Will my netbook's wireless router mess me up?

[JolieCat]

I have an Asus 1000HE netbook and was going to get a wireless router for it so I can work around the house about the same time I got my iMac. I do not want my Mac to be wireless as I've heard too many horror stories about security, etc. and am okay with being deskbound and don't mind the wires.

But I really need to be able to move my netbook around. If I get a router for my modem (the same modem my Mac is hooked into) is my Mac going to automatically try to connect wirelessly? I just want my netbook wireless and nothing more.

Can I connect the router to the modem and work on my netbook wi-fi simultaneously while it is connected to the Mac which I do NOT want to be wireless?

Thanks.

 

[spinnerlys]

If you get a wireless router, you can connect to that router (which connects to the internet via the modem it is connected to) your netbook wirelessly and your iMac via wire, as most routers also have 3-4 ethernet ports.

If you deactivated your iMac's Airport it won't activate itself just because the is a wireless LAN out there.
You have to activate Airport, connect to the new wireless LAN (which you have created via your iMac by ethernet cable or the netbook also by ethernet cable), enter the password you have given this wireless LAN, and then you are connected to the wireless LAN of your new router.

So in short: get a router capable of wireless LAN and having at least one additional ethernet port (making it two ports - one is for the modem - at least) and you can connect your netbook wirelessly and your iMac via ethernet cable.

 

[Dan73]

Typical home use routers come with wireless + 4 wired ports + 1 port to connect the modem to.

Hook the modem up to the router and the router up to the mac. Then setup your netbook to use the wireless.

Dunno what you've heard about wireless but its not so bad, hasn't killed anyone yet

 

[Tomorrow]

What kinds of horror stories have you heard about running wifi on an iMac?

Every computing device in my house is wireless, if you don't enable any public folders, public hardware, etc. then there shouldn't be any problems - I'm assuming that you're using a router with WPA encryption, of course.

 

[JolieCat]

Thank you spinnerlys, Dan, and Tomorrow, for the helpful information. As for the horror stories, I had heard several friends say that setting up their wireless routers was very difficult and they had lots of problems with them. Not sure exactly what the problems were, but they all sounded like major hassles.

What you described didn't sound bad at all, though.

Two more questions:

1. My netbook will be wireless, okay, no problem there from what you all described. But then I have my old Dell PC which right now is still set up, but not hooked up to the net since the viruses that infected it have rendered it impossible to get online. Once I transfer my files outta there and wipe the drive (I have PC Eraser and hope that does the trick), and then reinstall Win2000 and my other programs, will I be able to hook it up to the same modem that my Mac is on? I'd like to have both my PC and my Mac hooked up online. I know that sounds like a lot of computers but until I feel more comfortable with my Mac I'd like to have a backup.

2. What is the best wireless router to buy? I'm ready to get one now so I can get started on this as I need to be able to use my netbook.

The result will be I'll have two computers on my desk plus my netbook to use elsewhere. Too many computers, I know, but until I know for sure my Mac isn't going to act up I must have a backup for work.

Thank you.

 

[Tomorrow]

Nah, that's not too many computers.

If you have a wireless router set up for you to use your netbook, the same router can provide service for other computers as well, with no tweaking to the router. Just enter the WPA password for the router into each computer which accesses the router wirelessly and presto, you're connected.

As for which router is the best, you ask ten people and you'll get ten different answers. They're all decent, really. I use a Linksys and I love it, it was easy to set up and it's easy to administer. I hear Belkin's are fine as are Apple's.

I would recommend you get one that supports 802.11n, since that's the emerging standard, and it's supported by all current Macs. Also make sure there are some ethernet ports on your router, so you can connect a NAS, printer, etc.

 

[JolieCat]

Thanks, Tomorrow. I want only my netbook to be wireless. I want my Mac and my Dell to be connected to the modem.

I've heard Linksys is good too. I think I can get that at Walmart.

Then I move on to the best website building software...looks like RapidWeaver and Sandvox are the frontrunners...

 

[spinnerlys]

Thanks, Tomorrow. I want only my netbook to be wireless. I want my Mac and my Dell to be connected to the modem.

I've heard Linksys is good too. I think I can get that at Walmart.

Then I move on to the best website building software...looks like RapidWeaver and Sandvox are the frontrunners...

The modem is only connected to the router though, and all the computers are connected to the router, be it by wire or without.

If you connect directly to the modem with one of your computers (more aren't possible due to the lack of ports on the modem), you have to use the computer to dial up via PPPoE, which will be the router's job once it has been brought into the system.

 

[JolieCat]

Well, this turned out to be an epic fail.

The netbook never could connect to the router, and my Mac started acting wonky on it, so I disconnected it. The Mac was running incredibly sloooow, I mean my-old-Dell-with-a-virus-slow, and I got so worried it was about to crash I called my ISP to see what was up. I thought maybe it was the connection. He said to try unplugging the router and going back to connecting directly through the modem. It worked. No more spinning beachball of death.

But..now I have a router that's basically a paperweight. It's a Cisco Linksys, about $60, too late to return. Besides, I would still like to be up and running wireless in my house if I could.

Anyway, wanted to thank you for all your input. Maybe someday I'll get this going, but I have spent hours trying to get the netbook to connect without success -- even called Asus and after an hour she said she'd have to get a supervisor to call me back, which never happened.

Aaarggh.

Jo
p.s. I would thank you individually for your advice but I got slapped big time for something called "consecutive posting" when I did that before, so I don't dare! That's why I haven't posted in a while -- too scared!

 

[3lionsbecks]

Well.....that doesn't really seem to make a lot of sense.

You should be able to get your router up and running in about 10min or less.

I guess my suggestion is to buy a slightly more expensive router and try that. An Apple Airport Express (or even better Airport extreme) will work perfectly for you in no time at all.

You generally have 30days to return items so I'm not sure why you couldn't return your Linksys router that you weren't happy with?

 

[JolieCat]

Well.....that doesn't really seem to make a lot of sense.

You should be able to get your router up and running in about 10min or less.

I guess my suggestion is to buy a slightly more expensive router and try that. An Apple Airport Express (or even better Airport extreme) will work perfectly for you in no time at all.

You generally have 30days to return items so I'm not sure why you couldn't return your Linksys router that you weren't happy with?

It actually did work fine with the Mac, for a while, until something made it go haywire. The ISP guy said that somebody else on the network might have been interfering with it unknowingly.

It was the netbook that never could connect. I kept getting a weird error message that said I could not connect, even though I had 4-5 bars all the time. The Asus support person couldn't explain it, she tried for an hour, and her supervisor never called me like they said they would, and I never called back. If I ever get a few hours I don't know what to do with, I'll call them back.

I bought it months ago, so too late for return.

I just wanted to be able to work wireless in the other rooms in my place. Now I just go to Starbucks or the library.

 

[mbisson]

It actually did work fine with the Mac, for a while, until something made it go haywire. The ISP guy said that somebody else on the network might have been interfering with it unknowingly.

It was the netbook that never could connect. I kept getting a weird error message that said I could not connect, even though I had 4-5 bars all the time. The Asus support person couldn't explain it, she tried for an hour, and her supervisor never called me like they said they would, and I never called back. If I ever get a few hours I don't know what to do with, I'll call them back.

I bought it months ago, so too late for return.

I just wanted to be able to work wireless in the other rooms in my place. Now I just go to Starbucks or the library.

Without seeing how your modem and router are set up it is difficult to offer assistance but I've had issues before where both the router and modem have been set up to provide IP addresses to connected devices.

I had to set my router up to just extend the network with devices obtaining their IPs from the router.

Not sure how you would be able to try with your combination but would suggest if you know someone who is technically minded you ask if they could have a go at setting them up and finding the right combination of settings.

One other option is that there are other networks in your vicinity operating on the same band which I assume the ISP guy was alluding to. You could try changing this on your wireless router first and see if using another channel makes any difference.

 

[JolieCat]

<<One other option is that there are other networks in your vicinity operating on the same band which I assume the ISP guy was alluding to. You could try changing this on your wireless router first and see if using another channel makes any difference.>>

Yes, that's exactly what ISP guy meant.

I will try your suggestion when I get some time - what takes a "technically proficient" person a few minutes takes me half a day .

Thanks.