wireless network

E

Elliotjnewman

Registered
I would like to connect my mdd g4 desktop and an xp machine to the net using wireless, the only real reason I would like to do this is because I cant stand all the cables lying around my home!

I have had a look at the Airport, which I presume does the trick, but my flat mate isnt too keen on the price and I am not sure that an xp machine can see this?

I have no knowledge on how to set up a wireless network, what equipment will I need to get? eg a network card?

Would you guys swear by Apple and the Airport? Or are there other wireless peripherals out there which will do the job?

Also where would you advise me to buy from?

If anyone can offer any advice on this I would really appreciate it.

Many thanks.
 
Ok, for the mac, you'd need an airport card.

Airport

You'll also need a card for the PC. This can be internal or external. No matter what I'd recommend Belkin.
Belkin internal


What broadband connection do you have?
You'll also need a modem/router. This is usually provided by your ISP.
 
Apple's airport technology is standard 802.11. In English, that means you can use any 802.11b/g wireless router (a majority of them), and your Macintosh as well as your PC will recognize it. If Airport is too expensive, check out offerings from D-Link and Linksys. My personal router is a D-Link and it works great.
 
thanks for the fast reply! I already have 512 broadband internet modem, so I guess I will need a router to split the signal?

Would you be able to explain the difference between an Airport card and an Airport base station? Is the base station a modem? as I already have a broadband modem will I need a base station?
 
The base station is a router. It connects to your DSL or Cable modem and broadcasts the signal to your computer's wireless card (the airport card.) The base station is not a modem, but rather it connects to your modem to broadcast its signal wirelessly. Think of the base station as a radio tower and the airport card as a radio.
 
ah, ok, so I will need the card and the base? Thats pretty expensive, £210 for getting online wirelessly. Maybe I should find a non apple solution to cut the costs...
 
Yes, you will need both a card and a base station, as well as additional cards for however many wireless devices you want to connect. You can buy a base station from any brand you like, but you can only use Airport Wireless Cards in your Macs. I strongly recommend D-Link's base stations.

Take a look at this one: http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=307008&pfp=SEARCH

$60 USD for a basic 802.11b router that will be completely compatible with your computers. That's about £32 pounds, and the only difference is that it uses 802.11b instead of the cutting-edge 802.11g that Apple's base station uses, something that you really don't need. The only advantage to G is that you can send files from one computer to another computer on your local network quicker. You will not see a difference when surfing the web.
 
First there is no need to use the Airport Extreme base station there are many alternatives that work well. You will need an Airport card for the G4 but again there are third party options available. But what you will need is to get more knowledge regarding wireless if you want a secure network. May I suggest you have a look at www.ozcableguy.com.au While this site is a little Australian oriented the advice on ADSL is applicable almost everywhere. He also has a quite good comparison of the major manufacturers units. Not a lot of stuff on Apple.

Second you will need to know whether your ADSL modem is configured as a bridge or router. If it is a router and has a 'good enough' firewall in it you may need just a wireless Access Point (AP). You can can go the complete route and replace your modem with an integrated ADSL modem/router/wireless AP (e.g Linksys WAG54G) or use your existing modem and a router/wireless AP (e.g Linksys WRT54G).

Clearly the less functionality you add on the cheaper the box.

BTW I have an Airport Base station (dual port 802.11b only) and it works well with my PB G4 Al. :)
 
Hi,

What are the third party alternatives for the airport card? I need 3. Has anyone tried just putting a wireless pcmcia card in it?

I would suggest going with a "retail" (as apposed to oem or white label) smc wireless router/switch. Most smc retail products have a lifetime warranty. They have very good service. I have 2 dlinks (one was the expensive version with the print server) and one linksys wireless router/switch combo's sitting in a box because they only have one year warranties. I've since bought a new linksys and it keeps dropping connection. My 4 smc's are still kicking, though one was replaced by smc a few months ago. I like the other brands, especially the linksys usb hdd network interface but for the most part there warranties suck.

Btw, an smc wireless router/4 port switch can be bought in the states for about $50, maybe even less.
 
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