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View Full Version : Is the Aiport the only option for wirless on a Mac?



LethalWolfe
Feb 7, 2003, 12:15 PM
Or can you use "standard" wireless routers w/Macs (both lap and desktop). On the flip side could a PC be networked w/an Airport station?

Thanx,

Lethal


WannabeSQ
Feb 7, 2003, 12:30 PM
For most apple portables, its best to use the airport card, so you dont use up the PCMCIA slot, but the iBook and 12" PBook don't have a PCMCIA slot, so you must use apples card. They work fine with any 802.11b (or G nowadays). It also works just fine the other way, they all use the same WiFi protocol.
bombensington
Feb 7, 2003, 12:40 PM
Originally posted by LethalWolfe
Or can you use "standard" wireless routers w/Macs (both lap and desktop). On the flip side could a PC be networked w/an Airport station?

Thanx,

Lethal

yes. i use the netgear mr814 wireless router. it was a snap to set up on my mac, and works great.
Bear
Feb 7, 2003, 12:46 PM
Originally posted by LethalWolfe
Or can you use "standard" wireless routers w/Macs (both lap and desktop). On the flip side could a PC be networked w/an Airport station?

Thanx,

Lethal
Either way works fine. Any certified 802.11B/802.11G product will interoperate. Airport is 802.11B, Airport Extreme is 802.11G
LethalWolfe
Feb 7, 2003, 01:02 PM
Cool, thanx guys. :)


Lethal
bbarnhart
Feb 7, 2003, 01:04 PM
Make sure you can configure your wireless router/base station/etc with a mac (I think through html). Most PC wireless products do allow for this, but double check to make sure.
Codemonkey
Feb 7, 2003, 01:55 PM
Originally posted by bbarnhart
Make sure you can configure your wireless router/base station/etc with a mac (I think through html). Most PC wireless products do allow for this, but double check to make sure.

Yup - and to that end, different routers have different features/interfaces - some are horrible. Feature sets/interfaces of routers can be compared to say the menus of a DVD player - some have really good, intuitive menus, and others have such bad usability that you'll only ever go into the menu once (which is a shame, as sometimes that's were the fun goodies are).

The benefit of using Apple's airport is that it's controllable right from the OS, not from some hokey HTML page.

My .02 CDN.