Thread
How to get NEC laptop onto Airport network?
My new roommate uses an NEC laptop running Windows. It has slots for two PMCIA cards - and he'd love to access my Airport based mac network.
Is this possible?
What card would/should he get -
and is the setting up of Win-yechh settings difficult to get onto my Airport network?
Thanks for your help and suggestions in advance.
Is this possible?
What card would/should he get -
and is the setting up of Win-yechh settings difficult to get onto my Airport network?
Thanks for your help and suggestions in advance.
I have a Sony Vaio with Win2000Pro on my home AirPort network and it was quite easy to set up. I'm using an Orinoco WaveLan Silver card with the drivers from the install disk that came with the card. I'd say that's the one to use. I'm not using any encryption since it's a home LAN. Once the card is installed it should auto-detect the AirPort network. If not you need to run the IP Configuration command in the Run window.
As the wireless admin of my colleges campus (They were lazy and instead of hardwiring the dorms completely, just put in wireless access points, ie: I spend all day, everyday (Well, almost)installing wireless cards.)
ANY 802.11b card will work. I currently don't a have a preferance, they all seem to work the same. Furthermore the software utilities are pretty much identical (on occasion you'll see something slightly diffent, but nor much) between manufacters. just remember one key thing: ALWAYS INSTALL DRIVERS AND SOFTWARE FIRST! not that it's abig deal if you don't, but if he;s running XP, Xp will try to control the device (especially if it's a Linksys product) and it doesn't work as well. you can do a post hardware install software install but if the above is true it can be mind boggling trying to get windows to let go (actually that's not true, you just have to go into the network setting for the device and uncheck a box that reads (allow windows to control device).
ANY 802.11b card will work. I currently don't a have a preferance, they all seem to work the same. Furthermore the software utilities are pretty much identical (on occasion you'll see something slightly diffent, but nor much) between manufacters. just remember one key thing: ALWAYS INSTALL DRIVERS AND SOFTWARE FIRST! not that it's abig deal if you don't, but if he;s running XP, Xp will try to control the device (especially if it's a Linksys product) and it doesn't work as well. you can do a post hardware install software install but if the above is true it can be mind boggling trying to get windows to let go (actually that's not true, you just have to go into the network setting for the device and uncheck a box that reads (allow windows to control device).
Thanks for your post, mac-at-kearsarge. I'm thinking of installing a wireless card in my tenant's windows box to get her onto my airport LAN.
Do you have links to any pages that might describe the set-up in greater detail? For someone like me, when dealing with windows, the more detail the better.
Also, I understand your advice that any 802.11b card will work, but if pressed on the subject, would you recommend a particular brand, and if so, why?
Thanks again. I'll go do a google search on the subject now.
Do you have links to any pages that might describe the set-up in greater detail? For someone like me, when dealing with windows, the more detail the better.
Also, I understand your advice that any 802.11b card will work, but if pressed on the subject, would you recommend a particular brand, and if so, why?
Thanks again. I'll go do a google search on the subject now.
PERSONALLY I guess I would prefer either D-Link or Netgear Products. HOWEVER most peope here on Campus use LinkSys. Which seem to work quite well, and they are well priced.
Last year, all my equipmet intially was Linksys products. I had both a wireless and ethernet Router and three wireless USB access devices (This was prior to the installatin of the school's wireless system, and as I had been blessed with quite bit of cash flow, I genererously helped pay for some of this tuff, and then the other persons paid me back in installments.) anyway, returning from X-Mas break, something caused the Ehthernet and wireless routers to become permantly damedged during the 45 min trip from home to dorm. The evidence pints to electrmagnetical damge. But I could never figure out how since they had been carefully packed in a box, sitting on the front seat of my car, not really near any strong magnetic fields. Especially since they were obviously turned off. Since they were after the warrenty anyway I opened them up to see if I could see any physical reason. Which I couldn't but I didn't notice they didn't seem to be well shielded (Linksys cases are plastic as were D-Links and Netgears are metal) Anyway, Since I had missplaced the sales reciept and I had had them longer than 90 days anyway I couldn't return them. And I was too lazy to deal with sending to LinkSys and all that garbage. <-- This is why I don't care for LinkSys to much.
But as I mentioned, their wireless access device work great! The questions you need to answer are:
What type of buidling is it: Are the walls concreat blocks, or wood and plaster/sheetrock.
How far away is her computer from the BS (going in a stright line approx.)
Does her Sytem have Any avalible USB ports? Does it have any Open PCI slots Or is it a laptop with USB or any avalible PCMCIA slots open?
Once you answer these I'll be able to give you a strong recomendation about what she should get.
Last year, all my equipmet intially was Linksys products. I had both a wireless and ethernet Router and three wireless USB access devices (This was prior to the installatin of the school's wireless system, and as I had been blessed with quite bit of cash flow, I genererously helped pay for some of this tuff, and then the other persons paid me back in installments.) anyway, returning from X-Mas break, something caused the Ehthernet and wireless routers to become permantly damedged during the 45 min trip from home to dorm. The evidence pints to electrmagnetical damge. But I could never figure out how since they had been carefully packed in a box, sitting on the front seat of my car, not really near any strong magnetic fields. Especially since they were obviously turned off. Since they were after the warrenty anyway I opened them up to see if I could see any physical reason. Which I couldn't but I didn't notice they didn't seem to be well shielded (Linksys cases are plastic as were D-Links and Netgears are metal) Anyway, Since I had missplaced the sales reciept and I had had them longer than 90 days anyway I couldn't return them. And I was too lazy to deal with sending to LinkSys and all that garbage. <-- This is why I don't care for LinkSys to much.
But as I mentioned, their wireless access device work great! The questions you need to answer are:
What type of buidling is it: Are the walls concreat blocks, or wood and plaster/sheetrock.
How far away is her computer from the BS (going in a stright line approx.)
Does her Sytem have Any avalible USB ports? Does it have any Open PCI slots Or is it a laptop with USB or any avalible PCMCIA slots open?
Once you answer these I'll be able to give you a strong recomendation about what she should get.
Thanks for posting in reply to my questions. As for the details:
It's a three-story residence, mostly wood / sheetrock. The basestation is situated in a room on the 3rd floor, while her computer is in a room in the 1st floor (ground level). The straight-line distance between BS - Wintel is approx. 35 feet. (as an aside, I get a very strong signal from the 3rd to the 2nd floor where my iMac resides, approx. 20 -25 feet straight thru the floor).
My tenant's computer is a desktop pentium II running Win98. I don't believe it has USB (I'll check) but it does have at least one available PCI slot, perhaps more.
One thing: The room where her computer sits does have metal wall framing, but the signal would have to travel vertically thru the floor/ceiling, which is all wood / sheetrock, so hopefully the metal framing in the room walls won't be too much of a factor.
Thanks again for your help!
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What type of building is it: Are the walls concrete blocks, or wood and plaster/sheetrock. How far away is her computer from the BS (going in a straight line approx.) Does her Sytem have Any avalible USB ports? Does it have any Open PCI slots Or is it a laptop with USB or any avalible PCMCIA slots open? Once you answer these I'll be able to give you a strong recomendation about what she should get. |
It's a three-story residence, mostly wood / sheetrock. The basestation is situated in a room on the 3rd floor, while her computer is in a room in the 1st floor (ground level). The straight-line distance between BS - Wintel is approx. 35 feet. (as an aside, I get a very strong signal from the 3rd to the 2nd floor where my iMac resides, approx. 20 -25 feet straight thru the floor).
My tenant's computer is a desktop pentium II running Win98. I don't believe it has USB (I'll check) but it does have at least one available PCI slot, perhaps more.
One thing: The room where her computer sits does have metal wall framing, but the signal would have to travel vertically thru the floor/ceiling, which is all wood / sheetrock, so hopefully the metal framing in the room walls won't be too much of a factor.
Thanks again for your help!