AirPort Extreme card. how does it work?
im looking for a simple, straightforward answer because everywhere i go i get some kind of complicated explaination about routers and whatnot. i don't know much about this stuff, so please keep that in mind when answering.
Answers:
An Airport card in your iBook would make it wireless. To receive a wirless signal you need the Airport card in your iBook and you have to be around somewhere where you can get the signal. A wireless router takes the ethernet from your cable or DSL modem and broadcasts it to a range with luck of maybe 200 feet. So if you have a wireless router in your house, you can be wireless. Your iBook will also pick up other wireless signals which are around. A good freeware software item is called Macstumbler. It will identify the signals nearby, their strength and if they are password protected. Many places provide the signal free like some coffeeshops, McDonalds, airports, motels etc. If you have your iBook in your car and drive through a neighborhood of college student rentals, you can find maybe 40 wireless networks, 1/3 of which have no passwords. An Airport card will not allow you to pick up a signal while driving unless you are in a city that provides wifi for free or you are in a parking lot for McDonalds etc. You would need to connect the iBook to a cell phone to go wireless if you are not near a wirless router base station. All iBooks have the slot for an Airport card, it is easy to install. Just check the Apple website.
do a search on your computer for airport. [command] f
you should see a program called airport setup assistant (or something like that, sorry I'm at work on windoze now)
double-click Airport setup assistant, it should say immediately if you do not have an airport card.
You don't necessarily need a base station, but you must be at least in a "Wi-Fi Hotspot". You must be relatively close to a Wireless cafe, base station, etc.
So, if you are asking if you can be driving through the desert, pull over & browse, the answer is no. But if you want to go to a Starbucks 3 states away, all you'll need is an airport card.
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