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JazzCatDRP · Feb 12, 2005, 12:13 PM

Hi all.
I'm curious about a mac compatible wireless router. I am not looking for anything fancy, just something cheap. My question is this: Will a PC router, such as Linksys work with macs? I already have a 802.11 wireless card with a third party driver that works (I've used it in my school's WiFi hotspots.) The system requirements on the one I was looking at don't mention mac, but I didn't know if the router itself would work with it anyway. Thanks!

John Strung · Feb 12, 2005, 12:36 PM

Any third party wireless router should work.

spiky_dog · Feb 12, 2005, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by John Strung:
Any third party wireless router should work.

yup. all except for apple's own offerings are configured through a web browser, and firefox should handle that task handily.

Wiskedjak · Feb 12, 2005, 01:57 PM

Originally posted by John Strung:
Any third party wireless router should work.

Any, except for Microsoft's wireless router. Just as the Airport Basestation can only be configured through MacOS, MS's router can only be configured through Windows, though a Mac can obtain an IP from it.

spiky_dog · Feb 12, 2005, 02:00 PM

dp.

ghporter · Feb 12, 2005, 02:35 PM

Originally posted by Wiskedjak:
Any, except for Microsoft's wireless router. Just as the Airport Basestation can only be configured through MacOS, MS's router can only be configured through Windows, though a Mac can obtain an IP from it.

Not quite correct. Their base station runs under Windows CE, rather than some version of Linux, as most third part access points and routers do, but you configure it by logging into 192.168.2.1-just like all the rest.

Like many other manufacturers, MS provides a Windows-only "setup wizard" CD with their equipment.

It's really a non-issue, though, since Microsoft is supposed to be getting out of the networking hardware business.

Wiskedjak · Feb 12, 2005, 03:18 PM

Originally posted by ghporter:
Not quite correct. Their base station runs under Windows CE, rather than some version of Linux, as most third part access points and routers do, but you configure it by logging into 192.168.2.1-just like all the rest.

Like many other manufacturers, MS provides a Windows-only "setup wizard" CD with their equipment.

It's really a non-issue, though, since Microsoft is supposed to be getting out of the networking hardware business.

Interesting. I could have sworn, at least with some of the early models, that MS's website actually said the base station could only be configured through Windows.

ghporter · Feb 12, 2005, 03:24 PM

Originally posted by Wiskedjak:
Interesting. I could have sworn, at least with some of the early models, that MS's website actually said the base station could only be configured through Windows.

They don't make it easy to research their stuff, that's for sure! Everybody else that I've ever researched has a link to their manual, along with everything else, on the product's page. Not ol' Bill's guys! You'd think they'd try to have a little professional pride in their pages... Naaaa.

JazzCatDRP · Feb 12, 2005, 08:13 PM

Thanks for all the help. I purchased a Linksys wireless router. How do I configure it through a browser? There's no html files or anything on the CD, and the setup programs are all .exe. Thanks!

Wiskedjak · Feb 12, 2005, 08:35 PM

Originally posted by JazzCatDRP:
Thanks for all the help. I purchased a Linksys wireless router. How do I configure it through a browser? There's no html files or anything on the CD, and the setup programs are all .exe. Thanks!

That should be documented in the manual (little paper thing that came with the router)

JazzCatDRP · Feb 12, 2005, 08:47 PM

Duh, my bad. Thanks.

NeilCharter · Feb 13, 2005, 01:19 AM

I just bought a Buffalo router which has WEP capabilities. I can connect to it from my PB using the TKIP protocol but for some reason not using AES.

The router is very cheap, but it certainly is harder to set up than an Apple unit.

Wiskedjak · Feb 13, 2005, 07:21 AM

Originally posted by NeilCharter:
The router is very cheap, but it certainly is harder to set up than an Apple unit.

That's to be expected. The Airport Base Station is without question the easiest router to configure. You also pay 3x more for that convenience than the next most expensive home consumer level wireless router on the market.

ghporter · Feb 13, 2005, 10:59 AM

Originally posted by NeilCharter:
I just bought a Buffalo router which has WEP capabilities. I can connect to it from my PB using the TKIP protocol but for some reason not using AES.

Do you mean "WEP" or "WPA?" Big difference-especially since WEP is self contained, whereas WPA has a lot of possible extensions. I think you mean WPA.

Not all wireless devices support AES. TKIP-PSK (TKIP-personal) is more than adequate to secure your network, just make sure you use a GOOD password/passphrase.

The ONLY exploit to ever touch WPA is based on a "dictionary attack" on very poor passphrases-simple words straight out of a dictionary. Since you're using some non-Apple equipment, it is usually simpler to generate a hex key anyway, since Apple handles passwords different from everyone else, and that causes a lot of aggravation to Mac users!

The Oracle · Feb 13, 2005, 05:46 PM

I use the linksys WRT54G wired & wireless b/g model, and it works well with my wireless macs (ibook and powerbook).