I currently have a PC with broadband internet access. I'm interested in purchasing an Intel iMac but have questions about setting up a wireless internet connection. In addition to the iMac, what do I need? Airport Express? I know it's a newbie question but I don't know the answer for sure. How fast will my connection be? Will web pages instantly load? Will I have trouble with videos from the web, etc.?
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wireless internet connection for imac
- Thread starter macdreamer
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From another Mac newbie
First off - I found that setting up the iMac(and my prents mini mac) was easier than any PC I have ever set up - not just a little easier - WAY easier....So that's the good news. The bad news is that the MACS have their own "vernacular" and that takes a bit to get used to as does the OS.
Now onto your question - If you buy the new intel iMac - it will come with wireless(otherwise referred to as airport). Not to be confused with airport base, express or extreme - which are all versions of Apples wireless router type products.
(Keep in mind I'm a newbie too - so I'm explaining as I understand it and how I have made it work - I am sure there are better guides with the right words!)
This "wireless" feature that will be in your iMac will be able to connect to your broadband wireless router - if indeed it is wireless. In fact is real easy the iMac will detect the network, prompt you with a few questions and ask for a password (asssuming the network is closed or secure). You will need to have that password - type it in and there you go.
I'm assuming that is your case since your follow on questions assume a wireless setup..
Surfing the web is just the same...well...almost. Really depends on the browser you are using now. If you are using IE (why?????) then you will use Safari or can get Firefox. I am not thrilled with the behavior of firefox on the intel iMAC as it it seems to have some quirks to it. But there is supposedly a universal version coming soon. Safari seems fine. Different - but fine. I have run across a few sites that do not play nice - very few - GAP for instance. In that case you can download and use IE.
You should notice very little difference in speed - maybe faster - safari on intel iMac is slightly faster than Firefox on my friends windows PC. We played last night and I was always a sec or two ahead of him. (Enought that he was irritated)
Have had few probelms with video's - although some require certain version of quicktime or WMP to load and there you will either have to download the correct version or play around to make it work. I downloaded a program called VLC - http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ - and except for one instance that seemed to solve any of the video probelsm I encountered. In fact it played much nicer than alot fo the programs I had for windows.
Sure more experienced folks will chime in - but hope this helps a bit!
Therese
First off - I found that setting up the iMac(and my prents mini mac) was easier than any PC I have ever set up - not just a little easier - WAY easier....So that's the good news. The bad news is that the MACS have their own "vernacular" and that takes a bit to get used to as does the OS.
Now onto your question - If you buy the new intel iMac - it will come with wireless(otherwise referred to as airport). Not to be confused with airport base, express or extreme - which are all versions of Apples wireless router type products.
(Keep in mind I'm a newbie too - so I'm explaining as I understand it and how I have made it work - I am sure there are better guides with the right words!)
This "wireless" feature that will be in your iMac will be able to connect to your broadband wireless router - if indeed it is wireless. In fact is real easy the iMac will detect the network, prompt you with a few questions and ask for a password (asssuming the network is closed or secure). You will need to have that password - type it in and there you go.
I'm assuming that is your case since your follow on questions assume a wireless setup..
Surfing the web is just the same...well...almost. Really depends on the browser you are using now. If you are using IE (why?????) then you will use Safari or can get Firefox. I am not thrilled with the behavior of firefox on the intel iMAC as it it seems to have some quirks to it. But there is supposedly a universal version coming soon. Safari seems fine. Different - but fine. I have run across a few sites that do not play nice - very few - GAP for instance. In that case you can download and use IE.
You should notice very little difference in speed - maybe faster
- safari on intel iMac is slightly faster than Firefox on my friends windows PC. We played last night and I was always a sec or two ahead of him. (Enought that he was irritated)Have had few probelms with video's - although some require certain version of quicktime or WMP to load and there you will either have to download the correct version or play around to make it work. I downloaded a program called VLC - http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ - and except for one instance that seemed to solve any of the video probelsm I encountered. In fact it played much nicer than alot fo the programs I had for windows.
Sure more experienced folks will chime in - but hope this helps a bit!
Therese
wpwj40e said:From another Mac newbie
First off - I found that setting up the iMac(and my prents mini mac) was easier than any PC I have ever set up - not just a little easier - WAY easier....So that's the good news. The bad news is that the MACS have their own "vernacular" and that takes a bit to get used to as does the OS.
Now onto your question - If you buy the new intel iMac - it will come with wireless(otherwise referred to as airport). Not to be confused with airport base, express or extreme - which are all versions of Apples wireless router type products.
(Keep in mind I'm a newbie too - so I'm explaining as I understand it and how I have made it work - I am sure there are better guides with the right words!)
This "wireless" feature that will be in your iMac will be able to connect to your broadband wireless router - if indeed it is wireless. In fact is real easy the iMac will detect the network, prompt you with a few questions and ask for a password (asssuming the network is closed or secure). You will need to have that password - type it in and there you go.
I'm assuming that is your case since your follow on questions assume a wireless setup..
Surfing the web is just the same...well...almost. Really depends on the browser you are using now. If you are using IE (why?????) then you will use Safari or can get Firefox. I am not thrilled with the behavior of firefox on the intel iMAC as it it seems to have some quirks to it. But there is supposedly a universal version coming soon. Safari seems fine. Different - but fine. I have run across a few sites that do not play nice - very few - GAP for instance. In that case you can download and use IE.
You should notice very little difference in speed - maybe faster
Have had few probelms with video's - although some require certain version of quicktime or WMP to load and there you will either have to download the correct version or play around to make it work. I downloaded a program called VLC - http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ - and except for one instance that seemed to solve any of the video probelsm I encountered. In fact it played much nicer than alot fo the programs I had for windows.
Sure more experienced folks will chime in - but hope this helps a bit!
Therese
I'm currently on a wired cable connection. I need my mac connection to be wireless. PC will still be wired to internet.
macdreamer said:
You will need to get a wireless router - make sure that your modem from your cable company is not already wireless and you simply do not use it...
You could get one of the apple wireless routers or just about anyone's - there's tons of post about which router is best etc. Also a really good site to go to that may(most probably) discuss your exact provider and install in detail is http://www.dslreports.com..
You connect to the wireless router and you eiMAC will pick up its connection from there. Since each router/modem config can be a bit different - you would need to specify - which modem you have now - what router you wanted to get etc.
The above site shoul dget you 99% of the way there...
The iMac side of things will be simple once you have the router in place.
Therese