Just got a MBP...questions about Wireless

[noreaga]

Hey all. FIrst post on here, just ordered a refurbed 2.4 Ghz MBP from Apple today. Being a lifelong PC user, Im looking forward to playing around with a Mac. Before it actually gets here though, I wanted to clear up a few questions I had:

1. We've got a wireless ntwk set up here at home. Pretty standard config with a DSL Modem and a Linksys 802.11b-compatible router. Now, Ive been reading about the Airport peripheral; is this something Im going to need, or will I be fine without it ?

2. Does the MBP come with a built in wireless card, like most of today's laptops do ? I tried to google around, but I didnt seem to have any luck finding a concrete answer. They all linked me back to Airport/Airport Extreme.

Thats pretty much it. I guess both my questions were wireless ntwking related. Looking forward to some helpful responses.

Thanks in advance, folks.

 

[EricNau]

1. Are you talking about Time Capsule? ...No, you don't need it (you don't even need an Apple Base Station; any compatible wireless base station will work).

2. Yes, wireless-n cards are standard.

 

[janitorC7]

Hey all. FIrst post on here, just ordered a refurbed 2.4 Ghz MBP from Apple today. Being a lifelong PC user, Im looking forward to playing around with a Mac. Before it actually gets here though, I wanted to clear up a few questions I had:

1. We've got a wireless ntwk set up here at home. Pretty standard config with a DSL Modem. Now, Ive been reading about the Airport peripheral; is this something Im going to need, or will I be fine without it ?

2. Does the MBP come with a built in wireless card, like most of today's laptops do ? I tried to google around, but I didnt seem to have any luck finding a concrete answer. They all linked me back to Airport/Airport Extreme.

Thats pretty much it. I guess both my questions were wireless ntwking related. Looking forward to some helpful responses.

Thanks in advance, folks.

Yes, it has AirPort Extreme (802.11n) Built in.

Airport is just apples name for it, similar to the name centrino used by intel.

and it will work very easily with your current setup, just select it from the list and you are online

JC7

 

[superleccy]

1. You should be fine with your existing wireless network.

2. Yes, Wi-Fi has been standard on all Mac Laptops for some time.

When you switch on your MPB, it should find your existing wireless network, ask you for the password, and then you're on!

SL

 

[teleromeo]

you don't need airport express or extreme.
Your laptop should have an airportcard built in so you can connect at once.
Go to the airport icon in the menu bar, choose other and type in the name of your network and your password.

 

[Jason S.]

The Airport Extreme Base Station is Apple's wireless router. If you already have a wireless network, you'll be fine without it.

The Airport is the wireless card in the MPB, and it will connect to your current wireless network.

Have fun with your new Mac!

EDIT: So many replies so fast, heh.

 

[noreaga]

Gentlemen, this is perfect. Ive never been on a forum where Ive seen such quick responses. Kudos to you all !

So ... is it worth getting an airport extreme ? any experiences ?

 

[teleromeo]

start with what you have and enjoy your macbook pro. If you have problems consider an airport. If you want automated backup have a look at the new time capsule.

 

[pkoch1]

"network" isn't thaaaat long of a word!



Haha, I'm just joking around. Abbreviate how you want!

 

[janitorC7]

Gentlemen, this is perfect. Ive never been on a forum where Ive seen such quick responses. Kudos to you all !

So ... is it worth getting an airport extreme ? any experiences ?

If you only have one mac (or revision-n computer) I do not think that it is worth it, unless you have a large house.

AirPort Extreme makes it really fast to have mac to mac communication on your home network, and set-up is a snap. It will also let you have a shared network hard drive, which is accessible by PC's but I have not had great luck with the experience.

I think that you will only really need this under three situations

1. Multiple Macs

2. Want to set up a wireless printer

3. Have a large house and want to extend the range of you networking using Wireless bridges (Airport Expresses, these also wirelessly stream music, as well as extending the range of your Airport Network)

I;m glad that we can be of help

 

[Jason S.]

So ... is it worth getting an airport extreme ? any experiences ?

Since you already have a wireless network, I would say no. The only advantage I see from the AEBS is the Wireless-N capabilities, which will really only be beneficial to you if you will be transferring data from one computer to another via the network.

You might want to look into Time Capsule which was just announced today and will be available in February. It is essentially an Airport Extreme with a built-in hard drive and will work seamlessly with Time Machine. The price is great for what you get, too.

 

[noreaga]

Cheers, folks. This has been a great help.

Sorry about the abbreviating, lol .... got used to doing that particular example at work

 

[EricNau]

Gentlemen, this is perfect. Ive never been on a forum where Ive seen such quick responses. Kudos to you all !

So ... is it worth getting an airport extreme ? any experiences ?

Apple base stations provide a more "seamless" experience with setup, but beyond that performance should be the same with any wireless-n router.

For internet 802.11b will be fast enough, but if you want to take advantage of wireless home networking (such as file sharing), you'll want at least 802.11g.