[b00tang]

I want to add my FP imac to a 802.11g wireless network. With normal airport cards growing rarer and my computer not being compatible with airport extreme I'm thinking that maybe just buying a router might be easier? or maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about? Can I buy something external at a decently low price (70 bucks or less maybe???) that would connect through either my ethernet or usb port and let me get on the wireless network here?
I can't seem to find an exact answer to this question in the forums (I think I am supposed to know this already... I guess I missed the boat on wireless)

sorry for the dumb question

[f1000]

You don't want a router, but a USB access point.

[b00tang]

ok what if i buy a WAP then? I know its point is to distribute the signal, but can't you plug a computer into a airport base station and get onto a wireless network through it for example?
or is a USB access point the cheapest and most efficient way to go?
thanks for humoring my foolish questions

[f1000]

A USB access point is going to be significantly cheaper (and less bulky) than an AirPort Base Station.

[ginoledesma]

From the way you phrased your question, I understand it to be you wanting to join an existing wireless network instead of creating one and having everyone connect to it. If that is indeed a case, you'll need a device that allows you to participate in a wireless network, the most typical being a Wireless card (e.g. Airport). Since that isn't one of your options, you could consider getting a USB-to-WiFi device, but there have been very few success stories about this. You might bump into D-Link's DWL-122, a USB device that acts like a wireless LAN card, but Mac performance and reliability is shoddy at best. If you're able to get one with a money-back guarantee, it may be worth a shot.

Another solution would be Belkin's 802.11b Wireless USB Network Adapter (F5D6050). It costs about $50 and Mac drivers are available. I found it from this thread.

Getting a WAP will only work if you can configure your WAP to join the existing network. That means configuring it as a bridge to basically extend the coverage to where your Mac is. However, bridging is not a universal standard, so one vendor's implementation can vary greatly with that of another.