My Mac Pro is now connected to internet via airport card and the modem is downstairs. But I need to connect a router to the mac so I can run my laserprinter through a network using an RJ45 cable. I can not run the cable to the area the modem is located. Can I connect the router directly to Mac and use the airport card as the internet connection?
Mac Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)
Dbarunas,
You left out some important details, but let me see if I can answer without them:
Assuming that the ISP modem you mentioned is your current wifi destination and the Airport card is the Mac Pro built-in wifi adapter. I am also assuming a desktop computer not a laptop since you didn't mention MacBookPro.
1. If your router is wireless and assuming the "airport card" is the computer built-in wifi adapter.
modem (wired) -> (wired) router* (wifi) -> (wifi) laptop ( * hardwired to printer) Connect to the router via wifi instead of the modem, while disabling the wifi on the modem once the router wifi connection established, if possible. (No need to nuke the family bits with too much wifi signaling.)
2. If your router is not wireless.
modem -> (wifi) laptop* (wired) -> (wired) router (wired) -> (wired) printer ( * Make sure the computer does not have a gateway specified in the network settings for this static address assigned connection.)
3. If your router is not wireless and no other hosts on router. (no router needed)
modem (wifi) -> (wifi) laptop (wired) ->* (wired) printer (local static addresses only, again no gateway) ( * this may require an Ethernet crossover cable depending on the printer capabilities.)
Where you are using a wired network on the laptop and wireless to Internet, make sure the "backend" wired network is on a completely different range of addresses and 'NO' gateway assigned or the laptop will not know how to go out to the INET.
Joe
Thank you Joe. I still have some questions and some explanations. My desktop Mac has a newly installed airport card. Before I installed it, I used a desktop modem to connect to ISP, through a router (for my wireless devices) wired to Mac. I could also connect my old HP printer to the router by cable, and it worked. This printer does NOT WORK on a direct ethernet crossover cable to computer. So your second solution could work. The router is not wireless. I connect my computer through the airport card to ISP (modem far away), then I need to connect computer to router close by, but how? with ethernet cables to an output port, or to the internet port? (that's what I did, but don't know how to set up the router on network settings).
Dbarunas,
Sounds like you could use some on-site help. There are many "moving parts" to a network. It sounds like you have a good idea of what you need done, but I think you will want someone in person to complete the hardware configurations. There are just too many things that can go wrong trying to assist over a forum. I hope you are able to get things working. Please keep in mind that you can always make a Genius Bar appointment at your local Apple store where they can assist you better in person. Good luck and feel free to ask future questions here. I don't want to leave you hanging, but your situation doesn't really have a single fixed response, which is how the forums are better suited.
Joe
Thank you Joe. I'll have to look into the cost of on-site consultant. But, you're right. It's a tricky problem.
Need to connect MacPro to router
