Confused: Wireless router V's base station

I have a g5 imac.
I want to make my broadband connection wireless.
I would also like to share my broadbad connection with another mac (which already has an airport extreme card)
My understanding is that I will need to
1. buy an airport extreme card for my mac (it doesnt have one)
2. Buy either a wireless router or a base station. (my current broadband connection is USB and my ISP does not supply ethernet modems)
Firstly.. is this correct?
secondly, which is better?
Im just so confused.

Apple's Airport Base Station is a wireless router. They're a little pricey, but have a lot of features and are supposedly easy to set up.
Some features it has that cheaper ones may not:
Supports 50 connections
USB port (for sharing a printer)
Built-in 56k modem
External antenna connector
Wireless bridging
If you don't need any of those things, then you're probably better off getting a wireless router of another brand.
The Base Station connects via ethernet, so if you need USB, then you'd need another brand, or some kind of adapter. I'd look into getting your internet connection over ethernet though.

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HT4259 When a Netgear N 300 wireless router is the base station for my network, what steps do I take to add AirPort Express 802.11n as an network extender?

When a Netgear N 300 wireless router is the base station for my network, what steps do I take to add AirPort Express 802.11n as an network extender?

You don't have to do anything to the netgear.. the Express cannot wirelessly extend non-apple networks. You must plug the Express in by ethernet and create a new wireless network.. this can be the same name (SSID) and security as the netgear so it can become a roaming network.

Unable to set up my Time capsule as router and wifi base station

I am new to the mac world and purchased a time capsule to act as my router and wifi base station. I asked when i purchased the TC if i needed anything other than the adsl filter i have for broadband and was told no. However I cannot get the TC to talk to the internet or even see the connection. Did i infact need a modem between the adsl filter and the tc? if not what cable do i need from the adsl filter and the tc as the one that fits my current router and works has a small modem jac not an ethernet jack?

Finally got sensible help desk person who answered my query and I did need a modem

Can you run a wired router from the base station?

I have a Airport Extreme base station, I bought it about 6 months ago so it's not too old. My question is can you plug a wired switch, hub or router into it? I was told no at the apple store but I don't see why you could not. All I want to do is run a 8 port switch from the base station so I can connect my other wired comps to the net. Thanks!

My question is can you plug a wired switch, hub or router into it?
Yes, just connect it to the LAN port on the AirPort Extreme base station (AEBS).
I was told no at the apple store...
They gave you incorrect information.

Can't connect 2nd airport extreme wirelessly to airport extreme base station

I have an Airport Extreme base station connected to my cable modem. I have a 2nd Extreme I am trying to connect wirelessly to the base station to extend my network. The Airport Utility does not see the second AE. Also the status light on the 2nd AE is flashing amber. I have tried hard resets and the Utility will not find it.

OK, thanks for the information.
I'm not sure if this has anything to do with your issue or not, but according to Apple, a Windows PC cannot be used to configure the newer models of the AirPort Extreme correctly. Here is what the Specifications page for the new AirPort Extreme indicates:
Setup and Administration
iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 6 or later and AirPort Utility 1.3
Mac with OS X Lion v10.7.5 or later and AirPort Utility 6.3
http://www.apple.com/airport-extreme/specs/
I don't have a PC here to test out the setup.
We can try to configure the 2nd Extreme to extend the 1st, but if that is not successful....and you used the PC to configure the 1st Extreme....it may be necessary to start all over again and reconfigure the 1st Extreme using recommended software before the 2nd Extreme can be set up.
For now, temporarily move the 2nd Extreme to the same room or close proximity to the 1st Extreme. Power up the 2nd Extreme for a few minutes, then hold in the reset button on the device for 8-10 seconds and release. Allow a full minute for the 2nd Extreme to restart to a slow, blinking amber light.
On the home screen for an iPhone or iPad.....
Tap Settings
Tap Wi-Fi
Look for an option to Setup a New AirPort Base Station
Tap on AirPort Exteme just below that option
The utility will open up and take a minute to analyze the network, then suggest that the 2nd Extreme will be configure to extend the 1st Extreme. Enter a device name that you want to use for the 2nd Exteme and tap Next.
The utility will configure everything for you. When you see the message of Setup Complete, click Done.
Now move the 2nd Exteme approximately half way between the 1st Extreme and the area that needs more wireless signal coverage and try things out. Extending this way using wireless will usually result in a loss of about half of the potential network speed, but that is not avoidable with a wireless method.

Printing wirelessly using airport extreme base station

I recently set up a wireless network at my house using an airport extreme base station. I plugged my usb printer into the base station and, according to the manual, I can print wirelessly. However, when I go to print, after following the manual instructions, it just times out. Any ideas?

There is already a thread (or two) on the PSC 1410:
Some people have had success here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5987003&#5987003

Wireless connection airport extreme base station to dsl modem

Attempting to set up a home network through an old Airport Extreme Base Station. My old DSL modem (AT&T's 2 Wire Gateway) has one enthernet port that is taken up, and I want to know if there is a way to connect the DSL modem wirelessly to the AEBS. I have a laptop PC, my wife has a MacBook, and a Mac Mini is connected to the HDTV. Currently, the AEBS is only connected to a printer, and all computers can connect to it fine. Want to home netweork for back up files, and to share movies, music and vidoes. Just want to work with the equipment I have and not buy a new modem.

Sorry, but no. You will not be able to connect the AEBS by wireless to the DSL wireless gateway to get the results you are looking for. Instead, you could either connect it directly to the gateway's Ethernet port, and then, connect whatever was connected to the gateway to the AEBS instead, OR connect an Ethernet switch to the Gateway, and in turn, connect the AEBS to the switch.

HT4259 Trying to set up airport express to extend my wireless network. Primary base station is a time capsule. Even when I plug in the airport express to mac it cannot find it.

Trying to set up airport express to extend my Wi-Fi network. Primary base station is a time capsule. Tried searching for airport express using Wi-Fi status, no luck. Even tried plugging airport express into iMac, still no luck. Airport express showing solid amber light. Thanks for any help.

Airport express showing solid amber light
Unfortunately, this can mean one of two things:
1) The Express is locked up and will need a Factory Default Reset procedure to try to return the device back to its original default settings so that it can be reconfigured again.
2) The Express is defective. If you cannot get the Express back to a slow, blinking amber light after a Factory Default Reset, the Express will need to be replaced.
Try the Factory Default Reset a few times and report back on your progress.
Resetting an AirPort Base Station or Time Capsule FAQ

Connect to Internet Without Airport Base Station or Other Wireless Router

I have an iMac G5 w/Airport Extreme card, an eMac w/Airport card (not Extreme), and an iBook w/Airport card (not extreme). The iMac is connected to the internet via DSL (direct Ethernet connection - no router). I can succesfully network all three computers for file sharing but can not connect to the internet over the network using the eMac or the iBook. Is it even possible to use the iMac as a wireless base station for the other two computers or do I have to buy a wireless router or Airport Base Station?
Thanks.
iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.5) eMac 10.3.9, iBook 10.3.9

no1bass, Welcome to the discussion area!
The best solution is to get an inexpensive wireless base station.
However, you can use the iMac to share the Internet connection. Go to the iMac's Sharing preference pane and enable Internet Sharing. If you have the iMac's firewall enabled, you will need to also enable Web Sharing or otherwise configure the firewall to open the correct ports.

How to set up router as base station

Hi -
I've recently purchased an Airport Express for the purpose of playing music from iTunes on my stereo. I've plugged the AE into my wall outlet and hooked up cables to my stereo. The AE is now flashing amber, which I understand means that I still need to establish a connection to a network.
Because my desktop uses a DSL internet connection, I acquired and set up a Netgear wireless router. My goal is to have my AE (as client) communicate with my router (as base station) wirelessly.
I tried using Airport Express Setup Assistant, but it scans for a base station and tells me it can't find one.
When I try using the Base Station Chooser on the Airport Admin Utility, it asks for the IP address and password of my base station. This presupposes that I know how to set up a base station.
Can anyone help me set up my router as a base station?
Thanks
John

When I open up Network Connections, I do not see any
reference to a wireless network. When Netgear
configured my router, did they necessarily set up a
wireless network? If so, how do I find it?
The Netgear is either configured by the supplied Netgear configuration utility or via a web browser.
Check the manual on how to do this.
Also, when I open Airport Setup Assistant, I receive
an error message stating that my computer has no
wireless interface enabled or Windows isn't set up to
manage wireless networks.
In this can you will need to use the Airport Admin Utility rather than the Setup Assistant.
It tells me to either
enable the wireless interface and allow Windows to
configure a wireless network, or to configure the
base station using Ethernet.
Which of these options
should I be pursuing?
Using ethernet, plug the Airport initially into the Netgear router.

Airport Extreme Base Station and xBox wireless

We have 2 macs with Airport Extreme Base Station connecting to Cable modem for internet connection.
Recently bought an xBox with a USB wireless adaptor. When xBox is connected to the wireless network, internet connection of other computers dropped out and no longer can use internet until xBox is disconnected from the wireless network. It is the same problem even other computers are connected to Base Station with Ethernet cable.
Any settings in Airport Utility might fix this problem ?

We didn't have any problem before using the xBox wireless.
There are 2 Macs (iMac 20" & Macbook Pro 15") and they're connected to the Base Station via wireless.
The cable modem is Motorola Surfboard SB5100i and there is no login required from ISP for internet connection. Yes, the modem is connected to the WAN port of the Base Station.
With the Clients computer network settings, we are using DHCP. We have also tried with static IP and didn't make any differences.
I thought it could be the compatibility issue between the xBox wireless adaptor and the Base Station and on the other hand, the wireless protocols (802.11N/g/b) are industry standard and it doesn't matter who made them, they should work together.
The only idea that I have now is to try with other brand of wireless router and it might be a quick solution for this problem.
thanks,
David

How to get this Airport Extreme base station to produce a wireless network?

I had this Airport Extreme base station working fine at the house that I moved from a couple of days ago.
After my house move, however, it seems that the AE base station isn't producing a wireless network. My wireless laptop isn't detecting a wireless network. Also, the left hand side light on the AE base station is not lit.
The AE base station was softly cushioned during house the move.
Regarding configuration:
My non-wireless iMac (running 10.3.9) connects to the AE base station via an ethernet cable.
Before my house-move, I regularly connected wirelessly via the AE base station from a couple of wireless-equipped laptop computers.
I was using AE software version 5.6. (In desperation, I have just updated to version 5.7 - but that hasn't improved or changed situation.)
At the new house, I found that I had to reset the AE base station back to factory settings before I could successfully connect to the internet through the AE base station from the (non-wireless) iMac.
Since resetting the AE base station at the new house, I can also print via a USB printer that's plugged into the AE base station.
I just cannot pick up any sign of a wireless network from the AE base station.
G4 Powerbook Mac OS X (10.3.9) Problem started while I had Airport Extreme software v5.6. No improvement/change after v5.7 update.

Sorry for my delay in closing this issue.
I got the wireless network running again - though I'm not sure which of a "litany" of separate actions (which I gleaned from dialogs in several similar postings for similar issues to mine) was the solution. I suspect it was one of the following two actions, which have stuck in memory:
1) I relocated a nearby cordless phone cradle/charger/base-station from alongside the Airport Extreme base station to about seven feet (two meters) away. However, the cordless phone is about eight years old, and I believe its radio frequency is far out of the range that I have read (in similar postings) can interfere with the Airport Extreme base station.
2) I re-set the Airport Extreme base station, (a) by depressing the tiny reset button at the rear of the base station for more than 5 seconds (until the led started blinking), (b) from Utilities/AirPort Admin Utility/Configure/Restart. However, I had reset the Airport Extreme base station those ways previously without that restoring the wireless network. Also, I didn't record the sequence of the multiple resets and the configurations at the times of the resets.

I just purchased an extreme. I have an express. The sales guy recommended setting up a hot spot with the express and use the extreme as a base station. What does he mean and how do I do this? What are the advantages?

I just purchased an extreme. I have an express. The sales guy recommended setting up a hot spot with the express and use the extreme as a base station. What does he mean and how do I do this? What are the advantages? How do I set this up?????

I think he means to set up the main extreme as the main router or "main base station", and then use the express to "extend" the network.
You can look up the manual for your express here for more details:
http://support.apple.com/manuals/
Extend the range of your network by adding AirPort Express to your existing AirPortExtreme or AirPort Express wireless network (this is called a Wireless DistributionSystem, or WDS). "
Extending the Range of an Existing AirPort Extreme or
AirPort Express Network
You can extend the range of an existing AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express wirelessnetwork by setting it up in a WDS. Wireless computers can connect to the network andshare the Internet connection, share files, and play network games. If you connect yourAirPort Express to your home stereo, computers on your wireless network can useAirTunes to play music on the stereo from iTunes. If you connect a USB printer to yourAirPort Express, all of the computers on the network can print to it.
n Open the AirPort Setup Assistant on a Macintosh, or the AirPort Express Assistant on acomputer using Windows XP. Follow the onscreen instructions to extend the range ofyour AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express network.
Note: Extending the range of a network using WDS may reduce overall networkperformance.

AirPort Utility was unable to find any AirPort base stations...

I recently purchased a new AirPort Extreme base station 802.11n, and I followed the manual to get it set up. I installed the software, but when I launch AirPort Utility it cannot detect my base station. (I get the above error message).
I've got an old G4 desktop mac (QuickSilver model) running OSX 10.4.10, and it's got the original AirPort card installed. I've made sure AirPort it turned on in my menu bar.
I decided to set up my base station by connecting an Ethernet cable directly from my base station into my Mac, and set up my network that way. But as soon as I try it wireless, then AirPort utility looses the base station.
My base station is connected to a Netgear ADSL2+ Modem Router DG834. (The router and my internet connection are working fine). I've got all solid green lights on the router and the base station.
Is there some compatibility issue with my old AirPort card and my new base station? Or do I have a faulty card maybe?
Any advice appreciated.
Thanks, Tom.

I have the same setup as you and I had problems like yours. For some reason the old airport card doesn't seem to work with the new airport extreme base station if you are using WEP encryption. WPA works fine. In order to connect to your new base station so that you can administer it with the new Airport utility try this first: If the airport icon is displayed on your tool bar, click on it and select other. Enter your network name and password. With a little luck you will now be connected to your base station and it will be found by airport utility. If that doesn't work. Press the rest button on the back of the base station and hold it for at least one minute. That should completely rest your base station so that it is not encrypted. You should then be able to select it from the drop down menu when you click on the airport icon on the tool bar. Once you are connected, airport utility will find it.

How to use a graphite base station as inserton point or bridge

I have an old 6400 running 9.2.1 an a graphite base station. I have done this before on my FW800 but I dont find the software in 9.2.1. You just connect the connect the ethernet out of the system to the ethernet in on the base station. I think I used something like the Airport Admin Utility. If you do a "find" on Airport in 9.2.1 there are no hits. I tried looking under downloads and didn't find anything. The LAN portion of my network goes from the moden to the router and one port of the router to the base station. I configured it using Airport Admin Utility from my FW800 no problem, no problem. The old Mac compatible airport cards are almost impossible to find. Ideas

I am trying to use a free graphite base station as an airport card.
Sorry that is not possible. The graphite AirPort base station (ABS) can not act as a wireless client.

Confused: Wireless router V's base station

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