As the iBook that I recently got has an Airport card in it I'd like to
be able to get online whilst mobile around the house.

What do I need to make this all happen.

Is it just a case of buying a wireless router and that's it or do I need extra bits?
My G4 in the office doesn't have an Airport card. Can it be wired to the wireless router?
(I'm on ADSL using a speed touch modem at the moment.)
Can I be online with the iBook and G4 at the same time?
I have read that I can add my printer too, not sure how this works.

802.11g & 802.11b technology does this matter which one, know nothing about it!

Any hints tips on brands what to get what to stay clear off will be a great help.

heaps on ebay to choose from, do they all work with mac?

cheers in advance

Had a quick look at Airport Express.
Don't like the bulky unit plugging into another power point
but the idea of iTunes through the stereo with no cables could be a goer!
Also does it support ADSL2+?

I like the sound of something like the D-Link,
DSL-G604T Version 2 Wireless ADSL 2/2+ Modem/Router with 4-Port Switch

for ease of use and the airplay function

airport express base station

just plug your existing broadband modem into it and away you go

Hey cactus,

I think you mean airport express ($139). The Airport Extreme is $249 and doesn't do itunes streaming, but it does share USB hard drives..

Yep, any 802.11G product will outperform any ADSL2+. You need to remember, though, that :
1. Even if you pay for 24mbps, you're probably not connecting at a speed close to that; 802.11G is 54mbps, over double ADSL2+. However - 802.11G wireless speed will drop as you go further from the transmitter. 802.11b is probably OK for your purposes anyway (web browsing/email i guess?) but most - if not all - products on the market now are G anyway. Don't worry about it.

Dlink will probably work OK for you but it's generally regarded as a bit shit - If you already have a modem I really suggest you go for the airport express. It's easy to set up, works fantasically, has itunes streaming, and is as fast as you need (802.11G). If you don't have a modem, then think about either buying a simple ADSL modem and an airport express (~$250) or an all-in-one wireless modem router. Get a netcomm, netgear or belkin, not a d-link..

- Jeremy

I like it like that (it's supposed to be oriented that way, actually), but anyway - don't AX's have removable power plugs, so you could just plug in any apple power cord or any generic fig-8 power cord?

Also - printer sharing. Any printer with USB2 can plug straight into the airport express, and then any computer (either wired or wireless) can access it via bonjour,

Or you can buy a printer with ethernet connectivity (not very common in low-end models) like the Lexmark e120n and plug it straight into your router, and have it shared on the wired and wireless network.

I'd get the airport express for the printer sharing and itunes streaming alone, but it also has another feature you need, which is wireless.

Yep.

Its mostly for using them in different regions with different power outlets.

On the issue of wireless modem last month's APC magazine reviewed the performance of a whole heap. I picked it up out of interest, but I had recently bought a netgear 834g based on recs here and the fact it is the most popular modem for whirlpool members.

Nice looking beast. I actually had a bit of bother setting it up with the WPA security, and because I use a wireless canon printer. Took about an hour. On thing I don't like is there is no on/off switch. It does seem to lose the connection with the ISP more than the old netcomm I had,too. Unless my ISP is becoming flaky (aanet), which is possible.

Anyway, APC checked out things like download performance etc, and the 834g tended to come out the slowest

Any chance you can give some more info on the APC mag review.
What was say the top 5 and some details?

might help some others out as well in making a choice.

I recently switched to broadband/wireless at home. I purchase the netgear 834g and use it solely wirelessly.
Set up was easy (I'm a noob) and I haven't had any drop outs to date. Security was quick to set up too.

On the other hand. My sister has one at her place too, we use the same isp and it constantly needs to be reset (power off/then back on) to work.

So I think it's luck of the draw with this particular model.