Member Avatar for goodnitegraci

I need to have my powerbook G4 connect to broadband wirelessly and a PC downstairs physically connected to the internet. I recently bought a Lynksus G broadband router (which I can very easily return) and have been going back and forth whether or not to get an airport base. My question is whether you think the Airport Base or Airport Extreme Base Station is better than the wireless router I just purchased. I need something that will be fast and secure (I am a grad student) and be dependable regarding signal strength so I can use it on the second and third floor of the house even though its connected on the first floor. Also I called the "24/7 helpline" and they refused to give me any advice on what I should do with regards on how to set up the wireless network on my Mac. Any help you could give me regarding the subject would be greatly appreciated.

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A concise, practical plan that builds on points already raised by , and and addresses the Mac recognition problems reported by and .

Start-up checklist (what to do, in order)

  • Physically: cable modem -> router WAN port; wired PC -> any LAN port. Power everything on.
  • Admin access: open a browser on the wired PC and go to the router’s web admin (check the sticker/manual for the address). Immediately change the default admin password.
  • Basic LAN/WAN: ensure the router’s WAN gets an ISP address and DHCP is enabled for the LAN so the PC and Mac get IPs automatically.
  • Wireless basics: set an SSID you can recognize, enable WPA2 (or WPA3 if both Mac and PC support it) using AES, and choose a strong passphrase. Disable WEP and WPS.
  • Save, reboot router, then join the SSID from the Mac (System Preferences → Network → Wi‑Fi/AirPort) and from the PC.

Placement, range and interference

  • Put the router high and roughly central to the area you want covered; avoid metal, water (big fish tanks) and thick masonry between floors. Antennas vertical give best horizontal coverage; an external antenna or a second access point helps for multiple floors.
  • For 2.4 GHz use non-overlapping channels (1, 6 or 11). If your Mac can, run its wireless diagnostics to see which channel is least crowded. Use 5 GHz only if devices and range allow.

Troubleshooting & cautions

  • If the Mac doesn’t see the network, check the router’s encryption type (older Macs may need updated OS or firmware to support WPA2/WPA3); try temporarily setting security to WPA (not WEP) to test connectivity, then restore strong security.
  • Update router firmware, disable remote admin, and don’t leave factory credentials. If things get confused, a factory reset and reconfiguration from a wired machine usually clears it.
  • For reliable multi‑floor coverage consider a wired access point or a powerline/backhaul + AP rather than relying on one single cheap router antenna.

This approach keeps the wired PC stable and gives the PowerBook the best chance of reliable, secure wireless across floors.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for kc0arf

Hello,

I have boycotted Linksys equipment due to their Windoze Superiority Complex(tm) and their equipment is pooly shielded to RF radiation (My ham radio gear picks up their hubs, whereas other hardware folks does not get into my radio).

You are going to want a router that has an option for an external antenna. The one I purchased is from Buffalo Technologies, and it will support an external antenna, and also has 4 or 5 local hub ports for wired machines & printers.

As it stands, your Airport Extreme 802.11(g) card in the G4 should work fine with the Linksys, as long as the signal makes it through the house. Ideally, you would have the wireless hub on the second floor, so that your radio signals don't have to travel as far. Depending on the materials used in the house's construction, your setup may or may not work.

Next question: do you need detailed help configuring the router? If so, please write back and let us know.

Christian

Member Avatar for xyzlolo

i have a similar sitation, i need to make the lynksus router work with my mac and pc. can you give me detailed instructions?

Member Avatar for yellow

can you give me detailed instructions?

There should be instructions that 1) came with the router, failing that 2) on the manufacurer's website.

Member Avatar for xyzlolo

thank you for the suggestion. the router did not come with instructions for the mac, also in the 1st question you can see that the website and the company was not helpful and supportive of the mac.

Member Avatar for balden

Hi GNG,
I have my Mac G5 (wire) connected via Ethernet to an Airport Extreme (?) Base Station (the big fat round one) and then my laptop PC connects to the Airport via a Linksys A&G wireless card. The computers are seperated by at most 1 floor, but I think it's work as well even if there were more floors in myhouse. So my set up is a bit different from yours, but I wanted to pass on what works for me. (I then connect to my (verizon) ISP with a DSL broadband router)

Member Avatar for ILikeSkidoo

Similar situation. Just picked up a mac book and having a heck of a time getting it to recognize my Linksys wireless router. I've been running PC's on it for sometime and thought it would be fairly easy to get the mac up and running. This should be more simple. Zero help from the manufacturer as stated earlier...

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