[TribeLeader]

My wife and I are buying PBs as early as this evening. We have (at least) one final question regarding AirPort Extreme and dial-up internet access. BTW, we're stuck with dial-up until there are other options!

I'm wondering about the statement in the fine print that says something like, not all ISPs are compatible with AirPort. What exactly does that mean?

Does that mean that if my wife and I get APE-enabled PBs, we may not be able to share an internet connection, if our ISP is not AirPort compatible? BTW, we are *not* using AOL.

Thanks in advance!

[ibook_steve]

That sounds like a bunch of BS to me. The only thing they could be referring to is that routers, wireless or not, use NAT (Network Address Translation) so that multiple computers can connect to the Internet using the single IP address you get from your ISP. This should work flawlessly with any router you buy. My guess is the ISP's say this because you're not paying them for an extra IP address, so they're not going to support your setup. But for most people, why would you ever pay extra monthly when you can pay one time for a router that offers the same feature plus extras that the ISP can't provide? Buy a router and feel good about sticking it to your ISP by sharing your connection between your two computers!

Steve

[TribeLeader]

Yeah, I really couldn't think of any reason why it wouldn't work. But not having worked with networks before, thought I'd ask. Thanks!

[parsec_kadets]

Originally posted by ibook_steve:
That sounds like a bunch of BS to me. The only thing they could be referring to is that routers, wireless or not, use NAT (Network Address Translation) so that multiple computers can connect to the Internet using the single IP address you get from your ISP. This should work flawlessly with any router you buy. My guess is the ISP's say this because you're not paying them for an extra IP address, so they're not going to support your setup. But for most people, why would you ever pay extra monthly when you can pay one time for a router that offers the same feature plus extras that the ISP can't provide? Buy a router and feel good about sticking it to your ISP by sharing your connection between your two computers!

Steve

You forget that the Airport Base Station does act as a router.

TribeLeader: I think what Apple means is that some ISPs that require you to run special software to access their network may not be AirPort compatible. AOL does support AirPort, but I'm not sure if NetZero does. If you don't use special software (i.e. you just tell your computer to dial a number and use a user name and password), then your ISP will have no way of telling if you're using a Mac or not. However, there are ISPs out there that will refuse to help you in any way if you tell them you're using a Mac. In that case you're left figuring things out on your own, but it will work if you figure it out.

[TribeLeader]

Originally posted by parsec_kadets:
TribeLeader: I think what Apple means is that some ISPs that require you to run special software to access their network may not be AirPort compatible. AOL does support AirPort, but I'm not sure if NetZero does. If you don't use special software (i.e. you just tell your computer to dial a number and use a user name and password), then your ISP will have no way of telling if you're using a Mac or not. However, there are ISPs out there that will refuse to help you in any way if you tell them you're using a Mac. In that case you're left figuring things out on your own, but it will work if you figure it out.

Thanks. Fortunately, I don't use software to dial into my ISP. If I have problems, no doubt I'll be seeking the help of those on the forum!