[rustyclockwork]

Hello,

I've got a dual 800 G4, a cable modem, and hopefully soon a new powerbook 12"

This is what I want to do:

be able to transfer files to and from desktop to notebook

be able to browse internet from desktop via cable modem

be able to browse Interent from notebook via wireless from desktop's connection to the Internet.

Do I need a base station? The desktop's connected to the cable modem via ethernet (not sure if any macs have a USB connection to cable) and I'm thinking if I have a standard air port card in the desktop, I'll be able to use the airport extreme card in the notebook... (I haven't ordered the airport extreme yet).

is this possible? or do I need a router or base station?

Jason

[aaanorton]

You could do it that way, but you'd be much better off getting a wireless router which would also act as a firewall between you and the internet. You'd have to spend $80 for an Airport card for the G4 anyway, so why not just spend another 25-50 bucks and have a router that will serve you better in the end?
Look around for a Netgear 814 or an Asante FR1004. Both of these are great and reasonably priced.

[SPiNdustrious]

I agree. A wireless router will make your network much simpler and will simply bypass many headache sources.

I just got a Neatgear 814 and am delighted with it. Excellent value, good performance, nice looks.

Peter

[oscar]

Why the previous 2 posters are correct in saying you should get one, in fact, you do not need to get a base station. The G4 could act as a software base statoin

[wulf]

I believe you will also get a greater signal range + strength with a wireless router/basestation.

[aaanorton]

Originally posted by oscar:
Why the previous 2 posters are correct in saying you should get one, in fact, you do not need to get a base station. The G4 could act as a software base statoin

Yes, as I said, you can do it this way, but you are definitely much better off just getting a wireless gateway router. By not using a router you:

• directly expose your computer to the whole internet. Yes, you can use firewall s/w, but again, it's not as good as a h/w firewall. This is the whole point of these things, really. It means that the only visible device in your LAN is the router.
• are required to have G4 on all the times. Not such a big deal, but some people like to turn their machines off. Plus this means that your G4 is always doing one more thing, instead of just off-loading this task to a router.
• lose flexibility and expandability. These routers offer many more customizations (like port forwarding, MAC address cloning) and have multiple LAN ports so you network can easily grow.

These are just a few advantages, but they're important. And considering the price difference is so small, why not get the router? It makes a lot more sense.