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266 Part V: Sharing Access and Information 24_04859X ch16.qxp 7/20/06 10:39 PM Page 266 Chapter 17 Working Well with Networks In This Chapter ᮣ Choosing between wired and wireless networks ᮣ Sharing an Internet connection ᮣ Collecting the bits and pieces for a wireless connection ᮣ Gathering the stuff you need for a wired connection ᮣ Making the network connection ᮣ Protecting your Mac with a firewall I n my book (get it — my book), network access ranks right up there with air conditioning and the microwave oven. Like other “taken for granted, but I can’t imagine life without them” kinds of technologies, it’s hard to imag- ine sharing data from your laptop with others around you without a network. Sure, I’ve used a sneakernet (the old-fashioned term for running back and forth between computers with a floppy disk to copy files), but these days, Apple computers don’t even have floppy drives. (And no self-respecting com- puter should still have one.) Nope, networking is here to stay. Whether you use it to share an Internet con- nection, challenge your friends to a relaxing game of WWII battlefield action, or stream your MP3 collection to other computers using iTunes, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without one. In this chapter, I fill you in on all the details you need to know to get your new MacBook or MacBook Pro hooked up to a new (or an existing) network. If you have just your Mac and an Internet connection (either through a dialup modem or a high-speed DSL/cable modem) and you have no plans to add another computer or a network printer, a network isn’t necessary. 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:40 PM Page 267 Should You Go Wired or Wireless? If you decide that you indeed need a network for your home or office, you have another decision to make: Should you install a wired network (which involves running cables between your computers) or a wireless network (which doesn’t require any computer-connecting cables)? Your first instinct is probably to choose a wireless network for convenience. After all, this option allows you to eliminate running cables behind furniture (or in the ceiling of your office building). Ah, but I must show you the advan- 268 Part V: Sharing Access and Information What exactly is the network advantage? If you have other family members with comput- ers or if your laptop is in an office with other computers, here’s just a sample of what you can do with a network connection: ߜ Share an Internet connection: This is the major reason why many families and most small businesses install a network. Everyone can simultaneously use the same DSL or cable Internet connection on every computer on the network. ߜ Copy and move files of all sizes: Need to get a 4GB iDVD project from one Mac to another? With a network connection, you can accomplish this task in just minutes. Otherwise, you’d have to burn that file to a DVD-R or use an external hard drive. A net- work connection makes copying as simple as dragging the project folder from one Finder window to another. ߜ Share documents across your network: Talk about a wonderful collaboration tool. For example, you can drop a Word docu- ment or Keynote presentation file in your Public folder and ask for comments and edits from others in your office. ߜ Stream music: With iTunes, you can share your MP3 collection on your laptop with other Macs and PCs on your network. Your ears can’t tell the difference! ߜ Play multiplayer games: Invite your friends over and tell ’em that you’re hosting a LAN party, the techno-nerd term for a large gath- ering of game players, connected through the same network, all playing the same multi- player game. (Suddenly you’ll see firsthand just how devious a human opponent can be.) Each participant needs to buy a copy of the same game, naturally, but the fun you’ll have is worth every cent you spend. Don’t forget the chips! If your laptop isn’t within shouting distance of an existing network and you don’t plan on buying any more computers, a network isn’t for you. Because the whole idea of a network is to share documents and applications with others, a lone Mac hanging out in your home with no other computers around won’t need a network. 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:40 PM Page 268 tages to a wired network as well. Table 17-1 gives the lowdown to help you make up your mind. Table 17-1 Network Decision-Making Function Wireless Networks Wired Networks Speed Moderate Much Faster Security Moderate Better Convenience Better Worse Compatibility Confusing standards Easier to understand Cables Few (or none) Required Now for the biggest decision of all: Should you choose a wired network, a wireless network, or a combination of both? Here are the advantages of each type of network: ߜ Wired: A wired network offers two significant perks over a wireless network: • Faster speeds: Wired networks that are compatible with your Mac are up to twice as fast as the fastest 802.11g wireless connections. The performance of a wireless connection is reduced by both inter- ference (from structures such as concrete walls and household appliances such as some wireless phones and microwave ovens) and distance. • Better security: A wired network doesn’t broadcast a signal that can be picked up outside your home or office, so it’s more secure. Hackers can attack through your Internet connection. Hence the “Use Your Firewall!” section, later in this chapter. ߜ Wireless: A wireless connection has only one advantage, but it’s a big one: convenience. Accessing your network anywhere in your home or office — without cables — is so easy. Plus, you can easily connect to all sorts of wireless devices, such as a wireless printer. (By using an AirPort Express mobile Base Station, even your home stereo can get connected to your MP3 col- lection on your laptop.) 269 Chapter 17: Working Well with Networks 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:40 PM Page 269 Be a Pal — Share Your Broadband! Time to see what’s necessary to share an Internet connection — in this sec- tion, I cover two methods of connecting your network to the Internet. And before you open your wallet, keep in mind that you may be able to use your Mac to share your broadband connection across your home network . . . that is, when you’re not doing the road warrior thing! Using your laptop as a sharing device You can use your Mac laptop to provide a shared wireless Internet connec- tion across your network, using either ߜ A broadband DSL or cable connection ߜ A dialup modem You should try sharing a dialup modem Internet connection only if you have no other option. A dialup modem connection can’t handle the data transfer speeds for more than one computer to access the Internet com- fortably at one time. And today’s Mac laptops no longer come with inter- nal modems. Sharing a dialup connection just isn’t practical. Your laptop uses OS X Tiger’s built-in Internet connection sharing feature to do the job, but naturally your Mac must remain turned on to allow Inter- net sharing. I show you how to do this in the upcoming section “Internet connection.” 270 Part V: Sharing Access and Information It’s easy to graft wireless access to a wired network Are you caught in the middle between wired and wireless networking? Or perhaps you’re already using a wired network but would be absolutely thrilled by the idea of sitting on your deck in the sunshine whilst checking your e-mail on your laptop. By using both technologies, you can get the faster transfers of a wired network between all the computers in your office. That is the configuration I use in my home office. My family gets all the convenience a wireless network offers, and everyone can connect to the Internet from anywhere in our house. On the other hand, my office computers have the faster performance and tighter security of a wired net- work. Sassy indeed! 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:40 PM Page 270 Using a separate Internet sharing device If you decide to use a dedicated Internet sharing device (often called an Internet router) to connect to your cable or DSL modem, you’ll have to buy the additional hardware. But your laptop doesn’t have to remain turned on just so everyone can get on the Internet. Internet routers can include either wired or wireless network connections — many include both. Setting up an Internet router is a simple matter. The configuration usually involves a number of different settings in System Preferences that vary according to the model of router you’re installing. Grab a Diet Coke, sit down with the router’s manual, and follow the installation instructions you’ll find there. Most Internet routers offer a DHCP server, which automatically assigns IP addresses, and I strongly recommend that you turn on this feature! (You dis- cover more about DHCP later in the chapter, in the sidebar titled “The little abbreviation that definitely could.”) What Do I Need for a Wireless Connection? Most normal folks — whom I define as those who have never met a network system administrator, and couldn’t care less — think that connecting to a net- work probably involves all sorts of arcane chants and a mystical symbol or two. In this section, I provide you with the shopping list that you need to set up a network or connect to a network that’s already running. If your laptop came with built-in AirPort Extreme wireless support (as all cur- rent models do) and you already have an AirPort Extreme or Express base station, you’re set to go. Otherwise, hold on tight as I lead you through the hardware requirements for wireless networking. The maximum signal range of any wireless network can be reduced by inter- vening walls or by electrical devices such as microwave ovens and wireless phones that can generate interference. 271 Chapter 17: Working Well with Networks 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:40 PM Page 271 Laptop hardware Connecting a laptop to an existing wireless network requires only a single piece of hardware: an AirPort Extreme wireless card. (Remember, you need to buy an AirPort card only if you’re using an older Mac laptop that didn’t come with built-in wireless hardware.) To wit: ߜ If your laptop arrived with AirPort Extreme wireless hardware, you’re ready to go. ߜ If you need to add wireless support to your laptop, you need an AirPort Extreme card. After the card is safely ensconced in the confines of your laptop’s sleek case, you can skip to the next section. You can use some PC-compatible 802.11g cards in your Mac laptop, but not all wireless cards are supported. Plus, you’ll have to do a little additional con- figuration dancing to join an AirPort Extreme network. (Unfortunately, the passwords used by the two types of hardware are incompatible.) For the whole story, visit www.apple.com/support/ and search for article number 106864, entitled “AirPort Extreme: Getting an equivalent network password.” I bought an AirPort Extreme card, thus avoiding any additional work. Sounds like a Mark’s Maxim! If you don’t want the hassle of tweaking PC hardware to accommodate your Mac laptop, buy Apple hardware and software. Base stations If you decide that you want to build your own network, you eschew cables, or you want to add wireless support to your existing wired network, you need a base station. The base station can act as a bridge between computers using wireless and your existing wired network, or a base station can simply act as a central switch for your wireless network. You can use either a cool Apple Base Station or a boring 802.11g generic wire- less base station. However, the Apple hardware requires less configuration and tweaking. Apple base stations As listed in Table 17-2, your laptop can work with three Apple base station models for wireless networking: 272 Part V: Sharing Access and Information 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:40 PM Page 272 ߜ AirPort Extreme: I recommend AirPort Extreme if your network needs • The faster 802.11g transfer speeds • The enhanced antenna, which provides greater range ߜ AirPort Express: I recommend AirPort Express, shown in Figure 17-1, if you want to • Carry your wireless base station with you (it’s much smaller than Apple’s other base stations) • Connect your home stereo for wireless music streaming using the AirTunes feature in iTunes ߜ AirPort (discontinued): You might find the original AirPort base station on eBay or at a garage sale. Go ahead and pick it up if you want to save cash, unless you’re considering multiplayer gaming or high-speed file transfers over your wireless network. The 802.11g standard used by the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express base stations delivers a connection that’s several times faster than the old AirPort base station’s 802.11b. Table 17-2 Apple Wireless Network Base Stations Feature AirPort Extreme AirPort Express AirPort Price $200 $130 $80 (used) Users (maximum) 50 10 50 802.11g support Yes Yes No 802.11b support Yes Yes Yes LAN Ethernet jack Yes Yes Yes (high-speed Internet connection) WAN Ethernet jack Yes No No (wired computer network) Stereo mini-jack No Yes No USB printer port Yes Yes No Maximum signal range 150 feet (standard) 150 feet 100 feet (approximate) 250 (with add-on antenna) AC adapter Separate Built-in Separate 273 Chapter 17: Working Well with Networks 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:40 PM Page 273 The names of Apple’s base stations are irritatingly similar; Apple usually does a better job in differentiating their product names. Jot down the name of your model on a Stickie on your laptop’s desktop so you don’t get confused. Installing an Apple base station is simple: 1. If you have a DSL or cable modem, connect it to the Ethernet LAN jack on the base station. 2. If you have a wired Ethernet computer network, connect it to the WAN (wide area network) jack on the base station. 3. If you have a USB printer, connect it to the USB port on the base station. I cover the steps to share a printer in the “Printer: section. 4. Connect the power cable from the AC power adapter. AirPort Express has a built-in AC adapter, so you just plug AirPort Express into the wall. 5. Switch on your base station. 6. Run the installation software provided by Apple on your Mac. Non-Apple base stations If your wireless base station was manufactured by another company besides Apple, the installation procedure is almost certainly the same. (Naturally, you should take a gander at the manufacturer’s installation guide just to make sure, but I’ve added many different brands of these devices and used the same steps for each one.) Figure 17-1: The AirPort Express portable base station. 274 Part V: Sharing Access and Information 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:41 PM Page 274 However, I should note that there is an extra hurdle to connecting to a non- Apple base station using an AirPort or AirPort Extreme card. More on this in the next section. For now, just remember that I recommend using Apple wire- less hardware with your Mac whenever possible. It’s a little easier! Creating or joining a wireless network As far as I’m concerned, there are only two types of base stations on the planet: Apple and non-Apple (which includes all 802.11b and 802.11g base- stations). In these two sections, I relate what you need to know to get onboard using either type of hardware. AirPort To create or join a wireless network that’s served by any flavor of Apple base station, follow these steps on each Mac with wireless support: 1. Click the System Preferences icon on the dock. 2. Click the Network icon. 3. From the Show pop-up menu, choose AirPort. 4. Select the Show AirPort Status in Menu Bar check box. 5. Click the Apply Now button. 6. Click the AirPort status icon on the Finder menu bar. 7. From the AirPort menu, choose an existing network connection that you’d like to join. Some wireless networks might not appear in your AirPort menu list. These are closed networks. You can’t join a closed network unless you know the exact network name (which is far more secure than simply broadcasting the network name). To join a closed network, follow these steps: 1. Select Other from the AirPort menu. 2. Type the name of the network. 3. Enter the network password, if required. To disconnect from an AirPort Extreme network, click the AirPort menu and either choose Turn AirPort Off or connect to another AirPort network. Non-Apple base stations If you’re using an AirPort card to connect to a non-Apple base station, you need to follow a specific procedure that takes care of the slightly different password functionality used by standard 802.11b/g hardware. 275 Chapter 17: Working Well with Networks 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:41 PM Page 275 [...]... cover the wireless Bluetooth connections that you can make with other devices besides computers  288 Part V: Sharing Access and Information Bluetooth: Silly Name for Cool Technology Originally, wireless computer connections were limited to IR (short for infrared) and 80 2.11b (the original Wi-Fi specification for wireless Ethernet networks) This was fine — after all, what were you gonna connect to your... and then click OK to open the default ports for that application ߜ If the application isn’t listed, click Other and type the TCP port and UDP port listed in the application’s documentation Click OK to open the ports you specified 285 286 Part V: Sharing Access and Information Chapter 18 Making Friends with Wireless Devices In This Chapter ᮣ Using Bluetooth for wireless connections ᮣ Adding wireless... All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, [Wiley] It’s about 80 0 pages long — hence the comprehensive angle.) If you’re connecting to an existing network, tell the network administrator that you’re taking the easy route and using DHCP One word of warning, however: Adding more than one DHCP server on a single network causes a civil war, and your system will lock up tight Therefore, before adding hardware with... Part V: Sharing Access and Information To read or print the latest version of this procedure, fire up Safari and visit www.apple.com/support/ — search for the number 106250 (the Apple Knowledge Base article number) This article provides the details on how to convert a standard wireless encrypted password to a format that your AirPort card can understand What Do I Need for a Wired Connection? If you’re... agreement with your ISP I’ve never heard of this happening, but if you want to be sure, contact your ISP and ask the good folks there 281 282 Part V: Sharing Access and Information 6 Click OK in the warning dialog box to continue 7 Click Start to enable Internet sharing 8 Click the Close button to exit System Preferences Sharing an Internet connection wirelessly (without an Internet router or a dedicated... in the address with your username: http://127.0.0.1/~username/ 283 284 Part V: Sharing Access and Information To add pages to your Web server, navigate to the Sites folder that resides in your Home folder Because this is the root of your Apache Web server, the files that you add to this folder are accessible from your Web server Don’t forget that folks connecting to your Web site across the Internet... network ports for the other computers in your network They typically come in 4- and 8- port configurations As I mentioned earlier in this chapter, most Internet routers (sometimes called Internet sharing devices) include a built-in hub or switch, so if you’ve already invested in an Internet router, make doggone sure that it doesn’t come equipped with the ports you need before you go shopping for a hub or... everything you need for a small four-computer network, including cables and a hub These kits are a great buy (typically selling for less than $100), but most include a PC Ethernet NIC (Network Interface Card) that your laptop doesn’t need (If you have a PC that doesn’t have a network card, you can use the card in that computer.) If you don’t need an Ethernet NIC for any of your computers, look for a do-it-yourself... and the IP address of that PC is proudly displayed 5 Select the Send Only x Pings radio button and enter 5 in the text field 279 280 Part V: Sharing Access and Information The little abbreviation that definitely could You know, some technologies are just sassy (So much for my uber-tech image.) Anyway, these well-designed technologies work instantly, you don’t have to fling settings around like wrapping... with most of what you need for joining your new cabled world You just connect the hardware and configure the connection Don’t forget that you also need cables (check the sidebar titled “Can I save money by making my own cables?”) and an inexpensive Ethernet switch or hub (If you’re using an Internet router or other hardware sharing device, it likely has a built-in 4- or 8- port hub.) Laptop hardware . the magical networking fairy! 2 78 Part V: Sharing Access and Information 25_0 485 9X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:41 PM Page 2 78 A few seconds after clicking the Apply Now button, the DHCP informa- tion provided. reminds you of the network name for your laptop at the bottom of the Sharing pane. 282 Part V: Sharing Access and Information 25_0 485 9X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:41 PM Page 282 Printers Boy, howdy, do. pinging! 281 Chapter 17: Working Well with Networks 25_0 485 9X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:41 PM Page 281 6. Click OK in the warning dialog box to continue. 7. Click Start to enable Internet sharing. 8. Click