Apple AirPort Base Station Setting Up



Setting Up the

AirPort Base Station

Contents

1 Introduction to AirPort 5

About the AirPort Base Station 5
The AirPort Base Station at a Glance 6
About the AirPort Base Station Ports 7
Security Slot and Keyboard Lock 7
About the AirPort Software 8

2 Setting Up Your AirPort Base Station 9

What You Need to Set Up the AirPort Base Station for Internet Access 9
Before You Begin 10
Setup Overview 10
Mounting the AirPort Base Station on a Wall 13

3 Using Your AirPort Base Station 15

Monitoring the AirPort Base Station’s Internet Connection Status 15
Monitoring AirPort Base Station Communication 16
Connecting to the Internet 16
Disconnecting From the Internet 17
Connecting Additional Computers to Your AirPort Network 17
Configuring the AirPort Base Station With the AirPort Admin Utility 17
More Information About AirPort 18

4 Troubleshooting 19

Additional Information 22

Appendix
AirPort Base Station Specifications 23

3

CHAPTER

1

Introduction to AirPort

1

AirPort is a simple, fast, affordable way to access the Internet from anywhere in your home,
classroom, or small office without cables, additional phone lines, or complicated networking
software. AirPort is a wireless local area network (LAN) technology that provides high­performance wireless communication between multiple computers and the Internet. AirPort
allows you to share a single Internet connection with more than one computer at the same
time and share files between computers.

About the AirPort Base Station

The AirPort Base Station establishes a wired connection to the Internet and wireless
connections to AirPort-equipped computers. A 56K modem is built into the base station for
dialup (PPP) Internet access. One 10BASE-T Ethernet ( ) connection for cable or DSL
modem connections, and one10/100Base-T connection (G) for high speed access to your
LAN are built in. The base station manages communications between the Internet and the
AirPort-equipped computers.

The AirPort Base Station can connect to the Internet in the following ways:

m

Using the internal modem

m

Using 10BaseT Ethernet to connect a cable or DSL modem to the WAN ( ) port

m

Using 10/100BaseT Ethernet to connect to an Ethernet LAN (G) with Internet access

Once the base station is connected to the Internet, AirPort-equipped computers can connect
to the Internet by joining the AirPort network. Computers connected to the network by
Ethernet can also share the base station’s Internet connection. See Chapter 2, “Setting Up
Your AirPort Base Station,” for instructions on how to set up the base station for Internet
access.

Note:

To use AirPort to access the Internet, you must have an account with an Internet
service provider (ISP). Fees may apply. In addition, you need a traditional way to access the
Internet, through a phone line, cable or DSL modem, or Ethernet network.

5

The AirPort Base Station at a Glance

Security
slot

Internal
modem port

Chapter 1

6

Ethernet
(WAN) port

Ethernet
(LAN) port

Power
adapter port

About the AirPort Base Station Ports

W

Internal Modem Port

Connect one end of the phone cord to the internal modem
port and the other end to your telephone jack.

10BaseT Ethernet WAN ( ) Port

Connect the cable or DSL modem to the Ethernet WAN port
( ) on the AirPort Base Station the same way it was
connected to your computer.

G

10/100BaseT Ethernet LAN (G) Port

Connect the Ethernet cable to the Ethernet LAN port (G) on
the AirPort Base Station the same way it was connected to
your computer.

¯

Power Adapter Port

Plug the AirPort Base Station power adapter into the power
adapter port and connect it to an electrical outlet.

Security Slot and Keyboard Lock

You can purchase a security cable and lock, such as the Kensington MicroSaver® Security
Cable to protect your AirPort Base Station. With a lock, you can secure your base station to a
desk or table.

Sample locking device with security cable

Introduction to AirPort

7

About the AirPort Software

The following software for setting up and using your AirPort Base Station in Mac OS X is
included on the AirPort CD.

AirPort Setup Assistant

Use the AirPort Setup Assistant to configure the AirPort Base Station
and to set up your computer to use AirPort.

AirPort Admin Utility

The AirPort Admin Utility, located in the Utilities folder inside the
Applications folder, is an advanced tool used to set up and manage
the AirPort Base Station. Use the AirPort Admin Utility to adjust
network, routing, and security settings, and other advanced options.

AirPort status icon in the menu bar

Use the AirPort status icon to switch quickly between AirPort
networks, monitor the signal quality of the current network, and
turn AirPort on and off.

The following software for setting up and using your AirPort Base Station in Mac OS 9 is
included on the AirPort software CD.

AirPort Setup Assistant

Use the AirPort Setup Assistant to configure the AirPort Base Station
and to set up your computer to use AirPort.

AirPort

Use the AirPort application, located in the Apple (K) menu, to
switch between different AirPort networks, set up a Computer-to­Computer network, connect and disconnect your AirPort Base
Station from the Internet, and monitor AirPort Base Station modem
status.

AirPort Admin Utility

The AirPort Admin Utility, located in the AirPort folder inside the
Apple Extras folder, is an advanced tool used to set up and manage
the AirPort Base Station. Use the AirPort Admin Utility to adjust
network, routing, and security settings, and other advanced options.

AirPort Control Strip module

Use the Control Strip to switch quickly between AirPort networks,
monitor the signal quality of the current network, and turn AirPort
on and off.

Chapter 1

8

CHAPTER

2

Setting Up Your AirPort Base Station

2

What You Need to Set Up the AirPort Base Station
for Internet Access

Before you set up the AirPort Base Station for Internet access, make sure of the following:

m

You have a computer with an AirPort Card installed.

m

The computer is already configured to access the Internet using its built-in modem or
another method such as a cable modem, DSL modem, or Ethernet network. (As part of
the setup process, a copy of your computer’s active Internet settings will be transferred to
the AirPort Base Station.)

m

You have an account with an Internet service provider (fees may apply) or you have
Internet access through a network.

For more information on using AirPort with your Internet account, contact your ISP or go
to the AppleCare Knowledge Base at kbase.info.apple.com

If you do not have an AirPort-equipped computer, see the document called “Installation
Instructions” on your AirPort software CD for information on other ways to set up your
AirPort Base Station.

9