airport

[mith]

hey , this might be a stupid question.....but what is airport lol?
u know the thing next to the blue tooth icon on that bar -upper right ....but ya i bought a new i mac 24-inch more den a week ago ,,so just learning....what can i do with it,,i didn't click on anythin yet cause dont' wanna mess up anythin...my friend says i can use other ppl's network????..i don't understand

 

[WildCowboy]

It's just like any other wireless internet. You can connect to wireless networks (yours or other people's...if you have the password or it's an open network) in order to get on the internet.

 

[mith]

so that means ppl can get on to my network to??

 

[thewhitehart]

Airport is a way you can access the internet wirelessly. PC's have it too, but Apple sort of pioneered it and called it "airport".

Airport works kind of like a radio receiver. When your friends say that you can get other people's "internet", it means that the airport is picking up a signal from a house or building around you that has a wireless router.

Wireless routers are attached to DSL or cable modems. They allow a number of computers to share an internet connection, instead of just plugging one computer directly into the broadband modem.

 

[WildCowboy]

so that means ppl can get on to my network to??

If you have a wireless network and either leave it unprotected or provide specific people with the password, they can get on your network.

But the icon you're referring to on your computer shows what network your computer is connected to and the signal strength you're getting.

 

[thewhitehart]

so that means ppl can get on to my network to??

Wireless routers have special security measures that you can implement to password protect your internet connection. Some people are foolish (or generous) and don't bother putting passwords on their routers to prevent strangers from accessing them.