Ethernet/Router

krazykleo · Sep 1, 2013

So, my school provides internet when living on campus but my problem is I don't own a Airport capsule thingy that Apple released and since there is no ethernet port on the MBA, what are my options? I realize that my options might be extremely limited lol

One of the options I do have is to order internet from the same service provider and have them give me a modem which includes wifi for $22.95/month for 7 months (one month free, lol).

Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated!!

PS. classes start on the 4th!!

Atomic Walrus · Sep 1, 2013

krazykleo said:
So, my school provides internet when living on campus but my problem is I don't own a Airport capsule thingy that Apple released and since there is no ethernet port on the MBA, what are my options? I realize that my options might be extremely limited lol

One of the options I do have is to order internet from the same service provider and have them give me a modem which includes wifi for $22.95/month for 7 months (one month free, lol).

Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated!!

PS. classes start on the 4th!!

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD463ZM/A/thunderbolt-to-gigabit-ethernet-adapter

That should do it. Might be a cheaper version out there made by a 3rd party... just search for "thunderbolt ethernet adapter."

simsaladimbamba · Sep 1, 2013

Either you get a Thunderbolt <> Ethernet adapter from Apple or a USB <> Ethernet adapter (Apple, Monoprice) to connect the available Ethernet to your Mac or you could get a router (40 to 60 USD) with wireless capabilities.

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WillFisher · Sep 1, 2013

Yeah agreed with Atomic Walrus, get a Thunderbolt to Ethernet, or even just a USB to Ethernet adaptor, they cost something like £5 for third party ones in the UK, so probably even cheaper in the US!

krazykleo · Sep 1, 2013

Ah, interesting. Didn't even know about such stuff lol

What's the main difference b/w thunderbolt and usb?? Speed or quality or something lol

I looked at some routers too on futureshop but don't know what would be good.

I do prefer a wireless option as I would prefer to do some of my school in the living room rather than bedroom

I appreciate all the help fellas!!!! Thank you!

Atomic Walrus · Sep 1, 2013

krazykleo said:
Ah, interesting. Didn't even know about such stuff lol

What's the main difference b/w thunderbolt and usb?? Speed or quality or something lol

I looked at some routers too on futureshop but don't know what would be good.

I do prefer a wireless option as I would prefer to do some of my school in the living room rather than bedroom

I appreciate all the help fellas!!!! Thank you!

I don't think there's going to be any real difference between USB and thunderbolt adapters, it mostly comes down to which ports you'd rather have in use the majority of the time. Most people have lots of USB devices and few to no thunderbolt devices, so I just went with recommending a thunderbolt adapter. But remember that this is also where you can plug in HDMI displays (need a TB->HDMI adapter for that) so if you plan to plug into an external monitor you would want that port open.

You can definitely get a wifi router you could plug in, but I can't really provide any good specific recommendations for something simple and cheap. A search on Amazon for "wireless router" turns up tons of results and might be a good place to start.

babens · Sep 1, 2013

Make sure you check with your school to make sure they allow personal routers on their network. When I was in grad school we tried to add a wireless router into our office, since a lot of us would work on our personal laptops (there were about six of us sharing the office). Within two days of setting it up somebody from the IT department came in and made us remove it, having tracked it just through the network, as personal access points were not permitted.

Compile · Sep 1, 2013

Thunderbolt <> ethernet is your best option. USB 3.0 is half the speed of thunderbolt and depending on where the campus is you could cut your speed in half.

If I've learned 1 thing about Powerline networking sometimes getting the highest bandwidth adapter possible helps a tom with speed.

Mrbobb · Sep 2, 2013

I'd go with a WIFI router if the school is not anal. Don't have to buy the most expensive one. For surfing a generic should do, then your roommates can split the cost. Run it at 50% power if the dorm is small to minimize interference to neighbors.

scaredpoet · Sep 4, 2013

krazykleo said:
What's the main difference b/w thunderbolt and usb?? Speed or quality or something lol

Speed. The Apple USB to Ethernet adapter maxes out at 100Mbits/second, while the Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter maxes out 10 times faster (1Gigabit/second).

This is usually not a big deal on home internet connections, and even on a university network when you're connecting to sites off-campus. However, if you're doing anything between two systems on the campus network, most universities have gigabit ethernet connections throughout, and you'll definitely notice the difference when transferring large files.

Also, I'd recommend against the non-Apple ethernet adapters... they tend to be a mixed bag. Some people can get them to work, others not so much.

DisplacedMic · Sep 5, 2013

babens said:
Make sure you check with your school to make sure they allow personal routers on their network. When I was in grad school we tried to add a wireless router into our office, since a lot of us would work on our personal laptops (there were about six of us sharing the office). Within two days of setting it up somebody from the IT department came in and made us remove it, having tracked it just through the network, as personal access points were not permitted.

same thing happened to me... of course we were in a medical school so they took HIPA concerns VERY seriously... they would walk around with wifi sniffers and shut them down within a few hours...

real bummer

----------

Mrbobb said:
I'd go with a WIFI router if the school is not anal. Don't have to buy the most expensive one. For surfing a generic should do, then your roommates can split the cost. Run it at 50% power if the dorm is small to minimize interference to neighbors.

and again - i'd say most schools absolutely are going to be that "anal"

for good reasons...most larger universities are going the complete other direction in terms of policing their networks. they get tens of thousands "attacks" every day.

Mrbobb · Sep 5, 2013

DisplacedMic said:
same thing happened to me... of course we were in a medical school so they took HIPA concerns VERY seriously... they would walk around with wifi sniffers and shut them down within a few hours...

real bummer

----------

and again - i'd say most schools absolutely are going to be that "anal"

for good reasons...most larger universities are going the complete other direction in terms of policing their networks. they get tens of thousands "attacks" every day.

No surprise.

The IT department of these places are typically headed by a non-technical person. WO knowing the technical details, his or her priority is to minimize liability. The is no sense of serving the customer. I know, I was in one.

krazykleo · Sep 5, 2013

I bought a usb to ethernet adapter and no issues....It cost me 45$ but beggers can't be choosers as I went to walmart and they were all sold out and as was the school bookstore.... oh well..

One thing that I find really weird is that there are so many wifi networks when my MBA prompts me for which connection to connect... Internet is included in all the residence so how do some students have they're own network???

Also, I bought a printer with wifi compatibility and I somehow created a network through my router with a protected password and it would show up as "device blah blah" and was able to connect the printer to the network and print but it seems I have to create one every time i wake the laptop from sleep...

Being tech illiterate sucks

Mrbobb · Sep 5, 2013

krazykleo said:
One thing that I find really weird is that there are so many wifi networks when my MBA prompts me for which connection to connect... Internet is included in all the residence so how do some students have they're own network???

Are you sure they are students? Could be Admin in/near your building. They are "better."

krazykleo · Sep 6, 2013

Mrbobb said:
Are you sure they are students? Could be Admin in/near your building. They are "better."

Yeah could be..I'm not entirely sure. I should stop worrying about this and focus on school work since I solved this issue....even if it cost me some money lol

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