How to setup a WiFi from a Mac?

[Julien]

Just bought my dad a Mac mini. He has a Linksys (g) WiFi router that I want to remove. I have tried to setup. I get a yellow "LED" and it says "Wi-Fi does not have an IP address and can'y connect..." Sometimes it says "WiFi has a self-assigned IP address xxx.xxx and will not be able to connect to the Internet" and it is still yellow. I can see and connect to this WiFi on my iPad/iPhone but it still uses cell data.

Also if I go to Sharing and check Wi-Fi I get the following box. If I hit Start (ironically it Stops) I lose all Internet connection and must reset the modem.

I have searched and can't find what to do. I have tried to turn on internet sharing but don't seem to have the correct choses. What am I doing wrong and why is it so complex to setup?

 

[maflynn]

I'm not sure what you're trying to do.

If you're trying to remove the linksys router from your home network, what are you using to connect to the internet?

 

[Julien]

I'm not sure what you're trying to do.

If you're trying to remove the linksys router from your home network, what are you using to connect to the internet?

DSL modem connected directly to the Mac by ethernet cable. Then set up a WiFi so I can hotspot and connect my iPad and iPhone.

The Linksys is an older g and the Mac mini is n.

 

[hallux]

On a typical home internet connection you will get absolutely ZERO speed increase by using an N internal connection. The only speed increase you might see is sharing of files within the home network, which you can't do much of anyway with an iPad and iPhone.

FYI, Wireless G is rated at 54 Mbps before overhead, that DSL connection is MAYBE 10% of that.

 

[maflynn]

I think you're better off getting a wireless router then trying set up the Mac for internet sharing. You lose the NAT that routers provide for security, and other features like WPA2 and I think the overhead that OSX imposes may slow things down further.

 

[Julien]

On a typical home internet connection you will get absolutely ZERO speed increase by using an N internal connection. The only speed increase you might see is sharing of files within the home network, which you can't do much of anyway with an iPad and iPhone....

More interested in reducing clutter and complexity. My dad is elderly and not tech savvy and any lowering of the tech curve is a plus. I only need the WiFi for the 4 or 5 times a year that I visit. He doesn't have any WiFi devices.

I think you're better off getting a wireless router then trying set up the Mac for internet sharing. You lose the NAT that routers provide for security, and other features like WPA2 and I think the overhead that OSX imposes may slow things down further.

Don't care about security. He "lives in the boonies" on a large plot of land. I just thought the built in WiFi would be a simpler option but I guess I will just use the Linksys router.