Bridging two 802.11g routers!?

Recently i purchased an iMac g3 snow, and it's impossible for me to electrically wire it and i cannot use the airport cards, -those are 802.11b and my wifi is 802.11g, so i was wondering if i could bridge the UFO design base station with wireless-g on it?
UPDATE: When i say UFO design i mean the one with usb printer ability, not the graphite. also, i have an existing router connected to the access point downstairs, and that is a netgear i am renting from my isp, i just need to know what i need to do in System Preferences to bridge them, the steps i should take.
-Thanks, Qwertyfish11
Message was edited by: Qwertyfish11

The "UFO design" base station with USB port is an AirPort Extreme base station (AEBS).
The AEBS can produce an 802.11b-compatible wireless network, even if the Netgear cannot. One possibility would be to connect the AEBS by Ethernet to the Netgear. The AEBS and its wireless clients could then be part of the same network as the Netgear and its wireless clients. So long as the wireless channels are not the same as or numerically close to one another, they should not interfere with each other. To administer the AEBS from a computer running Mac OS X 10.2, you would use AirPort Admin Utility version 3.1.1. It would be best to have the AEBS not distribute IP addresses. (AirPort Admin Utility might describe such a configuration, where the AEBS does not distribute IP addresses, as the base station acting as a "bridge." This structure is probably not what you meant by "bridge," but it may accomplish what you need.)
If by "bridge" you meant that you wish to connect the AEBS wirelessly to your existing 802.11g wireless network created by the Netgear router and to connect the AEBS by Ethernet to the iMac G3, in order to allow the iMac to obtain Internet access, that is probably not possible unless the Netgear is capable of WDS and unless the Netgear's WDS is compatible with the AEBS. If it is possible, you would need to first configure the Netgear to use WDS, then use AirPort Admin Utility (or AirPort Utility on a newer Mac) to configure the AEBS.
I do not have personal experience configuring an AEBS for WDS. There is an AirPort Extreme forum on this site. (The present forum is meant for discussion of Graphite base stations and Snow base stations.)
Devices that connect to a computer's Ethernet port that enable the computer to join a wireless network, without WDS, do exist. They are known as wireless Ethernet adapters. You could research whether any of these would serve your needs.

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    Message was edited by: Smokerz

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    As concisely as I can lay this out:
    *1. Airport Extreme (Base Station)*
    Connected via Ethernet from its WAN port to my Comcast cable modem. One Ethernet (LAN) port on that AE is then connected via Ethernet to my Netgear 8-port Ethernet switch. Ethernet from switch to Ethernet port 1 on my MacPro. (MacPro does NOT have an Airport card because I forgot to order one. Also I confirmed that this setup was functional by connecting to the AE wirelessly with my MacBook Pro showing the name I'd given the new network prior to adding the two AX's to the mix).
    Some Airport Extreme settings of note (all accessed via "Manual Setup" button):
    Airport Tab > Summary
    Version 7.5.1
    Wireless Mode: Create a wireless network
    Channel: 149 (Automatic), 1 (Automatic)
    Wireless Clients: 3
    Airport Tab > Base Station:
    Allow Setup over WAN: Unchecked
    Airport Tab > Wireless:
    Allow this network to be extended: Checked
    Airport Tab > Guest Network:
    Nothing checked
    Airport Tab > Access Control:
    MAC Address Access Control: Not Enabled
    Internet Tab > Internet Connection:
    Connect Using: Ethernet
    Ethernet WAN Port: Automatic (Default)
    Connection Sharing: Share a public IP address [Think this one is probably wrong]
    Internet Tab > TCP/IP:
    Configure IPv4: Using DHCP
    Internet Tab > DHCP:
    Shows Beginning & Ending Address
    Internet Tab > NAT:
    Enable default host at: Unchecked and blank field
    Enable NAT Port Mapping Protocol: Checked
    Internet Tab > Advanced
    Didn't touch anything here, so all at defaults
    *2. Airport Express #1: Living Room Express (Closest to AE (Base Station)*
    Airport Tab > Summary
    Version 7.4.2
    Wireless Mode: Extend a wireless network
    Connect using: Wireless Network
    Channel: 1 (Automatic)
    Wireless Clients: 1
    Airport Tab > Base Station:
    Allow Setup over the Internet using Bonjour: Unchecked
    Airport Tab > Wireless:
    Wireless Mode: Extend a wireless network
    Allow wireless clients: checked
    Airport Tab > Access Control:
    MAC Address Access Control: Not Enabled
    Internet Tab > Internet Connection:
    Connect using: Greyed-out, not selectable
    Connection sharing: Greyed-out, not selectable
    Internet Tab > TCP/IP:
    Configure IPv4: Using DHCP
    Shows IP Address
    Internet Tab > Advanced
    Didn't touch anything here, so all at defaults
    *3. Airport Express #2: Dining Room Express (Furthest from AE (Base Station)*
    Airport Tab > Summary
    Version 7.4.2
    Wireless Mode: Extend a wireless network
    Connect using: Wireless Network
    Channel: 1 (Automatic)
    Wireless Clients: 2
    Airport Tab > Base Station:
    Allow Setup over the Internet using Bonjour: Unchecked
    Airport Tab > Wireless:
    Wireless Mode: Extend a wireless network
    Allow wireless clients: checked
    Airport Tab > Access Control:
    MAC Address Access Control: Not Enabled
    Internet Tab > Internet Connection:
    Connect using: Greyed-out, not selectable
    Connection sharing: Greyed-out, not selectable
    Internet Tab > TCP/IP:
    Configure IPv4: Using DHCP
    Shows IP Address
    Internet Tab > Advanced
    Didn't touch anything here, so all at defaults
    SETUP/GOALS:
    With Airport Extreme (Base Station) as the starting point, have the two Airport Express units with the strongest, fastest signal possible, provide Internet access (and file sharing, iTunes speakers capability) to three Macs (one older iMac, one older PowerBook and my new MacBookPro). Again, I believe my new MacBook Pro is the only one with 802.11n support, so I don't expect the other Macs to take advantage of the speed boost offered by the three new 802.11n devices.
    +Any and all help with this will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!+

    {quote}With the AirPort Extreme, in the AirPort panel, Wireless tab, click on the button for "Wireless Network Options", check the box for "5 GHz Network Name", and enter a different network name. (That can be trivially different, such as the name of the main network suffixed with an underscore and the digit 5.) Once configured that way, connect your "N" gear to each network in turn to see if one is any better than the other. (If you're wondering what effect this would have, it allows segregating your "N" gear from the older gear to prevent the older gear from slowing down your network. However, distance and interference from things like walls may negate any advantage.){quote}
    William: I was gone most of yesterday, but had a chance to implement your recommendations today. I added the 5 GHz network as you suggested, but in order to connect to that at all with my 802.n11 MacBokk Pro, I need to be within a few feet of the AE (base station). If I try to access that network even from the next room (well within reach of both the AE and the livingroom AX, I get one bar and "failure to connect" messages just trying to logon to that network.
    However, I did some experimenting that (as of right now, anyway) resulted in much faster network access, not only from my MacBook, but also from the older iMac which is the furthest Mac from the AE. According to my wife, that iMac is "loading web pages faster than I've ever seen them!"
    Here's what I did:
    1. Moved all three units to places where it seemed they would have the least amount of interference with the clearest path from unit to unit, also raising the height of both AXs from about 2-3 feet from the floor to about 5-6 feet from the floor.
    2. Changed one setting on the AE (base station): Wireless Tab > Wireless Network Options > Multicast Rate ---> Changed this from Low to High.
    I have a feeling the location shifts made the real difference, but I will try changing the multicast rate back to "Low" just to see what happens.
    Paul

  • Time to upgrade to 802.11g???

    Any views would be appreciated - I'm running a 802.11b wireless router with an iMac and PB connected. Basically, is it worth investing in 802.11g (AirPort Extreme Base Station)?
    Thanks

    There are so many factors to consider when creating a wireless network. 802.11b advertised throughput is 11mbps and 802.11g is 54mbps. But the actual throughput for these is typically 4-7mbps and 22-27mbps respectively.
    With security encryption like WPA, there is additional overhead that lowers throughput.
    Other important things to consider/remember is that the radio in the AEBS handles one data packet per user at a time. So, if you and a friend were both downloading a file, the radio is not simultaneously sending the two of you data; it sends packets to each of you one at a time. The more users using your wireless connection, the slower it will seem.
    Finally, it all comes down to Internet link you have. How much bandwidth does your ISP provide? Your ISP may support less bandwidth than the AEBS is capable of, therefore making the ISP your limitation.
    Sorry - no clear answer. I have an AEBS (802.11g) and it's nice...if that helps.
    Various Macs and PC's Mac OS X (10.4)
    Various Macs and PC's   Mac OS X (10.4)  

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