[Visualize]

Hi,

This might be strange, but while using Stumbleupon in Firefox one day, I came across a site mentioning something about how to let a Airport enabled Mac transmit it's signals to another device, another Mac or perhaps also an iPhone or iPod Touch. This all without a wireless router mind you.

Of course, I totally forgot to save that particular website when I got rid of Firefox *sigh* Typical.

Anyways, can this be done if I set enable Airport and create a network for use with such devices, like another Airport enabled iMac or MacBookPro etc. ?

I looked through the Airport settings and came across a setting that had to do with setting a password for Computer to Computer operations. So I thought that it might be possible. Even without a wireless router since my iMac can already pickup signals from other wireless networks, and that gave me the idea to try and make a thread here to hear from the self-entitled experts on wireless networking

Basically, can my Airport enabled iMac transmit signals(read, Internet) to another Airport enabled device without a wireless router(or a base station from Apple)


I'm a total nutjob on wireless issues.

[richwig83]

Prefs>>> Sharing>>> Internet Tab>>>

Depending on what your config is you need to tick the appropriate boxes.

I think thats what you mean?

[Visualize]

Hmm, thanks richwig83, Is it really that easy? I mean, I was told that you had to have a wireless router to even transmit or share Internet from an Airport enabled Mac to another. But I told them that my idea was that when the Mac can receive signals from wireless networks without a wireless router or an Airport Base Station from Apple, that it must be able to transmit these too!?

I'm not in a hurry to have it tested, but if I buy one of those iPod Touch's then I would like to be able to surf on it in bed or something, while the iMac(Intel, early 2006) sends out the signals via the Airportcard.

I will try out your suggestion when that time comes. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me if it were that easy. It is afterall Apple and OS X we're dealing with here

[mduell]

OS X (and Windows) both make internet connection sharing over wireless (or wired) that easy. You were informed incorrectly, and frankly what you were told doesn't make sense. If a Mac can only receive over wireless, how could you send requests for web pages or instant messages or anything else?

But when you can get a well-reviewed wireless router for $9, it kinda seems like it isn't worth the hassle (or power burn) of keeping your Mac on and awake (if you sleep it the wifi turns off) all the time.

[ghporter]

Whoever "told you" about wireless networking and connection sharing should not be trusted to check the air in your car's tires. It's completely off base. Each and every wireless networking adapter, no matter who makes it, both transmits and receives. It is up to the adapter's firmware and the computer's networking capabilities to do something useful with it-and Internet Connection Sharing is one of those useful things.

But.... It is ALWAYS simpler and easier to set up a network with a router. ALWAYS. There are a number of tasks that the router does that you'd have to do manually, and that by itself is reason to spend the money-especially when that's going to wind up being $9. Not that Internet Sharing isn't useful or sometimes the only practical method, it's just that those times are rare.

[Visualize]

Thanks for your answers you two above.

It wasn't as much as someone telling me that my iMac couldn't transmit signals to another device with wireless capabilities, it was more a question of doubt. But of course, it should be able to.

The use of a dedicated wireless router is the way to go, I can see that. However $9 is not what i'll be paying. I doubt they'll take Mail-in rebate and whatever from a non-US citizen. the prize at $33 is more what i'll end up paying here in Denmark(Scandinavia, Europe) - or a price similar to that.

Does the wireless router have to be compatible with the wireless standard that is in my Intel iMac(Early 2006) ? I don't even know what is is. Maybe *****.b !?

[mduell]

Your iMac supports 802.11g (and possibly 802.11a, but I don't think the OS X drivers support it), which pretty much all routers today support.

[Sherman Homan]

Internet Sharing is indeed a cute trick, but the computer doing the sharing can't go to sleep and you will eat more electricity in a year than a router will cost. As mduell said, yours is a "g" speed card, buying an "n" speed router will be unnecessarily expensive and won't be any faster. There are very inexpensive "g" routers out there.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Sherman Homan 

There are very inexpensive "g" routers out there.

...Even in the EU. Shop around and find a good deal. A "WiFi" certified router is all you need to look for-that certification says it WILL work with any other WiFi device (such as AirPort cards in computers).