No luck with routers

[Arkangil]

I have a new uMBP, and also an old Toshiba notebook. I have a desktop PC as well that the MBP is my desktop replacement, so that one will be decommissioned soon! The Toshiba has Wireless G.

I was advised that the Asus WL 500gP V2 was an excellent router for speed and range. It also has 2 USB ports for my Samsung CLP315 and my external hard drive. Well, it is great for range and speed, but it doesn't have any software for my Mac, so I cannot print.

I then purchased the Dlink DIR 825 because it says MAC OSX on the side. Well even after installing the Mac shareport software, I cannot get it to register my printer and therefore cannot print.

Does anyone have the Dlink working with printing on a Mac? I should say that the wireless network itself works great. It's just the print sharing.

Is the Airport Extreme my only option for printing and sharing a hard drive on both Mac and PC? If I broadcast an N network, will my Toshiba wireless G card work? If I do get the Airport, can I use a USB hub to allow for sharing of both a printer and a hard drive? I'd prefer to avoid spending $200 on the airport if something else will work.

Finally, I have a 2 story house with a basement. If the airport is located in the basement in a storage room, will the transmission reach my upper floor?

 

[cube]

Try putting DD-WRT on the Asus

 

[Guiyon]

I've played this game with network printing before and it just isn't worth the hassle. It was far easier (and cheaper!) for me to pick up a Brother HL-2070N (or anything else with a build-in print server, I recently added an Epson Stylus 980N) and it has worked more reliably with far less effort instead of trying to shoehorn a printer into a usage pattern which it was not designed for.

 

[J&JPolangin]

...I had a linksys WRT-54GS and my Brother 7840W was networked into that... then the new sim. dual band AEBS came out and I got one as soon as they were in stock at the base PX... everything still works great ~4 months later (iPod Touch, 20" iMac, whitebook and 4 winXP machines...

 

[Arkangil]

I have no idea what I am looking at with the DD WRT thing. Did I mention that this is my first Mac ever, and I'm still new to the whole thing?!

I guess I will be sucking it up and getting the Airport extreme. Three questions though.

1. Can I use a USB hub to share a printer and a hard drive? Follow up: Will both PC and Mac be able to access both?

2. How is the range on a airport?

3. Will both Mac on N and PC on G be able to access it and work with it and all that fancy stuff?

Thanks all.

 

[1ne]

I have no idea what I am looking at with the DD WRT thing. Did I mention that this is my first Mac ever, and I'm still new to the whole thing?!

WRT is a third party firmware. You will need to flash your router. This is also my first Mac. Isn't it great?

I guess I will be sucking it up and getting the Airport extreme. Three questions though.

1. Can I use a USB hub to share a printer and a hard drive? Follow up: Will both PC and Mac be able to access both?
Yes you can. Don't use a hub but rather a switch. I don't think they even sells hub anymore

2. How is the range on a airport?
Approx. 150 feet in a open clear space

3. Will both Mac on N and PC on G be able to access it and work with it and all that fancy stuff?
Yes it will. It's all backward compatible. However just remember, your network is as fast as your slowest client. So in your case the G radios.


Thanks all.

Very slim if you leave your AP downstairs you will be able to received it upstairs especially on Wireless N. G radios perhaps.

 

[HBOC]

i have the WRT160N V2 (haven't DDWRT's it yet, as it just came available or is still WIP, i haven't checked in a few weeks) and it is networked with my girlfriends' dell xps.

They also still very much sell USB hubs, if that is what someone was asking.

 

[Arkangil]

That's interesting. So even though my computer CAN receive N, the airport will only transmit in G because that is the most my wife can receive? I think the dlink transmits both so I am on N and she is on G.

 

[J&JPolangin]

...the new AEBS is sim dual band = it has both transmitters in it... you can use a hub on it and I'd suggest a powered unit so you don't run the risk of the hub being a point of possible failure due to inadequate power...