Help evaluate my airport network

Okay, Guys & Gals, here's my issue:
I have a comcast cable modem right next to my Dual Band Airport Extreme. I have 5 different peripherals including three macs, my Dish receiver & a Slingbox that need to connect together at that location.
In addition, I have an additional Dual Band AE upstairs that extends my network and connects another iMac and a HP USB printer.
This is my current layout. Cable comes into modem. Modem connects to WAN port of AE. 5 peripherals connect to a Cisco 7 port Auto-sensing switch which uploads into LAN port on AE. Upstairs, the iMac and printer connect to network via extended network.
Now here's the thing: The network works, but not well. Sometimes it just flies (as I would expect) and other times there are long 1+ minute delays to connect.
I have attempted manual channel selection on the AE, and automatic. I have tried different security settings. I have switched AE's. I have isolated the cable modem and it seems to work fine if directly connected to a computer.
I have changed radio mode from Automatic to a/n-b/g and back. I have toggled wide channels on/off and have selected and deselected interference robustness. I just don't seem to be able to get a solid, consistent network connection.
Any ideas of something I might be doing wrong? Am I getting collisions in my switch? Nothing is registering and I've got green lights continually.
I'm almost at wit's end here.
Thanks!
Chris

I would venture to say that the problem is most likely with the extended network as being the "weak link" in your network configuration ... and you may find that simply slightly relocating either or both base stations may just be all you will need to resolve it.
I suggest downloading a copy of iStumbler. You will be using iStumbler's Inspector feature (select Edit > Inspector from iStumbler's menu) to make the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) calculations at different points around your house. (Note: This would work best if one of your Macs is a laptop.)
Prior to starting any measurements, power-down the upstairs 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn) as we will only want to calculate the SNR values of the downstairs AEBSn's wireless network.
Within the Inspector, you will want to note the values for "signal" & "noise" at each location where we want to determine the SNR value. Start with your Mac near the downstairs AEBSn, note the readings, and then, choose the location near where you currently have the upstairs AEBSn.
SNR is the signal level (in dBm) minus the noise level (in dBm). For example, a signal level of -53dBm measured near an access point and typical noise level of -90dBm yields a SNR of 37dB, a healthy value for wireless LANs.
The SNR, as measured from the laptop, decreases as the range to the base station increases because of applicable free space loss. Also an increase in RF interference from microwave ovens and cordless phones, which increases the noise level, also decreases SNR.
SNR Guideline
o 40dB+ SNR = Excellent signal
o 25dB to 40dB SNR = Very good signal
o 15dB to 25dB SNR = Low signal
o 10dB to 15dB SNR = Very low signal
o 5dB to 10dB SNR = No signal
If the SNR is 25dB+ at both of these locations, then you should be getting reasonable performance from your downstairs AEBSn. Anything less would not be ideal for connectivity ... including the upstairs AEBSn attempt to extend the network.
If the SNR value is less at the upstairs location, try moving around until you can get it in the 25+ dB range of the downstairs unit. This is where you will want to place the upstairs AEBSn.

Similar Messages

Help needed with Airport network G5 Quad & MBP

Hello,
I need some advice on Airport. I hope these aren't simple stupid questions...
I have a G5 Quad (Dec 2005) attached to a cable modem. I just ordered a 15" MBP 2.2. I am wondering if all I need to network them wirelessly is an Airport card for the G5 where the G5 will act as the base station? Do I need to purchase a base station? I want to be able to connect wireless with the MBP to access the internet, files on the G5 which also has two external hd's attached and a printer.
Then in regards to the base station, it seems as if the Express actually does more than the Extreme in that you are able to listen to iTunes wirelessly as well and it is more portable. Why would someone opt to spend more on the Extreme? Are there any performance differences?
Any help or advice is appreciated...

Yes, this is totally possible. To share files and your printers, simply go into System Preferences > Sharing > Check both "Personal File Sharing" and "Printer Sharing". Now when you go to print on your MBP, you'll see under the printer drop down box a section called "Shard Printers" – simply pick the one you want to print to and you're good to go.
As for accessing files, once Personal File Sharing is turned on, from your MBP, go to Network in a Finder window and you should see the name of your Quad in there. Double click on it, then enter the user name and password of the QUAD (not the MBP) and hit Connect. You'll then be presented with a list of drives which you can then choose from. You'll have to repeat the procedure for each drive you want to connect to, so I personally just save the username and pass to the Keychain so I don't have to re-enter it everytime.
As for sharing internet from your Quad, go back into the Sharing pane in System Preferences and under the "Internet" tab, you can choose to share your connection via Airport. So, for example, you can say "Share your connection from: Built-in Ethernet 1" then check "AirPort" under the "To computers using:" box.
Hope this helps!

HELP!! AirPort card not detecting any wireless networks?!?

hi, i just had an AirPort extreme card installed in my PowerBook G4, and so far, everywhere i try to access wireless, all it says is "no AirPort networks in range."
I have AirPort turned on, and AirPort and "automatic" and "DHCP"selected in Network preferences, and i have the little icon with the gray bars in the top menu bar, but the lines are always gray, even when everyone around me is getting wireless just fine.
I don't know if this matters, but i don't have a base station or anything at home - i only got wireless to use at cafes, etc, or on university campus where they have wireless. at home i just have a free dialup service, so i use a modem.
Also, i'm really confused reading these posts - everyone's talking about "naming" networks, and passwords, and IP addresses, but the apple guy said that once the card is in and AirPort is on, it should just "pick up" whatever network is available. is that true?
if it's working, does the "name" of the random, supposedly "open" and available network in the cafe/hotel/school building just magically "appear" on the menu? Or do i have to do something or configure something each time to set it up? i just really don't understand and no one seems to be able to help. and i just spent a lot of money on this card. can anyone please help???!!?!?
I even opened it up again and checked to make sure the little cable was clicked firmly into the card, and it sure looked like it was.
thanks!!!!

Double check that the antenna cable is FULLY seated into its socket on the Airport card - doing this properly takes a fair bit of force.
If your Mac's Airport interface is working properly, indeed all you need to do is click on the Airport menu item. A list of all in-range wireless networks will be shown, and you can simply click (to connect) on the name of the network you wish to join. Just like magic!

Problems joining airport network... PLEASE HELP!

Hello...
I´m having problems joining an airport network, i realy hope u guys can help me... I tried everything...
I turn on my airport card and the airport finds the network i want to join... No problems with that...
I enter the password (i´m sure it´s the correct one) and it keeps saying "there was an error joining the airport network "Blablabla".
The type of security is WEP Passord...
Thank u for your attencion...
Ivo Vieira

Ivoo wrote:
The type of security is WEP Passord...
One of the problems with WEP is that the actual standard relies on a 10 character HEX key for 40bit WEP and a 26 character HEX key for 128bit WEP.
In order to make things easier for people, vendors use certain algorithms to convert simple alphanumeric passwords (or passphrases) into HEX keys, thus enabling people to use simple memorable WEP password rather than lengthy HEX keys.
The problem is that different vendors use different algorithms to generate the HEX key and therefore a ASCII password on an AEBS will be hashed differently on a Netgear client and vice versa.
One thing is a 13 character 128 bit WEP password will be hashed by all vendors in the same way (if you use 40bit WEP then a 5 character password is required).
Though sometimes not even that works and the HEX key must be used regardless.
AirPort: Joining an encrypted wireless network
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106424
Choosing a password for networks that use Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108058
WEP is considered insecure, you should think about switching to WPA.
iFelix

Some help needed setting up NAT in 2x Airport network

I'm wondering if anyone can give me some advice on how to get port forwarding to work on my network.
DSL comes into the house downstairs and from the DSL modem it goes right into an Airport Express. I am on the second floor though, and the Airport's signal isn't strong enough for my G5's antenna to pick up. That's why I have another Airport Express on the first floor, expanding the Airport network.
The two Airport Express units are in a "WDS".
I would like to run a home server, so I have to open up port 21 and forward it to my G5, which gets its internet from the 2nd Airport Express unit.
How do I do this? The Airport's have IP's in the 10.0.0.x range. The G5 is in the 192.168.2.x range because it also connects to a wired router. Do they both have to be in the same range?
Port Forwarding seems disabled on the Airports because I use WDS. I can check the Distribute IP checkbox in the Network tab, but then I get a warning it shouldn't be enabled with WDS on.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Maarten

Hi Henry,
I managed to get it working. I thought port fowarding was greyed out on both Airport units, but it only was on the relay one. Not on the main one. Also, I first accidently forwarded port 21 to the G5's wired IP address instead of its wireless (Airport) IP address.
The setup is exactly as you described (your 2nd paragraph). The wired router is only there to connect 4 PC's to the G5. They don't need internet (I don't want Windows to have internet), they just need just data transfer with the G5 (MIDI data and VNC control). It's on a different IP range than the Airport network.
One issue I am still experiencing is that when Airport is turned on on the G5, the router network (the 4 PC's) don't appear in Finder > Network. When I turn off Airport, the router network appears within a second. So there is a file sharing conflict or something there.
Thanks for your help,
Maarten

Help - Airport network not working - confused!!

Hello, I wonder if anyone out there can help. I have got a problem with my airport network that doesn't make any sense and I havent seen another post with the same problems.
I have an imac G5 with 10.3.9. I have a wireless network set up, with an airport wireless card and two ax boxes (the second was bought later to boost the signal when we moved the Mac to another room). Initially it set up fine and worked for about 8-9 months. Then I noticed the second ax started behaving strangely. It would occasionally turn from 'green' to flashing amber for no reason - often after it had been on for a while. Turning it off and on did not change anything. Usually though it would work again the next day after being off all night. This continued to happen randomly until a couple of months later it switched to flashing amber continually.
I thought it had 'lost' the network so I tried using the airport set up assistant to reconnect it. However the set up assistant does not recognise ax number 2 any more, so I am not able to reconnect it. At the moment I am running off a faint signal from ax number 1.
I also tried setting up a completely new network from scratch. Again the new network is fine from the base ax bx but ax number 2 is still not recognised by my mac.
I also have a wireless printer connected to the network which does not work any more. This is where things became more confusing. The printer needs a boost signal to operate so when my booster ax went wrong the printer would not work. So I moved the printer and mac nearer ax number 1 to ensure it would pick up the network. However it still didn't work. So I attempted to set up the printer as wireless again, thinking it had become 'disconnected' somehow. However during installation you have to select the network to connect to. The computer would not pick up the apple network at all from ax number 1, yet it easily recognises our neighbours network from the flat above us. Strangely when I tried turning on the faulty ax box, the printer set up program picked up the faulty ax and not the original ax. But obviously I can't use the printer from the faulty ax box because it doesnt connect to the rest of the network.
So now I am confused. I am not sure what has gone wrong and what I need to replace. Originally I thought it was the second ax box that had gone wrong. But as the printer software can identify the second ax box I am not sure that this is the problem. Could there be something wrong with the airport card? I have checked that the card is properly connected and there is nothing visibly wrong there.
If anyone can help - please reply as I am going crazy here with things not working and don't know what to do next.
Thanks, Wrenster

Hello Wrenster,
I understand why you are confused, I was too while reading your post. However I have the solution for you. I believe you are a victim of environmental interference. Someone in your neighborhood just moved in with a another network, someone had a baby and is using a baby monitor, or maybe a local ham radio operator just got his license. Who knows!
This is what you need to do. Get all the devices in the same room and preform a hard restart on each one them per http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108044. Remember to preform a hard restart! After performing a hard restart on all three devices check the wireless networks available. You should have 3 ( one main and 2 airport expresses) ( or two depending on how many airports you own, I am not sure from your post). If you don't have the correct amount you may a bum base station and it may need to be replaced. But if you have the correct number of wireless networks ( Apple network XXXXXXX), use the airport admin utility ( inside of the utility folder ) to locate the main base station and configure it.
You will know when you are on the configuration page when you can read Name, Contact and Location.
First change the name to the location of the main base station, ie; it is the den so name should read DEN. leave the contact and location alone. On the bottom half of the page is where you create your network, so under network name change it to your desired network name ie; when others come over to my house I have them select COWSWEAT from the network list.
Second click on the change wireless security and set the security to WEP 128 BIT and make your password. Once you have configured a successful password be sure to click on the lock on the main configuration page ( the one with password under it) to get the HEX password for your PC friends.
Third ( we are almost done ) Select the WDS tab at the top and enable this base station as a main station. Select allow other wireless client on this base station as well. Now on that empty list box below click the plus sign to the right to add other base stations to this WDS network. From here you should be able to select the other 2 base station that we have not configure yet ( but preformed a hard restart on). After you have added them ( be sure the check box for auto configure is selected) they should read in the list that was empty on the WDS page.
Now update this should start the update process and may take 5-10 mins, it should provide a summery pop-up when with each station is done.
( Also you may get a message that there is update for the base station, please preform the updates for the selected base stations)
Now when it is completed check to see how many networks you have available ( it should only be one ). Select the network and confirm that all of your base stations appear under the select a base station in Airport admin utility, then move them back to their homes around the house. Giving them 45 secs to restart they should turn green if not , they could out of range of each other or the environmental interference could be affecting them. So you my need to rearrange them until they all green.
Good Luck,
Cowsweat

Adding a PC to my Airport network - help!

Can any one tell me how to add my new Sony Vaio laptop PC to my Airport office network (I needed to have a PC for checking web sites I create) - it works fine with ethernet but i was to use it around the house! Do i i need to add the MAC address as i did with my iphone? - and where would i find it?
Many thanks!

Hi Duane,
thanks for the reply....I have done that but as im not a pro PC user I am not sure what to do now to get the PC on my Airport network!

Help adding a PC to my Mac Airport Network

A PC as just inflicted itself into our office and we cannot figure out how to get it connected to our existing (all mac) Airport Network.
We know zip about PC's. Can someone point us in the direction of a step by step how to guide or tutorial on how to get on the PC and hook it into our network. It has a wireless card installed so we are cool there...just need to know how to configure it.
MS

You may find the guides here useful:
Accessing a Airport Network with a Windows XP PC or laptop (with XP SP2)
http://www.ifelix.co.uk/tech/1011.html
Accessing a Airport Network with a Windows XP PC or laptop (with XP SP1)
http://www.ifelix.co.uk/tech/1010.html
iFelix

How to connect a Sony Bravia TV to the internet through your Airport network

Since it took me a lot of time to figure out how to connect my Sony Bravia TV to the internet through my Airport network, I better share how to do it. Hopefully saving others a lot of time.
My 32EX600 Sony Bravia TV is Ethernet connected to my Mac Mini, which is part of my Airport network, together with another Mac, an Airport Extreme Base Station and an ADSL modem/router. Moreover, the Mac Mini is connected to the TV by HDMI.
Whatever I tried in the TV’s Wired Network Set-up (Auto, or Manual with manual IP, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway and DNS IPs), I couldn’t get it right. Cable Connection and Local Access were mostly OK, Internet Access always Failed.
The solution lies in the Sharing panel of the System Preferences of the Mac Mini. In the Internet Sharing item of that panel, you should choose to “share your internet connection from WiFi to computers (the TV in this case) using Ethernet“, and NOT (as I had chosen before and seemed so obvious) “share your internet connection from Airport to computers using Ethernet“. After that change, the Bravia Network Set-up, using the Wired and Auto options, flawlessly connected to the internet. No expensive (Sony) WiFi USB dongle needed.

I have now had a detailed reply from Sony Europe and the way to do this is to:
1.       Press Home on the TV Setup
2.       Use the right and left arrow to select Setting.
3.       Use the up and down to select Network, press Enter.
4.       Select Network Setup.
5.       Select Wireless setup.
6.       Select Scan
7.       Select your network
8.       A new screen will appear asking for entering the security key.
9.       Enter your WPA2 key.
10.   Select Enter.
11.   It will take you back to the same screen asking for entering the
security key.
12.   Press the right arrow.
13.   Select Auto.
14.   Press the right arrow.
15.   Select Save and connect.
These instructions are not the same as shown on the TV but they worked fine for me so they may help others with a similar problem.

How to connect Pocket PC to 128 bit WEP protected Airport network

Friends:
Can anyone lead me through the steps to connect my Hp iPaq 4155 Pocket PC to my 128 bit WEB protected Airport network?
Thanks for your help,
Migs

Accessing an Airport wireless network from a wifi enabled PocketPC 2003
http://tech.ifelix.net/2006.html

Slow file open and save across airport network

Hello -
I just purchased an Airport Extreme base station and am having some problems. I could not seem to find an answer to this issue in the archives.
I have a small architecture firm and have 3 computers networked together (iBook G4, mac-mini, and Powermac G5). The G5 is our file server. A typical CAD file size is on the order of 10 mb. Since going wireless with the Airport Extreme, opening these files has become painfully slow - 2 minutes for a 11 mb file, for example.
All computers have a strong airport signal (four bars), and internet connection on all machines is fast.
Security: WPA2
Robustness: ON
Thanks for any help you may have to offer.

(I posted this elsewhere, hope this helps you as you did not have any responses. )
Big horrible slowdowns in file transfer over wireless have me pulling my (remaining) hair out.
I had given my Apple Airport base station (b) to my brother in Pakistan after I found a Belkin (g) at Staples for free (after rebates) and have been using it for a while. Not a pretty box but the price is beautiful and it works OK.
My real use for it is for my eMac and a couple of older PowerBooks I keep downstaors as a "music studio" for my music and podcast recording (and transferring upstairs to my server folder over wireless) and web browsing.
All worked OK as I would transfer the files to my PowerBook upstairs (connected Ethernet to a router connected to the wireless router or sometimes directly via Airport connection if laptop was not at my desk). Both configurations worked fine (only limitation being my eMac's (b) speed older Airport speed).
Since 10.4.5 (as that is the last "change" I can see made on my system overall, I have discpovered I cannot even transfer a 3.5 MB file from the eMac to ANY of the other machines. After reading several threads here it seems several people have noticed the HORRIBLE SLOWDOWN if not complete death of Airport usability for file transfer. People are being made to go around changing router settings, channel IDs etc.
That sounds like typical tech support bunk to me. After all, if the channel ID on the wireless router is a problem why is my web browing going on at normal speed but a 120 MB file transfer just told me it will take 2023642128 hours. No, I am not kidding. That is the time it would take to get man to Mars. Someone else was told to hook up the machines over Ethernet. Sure, that works for machines in the same room - and is a bearable temporary solution in that case - but not in an upstairs/downstairs situation. Burning CD-Rs to transfer 120 MB files every time is also not a good way to show off Apple technology.
So, in my humble opinion, some recent update from Apple just broke something in Airport networking or Appleshare. (Much like I have found out that DiskWarrior, a hard disk repair utility will crash after completing a current task unless you downgrade QuickTime from 7.0.4 or something to a lower version. Go figure.)
I love Apple, getting friends to switch all the time, but annoyed at these bugs that basically render standard applications unusable. So far I have not been able to figure out what the problem is.
I already deleted all the network port configurations on the eMac except wireless. Activity Monitor shows 0.1 to 11 kbps speed (yes, that is 0.1 to 11 Kbps not Mbps). No other apps are running, Tried connecting to different machines. All machines can transfer data at high speed except over Airport/wireless.
Hope you can suggest a solution when you find one.
Imran

Add a pc to my Airport network

I have my Airport Extreme set-up with my Powerbook. I have an IBM Thinkpad for work and would like to set it up on my Airport. The computer detects my network, I enter my password but then it says that it cannot connect to the network, it might be out of range, etc. Any thoughts? Please help. Thanks.

The reason for turning off WEP was to confirm it is a WEP issue, you should turn it back on.
One of the problems with WEP is that the actual standard relies on a 10 character HEX key for 40bit WEP and a 26 character HEX key for 128bit WEP.
In order to make things easier for people, vendors use certain algorithms to convert simple alphanumeric passwords (or passphrases) into HEX keys, thus enabling people to use simple memorable WEP password rather than lengthy HEX keys.
The problem is that different vendors use different algorithms to generate the HEX key and therefore a ASCII password on an AEBS will be hashed differently on a Netgear client and vice versa.
One thing is a 13 character 128 bit WEP password will be hashed by all vendors in the same way (if you use 40bit WEP then a 5 character password is required).
Having said that, this will only work if they use an algorithm, some don't and in these cases you must use the HEX key regardless of the length of the plain text password.
AirPort: Joining an encrypted wireless network
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106424
Choosing a password for networks that use Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108058
Accessing a Airport Network with a Windows XP PC or laptop (with XP SP2)
http://www.ifelix.co.uk/tech/1011.html
Accessing a Airport Network with a Windows XP PC or laptop (with XP SP1)
http://www.ifelix.co.uk/tech/1010.html
Also confirm that you are not using MAC Address access control.

Need help planning wireless home network and selecting hardware

I run a music teaching business from home and currently I just have an iMac, an HDTV, a printer and an external HD (for Time Machine backups). My computer and peripherals are in a small study and my TV is in the front room where I now teach. I want to set up a wireless network which will let me do the following:
1) Access either my iMac's HD and/or my external drive's HD to retrieve and display documents and run applications from the front room, where my TV is located.
2) Use my HDTV as an extension of my iMac so that what happens on my iMac displays on my TV, including accessing the printer and other input devices that may be attached.
What hardware will I need for this besides an Aiport (Extreme?) base station, and how would I hook everything up wirelessly, specifically my TV? If I connect Apple TV to my TV via HDMi will I be able to do what I've stated above, and access my applications as well as music and photos? If not, what's the alternative? A Mac Mini connected via HDMi? Won't that make my iMac's HD redundant to the above scenario?
Hope someone can help me sort this out.

Hi there,
It sounds like what you want to do is basically use your HDTV as a monitor for your computer. Devices like AppleTV will not run apps nor show the screen of other computers; for that you need some kind of VNC software (either free or something like Back to my Mac) AND a second computer hooked up to the HDTV. So you're looking at a Mac Mini and an Airport network to connect the two, then a wireless mouse and keyboard to control it. And even then, you may want to just open documents on the mini so you'll need to have a system of syncing between the two Macs if you need to access the same docs on the iMac later.
If you don't want a second Mac then you could use a mini display port to HDMi adapter and a really long HDMI run up to your HDTV, and then hope that a Bluetooth keyboard would still be in range to control the iMac (30 ft or less I believe). That's cheaper, but you have the long cable to contend with.
HTH, JVK

Connecting two printers wirelessly to Airport network?

Hi,
I currently have a working wireless network with the Linksys Wireless-B Broadband Router BEFW11S4 - which I believe is 802.11b - that connects 2-4 laptops at any point in time.
I just purchased the new Airport Extreme 54 mbp Base Station. I would like to
1. Set up the Airport network.
2. Put our two printers on the network and print wirelessly.
The printers are on are far away (1st floor) from the cable internet access point (2nd floor) so USB connection is not an option.
I have two questions:
1. Would it be better/simpler to purchase a print server to connect to my Airport network and make the two printers available for wireless printing?
2. Is it possible to connect ("bridge") the two wireless routers and then place one router close to the printers and connect via USB. If yes, should the configuration be Airport to Linksys or Linksys to Airport?
If there are any more simple/smart solutions than the options I came up with - they will be much appreciated. Thanks for reading this long question!
- amit
MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Complex question that I don't think I can answer all of...
Airport Extreme Base Station - can connect only one USB printer - no hub permitted.
Print Servers (other than Extreme/Express) - work great for postscript printers, but are problematic with non-postscript printers. Printing to print servers uses "standard" protocols. In OS X, the "standard" protocols are provided by CUPS, so they need cups-capable drivers on OS X. Brother is the Only non-postscript printer manufacturer so far to provide CUPS drivers. Many non-postscript printers can be made to work with third-party drivers (Gimp-Print is one of these), but most people are unsatisfied with print quality (if you want to print photos for example).
I think wireless bridging will work with the Airport BS in the "receiving side" only -- but I haven't tried that.
For more help on the printers/network printing, need to know the printer models.
Hope this gets you started.

Help with multiple AP network setup

I am in need of a little help setting up my network again. I have a AP extreme2, AP extreme 1 and two AP expresses. The house I am in is wired with CAD 5 to each room. I have a Linksys Etherfast Router (BEFSR81, this is the 8 port version of the one that is certified to work with Back to my mac). I have two desktop macs (G4 and G5)without wireless as well as a MBPro.
I have had this all working as a WDS using the airports in bridge mode and was able to control Airtunes from any computer in the house, share files and use screen sharing without trouble. The problem is that back to my mac would not work with this set up because NAT was not switched on. How should I configure each of the Airports to be able to use Back to my mac, file sharing and airtunes for each computer in the house?
The basic set up I have is as follows:
1. Linkys router receiving input from cable modem (cox cable) and passing to LAN to distribute to each room of the house.
2. AP extreme 2 in office with G4/G5, airdisk attached.
3. AP extreme 1 in bed room
4. AP express in living room
5. AP express in den
In order to use the back to my mac feature of 10.5 I believe I need to select "Share a single IP address" in the Airport utility but what do I need to do after that? I am at a loss with IP addressing and such.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Greg

I'm using the Mac wired - it does not have wireless capability, and as it is sitting right next to the router I just want to hook it up with Ethernet cable. The wireless function is just for the PCs I have downstairs.
I am not sure what non-broadcast SSID means, but I think that has to do with the wireless portion of the network, right? I do have a SSID name set up, and WEP encryption so that only the PCs I own can connect to the wireless network, not anyone else's computers. But on the wired PC I have connected directly to the router, I do not have to input any of the security settings. I've even set the router to recognize the MAC addresses of all my computers, including the Mac.
What brand and model of router are you using successfully with Macs & PCs? The store I bought my router from is willing to give me a full refund if I can't get it to work - perhaps I would have better luck with the type of router you're using.

Help evaluate my airport network

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