Connecting to a wireless PC network.

[macajax4]

Hi everyone. I'm entering university this year and I know they have an 802.11b compatible wireless network. I was thinking of purchasing an Apple airport card in order to connect to the network. My question is this : Does the airport card work with any 802.11 b compliant network / base station or does it require an Apple Airport base station? Thank you very much for your help.

 

[awrc]

Should work just fine with a standard 802.11b network - my home network was "all PC" (specifically a Netgear MR314 router/wireless hub, a Netgear MA102 access point, and several PCs with Netgear MA401 cards) until my wife got her Powerbook. In fact it was easier to get the Macs on the network than it was originally hooking the PCs up.

Only problems I've had were with the range of my wife's TiBook - I ended up having to add the MA102 in the living-room, hardwired to my main switch by 50ft of CAT5 - because of the TiBook's rather feeble reception range. If it's a TiBook you've got, unless you add an external antenna, expect to spend a lot of time hanging out near your nearest access point

Al

 

[macajax4]

Thanks alot! I appreciate very much!

 

[Warblade]

Originally posted by awrc
If it's a TiBook you've got, unless you add an external antenna, expect to spend a lot of time hanging out near your nearest access point

Al

Adding an external antenna? How is that done, short of getting another wireless card and sticking it in the pcmcia slot. I'm planning to get a TiBook soon. Supposedly the newer ones have addressed the bad reception issue, but, if I still can't get reception downstairs (where I primarily use laptops) then I'd like to be able to fix it

 

[buffsldr]

No worries. I bought an airport card last week, put it in my ibook, went to the library, and was online no problem.