Wirless networks without base station - is it possible?

Hello to all

This is my first post on teh forum to forgive me if the question seems overly dim witted or is already answered elsewhere. I'm not a complete technophobe, but not clued up enough to get the answers from the random searching I had been doing so far. I guess the problem is I don't know the correct question to ask to get the answer I need. The laymen question would be:

Is it possible to set up a wireless network without a base-station?

I have been searching around the forums etc and all the tutorials or discussions seem to center on setting up a network using Airport Extreme base station. However I don't have one of these so was wondering if it is possible to do the job with what I have.

What I have to hand is:

i

1. Mac 24" which is my main desk top computer (and almost always on)
2. Macbook air laptop which I want to be able to tap in to the network with from around the house.
3. A couple of external hard drives conencted to the iMac
4. A printer connected to the iMac
5. A 3G wireless router provided by by ISP
6. An airport express which i used to use until my ISP provide the wireless router

What I'd like to be able to do:

1. Use my iMac as the basis of my network
2. Connect to the iMac using my laptop and through this access the iMac hard drive
3. Also access the external hard drives (which are connected to the iMac) from my laptop
4. Connect

to the printer (which is connected to the iMac) from my laptop

Is all or some of this possible? Any ideas or pointers on where to start looking for tutorials on how to do it?

Any advise would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

YBOD

That's all possible and you don't need an Airport Extreme.

I'd connect your airport express to your router by cable and set it to bridge mode. This will allow your MBA to connect at N speeds. Connect your iMac to the router by cable our wirelessly at N speeds.

On the iMac go into Sharing in System Preferences and enable File & Printer sharing.

You'll now be able use your printer, external drives, internet, imac folders from both machines.

You can do all that just connecting directly to your G router but you may as well take advantage of the Airport Express's greater speed.

HTH
mrplow

Mrplow

You are a star, I hadn't realized it was that straight forward. I m now one very happy camper.

Thanks mate

YBOD

Mr Plow

I followed the instruction you advised and it worked first time around. However, next time I connected the macbook to teh network/airport I have connected and can see the desk top etc but can't see any of the external drives connected.

I've checked that file sharing is activated on both machines (and it is) but still no joy. Any ideas?

If it worked before - as it should - then I'd suspect that something has changed either on the MacBook or iMac.

Have you made any chnages to the network/firewall/sharing settings at all?

Can you see the external drives from the iMac?