Question about airport base station and cards.

[mymemory]

Ok, I'm organizing a budget for 5 powerbooks with airport cards. All of them are gonna be in the same room. Now:

1. Can they be connected to each other and share files without a base station?

2. Can they share DSL internet connection without the base station?

3. If I'm using After Effects, can I do a network render without the base station?

4. What are the advantages of getting a base station?

Thanx

[timbloom]

Originally posted by mymemory
Ok, I'm organizing a budget for 5 powerbooks with airport cards. All of them are gonna be in the same room. Now:

1. Can they be connected to each other and share files without a base station?

2. Can they share DSL internet connection without the base station?

3. If I'm using After Effects, can I do a network render without the base station?

4. What are the advantages of getting a base station?

Thanx

1. Yes, but at least one of the machines has to actually create a network for the others to connect to, a base station would be a permenant network.

2. Yes, but you need something for them to access the network from. There needs to be a hard-wired access point, be it one of the powerbooks using internet sharing, or a 3rd party access point. Airport would be a fully compatible and permenant access point that is always on.

3.. I am unsure about this one, I would assume that this would be similar to #1, there has to be a network there in the first place, minimum.

4. All the above. analogy: you can't use a cordless phone if you don't have the reciever for it. Something has to be there for it to connect to. It would be easiest for you to invest in a Base Station due to the hassles of setting up internet sharing and constantly making custom little computer-to-computer networks.

If I was you, the only option would be to get a base station, your other option is just not logical or worthwhile.

[iJon]

an aiport base station will just give those cards internet. if you dont they can still act as a wireless LAN, but thats it.

iJon

[bbarnhart]

If nothing else, this is the most important thing: Not having a base station would require one PowerBook to be physically connected to your DSL modem and be turned on so the other machines could be connected to the Internet.

The additional $200, in my opinion, to the total cost of the project would be insignificant, but would provide a robust solution.

[iJon]

for the price get the base station. get all your powerbooks and equip them with AE cards. Get the high end base station and get the external antenna to get huge range on the base station. or if this is gonna be used in a huge huge building. but two or however many basestations would be needed and bridge them throughout the work place.

iJon