Why not an Airport BaseStation with ADSL?

[garymum4d]

As Apple are set up as an ADSL based system. (i.e. Software Update on a 56k Modem....I don't think so!) Why do they not make an Airport Base Station with the option of a built in ADSL modem? I use a Netgear wireless ADSL modem/router, this is fine but I cannot use my Airport Express to extend my network! So what I actually need is an plain ADSL modem linked into an Airport Base Station for the wireless network and then the Express would work fine. They offer the Airport Base Station with a 56K modem, but not an ADSL modem! That's just stupid.
Apple should offer an ADSL version of the Base Station, and they should also offer an INTERNAL ADSL modem for Mac's

 

[ElDiabloConCaca]

As Apple are set up as an ADSL based system. (i.e. Software Update on a 56k Modem....I don't think so!)

Apple isn't set up with an ADSL setup... people connect to Apple's Software Update many different ways -- SDSL, ADSL, IDSL, cable modem, T1, T3, 56k, OC3, etc.

Why do they not make an Airport Base Station with the option of a built in ADSL modem?

Because then the people that use other kinds of connectivity would be screaming at Apple to make AirPort with built-in cable modem... or AirPort with built-in ISDN... or AirPort with built-in T1 router... as it goes today, most ISPs provide their customers with the proper modem to connect to their services. All people need to do is simply hook that modem up to the AirPort station via the WAN port, and use the other ethernet port to connect the AirPort to their network.

I use a Netgear wireless ADSL modem/router, this is fine but I cannot use my Airport Express to extend my network! So what I actually need is an plain ADSL modem linked into an Airport Base Station for the wireless network and then the Express would work fine.

If I understand this correctly, you're saying you have 3 pieces of equipment: your Netgear wireless ADSL modem/router, an AirPort base station, and an AirPort express. Why not connect the Netgear to the AirPort base station, and then extend it through the Express?

They offer the Airport Base Station with a 56K modem, but not an ADSL modem! That's just stupid.
Apple should offer an ADSL version of the Base Station, and they should also offer an INTERNAL ADSL modem for Mac's

Well, since most ADSL modems are external, as said before, you can just hook those up to the AirPort base station and off you go...

Maybe I'm not understanding your setup quite right -- but if you've got the Express, and you've got an ADSL modem/router (even if it is wireless, doesn't matter), then all you need is the AirPort base station, if you haven't got it already.

The problem I see with your setup is that Apple would need to offer a handful of differently-configured AirPort base stations with different kinds of built-in modems to appease everyone who uses a different service. As it is right now, the inclusion of a WAN port on the AirPort base station takes care of all this -- you can simply hook that up to your existing modem, which is usually provided by your ISP, and off you go -- no need for more internal parts.

If I'm misunderstanding something about your setup, please correct me!

 

[Ripcord]

I use a Netgear wireless ADSL modem/router, this is fine but I cannot use my Airport Express to extend my network!

Er, why not? Don't lots of people user Airport Express with other 802.11b/g wireless units?

Apple should offer an ADSL version of the Base Station,

I agree.

and they should also offer an INTERNAL ADSL modem for Mac's

I don't agree quite so much about this. Let me ask, are any of the many, many ADSL PCI cards (or PCMCIA cards) Mac compatible? If not, that's not quite Apple's fault; the vendors are perfectly able to develop drivers for their cards. However, because of Apple's low market share, I feel that Apple has a larger responsibility to develop drivers or help promote 3rd-party hardware.

Personally, I'd much rather have an external DSL modem/router, but I understand some people don't.

I'm personally not quite sure why people buy Airport Extreme base stations. They're just so ridiculously priced - 3 *times* the price of a comparable Linksys router without the 56KB modem (which I'm sure is used by a *very* small percentage of buyers), 5 *times* the price of a comparable D-link? Give me a break... Give me an option of a box without the printer port, without the modem, and a built-in switch, and charge me only $100 (you know, only a 35% premium over the market leader), and I *might* consider it...

 

[garymum4d]

ElDiabloConCaca, you understand me correctly (well almost, I do not have a standard Base Station, just an Express) and I stand corrected. I was not giving any thought to other connection types.
To solve my problem would be to connect my AE to my router with a patch lead. But as it's located in another part of the house and I did not want to run a cable all round the place, then this was no solution. So What I have now done is get a Wireless Ethernet Bridge and connected that to my AE. This will not allow me to extend my wireless network but I can now use 'one' network to connect to the internet and play iTunes through my HiFi at the same time. Before I had to connect to the ADSL router for the internet or connect to the AE network for Air Tunes.
But I do think the set up is a bit of a mess.
How about An Airport Base Station with an empty Modem slot! then you purchase the correct modem card that fit's your needs into the slot. If you do not require a Base Station then slot the same modem card directly into the same slot on your G5! One solution for all needs, weather you have 56k, ADSL, Cable, T1 and so on.
No messy set up.
No unnecessary cables.
No 3rd party products.

I'll get my coat!

 

[garymum4d]

Er, why not? Don't lots of people user Airport Express with other 802.11b/g wireless units?

The Airport Express will only "extend" the network from an APPLE Airport Base Station. NOT 3rd party base stations.
Although I have heard of some people hacking the firmware of a D-link Base Station to work with AE.

 

[monktus]

Apple should offer an ADSL version of the Base Station, and they should also offer an INTERNAL ADSL modem for Mac's

I got an ADSL PCI modem from eBay for £6 and it works in my Mac. Internal modems aren't the best solution though unless the machine is a dedicated server - this is just a temporary thing for me until I get my router/modem fixed (though we might just get a new wireless one). Admittedly the driver does give me kernel panics; though the company were quite helpful and the newest version doesn't do it so often.

 

[Dusky]

The Airport Express will only "extend" the network from an APPLE Airport Base Station. NOT 3rd party base stations.
Although I have heard of some people hacking the firmware of a D-link Base Station to work with AE.

Make that an Apple Airport Extreme (or Express) Base Station if you want to extend the network through wireless-bridging using Airport Express. If you wish to extend the network through wired-bridging, any base station (AFAIK) should do the trick. Myself, for a couple of years I used a Belkin 54G and an Airport Base Station (Snow)... with a long ethernet cable between them.

(The Airport Express' only ethernet port supports both WAN and LAN, correct?)

 

[ElDiabloConCaca]

(The Airport Express' only ethernet port supports both WAN and LAN, correct?)

Yup, one or the other but not both simultaneously... that's the one gripe I read about everywhere concerning the Express -- you can't use it to serve both wired and wireless clients at the same time unless you have another wireless station or other equipment.