Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

savanahrose

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 31, 2006
791
1
greer SC
I keep seeing the word airport come up. Exactly what does it do? I am getting information needed for when I finally get my mac, I won't be so empty headed about it.

Thanks :eek:
 
airport = wireless 'net

an 'airport card' = the card in your computer that recieves wireless signal for your computer to have access to the net w/o wires
(airport extreme = a 'faster' type of connection)

an 'airport base station' or 'airport express' = are 2 different ways to 'send' signal to your computer


think of it all as a cordless phone
(not cell phone -- but cordless phone)
so there's the base station & the handset

you are 'sending' phone signal over the system
the base station has the wires plugged into it
the handset gives you the phone part-

apple's 'airport' or 'airport extreme' - work with most 3rd party wireless routers - (d-link, linksys...etc)

airport = 11Mbps
airport Extreme= 54 Mbps or 802.11g
 
Further question, since we're talking about Airports...

We've got a cable modem plugged directly into our Dell tower (no router). I'll be getting a macbook soon, and I want to go wireless in our apt. Is there a way to hook up either the Airport Extreme or Airport Express to the existing modem and keep the desktop wired while still going wireless for the notebook?

Thanks.
 
Just get a decent wired/wireless router. Unless you really want the Apple versions there's no need to pay through the nose for what they are - just good looking routers.

Belkin/LinkSys etc. all make good products and they work just fine with Macs and PCs. You just have the connection into the router, the Dell plugged into the router and the laptop using the wireless - some versions include and ADSL modem too (if that's what you use for your high-speed internet) so you only need the one box for everything. I have a D-Link router with wireless and built-in modem.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.