[dennisbolt]

A newbie question.....

I am finally able to get comcast High Speed Internet (and probably digital cable tv as well)

I have a 2001 G4 tower still running 9.22 (yeah i probably should upgrade) as well as the newest PB 17" with an Airport Extrme base station (the one with modem, WAN, and LAN)

I want to network the two. Wirelessly for the PB and I guess with an ethernet cable from the G4 tower to Airport LAN port? I then would like to use internet on both at same time.

I have never had a home network before and never had cable internet.

When I order from Comcast, should i tell them/ask about the 2 computers, or will they charge me more for 2 connections. from my browsing it looks like a router is not looked upon kindly by comcast??

I assume that the cable modem connects with ethernet to the Airport (or single computer ethernet port) The airport acts as a router to give internet access to both computers simultaneusly?
I will probably go for the pro install, since i have never set up 9.22 or OSX for networking or internet via ethernet.

Any advise??

[Ghoser777]

I have Comcast. I have a router. I currently have four functioning computers connected via the router. Life is good

Get a wireless router and you can hook your tower over ethernet and connect your powerbook over airport.

Matt Fahrenbacher

[dennisbolt]

Thanks

I assume that me telling Comcast (when I order and get pro install) that i have 2 computers i want on the net, will not casue them to charge me more??

I thought that the Airport base station was a router. Isn't that what the LAN port is for? Or do I plug a router into the LAN port and then plug the desktop into the router. Seem like a lot of hardware for one machine.

[aaanorton]

I wouldn't mention a home network to them. Why look for trouble?
The AEBS is all you need, so you're all set. The cable modem will plug into the WAN port on the AEBS and your G4 will go into the LAN port (both via standard ethernet cables). You REALLY don't need the pro install for this. You could start setting it up now. Connect the G4 as described and the PB wirelessly. If you get IPs on the same subnet (probably (10.0.x.x), on both computers, well... that's it. You're done. When the cable modem comes, Unplug the power to the AEBS and then plug in the cable modem. After it goes through it's startup routine, plug the AEBS back in and you should be golden.

[leira]

afaik comcast doesnt yet care how many computers are on a connection.

[tooki]

When they come out, just have them hook it up to one computer -- they offer in-home networking, but it's crap. Then, once it's working and they've left, hook it up to your AirPort and share it out.

tooki

[dennisbolt]

If i have Comcast hook it up to the G4 tower, and then when they leave, plug it into the airport base station, will MAC/IP addresses be correct?

Setting up network protocols between the G4 os9.2 and the powerbook os10.3 has been kinda hit and miss, but i may opt for the Comcast self install...

Is there a good tutorial (here or elsewhere) on which control panels etc to use and where to enter any addresses for getting onto the internet and sharing the powerbook?

The G4 tower does not have an airport card, but presumably does not need one if it is ethernet cabled to the basestation.

[-Q-]

Comcast controls network access based on the MAC ID of the cable modem, not the computer that's connected to the cable modem (here in Atlanta, that's the case anyway).

If you have an AE BS with the LAN and WAN port, you'd just need to plug the coaxial cable into the cable modem, take the ethernet cable from the cable modem and plug it into the WAN port of the AE BS and plug an ethernet cable into the LAN port of the AE BS and the ethernet port of the tower. You'd then use the Airport Setup Utility to tell the AE BS to distribute IP addresses and set both computers to get an IP address via DHCP and you should be set to go.

I currently have 5 computers and a tivo networked to a comcast connection and it works flawlessly.

[dennisbolt]

Thank Q (in my best Sean Connery accent:-)

[-Q-]

You will bring the cable modem back in one piece, won't you 007?

My pleasure Dennis.

[dennisbolt]

I ordered the PB with a cloaking device, but Apple said that they were back ordered. Now I wonder which apple products would be James Bond's favorite?