Using a Powerbook as a base station

[Brief Al]

I've just equiped all my Macs with Airport and as the literature and sales people tell me I could configure one of my Macs as a base station I didn't buy a base station. But the Airport Assistant software is insisting that it can't locate a base station nor can it find an existing network. I just downloaded the latest version of the Airport software and although the windows look different, the effect is the same. No base station, no network. I have read everything I can get my hands on or could download and everything just assumes that the Airport Assistant will configure your base station for you. I'm sure it will, if you have a base station. How in the world do I get this software to configure my Powerbook as a base station? Help!
Al
P.S. Everything also seems to assume that the reason I want to set up this network is allow all the computers on it to gain access to the Internet through the base station. Although this is an objective, the primary reason I want to set up this local wireless network is to share files and resources (external disks, printers, etc.). OS X seems to really try to thwart sharing, forcing all sharing to take place through the eye of a needle (the Public Folder). Can I put my whole system in the public folder, because I want to have access to everything on all three of my systems from any one of them? Is there an easier way that I am missing?

 

[Macman]

I think you need a router, then the pbook would be the main computer/base station/hub.
it would be connected straight to the pbook. as far as sharing., once its setupo, you can specify what to share, setting an admin password for share should allow you to mount entire disks.

 

[Brief Al]

a router in a wireless network, wouldn't that be a base sta.

I think you need a router, then the pbook would be the main computer/base station/hub.
it would be connected straight to the pbook. as far as sharing., once its setupo, you can specify what to share, setting an admin password for share should allow you to mount entire disks.

I definitely think of routers as wired devices, and if the base stations function isn't that of a router then what is it? Where would the router sit and what would it be connected to? The network is wireless so you're talking a wireless router. Again, ain't that the base station and I know of no reason the PB couldn't provide the routing fuction. Thanks for your help, though.
Al

 

[trpnmonkey41]

Go to system preferences -> sharing

Click internet and then share Ethernet through Airport. The other computers can connect through that

 

[Aptmunich]

When I want to share files between wireless enabled computers, I click on my airport icon in the menu bar, make sure airport is on and then click 'Create network'.

That creates a computer to computer network that the others can see and join.

Not sure how many clients you can support this way though...

Once that's set up you basically just need to get your sharing configuration sorted out.