Creating a Wireless Network for Your Home


I love home networks and think everyone who has more than one computer should have one. The "killer application" for a home network is the ability to share a single broadband Internet connection among several computers, such as a Mac mini and one or more Windows machines.

In this section, I'll explain the basics of setting up a network that can connect both Macs and PCs to a single Internet connection. You will also be able to share printers and send your iTunes music to the stereo systems, home theater, or powered speakers around your home. And you will do this without the long cable runs otherwise necessary to connect everything together.

My ideas vs. your budget

I have some definite ideas about how a home or small business network should be built. If there will be Macs on the network, I also have definite ideas about the equipment you should buy.

My biases:

People with multiple computers in their homes should use a wireless network to connect them. But a single Mac mini and single Windows PC sitting on the same desk don't really benefit from wireless and can be connected to an Ethernet hub using cables. Having a wireless network allows people who visit your home or office to easily connect to the Internet. If they have a wireless card in their portable computer, all they need to know to connect is your network's name and password.

Apple's AirPort Express Base Stations are very handy. These support a shared USB printer, wired Ethernet connection, and wireless distribution of iTunes music to remote speakers. AirPort Express units can also extend the range of your wireless network. And they can do all these things simultaneously. Unfortunately, AirPort Express works well only with an Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (Figure 5.6), and it doesn't work at all with most other base stations. So…

Figure 5.6. Apple's AirPort base station hardware is available in two models: the standard AirPort Extreme Base Station (right) and the AirPort Express Base Station (left). (Courtesy Apple Computer)


I've retrofitted my home network with AirPort Extreme and Express Base Stations. I did this because I liked being able to wirelessly stream music around my house and to easily share printers. A USB printer connected to an AirPort Extreme Base Station or AirPort Express Base Station works with both Mac OS X and Windows XP computers.

note

Replacing my Microsoft wireless access point with an AirPort Extreme Base Station cost $199. I've also bought three AirPort Express Base Stations for $129 each. Updating the Windows machines to 802.11g, using USB adapters, cost $50 to $70 per machine.


Apple's AirPort wireless card (such as the one that is optionally inside your Mac mini) is fully compatible with the Wi-Fi 802.11b and g standards and will connect to any network that implements them. This means that if you already have a wireless network, your wireless-equipped Mac mini will connect to it. It also means that if you bring a wireless laptop home from work, it will contact to any Apple wireless hardware you may purchase.

About AirPort

AirPort is Apple's trade name for wireless networking. This can be confusing because Apple products are compatible with other wireless networking equipment, though you might not guess it from the AirPort name.

Fortunately, all wireless hardware today is pretty much compatible across the different brands and between Windows and Macintosh. I would say 100 percent compatible since I haven't run into any hardware that won't work together, but I know that if I say that, something odd will turn up.

All you need to know is this: Buy 802.11g cards for your PCs. Do not buy the older 802.11b, which will work with your network but at one-fifth the speed of your AirPort Extreme hardware. For desktop Windows machines, I recommend USB wireless adapters because they are easy to install. Notebook PCs should get a standard wireless card. Remember: Buy 802.11g cards and adapters only. I recommend paying a bit more to get a brand name you recognize.

note

The instructions that are included with your Windows wireless adapter or card will explain how to install the hardware. It's quite easy, but there are minor differences between brands. Installation is easier on Windows XP machines, especially those running Service Pack 2, than on other Windows computers.


More on what to buy later in this chapter.

Meet the AirPort family

At present, there are three members of the AirPort product family. They are:

AirPort Extreme Base Station (Figure 5.7). Intended to be the center of an AirPort network, this device connects to your broadband Internet connection and makes it available to the computers on your network. You can also use its built-in dial-up modem to connect to AOL and share that connection with one Macintosh at a time. I don't recommend this as your primary Internet connection, but it is convenient if you have AOL and don't want or can't get a broadband Internet connection. It is also a useful "just-in-case" backup for when your broadband fails.

Figure 5.7. The AirPort Extreme Base Station is the heart of the Apple wireless network. Besides providing a wireless Internet connection for wireless-equipped PCs and Macs, it has a USB port for attaching a printer that can be used by computers on the network. (Courtesy Apple Computer)


Though primarily intended as a wireless base station, AirPort Extreme also has an Ethernet port that can be used with a cable (and multi-port hub if necessary) to connect computers sitting adjacent to the base station or someplace you don't mind running a cable. The wired and wireless computers will be able to talk to one another as well as the Internet.

The AirPort Extreme Base Station has a USB port that can be used to share a connected USB printer with the computers on the AirPort network. The device also has a connection for an external antenna, if necessary.

AirPort Express Base Station (Figure 5.8). This is a multipurpose networking device that can be used alone or with the AirPort Extreme Base Station. The AirPort Express Base Station is a small unit that plugs directly into an electrical outlet and wirelessly connects to your AirPort Extreme Base Station. It can be used to:

  • Share iTunes music around your home from either your Mac mini or a PC to a stereo, home theater, or powered speakers. You can plug a Keyspan Express remote control into the USB port and control iTunes from where you're listening. The Keyspan remote control is easy to use, but it lacks any sort of lighted keypad, making it difficult to use in a darkened room. Still, it sure beats running to the computer that's running iTunes just to change a song.

  • Share a printer connected to the USB port on the AirPort Express Base Station. The shared printer can be used by both Macs and Windows XP computers and allows you to locate the printer in places where it isn't convenient to run a cable.

  • Provide a wired connection to your wireless network. The AirPort Express Base Station has a built-in Ethernet port that can be connected to a computer, allowing the computer to access the network using its built-in Ethernet port and a cable connected to the base station. An 802.11g wireless adapter is much less expensive than an AirPort Express Base Station, so I'd use the base station in this way only if the base station will be located near the remote computer anyway.

  • Extend the range of your network. An AirPort Express Base Station can solve the poor-signal problems that exist in some homes. Place the AirPort Express unit in an area with a good signal that's near the area where signals are a problem.

Figure 5.8. The AirPort Express Base Station plugs into a power outlet. From the bottom, you can extend an audio connection, perhaps to a home stereo; a USB connection to a printer or remote control; and an Ethernet cable that can be connected to a non-wireless-equipped computer to connect it to the Internet. This is a neat piece of hardware. (Courtesy Apple Computer)


When Apple introduced the AirPort Express Base Station, I was not sure what I would do with one, especially since it would require replacing the base station I was then using with an Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station that supported the Express's special features.

Since then, and after studying what the Express could do for me, I've installed three in my home and want one or two more. I am using them to control iTunes (from both Macs and Windows machines), to share a printer, and to extend the range of my network to an upstairs bedroom where a PC could not reliably connect to the wireless network.

AirPort Extreme cards. These are the cards that are installed inside Macintosh computers that allow them to connect to wireless networks. Although an AirPort card can be added to a Mac mini after purchase, I strongly recommend that you purchase the unit with wireless already included.

note

Your AirPort Extreme-equipped Mac should communicate seamlessly with any 802.11b or 802.11g hardware, no matter who makes it. Also, your 802.11b or 802.11g-equipped PCs should talk to your AirPort base station without any problems. When shopping, buy 802.11g devices.

Just to confuse us, there is another wireless LAN standard, called 802.11a. Although 802.11b (AirPort) and 802.11g (AirPort Extreme) devices can talk to each other, neither can talk with 802.11a devices. Do not buy an 802.11a device.


What is the range of an AirPort network?

The maximum claimed distance for AirPort networks is 150 feet, with speed decreasing the farther you are from the base station. There are, however, many variables, so some experimentation may be necessary. In open air on a good day, with nothing between the Mac and the access point, ranges can be several times this distance. On the other hand, inside buildings with radio-blocking materials in or on the walls, ranges may be much less.

If you have a Mac mini with built-in wireless, make certain not to set anything on the white plastic top of the unitthe wireless antenna is located just underneath the polycarbonate.

Finding the best location for your AirPort Extreme or Express Base Station may take some work. In my old housewhich had three levelsI had to move the base station a few times to find a place where all the computers could talk to it. The computers must be able to talk to the base station, but they don't have to be able to talk to each other. This means that if the AirPort Extreme Base Station is in the center of the physical network, it should cover 150 feet in all directions, allowing the farthest computers to be up to 300 feet apart. The distance should be much less if you are expecting the full 54 Mbps speed the Extreme can provide.

If you use a wireless-equipped portable or have real signal problems at home, you should consider investing in a Wi-Fi finder, a small receiver that lights LEDs to indicate signal strength. Most are designed to be attached to a key ring or briefcase and cost about $30. You can use the finder to locate wireless hot spots or to determine the best signal areas in your homeor your local Starbucks.

At my new house, which has only two stories, I still have some connection problems, especially upstairs. Fortunately, the AirPort Extreme Base Station can be connected to an external antenna, sometimes capable of solving poor-signal problems. Even more fortunately, the AirPort Express Base Station can act as a wireless repeater, extending the range of the network even more.

Configuring your AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express Base Station

Both your computers and the base station must be configured before they can talk to each other and the Internet. The easiest way to do this is to plug in your AirPort Extreme Base Station and connect an Ethernet cable between your Mac mini and the base station. You can also connect wirelessly if you choose, but connecting using Ethernet cable simplifies the process.

The AirPort Setup Assistant is in the Utilities folder (Figure 5.9) in the Applications folder on your hard drive. If you are connecting your AirPort Express Base Station to the Internet, you will also need your cable or DSL modem and all the information provided by your Internet service provider.

Figure 5.9. Here's a peek inside what I usually call the "Dreaded Utilities folder" found on your Mac mini. There are programs here that can help youand some that can really mess up your Mac mini. Unless you know Unix, avoid the Terminal application, especially.


It is generally easier to configure the cable or DSL modem before connecting your base station to it. This way, you can check the broadband connection before adding your base station to the equation.

Follow the directions provided by your cable or DSL company to setup the broadband modem. You will be asked to connect one of your computers to the modem, probably using an Ethernet cable. Your Windows computer may have a built-in Ethernet port that you can use. Or you can use the Ethernet port on the rear panel of your Mac mini.

If you run into problems, call your DSL or cable company for help.

After the broadband connection is working with a single computer, use the AirPort Setup Assistant (Figure 5.10) software found in the Utilities folder on the Mac mini to configure the base station. You will use the same connection settings provided by your cable or DSL company (typically a user name and password) with the base station that you used when connecting a single computer.

Figure 5.10. One of the ways Apple tries to make its customers' lives easier is with the AirPort Setup Utility, used to get your AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express Base Station working properly.


The instructions that come with the AirPort Extreme Base Station are easy to follow and don't bear repeating in this book. You should have no serious problems getting the base station connected and then connecting either Windows computers or Macs to the base station.

Another program, the AirPort Admin Utility (also in Applications > Utilities), makes it easy to change your AirPort base station's internal settings. If you have experience with networks, especially wireless networks, you may find this easier to use than the AirPort Setup Assistant, which is designed for newbie networkers.

Figures 5.11 through 5.17 are a visual tour of the AirPort Admin Utility, showing some of the screens commonly used to administer both the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express Base Stations.

Figure 5.11. The AirPort Admin Utility gives you access to the settings on all the base stations on your network: in my case, a single AirPort Extreme Base Station and two AirPort Express Base Stations.


Figure 5.17. Look inside the dreaded Utility folder and you will find the Network Utility, a collection of Internet services that you may occasionally find useful.


Figure 5.12. This is the AirPort Admin screen used to set up a network on an AirPort Extreme Base Station. In most cases, your settings will look just like these.


Figure 5.13. This is the AirPort Admin screen used to set up an Internet connection on an AirPort Extreme Base Station. Your Internet service provider will tell you what to enter here. The settings for a "manual" connection can be found by changing the selection from Using DHCP to Manual.


Figure 5.14. Configuring an AirPort Express Base Station is a bit more complex than configuring an AirPort Extreme Base Station. If you use the AirPort Setup Utility, you shouldn't have problems. This screen shows the settings for the AirPort Express in my bedroom.


Figure 5.15. This screen is where you set up the AirPort Express Base Station to serve as a relay for other wireless devices, thereby extending the range of your wireless network.


Figure 5.16. One of the AirPort Express Base Station's best features is its ability to play music remotely. iTunes files residing on a Mac mini (or Windows machine, even) can be sent wirelessly to speakers attached to the AirPort Express Base Station.


The AirPort Admin Utility also provides access to advanced features. The most useful of these may be the ability to set the channel your network operates on. Normally this isn't necessary, but if you are near other wireless networks or even some cordless telephones, you may wish to change the channel your network usesthis will often help with flaky network connections.

The cordless phones that cause problems are those that operate on 2.4 GHz, which is also the frequency range that 802.11b and 802.11g networks use. Microwave ovens also put out radio frequencies in the 2.4 GHz range. If your wireless network gets fuzzy when you use the microwave, you may want to change the channel and see whether this helps. Check docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58543 for more information on interference sources.

If you are concerned about people snooping or connecting to your wireless network without your permission, you should turn on something called WEP, or Wireless Encryption Protocol. With WEP, each computer on your network, as well as your AirPort Base Station, must be set to use the same password. Most people don't use WEP, although everyone probably should. To use WEP on an AirPort base station, select the Enable Encryption (Using WEP) check box on the AirPort tab of the AirPort Admin Utility.

I have discovered that the only way to securely and reliably connect Macs to Windows PCs is with 40-bit WEP. I have experimented with the other protocols without success. Read more about WEP in Chapter 7.

If you run into trouble, your cable or DSL provider should be able to help. If not, check the Apple support site or the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store, or send e-mail to coursey@mac.com and I will try to solve your problem.



The Mac mini Guidebook A practical, hands-on book for everyoneincluding Windows usersmoving to Apple's compact computer
The Mac mini Guidebook A practical, hands-on book for everyoneincluding Windows usersmoving to Apple's compact computer
ISBN: N/A
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Year: 2004
Pages: 146

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