Going wireless...

[SirCrispin]

Hi, I got an iBook last week ...which rocks my socks. yep.

Anyway, in my home we now have a desktop PC, laptop PC and my lovely, lovely iBook, and a BT Yahoo! Broadband connection.

So I want to share the connection through a Wireless network, but don't really know much about how to do it.

After looking around for a bit, I found a wireless router that I think I like, and importantly which does windows and mac:

http://www.shop.bt.com/invt/car108

The specs say it comes with 1 network cable, so would that mean I could link it to my non-wireless PC and connect wirelessly with the laptops? And would multiple people be able to go online at the same time, or would I need to buy a new broadband connection?

Finally, is my new iBook wireless-ready or does that only apply to AirPort? ie will I need to buy anything for it to make this connection work?

Thanks very much for your help

 

[Lau]

Hi, I got an iBook last week ...which rocks my socks. yep.

Anyway, in my home we now have a desktop PC, laptop PC and my lovely, lovely iBook, and a BT Yahoo! Broadband connection.

So I want to share the connection through a Wireless network, but don't really know much about how to do it.

After looking around for a bit, I found a wireless router that I think I like, and importantly which does windows and mac:

http://www.shop.bt.com/invt/car108

The specs say it comes with 1 network cable, so would that mean I could link it to my non-wireless PC and connect wirelessly with the laptops? And would multiple people be able to go online at the same time, or would I need to buy a new broadband connection?

Finally, is my new iBook wireless-ready or does that only apply to AirPort? ie will I need to buy anything for it to make this connection work?

Thanks very much for your help

No, that should all be fine. If you plug the router into the phone line, (with one of those filters in between that you're already using from BT Yahoo), you can then plug the non wireless PC in using a cable and then everything else will connect wirelessly. And your new iBook will connect wirelessly like a beauty.

edit: And as the router is the only thing using the connection and then beaming it out, you can connect as many wirelessly as you like. Athough I suspect with 25 connected, you might notice a slowdown in speed.... We connect two laptops (one windows, one Mac) wirelessly at home with a similar router, and notice no difference in speed when one or two are connected.

 

[zach]

Your iBook is wireless ready, AirPort is the exact same thing as 802.11g, just with Apple's fancy name.

You will also not need a new broadband connection.

However, you've picked a router that uses a proprietary long range technology. While you will be able to use wireless internet fine with this, the long range capabilities will be useless, and you will have normal range instead (150 feet).

This is true because the long range routers require special long range cards, which they do not produce for your iBook. You could, however, buy these cards for your other machines, but it's honestly not worth it. Get a less expensive standard router, you can usually even get them for free with rebates on Amazon.

If you must get that router, it does have 4 wired ports, so yes, you will be able to plug your PC into it.

 

[Lau]

This is the one we use, and in our (small-medium) flat it is fine anywhere, if that's any help.

 

[PCMacUser]

Hi, I got an iBook last week ...which rocks my socks. yep.

Anyway, in my home we now have a desktop PC, laptop PC and my lovely, lovely iBook, and a BT Yahoo! Broadband connection.

So I want to share the connection through a Wireless network, but don't really know much about how to do it.

After looking around for a bit, I found a wireless router that I think I like, and importantly which does windows and mac:

http://www.shop.bt.com/invt/car108

The specs say it comes with 1 network cable, so would that mean I could link it to my non-wireless PC and connect wirelessly with the laptops? And would multiple people be able to go online at the same time, or would I need to buy a new broadband connection?

Finally, is my new iBook wireless-ready or does that only apply to AirPort? ie will I need to buy anything for it to make this connection work?

Thanks very much for your help

Something VERY important that you might not realise. The router which you have spotted is ONLY a router. It is not a modem as well. This means you would need to continue using your existing method of connecting to broadband, and then connect the router to that modem as well. If you want an 'all in one' solution, you need an 'ADSL modem router'. I would strongly recommend the one that Lau uses. The Netgear 834G is an excellent piece of hardware.

 

[zach]

Great router. Get it.

That's probably the best all around consumer wireless router available.

 

[SirCrispin]

Thanks everyone, that's great

I'll be getting Lau's one then

...even Mac forums are better than Windows ones

 

[whitetrashanth]

hi should be getting my machine fairly soon

i have my broadband connected in the top room of my house with my P4 windows machine,.. via a landline its not wireless but i dont need THAT machine to be wireless,.. just my power mac when it comes

its coming with airport extreme, is this all i need to get wireless connection to my mac? or do i need one of these wireless jobbies for the upstairs as well

not 100%

if anyone could help that would be great cheers

 

[Marky_Mark]

i have my broadband connected in the top room of my house with my P4 windows machine,.. via a landline its not wireless but i dont need THAT machine to be wireless,.. just my power mac when it comes

its coming with airport extreme, is this all i need to get wireless connection to my mac? or do i need one of these wireless jobbies for the upstairs as well

OK, the desktop is already connected to the broadband modem with an ethernet cable, right? When you buy a wireless router, all you do is switch that direct connection from the back of you machine into the WLAN socket on the router. Most wireless routers also have a four-port ethernet hub, so you use a second ethernet cable to connect nay of those empty ports to the desktop. This preserves your wired connection but you now have a wireless transmitter sandwiched between the modem and the desktop.

The PowerMac comes with Airport extreme, this will automatically pick up the signal from your new wireless router. It's a good idea to set up WEP encryption on the router to

a. stop someone else using your signal from the next flat/house to get a free connection

b. stop people snooping on the traffic which passes between your router and your new PM

Assign a password to the WEP encryption - this means in order to establish an initial connection to the router, a password is required. 64-bit requires a five character password and 128-bit (recommended) requires a thirteen character password.

When you set up the connection on your PM, you will need to choose 'other' and WEP-encrypted (xx-bit - ASCII), rather than a straightforward connection (this threw me for a good ten minutes and a bit of trial and error, because the set-up agent found my network, told me a password was required and gave me a box to enter it, but although the correct password was entered, it just kept saying the poassword was invalid. I ended up skipping that part of the set-up and then going into preferences afterwards and sorting it manually.

If you run into trouble, come back and one of us will sort you out.

There are a number of different ways in which you can set your router up - this is just one which worked for me, but someone else may well come up with an easier/more secure/more robust/whatever method.

Best of British luck to you, sir!

PS - I forgot to mention - if you don't know already, make sure you get the right type of router - ADSL for a regular telephone connection and Cable/DSL router for a coax-type connection.

 

[whitetrashanth]

OK, the desktop is already connected to the broadband modem with an ethernet cable, right? When you buy a wireless router, all you do is switch that direct connection from the back of you machine into the WLAN socket on the router. Most wireless routers also have a four-port ethernet hub, so you use a second ethernet cable to connect nay of those empty ports to the desktop. This preserves your wired connection but you now have a wireless transmitter sandwiched between the modem and the desktop.

The PowerMac comes with Airport extreme, this will automatically pick up the signal from your new wireless router. It's a good idea to set up WEP encryption on the router to

a. stop someone else using your signal from the next flat/house to get a free connection

b. stop people snooping on the traffic which passes between your router and your new PM

Assign a password to the WEP encryption - this means in order to establish an initial connection to the router, a password is required. 64-bit requires a five character password and 128-bit (recommended) requires a thirteen character password.

When you set up the connection on your PM, you will need to choose 'other' and WEP-encrypted (xx-bit - ASCII), rather than a straightforward connection (this threw me for a good ten minutes and a bit of trial and error, because the set-up agent found my network, told me a password was required and gave me a box to enter it, but although the correct password was entered, it just kept saying the poassword was invalid. I ended up skipping that part of the set-up and then going into preferences afterwards and sorting it manually.

If you run into trouble, come back and one of us will sort you out.

There are a number of different ways in which you can set your router up - this is just one which worked for me, but someone else may well come up with an easier/more secure/more robust/whatever method.

Best of British luck to you, sir!

PS - I forgot to mention - if you don't know already, make sure you get the right type of router - ADSL for a regular telephone connection and Cable/DSL router for a coax-type connection.

my ADSL broadband modem is connected Via USB! to my desktop, will that be a problem?

,... well i best just WAIT now, and give it a try when i get it in a few weeks time..

im sure its probably pritty easy i just wanted a heads up just to see what im letting my self in for


cheers

my modem is a BT ADSL

 

[Marky_Mark]

You should have the choice of connecting via USB or Ethernet cable, unless your modem is quite old - if this is the case, BT offer a number of alternative modem models (incl a combo all-in-one modem/wireless router), so you could upgrade that way if necessary. Look at the documentation you got with the modem to see what options are available to you. Certainly, my Telewest (Motorola-branded) cable modem has the option of either connecting via USB or network cable.

I'm not that familiar with ADSL routers because I have cable, but you may have a further option of connecting the modem and the router via USB...

Is there anyone else out there who could give more accurate guidance specifically on UK-spec ADSL options?

 

[whitetrashanth]

nah,... its just the phone socket and the USB cable lead/// thats all thats there,..


i might just phone them up tomorow see what my options are

 

[Lau]

Is there anyone else out there who could give more accurate guidance specifically on UK-spec ADSL options?

Hmm. My Pipex broadband came with a USB only modem. I could have ordered an ethernet one for £40 more or so from them, but I just got a wireless router for £80 or so which had an ethernet modem built in.