt following your lead Friday evening. I'll let you know how it goes!

eimilia - Aug 7, 2005 - 12:18 am

Success! I bribed a friend who is a LAN specialist with dinner and he came over last night and hooked it all up. He isn't familiar with Macs or Mac networks so the info from your iFelix link came in very handy setting up the ThinkPad and the PC. (The AEBS was set up already because a former roommate had at one point used her non-mac laptop in our wireless network but soon switched over to an iBook.) The desktop we simply hooked it up with a cable and set up the AirPort in that room since I'm wireless anyway. And we are so thrilled. Many many thanks for your help, Steven.