airport software base station--not working!

[seebol]

I've read about how to use an imac as a software base station in books and from Google search results. They all say something like, "just turn on Internet Sharing, and presto! you save the money of a hardware base station!"

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be that simple for me. Right now I am typing from an imac running 10.2.8 with a regular airport card. On my lap is a new ibook running 10.3.4 with an airport extreme card. On the imac I turned on internet sharing and the airport card. On the ibook, i then turned on the airport. The ibook autosenses the wireless network, aptly named 'imac'. I get 13 bars for my ibook's signal level in Internet Connect. However, I can't access files on the iMac, surf the internet through some shared connection, or even log onto iChat. It seems as if there is no connection between the two computers at all.

Help! How can I get the imac to talk to the ibook?

 

[stoid]

What are your firewall settings? Could that be interfering?

 

[seebol]

on both macs, the firewall is off

 

[TDM21]

I dont know, maybe what i am about to tell you is completely wrong, but here it goes anyway:

1. on your iMac click on the airport icon at the top and select "create network" and name it. (I dont know if that exsist on 10.2.8 but it does in 10.3.4)

2. on your iBook go to system prefrences and network. then click "Assist Me" and the bottom. Name the location and click continue. Next choose the first option and click continue. See if the network you created in step 1 is displayed. If it is then select it and click continue.

That should be it. Try Safari and see if it connects. You can also browse Nettwork and see if your iMac is showing up.

I hope this helps you. But if anybody see an error in what I wrote please tell me. I've anly been using OS X for a month now.

 

[seebol]

actually, 10.2.8 doesn't have the "create network" option in the menu bar, but I think it automatically has a network because my iBook senses a network called "iMac"--i can sign onto that network, but I can't do anything with it, except I just realized that rendezvous works. any other suggestions?

 

[emw]

No software base station

In 10.3 you can go to Sharing and share your Internet connection. I have not played with this much, and am not in a position to test it here at work, but I think you need to have two ports available.

For example, if your iMac is connected to your ISP via Built-in Ethernet, and it also has the Airport card, then it could share the Internet connection via the airport card.

You can setup security options on the sharing the airport connection (password, etc.) as well.

I don't know if this is available on 10.2.8, though.

Edit: Still don't know if it's in 10.2.8, but I set up Internet Sharing on my iMac and connected to it through my PowerBook and it works fine. In fact, it's how I'm connected to the internet right now.