Airport Express

[Ashapalan]

First Off, thanks all for your wisdom. I finally have switched to mac and have done it with the 12" powerbook.

Along with it i got airport express, currently its set up on my speakers, working great.

i have a problem in that my broadband modem is USB, and if i wanted to surf wirelessly, could i use the USB of the airport express to put the modem into, or does it have to be the ethernet port.

Looking forward to the mac world, also looking forward to wireless internet...

 

[mad jew]

Sorry but I'm pretty sure that it's gonna have to be the ethernet port. Hopefully I'm wrong though. However, most of the 'USB' modems I've seen come with an ethernet port too so you can just slam a cable 'tween the two (modem and AE). Fingers crossed yours is like this. 🙂

 

[Applespider]

Glad you're enjoying your new Mac (if you've just bought it in last week, remember to use the up-to-date program to get your OS upgraded to Tiger for less)

Afraid your USB modem won't work in the USB port of the Airport Express. To go wireless using your Express, you'll need an ethernet ADSL modem - they're not very expensive (you can pick them up for £30 or so)

 

[Ashapalan]

Okay

yeh, im stuck there, no ethernet port, i think it must be a cheap modem, i phoned up an apple and he told me i'd have to get a router, one thing at a time i guess. Anyway, im still enjoying the thrill of the powerbook so i'll cross my legs and wait.

I'll give my options a try anyway.

 

[mad jew]

Don't bother with a router unless you really want to keep the same modem. Just grab a cheap ethernet modem like Applespider said and it'll be a little simpler to set up and maybe even a little less expensive too.

 

[Ashapalan]

yeh, sounds better to look for the cheaper modem, i'll have a browse around.

Thanks a lot 🙂

 

[Gee]

yeh, sounds better to look for the cheaper modem, i'll have a browse around.

Thanks a lot 🙂

You can get a zoom x3 from dabs.co.uk for £50 - pretty solid and reliable ethernet modem.

 

[Ashapalan]

I've been having a look around for a cheap modem, but i'm wondering if i should go about this another way.

My aiport express is connected to a printer and a sound system, if it was connected to the modem, it couldnt be connected to the printer and hi fi without a long extension cable so that the modem could fit... this defeats the point of wireless.

Therefore am i not better off getting a wireless router, are they generally compatiable with the airport express?

Seems the cheaper option at the moment, but would appreciate anyone telling me if my plan will fail miserably.

 

[broken_keyboard]

I've been having a look around for a cheap modem, but i'm wondering if i should go about this another way.

My aiport express is connected to a printer and a sound system, if it was connected to the modem, it couldnt be connected to the printer and hi fi without a long extension cable so that the modem could fit... this defeats the point of wireless.

Therefore am i not better off getting a wireless router, are they generally compatiable with the airport express?

Seems the cheaper option at the moment, but would appreciate anyone telling me if my plan will fail miserably.

I think that would work. Get a new modem with a build in wireless router, and then have the Airport Express and the Mac and any other computers you own as clients of the modem.

You will actually have two choices with respect to the Airport config. You can either set it up as a "client" in which case it is just like it is another computer on the network, or you can set it up as a WDS base station, in which case it works together with the modem to extend the wireless network. In both cases you will have access to the printer and speakers from the Mac.