Connecting a PC (WXP) to a software base station?

Kinniken

Kinniken

Registered
I know connecting a PC to a Base Station works, but what about connecting it to an OSX box with an airport card?
While we are at it, I'll also like some feedback from people with an Airport network... my network will have to cross three walls and a floor, is that a problem? And is anything known to hinder Airport?
Lastly, I do get a PC and a mac networked like that, will I be able to (simply) share a cable Internet connection (on the mac), a printer (on the mac), a scanner (on the PC), and both computers' hard drives?

TIA,

Kinniken
 
Dear Kinniken,

You don't ask for much do you? Unfortunately, I can only answer some of questions.

1. PC laptops cannot, period, use Apple Airport cards. First, the airport card has no aerial, as these are built into the Macs. Second, the PC laptop, won't have the same connector for the airport card.

2. Three walls and a floor? No way are you going to get any reception. The rule of thumb really is minimum obstructions, ie no walls, have the hub within line of sight. Typical range is around 100 metres, give or take, depending on the multicast rate of the basestation. One or two walls, maybe, but three walls and a floor, nope, highly unlikely.

3. If I read your description correctly, you want to connect your PC to your Mac that is running Airport and MacOS X and share Internet connection etc? If it is, here's the score. First, you have to make sure that the wireless card used on the PC can work with Airport systems. Second, you will have to try and connect to the Mac, which might be harder than you think. Going from experience, we tried to connect a PC to an Airport Mac and it never worked. Sorry. As hard as we damn, we couldn't get the PC or the Mac to talk to each other. We were on the same channel, same frequency, nothing. Even had DAVE installer, nothing. Couldn't figure it out.

Well, I hope that I have answered some of your questions.

:)
 
testuser: Hi!

cockney geezer: I believe you misunderstood the first part of Kinniken's question. I belive s/he is using an Airport card as a part of a software base station, a setup in which the host computer acts in place of the hardware hub. Assuming this is correct, Kinniken, simply configure your Windows 802.11b (?) software to look for the Mac; you'll need to get the settings from the Mac. Regarding point two, Airport and all 802.11b (again, ?) use radio-frequency waves to pass their information and should be find above ground within around a 150 foot radius, including up. testuser is correct, however, in noting that anything broadcasting at 2 gHz, which includes microwave ovens, can interfere with the wireless ethernet signal. Lastly, regarding point three, yes, internet connection sharing is well within the capabilities of OS X as it is with all UNIX-based systems. An excellent tool to access this built-in (but command-line only) feature of the superb BSF firewall is the shareware program Brickhouse, which is simply a Cocoa front end for that selfsame firewall. As long as the Mac is functioning correctly (natch) AND the Windows machine is functioning correctly (vaya con dios), connecting the two via Airport/802.11b (?) and sharing the internet connection of the Mac should be a straightforward affair.
 
chenli: ok thanks, that's what I wanted to do ;-)
You are right, I plan to use an iMac running OSX as the base station.
To bad about that microwave though... it's nearly in the line connecting the iMac to the *futur* other comp.

OK, now I only have to see if my father wants a PC or if I can get him to buy one of those new iMac instead...
 
However, it might break file sharing...

In any case, that's a minor nuisance.

Oh, and I heard most PC cards do not support Apple's airport encryption, requirering one to disable it and leave the network open... is that true?
 
hehe, Microwaves... well, when I get my iBook, It'll be funny using the net. I can see it now, "Mum, will you NOT cook while I am surfing please!" Unfortunately, my room is almost right behind a microwave if we use the iMac as a software base station. Actual base stations are too expensive. How do I connect the iMac G4 as a software base station under OS X?
 
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