MAC and PC on Wireless network

[paulspain100]

Hi there.

I am trying to find out the simplest way to set up a home wireless network for my POWERMAC G4 AGP running OSX 10.4 and my PC running XP home. I have spoken to the tech guys at PC world but they just want to sell me 2 new laptops which I neither want nor need and are otherwise unhelpful.

What I need to know is whether there is a specific router required to work with both machines and once I have that, whether I will need an airport card for the MAC and a PCI card for the PC or whether I can just plug in USB dongles or whatever else is best/simplest.

Any advice would be much appreciated - you will have gathered I am not exactly an expert!!

Thanks a lot,

Paul

[DirtyPolo]

Is your poll linked with your query in anyway? :P

 

Also, any network router should work, as you configure your TCP/IP settings on a MAC the same way you would on a Windows PC.

 

As for what you will need. I would recommend getting an airport card for your MAC as they are almost guaranteed compatibility with current and future releases of OS X, and is utterly unobtrusive.

 

Also if you want to look for a USB dongle to work with your MAC, you will be struggling as not many do.

 

I would advise you get an Airport card for your MAC and a USB dongle for your PC if you wish.

 

But the main thing is that you can use any router for your MAC unless it specifically says Not for use with a MAC :P

[paulspain100]

Thanks cooler master!

[Tootech]

This link is a good start

 

Mac Connect - networking Mac and PC

[Tony D]

Wireless networking is an IEEE standard, specifically 802.11 which comes in a variety of speeds a, b, g and n (although n is still a draft).

 

As long as you get an adapter and a router that adhere to the spec (it will be marked on the box, at least in the USA they're marked on the box) you should be OK.

 

Some routers have a setup CD which may not be 'Mac friendly'. If you know what you're doing, you won't need the CD and you will be able to configure the router manually.