04-12-2009, 06:50 PM

We are getting another iMac in the next couple days. I would like to connect both our old G5 iMac with our new iMac and have both connected to the internet through our cable modem. I have been told by many people at work that I should definitely go with a LynkSys. An IT guy at my work recommened the Lynksys model - WRT54GL. It is an old model that says it isn't Mac compatible. The new Lynksys models say that they are Mac compatible, but I have heard that they aren't nearly as good as the old ones. I am also having a debate between G and N. I think that airport extreme is technically N, but I wonder if I really need that extra speed. Any help, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
matt

04-12-2009, 06:54 PM

Whoever told you the WRT54GL isn't compatible with Macs is wrong. I had one running for quite a while when I was living at home and had both Macs and PCs hooked up to it. I now have it running in my apartment and both Macs and PCs still connect just fine.

The WRT54GL is a solid router and I would highly recommend it. However, if you need N capabilities (good for faster networking between computers on the network and for increased range), then I would suggest the D-Link DIR-655. It does essentially everything the Airport Extreme does, but at a much lower price point.

04-13-2009, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by Kash

The WRT54GL is a solid router and I would highly recommend it. However, if you need N capabilities (good for faster networking between computers on the network and for increased range), then I would suggest the D-Link DIR-655. It does essentially everything the Airport Extreme does, but at a much lower price point.

i just wanted to mention that if you have a .Mac (mobile me) account then if you go with the apple extreme you have those shared drives connected to your router as well as any drives on your network at home available to you in finder wherever you go. i really like this feature and use it all the time. also if you have any plans to ever use an airport express you might want to consider an apple extreme.

that linksys is nice and you would have to spend about $50 more to get the apple version but i like the extra features you get from an extreme.

i am at work at the moment but you can see in my SHARED below that my extreme (has 2 HDDS connected to it) as well as my iMac and all the files on it are available to me.

04-13-2009, 07:47 PM

Okay, so I think that I have narrowed my selections down to the Lynksys that I mentioned first, the D-Link N router that a previous poster mentioned, and also the Apple Airport Express. I really like the looks of the Airport Express, and I like the fact that because it is Apple, it will be easy to use. I also like that it is "N". My only concern is this. I want the computer that is next to our cable modem to still be connected through a "wire" to the internet. The computer downstairs will be wirelessly connected. I know that through the Lynksys and the D-Link that this is possible, but the back of the Airport Express only has 1 ethernet port. Does this mean that my 1st computer has to be connected through the router also. Also, what do people know about the Airport Express. Is it worth the $100 that Apple is asking for it, or am I still better off getting one of the other routers.
Thanks so much,
Matt

04-14-2009, 04:27 AM

It is possible to run both iMacs off of an airport express wirelessly but the G5 iMac will not be 802.11n so no point in worrying about buying a new 11n express, if you plan on running both wirelessly. When connecting to the Airport Express or Airport Extreme wirelessly the slowest computer on the net work will set the speed. You could connect the G5 with an ethernet lead and run the new iMac wirelessly on 11n but you would need to either use a router or an Airport Extreme to go with that setup. My experience with 11n is that it appears to load pages much the same speed as ethernet connected computers but 11g has a noticeable drop in apparent speed. If you are planning on using iChat then with the Lynksys model - WRT54GL. could give you a bit of drama unless you are comfortable with setting the required ports for iChat but Ralph Johns in the Uk has a good web site for sorting out iChat settings.

04-14-2009, 04:31 AM

In case it is not clear - you can use multiple computers wirelessly of an Airport Express but to use a mixture of ethernet and wireless from an Airport unit you would need the Extreme.

04-16-2009, 08:09 PM

I just have a simple question. Does anyone know how easy it is to setup a D-Link DIR-655 to work with my "iMac network". I noticed that the software that comes with it is not Mac compatible. Linksys software is Mac compatible, but from looking around the net, they don't seem to get the best reviews. If people here can assure me that it is relatively simple to set it all up without additional software, I think I will buy the D-Link.
Thanks so much,
Matt

04-17-2009, 12:00 AM

The setup for any of these router do not require you to load up their software. You can do a web based setup via the web browser. Essentially, you plug into the router the first time via an ethernet cable (or wirelessly by using the default SSID, and no password - for Dlink its usually "dlink"). Once connected to the router, open up a web browser and go to http://192.168.0.1 <-usually its this for Dlink - and you can configure all the options/security for your router from here. Check out the manual from Dlink here: D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router and you can look in the PDF manual for web based administration on page 10.