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TribeLeader · May 7, 2008, 08:15 AM

After doing some searching here on the forum, I still thought it'd be best if I ask my questions about setting up a new home network. I realize these may be basic questions, but I know just enough about networking stuff to make my current setup work.

I'm moving to a new town in about 6-8 weeks and am thinking through the new network setup (home/home office). Currently, I only have a dial-up connection (only option!), which is plugged in to a 4.5 year-old Airport Extreme Base Station (802.11g) that my wife and I share on our PBs.

In the new place, we will have DSL (or cable). I don't know anything about DSL, so is there anything special I need to know, or is it as easy as setting up a dial-up connection (i.e., plugging it into the AEBS)?

Would it be worth upgrading my AEBS to the new 802.11n version? What kind of performance improvement would I see? Also, since we'd be sharing one ethernet cable for internet and one USB connection (for printing), would the Express work just as well for us? We will be in a fairly large house (4 bedrooms, full basement) and I'd like to cover the entire place, if possible. Any tips/advice would be appreciated.

Also, is it worth considering a third-party device instead?

Thanks!

ghporter · May 7, 2008, 08:26 AM

Setting up DSL is very simple. You'll have a DSL modem with a phone line going into one side, and an Ethernet port on the other. Connect your AEBS's Internet port to that. Now, set up the AEBS to connect via PPPoE (it's built in), and you're pretty much done.

Upgrading is a touchy subject. I have a several years old Linksys G access point that covers my whole 1800 square foot house and the patio behind it, so I'd say that the only reason to change to new hardware would be to correct a problem you actually experience. The keys to coverage are placement and alignment of your AEBS. If you're actually going to USE your laptops in the basement, then you'd want the AEBS physically near the center of the house and not too high off the floor. But that will impact coverage through the ground floor. I'd look at another option for covering the basement, and it would depend on how much you'd hate putting a cable through the floor of the room you put the AEBS in...

If it were me, I'd put an inexpensive third-party wireless router in the basement, WIRE it to the AEBS, and set up a roaming wireless network. And frankly, unless there was some serious issue with putting ONE Cat5 cable through the floor somewhere that you could plug it into the AEBS, that would be the easiest way to go overall.

TribeLeader · May 7, 2008, 02:00 PM

Cool.

I should add that I actually have a second AEBS laying around (it's actually the 4.5 year old one; I had to replace it once because lightning knocked out my internal modem, but it still should work with otherwise, I guess).

I assume I could use the second AEBS to expand the coverage. If so, it would just be a matter of figuring out how to do it.

TribeLeader · May 7, 2008, 02:27 PM

Also, Verizon's self-install kit comes with a CD with software. Any idea if the software is required? I've always tried to avoid software from ISPs.

dimmer · May 7, 2008, 05:23 PM

The self-install kit CD probably isn't much use to you -- at most, it would help with setting up a PPoE connection, which isn't rocket science to start with. I'd say try setting up without it and keeping your system free from dreck.

peeb · May 7, 2008, 05:32 PM

Ignore the software that comes with your isp. Your mac has everything you need installed already.

TribeLeader · May 7, 2008, 05:47 PM

Thanks, guys.

BTW, to setup the PPoE connection in Network settings, I just need Account Name and Password, right? Will those be assigned/sent to me by Verizon or would I select those things during the setup using the self-install kit? If I don't use the kit, I'm just wondering how this will work.

Also, I'm reading my AEBS setup guide. It talks about setting up multiple AEBSs as a WDS where the second base station would serve as a relay base station. But it doesn't say how to do it. So, to ask the obvious, how do you setup the relay base station?

dimmer · May 9, 2008, 07:03 PM

Normally, those would be supplied in some form of either hard or soft copy. Worst case, you may have to make a call to tech support to get them.

You are correct however that those are the only things you need.

My "wireless" brain isn't working right now, so I can't give much guidance on that part of the setup, but it should be pretty simple. Really.

ghporter · May 9, 2008, 07:21 PM

Account name and password are all you should need to set up PPPoE. You may need to add other information, but a quick search for "Verizon DSL setup" should find you all the details.

Isn't there a full-blown manual for the AEBS? You should be able to get that straight from Apple (a free download). WDS is an option that should be useful (assuming your other, older AEBS is still working), but I've heard that it's kind of tricky and finicky. I've never needed either WDS or roaming setups myself, so I can't say it would be better or worse than roaming.

But DO see how well your AEBS covers your home before you spend much time or effort (or ANY money) figuring out what to do "in case." You may wind up with a few dead spots, but how often are you going to be surfing in the farthest corner of the guest bedroom?

TribeLeader · May 9, 2008, 10:26 PM

Thanks again.

I will try setting it up with one AEBS then go from there. In our current house, one base station works. The next house is a bit larger (especially with the basement that we're going to set up as a combined work space for us and play space for our 1 year-old, so we'll need internet access there), but I'm hoping one base station will cover most/all of the place. If not, I'll try adding a base station.

TribeLeader · Jun 27, 2008, 12:08 PM

I'm now in the new house and I'm setting up my home/office network. As it turns out my AEBS is strong enough to handle the whole house.

I have the AEBS setup in the basement room and I'm writing this post 3 levels up in the attic (just for the fun of it). I'll normally work in the basement, living room on the main floor, or the bedroom, 2 levels above the basement.

Right I'm using my dial-up connection while I wait for my (first ever home high speed service) DSL to be connected.

TribeLeader · 10:34 PM

My DSL is set up and is working well.

However, now my printer (connected to the AEBS) is NOT working (it works when I connect the USB cable directly to my laptop). I've done everything I can think of -- delete printer, add printer, etc.

Edited to say that I got the printer working. It's been a month and I don't even remember how I fixed it! ;-)