[BWSchultz]

Then why can't I do it?

Here's the hardware I have:

Service: SBC Yahoo DSL
Modem: Speedstream 4100
Airport Extreme Base Station (AEBS)
G5 with Extreme card
XP Laptop

So far, I've been able to connect wall jack > modem > G5 and had a great direct connection.

I've installed the aiport software and stepped through setup to no avail. Actually, before I setup the security stuff, the XP laptop was able to connect to the network (with wonderful speed). At this point, my G5 could NOT connect to the internet with the AEBS turned on. There was a scrolling message in the menu bar "negotiating with PPPoe" that never stopped. I currently have WEP security in use and I'll probably change that to WPA once I'm satisfied.

When I turn off the Airport, I go back to having a great ethernet connection. I do have all the passwords written down (service, base station, network) but my Mac still can't find it. I have also seen "No networks in range."

I apologize if this is too general of a question. There seems to be issues with this PPPoe thing which I have never heard of prior to trying to setup this wireless network. My goal, when all is said and done, is to have a direct connection to the G5 and a wireless connection to the XP laptop. I also have an Airport Express I want to tack onto the network for itunes in the house but I have yet to even open that box at this point.

Does anyone have experience setting up DSL service with SBC and could go over some of their settings? I feel there is a lack of documentation on this and based on how many different settings and panels of settings there are in the airport setup utility and network system preference panel there really should be. I can't read off my exact current settings because I'm not on my Mac right now but I hope I can get some help. If you need more information to help, please let me know. Thanks!

[©öñFü$íóÑ]

You have an AirPort Extreme -Card- in your G5?

Take it out or deactivate it (if possible)... and just make sure you have an ethernet cable connected to the back of your G5's ethernet port. I believe the problem lies in the possibility that your Mac is trying to connect wirelessly rather than directly through ethernet.

I believe it is safe to assume that the G5 can connect to the AirPort Extreme Base Station via ethernet WITHOUT the AirPort card and without the AirPort software. All you need is to access network settings in your control panel.

If all else fails, buy a well known router like Linksys or NetGear and dump the AEBS .

I have an old PowerMac 6100 directly connected via Ethernet to my NetGear router while my sister's XP laptop is connected to it wirelessly... i even have my XP desktop connected via ethernet to it as well. I don't have SBC, but i -am- on a DSL connection. So what you're asking for is do-able.

[BWSchultz]

Well, it works through the ethernet cable (with the base station off) so what difference does it make if there is an Extreme Card inside?

Do I need the card to set up a home wireless network, even if I intend to use the G5 as the setup computer and with a direct connenction?

From what I know, you can't use a 3rd party router with the airport express to extend the network. I don't have the express hooked up yet but will do so once I have the basic wireless network working.

[ghporter]

Let's start with some background information. "PPPoE" stands for "Point of Presence Protocol over Ethernet," and it's the way almost all DSL services use for customers to log on. (It's really an extension of the standard dialup logon, but it's almost completely transparent for the user so it's no big deal.)

Now I'll bet you have the G5 setting up a PPPoE connection through the modem, and that's fine as far as it goes. But with the AirPort Base Station, you don't need that, and it can even be a problem. Like in your case.

Go into the G5's Network Preferences and turn off the setting that does that (I can't remember what it's called, but it's the one where you provided your SBC username and password). Next, plug the WAN jack of the base station into the ethernet jack of the modem. Now plug anethernet cable into your AirPort Base Station and use the AirPort Admin Utility to set it up. You can use the base station to do all the logon for you, so your G5 isn't tied up establishing the connection. It is much preferable to have the base station do this.

Once you have that done, it won't matter whether you connect a cable from the G5 to the base station or use the AirPort card, because it'll all go through the base station. This will also allow the XP laptop to connect wirelessly and surf. Everybody's happy this way.

[BWSchultz]

Glenn to the rescue...

Will I need to wipe everything clean that I've done so far with the base station?
Ok, I'm looking at pages 31-33 of the Airport Designs Manual...

It says to go to the airport admin utility and go to the Internet tab, there is a pull down menu at the top with options such as:

Connect using: Ethernet
Connect using: PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE)

By selecting the PPPoE pull-down, the screen shows blanks for:

Account name: morengo@bacpell.net
Service name: bacpell.net

I have my own information to input there. Should that remain PPPoE here?

So your strategy is:

1) Turn off PPPoE connection in System Preferences > G5's Network Preferences
2) Plug ethernet cable from Airport WAN to modem
3) Plug second ethernet cable from Airport LAN to G5
4) Run AirPort Admin Util on G5

Now you're saying that by doing step one, the G5 will step aside and let the base station do the setup process?

[ghporter]

You have it! Put your correct username and password in the boxes. Let the base station handle the connection details and your computers will connect to your LAN (and Wireless LAN).

You really need to run the Admin Utility via a cable-even though it's not stressed in the documentation for most wireless routers it MUST be done this way. Make your settings as mentioned above and you should be done.

[BWSchultz]

I fiddled around with it last night and I have a wireless network now.... but

1) I haven't figured out how to add security yet so it's unprotected
2) I had trouble linking my airport express onto the network

It appears that I'm NOT using PPPoE because the only way I can get it to work is to right-click and stop it from connecting in the menu bar. Otherwise, it will error out and say it can't find a PPPoE server.

If I add security, the network goes down (for my G5 and for the XP laptop).

When I plugged in the Express and went through the airport setup, it correctly found it but it had a hard time setting it up. Then, after I thought it was working, I kept getting errors that an IP address was being used in another place. I was trying to make sense of it but it seemed that the Express was taking the same IP as the base station or something like that and they both just gave up.

This is pretty frustrating. I had really hoped this would be as easy to setup as everything else is with Apple computers. The biggest problem I see is that there are no fewer than four settings panels with 7 sub tabs each. Getting them all compatible with each other is a daunting task.

[oo7]

Originally Posted by BWSchultz

I fiddled around with it last night and I have a wireless network now.... but

1) I haven't figured out how to add security yet so it's unprotected
2) I had trouble linking my airport express onto the network

It appears that I'm NOT using PPPoE because the only way I can get it to work is to right-click and stop it from connecting in the menu bar. Otherwise, it will error out and say it can't find a PPPoE server.

If I add security, the network goes down (for my G5 and for the XP laptop).

When I plugged in the Express and went through the airport setup, it correctly found it but it had a hard time setting it up. Then, after I thought it was working, I kept getting errors that an IP address was being used in another place. I was trying to make sense of it but it seemed that the Express was taking the same IP as the base station or something like that and they both just gave up.

This is pretty frustrating. I had really hoped this would be as easy to setup as everything else is with Apple computers. The biggest problem I see is that there are no fewer than four settings panels with 7 sub tabs each. Getting them all compatible with each other is a daunting task.

For best security for Apple wireless networks, I'd check out WiTopia, www.witopia.net.

Their SecuremyWiFI service provides business-grade Wi-Fi security and management on the cheap (less than 10 bucks a year). They have great guides for Apple Airport Express and Extreme access points.

Essentially, their service allows you to use the higher level WPA Enterprise and WPA2 Enterprise security built into your Apple Express and you can setup other wireless devices or allow guest access in a few seconds over a web portal.

It's pretty slick..I use it every day and it just gives you a nice feeling to see your machine connect securely. WEP is dead for security and WPA Personal has limitations and vulnerabilities if you don't use really long random passphrases and swap them out periodically. May be more..not like wireless hackers and wardrivers would let us know. As you learn about wi-fi security, you soon realize it's well worth it to pay the 10 bucks!

Unless, of course setting up your own RADIUS servers and db, etc. sounds like fun.

[psandiford]

My AX gives an eternal scrolling "Negotiating/Logging" message when I ask the Airport Express to log onto my Verizon PPPoE service. Searching for PPPoE "airport express" "negotiating" I have found 9 requests for help. None of the successful answers involved using the AX to authenticate onto the PPPoE service. As of Airport 6.3, the AX does not seem able to log onto (some) PPPoE services.

Verizon and their tech folks do not want to move past the Westell modem.

I have found two responses that allude to cloning MAC addresses but no information on the steps taken with the AX to clone.

[macintologist]

For security just use the WPA2 features build into the airport. Don't pay 10 bucks a year for some scam

[Tuoder]

Just to be clear, your G5 does NOT use PPPoE. Your Airport Base Station uses PPPoE to connect to the internet, adn then shares that connection through the air. Your G5 should be using the wireless connection that is being transmitted by the Airport Extreme Base Station. It should look like this.



It should also look like this: