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Yes, you can use your powermac as a basestation with os 10.1. It is relatively easy. ALl the drawbacks you see posted are true. I use it and love it. Until there is a compelling reason for me to switch to a hardware base station, i will continue to enjoy my wirelss network at home.

PS The range is not an issue for me, I live in a 2 bedroom apartment.
 
Can you use a G3 computer as a base station? In the description on Apple's website it said that you could use the iMac, Powermac or Powerbook as a base station to connect to another iMac, Powermac, Powerbook or iBook. Notice how they conviently left out iBook.

BEN
 
I really dont know much about this, but, i would assume that if your g3 supports an airport card (and i dont know if they do) and you have os 10.1 (or even os 9, i dont know about other versions of operating systems) that you can do it. remember you must leave the host computer on for the wireless network to work. No big deal for me. I hear people talk about power bills. That is probably the least expensive part of this entire operation (not your power bill total, but the portion due to leaving a computer on an extra amount of time).
 
No a G3 can't do anything airport related. Airport first appeared on iBooks and shortly after we got the iMac DV, and the Powermac G4.

Altough you could probably get some thridparty airport cards, but to my knowledge those only come in PCMCIA card formats (for a Powerbook).
 
Ok, anyone here read WIRED mag.? Software base station ahs been around a while, blah blah, I'm not really talking about that exactly. Forget like the "Mac only" part of this, jsut think of computers, now if every computer were a mobile basestation, then wouldn't that be neat? As long as there was someone walking around the block who also had their laptop, then you too, could get on the internet. Or how about a streaming video at 70 mph? That would be quite nice eh? (I can say eh, because I am Canadian, so there :p ) I highly suggest you all go out and skim through (god-forbid paying for a magazine or anythign silly like that) the new WIRED, and somewhere around the front there is a one page article on this, it's amazing, and I hope it comes true soon!
 
Originally posted by buffsldr
... and you have os 10.1 (or even os 9, i dont know about other versions of operating systems) that you can do it

10.2 necessary, it is NOT in 10.1

Originally posted by dantec
No a G3 can't do anything airport related. Airport first appeared on iBooks and shortly after we got the iMac DV, and the Powermac G4.

??? Airport works natively in a slot loading iMac and to my knowledge these are G3. I don't know about sw basestation, but using airport in an iBook is normal.
 
Of course airport works with an iBook. If it didn't, then why do they have airport antenna's built in, and sell airport cards as part of the deal :rolleyes: . What I'm curious of is, can I use an iBook as a basestation?

BEN
 
Originally posted by backspinner


10.2 necessary, it is NOT in 10.1



??? Airport works natively in a slot loading iMac and to my knowledge these are G3. I don't know about sw basestation, but using airport in an iBook is normal.


I have OS 10.1 and I am using my g4 as a software basestation. Would you like to know how? Read the entire thread and you will learn. And I have an iBook, FYI
 
Originally posted by buffsldr: I have OS 10.1 and I am using my g4 as a software basestation
You're right, but it is more complicated than buying Jaguar.

Totaly off-topic: why is your folding declining? I'm going to catch you!
 
Dumb question of the day...

Is this: "11 Mbps" faster or slower than my cable modem? I mean, will using an airport slow the connection to the internet down?
 
Personally i don't know of many cable companies that offer connection speeds over 640 kbps; there is no way airport will be your bottleneck in your connection :)
 
Sorry for double-posting

to put it simpler, airport lets you transfer files at 1375 K/sec; if you have any kind of connection that transfers faster than that, airport will slow you down. In other case, it will be no issue
 
Originally posted by mcrain
Dumb question of the day...

Is this: "11 Mbps" faster or slower than my cable modem? I mean, will using an airport slow the connection to the internet down?

Very dumb question... Unless you have a connection that is faster then a T3, the bottleneck will be the cable modem.

BTW, Even if you set the base to 2Mbps, you will still be faster then the cable modem. A T1 connection is 1.5Mbps (full duplex).
 
RE: No a G3 can't do anything airport related

I have a bronze powerbook (G3 400MHz) and have been using an airport card and a non-apple base station/router (I needed "dual ethernet" for my old mac which was not avail at the time with the old base station, besides it was almost $100 less expensive) for over a year without problems! Wireless networking is so very cool.
Off topic: Some airports - like for planes...- (and Starbucks etc.) are having available airport wireless compatible connections, so if you travel a lot an airport card in your ibook/powerbook is not a bad investment....
 
Originally posted by backspinner


10.2 necessary, it is NOT in 10.1



??? Airport works natively in a slot loading iMac and to my knowledge these are G3. I don't know about sw basestation, but using airport in an iBook is normal.

I'm sorry I meant powermac G3.
 
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