help with wireless!

[masta wong]

I have just bought a g5 imac.
I have a pc in the basement which is conected to AOL adsl internet.
I would like to share this connection with my imac upstairs but i am having problems connecting them using my airport express. Currently i have plugged in my airport express in the basement and have connected it to my pc via ethernet cable! but still no joy.
My pc states that my local area connection has limited or no connectivity. I dont know what to do next. I am a newcomer to this wireless business! Hope someone can help me
x

 

[varmit]

I have just bought a g5 imac.
I have a pc in the basement which is conected to AOL adsl internet.
I would like to share this connection with my imac upstairs but i am having problems connecting them using my airport express. Currently i have plugged in my airport express in the basement and have connected it to my pc via ethernet cable! but still no joy.
My pc states that my local area connection has limited or no connectivity. I dont know what to do next. I am a newcomer to this wireless business! Hope someone can help me
x

So you are trying to use the Express as a connection between your Mac and your PC, then your PC is plugged into the DSL line? Have you shared the internet on you PC so that a connection from another computer can go thought it. I would suggest you go with a full base station, not the Express. Something like the Linksys WRT54G. You will need to plug the line that runs from your DSL modem to your PC at the moment into the WAN port, plug your PC into one of the other 4 router ports (need to buy extra network cable when you get the router), then you have the wireless to hook up the iMac. The express is more of a device to travel with and to make a wired LAN and turn it into a wireless LAN for one or multiple wireless computers, not help keep one wired and another wireless. You truelly need a full base station with extra wired ports as well as wireless.

 

[SummerBreeze]

I agree with what Varmit said, a real base station instead of AirPort will definitely get the best results. And I also agree that the Linskys is wonderful, this brand has proved to be the best for me. Good luck!

 

[GilGrissom]

I'm not sure if it will work if you share the PC internet connection like you are, but it will not work if you use a router to connect to your AOL broadband and then use that router to connect to both your Mac and PC. The Mac AOL software doesn't allow connections over a network like that to AOL for some reason and only supports dial-up (I think!).

I have tried to connect to my girlfriends AOL connection using her router, wired and wirelessly, and I couldn't get connected. The AOL software was no help either. Upon consulting AOL they told me that the software doesn't support Macs connected in this way and is only designed for dial-up. So from this I'm not sure if even connecting your Mac through the PC, and not directly through the router, will help. It should in some cases, but I always find AOL a real farse and it may not let you even do it that way!

I'm not saying theres no way...I'm guessing someone has managed it!!

Your "limited or no connectivity" is interesting on your PC...there shouldn't be a problem there. Have you got some firewalls up? I agree with the other guys, you may want a proper full base unit, if that will even let you connect your Mac to the internet still is another matter.