[ikeem]

Hello I am new to mac, and new to wireless computers, I have Comcast High Spped Internet on my PC, and I have a Apple Extreme Card in my laptop, now all I need to do is get Airport Extreme Base Station or Airport Express, my question goes like this, I have heard things one mintue saying I can make my mac wireless while using comcast and other saying I can't, so if u have comcast cable internet and are wireless please let me know if is possible or not and what I need to do.

[ghporter]

You absolutely CAN go wireless with your connection, but you can do it without spending the amount of money an AirPort Extreme Base Station will set you back. (An Express device won't do precisely what you need to do this.) Your particular local Comcast provider may do some slightly less than pretty things to keep you from buying your own networking/wireless products, but you can get around them fairly easily.

Buy ANY BRAND of wireless router that states explicitly that it supports IEEE standard 802.11g. All the current products I've heard of use a browser interface-you plug a network cable into the box and your laptop and use Safari or IE to do all the configuration work. They usually have pretty good instructions, though you can come here for clarification and explanation if necessary. Some come with a "set up disc" that typically only supports Windows-No sweat, because it's a bit of hand holding, nothing more; you can do everything you need to manually (and without much fuss) through your browser. Plus, just about every third-party wireless router supports the technique needed to fake out Comcast to let you connect any network equipment you want.

As an added benefit, you'll spend a lot less money on, say, a D-Link or Netgear wireless router-which will usually come with a 4-port wired router-than you would for the AirPort Extreme Base Station. There are also comparable products from Belkin, Linksys, even Microsoft (but MS has some quality issues, so I'd stay away from them).

[ikeem]

thanks man I will keep all that in mind

[Sod Off Sadr]

I'd shoot for a consolidated network--one single router that offers both wired ports (an airport base station offers only one) and wireless.

be advised that you may need to deal with comcast tech support in order to have their system recognize your router, rather than a computer. there's really no difference--just going through a process of 'authorizing' one MAC address to replace another. My cable isp has an automated way to do it--no talking to a real person and no waiting.