Router/macintosh airport extreme question

Mr. Jerk · 03-03-2004

Hi there,, I have a technical question. I have recently purchased an Apple ibook and the "airport" hub and such. My question is this. Is there a way that I can always have my ethernet cable hooked up from my dsl modem to my ps2 and have one running to my "airport" base station. I think what I'm looking for might be called a router, or a hub. Please if anyone knows one that works for ps2 and apple computers please let me know.

Mr. Jerk

.:LongBow:. · 03-03-2004

OK ... I think I see what you're trying to do ... i've been a Mac user for years and have all my networking stuff around here working pretty well ...

It sounds like you've got everything you need, but you're just putting it together backwards ... OK, starting from your DSL Modem since that's where your internet connection comes into the house ... the Ethernet cable from the DSL Modem goes into the WAN port on you Airport base station. Then you connect an ethernet cable from your PS2 to the LAN port on the back of your Airport Base Station. I'm assuming you have an Airport card in your iBook, if that's so ... you're done. Your PS2 is hardwired to the Base and your iBook connects to the Base via the Wireless network ...

If you need to connect more stuff to your network (or if you want to hardwire your iBook to the network, which isn't really necessary if you have Airport) you will need to install a router to handle the extra Ethernet cables ... This is pretty easy too ... Just connect the Router to the LAN port on you Airport and everything else connects to the Router. The only thing you might need to configure is DHCP ... you don't want Airport and the Router trying to control DHCP ... turn it off on the Airport if you use this config.

Hope this makes sense ... I'm sure I'm making it sound more difficult than it is. I have virtually all of my home network set up wirelessly ... even my PS2, and despite what people might say about wireless sucking and being too slow for PS2 they are DEAD wrong ... as long as it's set up properly, and you have decent equipment it's as good as a hardwired connection any day of the week.

Mr. Jerk · 03-03-2004

Thanks... I also have an imac, yes I love mac, and will be installing an airport card in it as well, which will save the last spot for the ps2. I will go home and try the config. that you sent me.... Thanks a bunch.

Mr. Jerk

P.S. Do you have any problems with the dnas and your wireless set up? Is there a way that I could set up the ps2 for airport? Thanks again!

SOCOMisAWESOME · 03-04-2004

Hey guys-I don't have a laptop, but I do have the new 20' IMac g4. Since I only have one computer, and before I got the adapter, I never considered getting a router. Now, I REALLY want one, but all of them seem to work on PC's only.....Linksys etc. Is the Apple Airport Extreme a router? If it is, is it worth getting.....?

Thanks a lot.

P.S. Does it lag a lot if you have router, and have two things online at the same time? Or does it just depend how fast your connectivity is...

.:LongBow:. · 03-04-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOCOMisAWESOME

... I never considered getting a router. Now, I REALLY want one, but all of them seem to work on PC's only.....Linksys etc. Is the Apple Airport Extreme a router? If it is, is it worth getting.....?

I have all Linksys equipment and it works fine with Macintosh (Apple calls it "Airport" but it's the same thing as the 802.11b or g wireless standard that all the PC's use).

Here's what I got and it's all Mac friendly ...

Linksys Etherfact Cable Modem ... Brings my connection into the house

Linksys Wireless "B" Router (with 4 port switch): Takes the cable connection and shares it with the other computers and devices in the house. The Beauty of this is you don't need a PC to configure it, all the configuring is done through your web browser ... you connect directly to the router and it brings up a web page ... no software or PC required ... very cool.

Powerbook G4 with an original "Airport" card: I only connect wirelessly with my Laptop, I just use it for Web Surfing, e-mail, and office programs

Dual 1.25GHZ G4: The only thing hardwired to my Router, since it's right next to the router I just connected the main system to the back of the router in one of the Ethernet switches. I could've gone wireless and got the same DL speeds on the internet but it was just easier.

Linksys WET11 Wireless Bridge: This is what I connect my PS2 wirelessly with. Unfortunately, to configure this you do need to use a PC. The other option is using the new Linksys Wireless Game Adapter which supposedly doesn't need to be configured. I've customized this piece of equipment too, took it apart, put a better transmitter in it ... I get 100% signal strength with this now and a rock solid connection.

Crappy PC: I do have a PC in the basement, it connect with a simple Linksys Wireless USB adapter ... a little antenna that just plugs into the USB port ... I hardly use this, but it's online if I need it.

SOCOMisAWESOME · 03-04-2004

WOW-You got a lotta stuff there. So, with one computer, and one PS2, and wanting to have both online at the same time, which item do you recommend? Does the airport extreme serve as a router?

Thanks for all the help man. :o :D

.:LongBow:. · 03-04-2004

Thanks, all my stuff is work related so it's kind of a perk to have all kinds of cool gear in my house.

Technically the Airport (and Airport Extreme) are "Wireless Routers". Wirelessly it can share a connection with a couple hundred (?) wireless devices on the network. BUT If you want to connect some devices with an Ethernet cable (hardwired) there is only ONE Ethernet LAN port for this on the Airport base station. So lets say you wanted your PS2 hardwired to the Airport, you could plug that into the LAN port and be fine as long as you don't mind connecting wirelessly with your Computer. If you don't already have an Airport card in your computer, I'd probably recommend doing something like I have with a Wireless B (or G) Router that also has the 4 Ethernet ports built into it (Linksys is a decent brand and fairly easy to set up).

I think the Airport is nice, and easy to set up (particularly if you aren't very tech savvy) but it is pricey and doesn't have as many options for hardwiring a connection. If you were to go with a set up like I have (Linksys wireless B or G Router w. 4 port switch) you'd get a setup that not only has the flexibility to communicate with your devices wirelessly, but you also have 4 Ethernet ports if you decide you want more than 1 device hardwired to the router. These are generally cheaper too ... The Wireless B routers are around $79 and the Wireless g routers are around $150.

~Sgt Monkey~ · 03-04-2004

I work at BestBuy and am a Computer Department Head. All routers do work with the Apple computers. I have an Apple. I use a Netgear Wirless connection. In the back of my router are 4 Ethernet ports. I use one port for my ps2 online. If you have a router you can hook up to as 4 computers. In my house I have 3 computers and my ps2. Two computers being wireless connected and my ps2 using ethernet cable.