Apple airport express question..
 

Hi,

Im new with Macs and I just got my hands on an old 2004 G5 tower. The tower is in my room which has no direct connection to a broadband ethernet.

I have a PC laptop which I can get the internet on via wireless. We have a generic netopia router downstairs. I was told that if I buy an airport express I can use this as a wireless receiver for the G5 in my room but im unsure. Is this possible? And if not what do I need in order to get a wireless connection for the G5..?

Many Thanks

As long as you have a compatible wireless card in your Mac, like Apple's official AirPort Extreme card, it can connect to any brand wireless router as long as it meets the specs (Wireless A, B, G, or N), although it is a bit pricey compared to other cards.

Many cheaper off-brand PCI wireless cards will also work with your Mac, although I don't know any off the top of my head.

What G5 model do you have exactly? Anyway, those macs had an option for a built in airport card, does your mac have one? Look in the apple menu for the 'about this mac' menu item, then 'more info' and then look under networking. If it does not list an airport card then yes you should or will have to connect your mac via a network card or a third party wireless card as stated above. You can use any mac compatible wireless router or wireless pci card to connect to your existing wireless network.

damn guy in the apple shop just said I needed an airport express.. I have a wireless netopia router.. would I have just needed the airport extreme card or do I need to have both?

I assumed that the express could be connected to the ethernet port in the G5 and would pick up the wireless network?

Edit: just checked my G5 has no airport..

You should be able to connect to the netopia via the built in Ethernet and not have to buy anything. This means you would have to physically connect to your router which I assume is connected to a cable modem or dsl router.

If you cant run cables to your wireless router then you will have to buy a mac compatible wireless ethernet card. These would be less expensive than an airport extreme base station referred to in your op.

Unfortunatly for me I just jumped the gun and bought an airport express off ebay already.. So now I need an airport extreme card.. damn, last time I listen to those idiots in the apple shop.

No, now that you already have it coming just plug it into the Ethernet port on your mac and you should be able to connect to your existing wireless network. I have never done it that way but I dont see why it would not work.

Maybe they dont sell those airport cards anymore? They should have at least went over all your options. I guess they were just trying to sell you a base station.

Man im so confused.. So the airport express will pickup a wireless signal if I connect it to my G5 via ethernet cable?

I might have added to your confusion because I was actually thinking of the Airport Extreme base station. I am not sure now about the answer to your question, sorry. I dont see why it would not work but then I look at the web site and it is unclear to me if express can join in a network from a third party router (netopia).

From apples web site I get this blurb.

This indicates that only Apples wireless routers will work.

U can use an airport express to connect ur mac to ur network via WDS
 

But only if your router supports it, or is supported by WRT or some of the other alternate firmware for routers,
I use mine to connect my xbox to my network, it has been running well since 2005

Is it straight forward to setup?

Ok so the airport express came. I have connected it to my G5 via ethernet cable. There is a light on the AE that is flashing on and off. The airport utility program will not find any base stations?

Any ideas how I can set the airport express up as so far the airport utility cant find anything?

cheers

Press and hold the reset button on the Airport Express until the light starts blinking rapidly. Open your Airport Utility, and you should then be able to connect to the Express. Follow through with the setup for WDS mode.

thanks delta. I have gotten the airport utility to find the AE now but when I try to 'connect to my existing network' the AE cannot find it.

Im trying to use the AE to connect my G5 to my existing Linksys wireless network.

Ive scrapped the airport express and bought an airport extreme card but would you believe im having the same 'connection timeout' problem when I try and connect to my wireless router.. It asks me for the network password (tried WEP and WPA) but it always says 'connection timeout' or 'invalid password' even though the password is definitly correct.

Im totally fed up at this stage connecting a cpu to wireless broadband should not be this difficult. This is my first encounter with Mac and probably my last.

jay2k6ie, I would advise not using WEP, first because it is not secure at all any longer, and second because there are major cross-platform implementation issues between Windows and Mac OS X when using WEP. Instead use WPA2 (preferred) or WPA (a barely acceptable alternative--use WPA2 if at all possible), as that will give you real security and no cross-platform issues.

Trevor

You do realize there's no internal antenna for the airport card, so unless you have the original 'T' wifi antenna for the G4 tower, you won't be getting any signal, and won't likely connect if the wireless access point is more than a couple of feet away. The wire that you attach to the Airport card simply routes to the external wifi connector on the back panel. The 'T' plugs into the antenna connector on the back panel of your PowerMac G5. You can also use any other external wifi antenna, if it has the correct connector. You can't expect any connection if you don't have an antenna attached. That's why you would be getting a connection error.

Ok now im annoyed I thought that the extreme card contained an antenna. I cant afford to splash out anymore Ive already bought an airport extreme card and an airport express.

Delta is there any way I can use the airport express with my G5 to pick up my wireless network?

All you need now is an external antenna for your G5, which you can make yourself for next to nothing.
google for 'cantenna' - http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448
Attach an MCX connector to that antenna, and you will be good to go...

I think your Airport Express should work for what you need, but I don't have experience with that type of setup - sorry...

Maybe you should give us the basic details on your set up. What router model exactly? It is connected How? What other routers, cable modems, dsl are involved?

Have you gone into the wireless router set up to make sure it is not blocking the express. Did you get a manual with the express? Is it brand new or off ebay?

Just did a quick diagram to help. I have gone into the router settings but there is nothing that I can see that would affect me connecting to a wireless network. I got the airport express from ebay and also the airport extreme.

They were both bought from reputable dealers and refurbished. I do believe both are working 100%. I didn't get a manual with the express but I have reviewed the manual online and its not much help to be honest as when I try to 'connect to an existing network' as it asks me to my express doesnt find any network.

I have a PC laptop upstairs also which works perfectly on the network. I get a full wireless signal from the Cisco EPC2425 router downstairs and connect to it the general straight forward way of searching for the network, finding it, insert password..Connected.

Thanks again for the help!

Do you have the wireless settings set to WDS or bridge mode on the cisco?
Does the router show up in the macs network prefs? To see that go into preferences>network>advanced what is listed in the preferred networks box?

The Airport Express can act as an Ethernet bridge to any device even a gaming console. So your g5 can use its Ethernet connector to the Express N. And at the same time it can also do Apple WDS, not so sure about non Apple.

You can either do from Airport Admin software:
Join a wireless network (be sure to check Allow ethernet clients aka your G5).

Or you can Do Extend a Wireless network.

I would start with the former as it is more likely to work with a non apple router.

In my case once configured I choose to reserve a particular address on the wireless lan (My main Router is an airport extreme N gig). I use this functionality on a Dell Laser 3100cn with an Ethernet port that is bridged by the airport express N.

That said you can a probably configure your router to reserve an ip for your g5 too.

Be sure to choose the same type of security, e.g. WPA2 recommended. For your testing just leave both wide open though.

I have attached a screen shot of the routers wireless bridge screen is this what your talking about?

I have gone into mac network preferences as instructed and the preferred network is the apple airport express network but there is no sign of my cisco network..

I am no expert but I think the "wireless Bridging" needs to be enabled. Did you try that and then resetting the airport express?

yes I have enabled the bridging and tried resetting the airport express but im still not picking up my Cisco in 'preffered networks;

Hmmm, I am stumped (easily).

Should I be putting something in the 'remote bridges' box in the router setup menu?

The bridging is supposed to be done from the Express not the router. The express can act as a router but it does not have great range.

You want to use the Express to bridge the G5 via an Ethernet Cable between it and the Airport Express and make the settings as I suggested above. By the way is the Express an N or G

When you say airport admin do you mean the 'airport utility'? When I go there after resetting the airport express it gives me an option to 'create a wireless network' or 'join existing'.. When I click join existing it says no networks found..?

Im not sure where to look to find out whether its an N or G?

You want to Join. As far as finding a net it it depends on many things. Is your router broadcasting its sysid (if it is off in stealth mode) you would have to know what it was and enter it manually.

For testing Make sure your wireless router is set to NO security, SYSID On Broadcasting, etc. Make sure at least for now it is set to N and G if those are both options and that it is not using any Custom Turbo sort of modes that are proprietary, make sure your not filtering by MAC address (the ethernet address of net devices). If all else fails reset the the router. You will need to look up its default ip address and user and pass if you reset it and do not know it. Again this info can be googled.

As far as N or G on the express you would have to cross reference the Apple part number by Googling it to find out. Enter the part number listed on the Express and you will find out which one you have. Is this your router... cisco epc2425 (Elsewhere in your thread I thought you mentioned netopia). That Cisco model is G only.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/...eets_list.html

All the same as I mentioned above simply settings for trouble shooting.

Yes that is my router the Cisco 2425. The last router I had was Netopia before we changed isp I just mixed them up.

OK let us now how it goes with the shields down. The instructions above, no secuirty, SSID on, etc.