The Perfect Mac mini and Windows PC Network

The perfect home network, in my estimation, consists of a cable or DSL broadband connection, an AirPort Extreme Base Station, an AirPort card in your Mac mini, and a wireless device for each of your Windows PCs. Add AirPort Express Base Stations as desired.

Ideally, your Windows computer has USB 2.0 ports, which are fast enough to support an 802.11g wireless adapter. If your computer is older and has USB 1.1 ports, you can buy a less-expensive 802.11b USB wireless adapter. It runs at 11 Mbps, about the same speed as the older USB ports.

The AirPort Extreme Base Station uses an Ethernet cable to connect to your DSL or cable modem, which itself connects to a cable or telephone connection. The AirPort Extreme Base Station has an additional Ethernet port that can be used to connect to an Ethernet hub or a single computer. The hub allows multiple computers to be connected using Ethernet cables rather than wirelessly. You can have both wired and wireless computers on the same network.

You will also find a telephone jack on the AirPort Extreme Base Station. This can be connected to a dial-up telephone line and used to connect to America Online. The AOL connection can be accessed across the network, but only by one computer at a time and then only by Macs. This feature also works only in the United States.

The less-perfect Mac mini and Windows PC network

My less-perfect Mac mini and Windows PC network is the same as my "perfect" example except you use some other wireless access point and not an AirPort Extreme Base Station. If you already own a wired or wireless network and connect the Mac mini to it, this is what you have. You will appreciate how easily the Mac mini connects to the network you already own, whether wired or wireless. But please consider upgrading to the AirPort Extreme Base Station.