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Networking how-to

mmmdreg

mmmdreg

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 14, 2002
1,393
0
Sydney, Australia
I want to network all three macs in my house with airport and add a printer in there as well...problem is, I'm a complete newbie when it comes to networking...do I need any special software or anything? I just want to be able to use the same internet for all three computers and play a few LAN games and let them print off the one printer...
 
I'm no networking expert but if you want to use the internet on all 3 computers you will need a router and if you just want to play games and LAN apps you will need a hub switch thing....(I forget the name of it)
 
Re: Networking how-to

Originally posted by mmmdreg
I want to network all three macs in my house with airport and add a printer in there as well...problem is, I'm a complete newbie when it comes to networking...do I need any special software or anything? I just want to be able to use the same internet for all three computers and play a few LAN games and let them print off the one printer...
Click to expand...

The way I read this, you are planning to wirelessly network them -- if so, any additional software needed will be included or provided with the Airport cards (if they are not pre-installed) and base station. The Airport base station is a router and will allow the computers to share the internet connection, and talk to each other.

The printer would just need to be hooked up to one of the computers and shared out.
 
Originally posted by mmmdreg
is it possible to connect two airport cards directly instead of using the base station?
Click to expand...

It is possible, but I would suggest getting a new base station. What printer are you looking to put on the network??? Do you have it yet or will you be ordering it up?? If you have not yet ordered the printer, check out the Epson C80N or C80WN. The C80N can connect to the base station directly, while the C80WN is wireless networkable. You can use the C80N from a wireless network via the base station, but I believe that the C80WN is only wireless, not wired as well.

Here is how I have my home network set up. Internet via a DSL modem that connects to the WAN port on the Airport base station. The base station connects to my Netgear 8 port 10/100 ethernet switch. I have the game peecee and C80N plugging into the network switch and my 800MHz TiBook connecting to the base station via Airport. With it set up this way, I can print from the laptop (anywhere within the airport's range) or game system. I can also have several people over for a LAN party, since the switch has open ports (3 of the 8 are in use). If people come over with laptops, with wireless cards, they can choose either wireless or wired. I can also add up to 5 more hard wired devices/systems onto my network with no problem at all. It is also independant of any one system. This way, if I want to print from the laptop, I can (without the tower powered up) and vice versa. If you go with all airport cards, it will get expensive, and you will only be able to print when the system connected to the printer is powered up.
 
Would need Airport Administration Utility on at least one machine if you go wireless.

If you go wired just need a router and a 4- or 8-port fast ethernet 10/100 switch. Macs are really simple to network under ethernet, basically just plug and play.

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As far as sharing the printer, it'll depend on what type of printer it is and how it's hooked up or networked. And the drivers used.

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I picked up a Netgear 8-port Fast Ethernet Switch and a reconditioned Netgear 4-port Cable/DSL Gateway Router as they went on deep discount sales.
 
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