Airport Extreme Base station and fat cat: help needed

[juanm]

Hi everybody. I’ve never been good at networking, so I need some help

When I got my contract with Telefonica to get internet access, it included this router (Comtrend 536+):

However, for some reason, wireless access (g) never worked properly with my first gen Macbook (wifi g) nor my Santa Rosa MacBook Pro (wifi n). It often drops the wireless signal for no apparent reason, for days or weeks. Sometimes resetting it works, other times it doesn’t.

The thing is, I cannot ask for an exchange because one of my cats used to chew the antenna when we were out, so it has lots of dents on it (see picture)

Ethernet access has always worked, but I need to work upstairs, and don’t want to run cables everywhere.
If I get another router, should these issues be solved?

Also, I’d like to be able to make a real network. My current router only allows me to get access to the internet, but not to transfer data between the computers on the network. What do I need to share files between several computers? I have a MacBook Pro (last gen), an iMac (last gen) and a PC.

Is the Airport Extreme Base Station the answer to my needs? Is it only a router or does it also act as a switch to create a network?

I’m really sorry, but networking has never been my favorite part. Somehow, I’ve always get things to work, but with this wifi drops issue, I’d like to start from scratch and buy, if necessary, the AEBS

Thanks for your help.

 

[peeaanuut]

Wired Router to AEBS will work. Turn off the router portion of the one from your ISP if possible and just use it as a modem.

 

[iSaint]

I can't help you, but your cat looks like a good candidate for our Caturday Thread!

I think the AEBS will help you get what you want.

 

[juanm]

Thanks!
So this should be the setup, right?

How do I connect the router to the AEBS? Plain old ethernet cable?

Will I be able to "Turn off the router portion of the one from my ISP"? How should I do this? The drivers cd that came with it was windows only, and really not user friendly...

Can any of you confirm that I'll be able to transfer files between my macs and to/from the USB2 shared hard drive? Will it be possible to share the iMac printer over the network?

As you can see, zero mac networking skills!

Thanks again

 

[juanm]

I can't help you, but your cat looks like a good candidate for our Caturday Thread!

I have three more cats... The problem is they are always sleeping (or chewing the router antenna)

 

[peeaanuut]

that set up looks right. Go into the uplink or WAN connection on the AEBS from the router.

As far as turning off the router portion of the modem, I am not certain on that modem. Sometimes you can turn off the router portion and make it an uplink only. What tends to happen is the DHCP on the router will mess up the 2nd router and cause network problems. how do you configure the router on the existing router now? is it browser based or does it have a utility app?

 

[juanm]

Configure... the router?
I haven't done it... Just got it, plugged it, and with ethernet, it just worked.
With wifi, when it works, I just have to input the password. I've never done anything else.
I tried to install the drivers on windows, but they were the usual ugly non-user friendly windows app, and gave up. I'll give it another try...