What am I doing wrong?! Making an extended "N" network using a Airport Extreme

[leftboot]

I am trying to do something simple, and looked everywhere for a answer...help please!

My goal is pretty simple; make a extended "N" network using a Airport Extreme. (I have a 2Wire router that the landlord pays for and is only B/G. I cannot get access into it.) Ultimately the network is designed to share large files between my workstation (a Mac Pro) & my laptop (Macbook Pro).

Ideal setup would be to use a old iBook G4 (10.4) connected to the internet via wireless, internet share via Ethernet. Macbook Pro & Mac Pro connected to Airport extreme.

This works if I bypass the iBook and use the Mac Pro & plug the Ethernet into a lan port, not the wan of the Extreme. However the overhead on the Mac Pro's ram is noticeable when in Photoshop, Aperture etc. Thus wanting to integrate a unused piece of technology. With the iBook I get no internet connection to the other machines no matter what I do.

Would 10.5 be a better solution on the old laptop? Is there a better way to do this? Suggestions for alternate wiring/setup/ip addressing etc?

Thanks!

Ryan

 

[Consultant]

It's not the OS version.

Sounds like your extreme is set up wrong. I would erase / save the settings and try from scratch.

I would also add a gigabit ethernet switch ($20 on sale) so you have a wired network for faster transfers. But you can add the switch at anytime.

ibook-> switch -> airport extreme

 

[leftboot]

A switch would be ideal if I could run wires throughout the place! (I also shoot photos tethered, so one less cable is also nice!)

What has me perplexed is it works via the Mac Pro and not the iBook. (I pull the cable out of the ibook, into the mac pro, join the other network and done.) I have tried a couple of settings with the extreme, and nothing solves the problem.

The setting that works in the Airport setup I create a new network. Under "Internet Connection" I have selected "distribute a range of IP addresses". Under TCP/IP I manually manage (DHCP doesn't seem to work). The IP address is 10.0.1.20, the router address is 10.0.1.1. The machines are set to DHCP (and all get a valid address when plugged into "Lan").

Is there a setting I can improve or try?

Thank-you for your help!

Ryan

 

[Consultant]

Try to set up AE using simple mode. The advanced mode has too many settings for people to adjust and mess up. Once it's working in simple mode, then you can try to tweak it.

In your case, iBook is a wired router, and that you'll use AE to set up wireless network.