This article provides procedures for configuring an AirPort Base Station with a non-AirPort-capable computer. If you cannot find the information you are looking for in this document, check out the Apple Support Web site at http://www.apple.com/support .

Installing the AirPort Admin Utility

To install the the AirPort Admin Utility, drag the AirPort Admin Utility Folder to your hard disk.

Configuring the AirPort Base Station

To configure your AirPort Base Station to access the Internet, you need:

• An Ethernet crossover cable, Ethernet network, or 802.11 wireless networking card
• An Internet account

• Configuring the TCP/IP settings on your computer to communicate with the AirPort Base Station
• Using the AirPort Admin Utility to set up an AirPort network
• Configuring the AirPort Base Station to access the Internet

If you have a third-party wireless networking card, you may be able to configure your AirPort Base Station wirelessly.

To configure your Base Station wirelessly, do the following:

1. Open the TCP/IP control panel

2. Choose the name of your third-party wireless card from the "Connect via" pop-up menu.

3. Choose DHCP from the Configure pop-up menu.

4. Close the window and save your changes

5. Open the AirPort Admin Utility

6. Click Other

A message appears requesting the IP address of the base station you would like to open.

7. Type the IP address 10.0.1.1.

8. Enter the password "public."

9. Click Configure.

10. Follow the instructions in "Setting up your AirPort Base Station network" and "Setting up your AirPort Base Station to access the Internet" to configure your Base Station.

If you are unable to configure the base station wirelessly, use the instructions below to configure your base station using Ethernet.

Configuring the TCP/IP settings on your computer to access the AirPort Base Station using Ethernet

Note: If your computer and your base station are on an Ethernet network using DHCP, don't perform the following steps. Skip ahead to "Connecting to the AirPort Base Station." If you don't know whether your network uses DHCP, ask your network administrator or ISP.

1. Open the TCP/IP control panel.

2. Choose Configurations from the File menu.

3. Click Default.

4. Click Duplicate.

5. Name the new configuration "Base Station Access" and click OK.

6. Click Make Active.

7. Choose "Ethernet" or "Ethernet built-in" from the "Connect via" pop-up menu.

8. Choose Manually from the Configure pop-up menu.

9. In the IP Address box, type 192.42.249.11.

10. In the "Subnet mask" box, type 255.255.255.0.

11. Make sure the "Router address" box is empty.

12. Close the TCP/IP control panel and save your changes.

Connecting to the AirPort Base Station

1. Connect the base station to your computer.

If you are using an Ethernet crossover cable, connect one end of the Ethernet crossover cable to your computer and the other end to the AirPort Base Station. If you are using an Ethernet network, connect the base station and your computer to your Ethernet hub.

2. Open the AirPort Admin Utility.

3. Select your base station from the list. A new AirPort Base Station has the name AirPort Base Station.

4. Click Configure.

If a message asks you to enter an IP address and password, type the address 192.42.249.12.

5. Type the password "public" and click OK.

The AirPort Admin Utility Configuration window appears. You are now ready to configure your AirPort Base Station.

Setting up your AirPort Base Station network

The AirPort tab enables you to name and provide passwords for the AirPort Base Station and for the network it creates.

You use the base station name and password only when you are configuring the base station. Users who want to join your AirPort network (to access the Internet or share files wirelessly) use the network name and password.

To set a network password, click the Enable Encryption (Using WEP) checkbox. After checking this box, click Change Password and enter the password of your choice.

Note: Some third-party wireless networking cards may not support the encryption feature. Do not enable encryption if your third-party wireless networking card does not support the encryption feature. Contact the card's manufacturer for questions about encryption.

Setting up your AirPort Base Station to access the Internet

• For dial-up (PPP) Internet connections

1. Click the Internet tab of the AirPort Admin Utility configuration window.

2. Choose Modem from the Connect using pop-up menu.

3. In the Configure modem section, type the phone number for your ISP, your user name, and your password. If the computer you're using is configured to access the Internet using PPP, you can copy this information from the Remote Access control panel.

4. In the Configure TCP/IP using PPP section, type two DNS IP addresses appropriate to your ISP and your ISP's domain name.

Contact your ISP if you do not have this information.

IMPORTANT You must provide accurate DNS address information in the AirPort Admin Utility. See the AirPort Read Me for important compatibility information about the AirPort Base Station and server-assigned DNS addressing.

5. Click Update.

• For DSL or cable modem Internet connections

1. Click the Internet tab of the AirPort Admin Utility configuration window.

2. Choose Ethernet from the "Connect using" pop-up menu.

3. In the Configure TCP/IP section, type the settings appropriate to your ISP. Contact your ISP if you do not have this information.

4. Click Update.

Using your AirPort Base Station

• Connecting to an AirPort Base Station from a Computer Using Third-Party Wireless Software

To find the network equivalent password for your AirPort Base Station, do the following:

1. Open the AirPort Admin Utility.

2. Select your base station from the list.

3. Click Configure.

4. Type the password for your base station.

5. Choose Network Equivalent Password from the Base Station menu.

The window displays the network equivalent password for your base station.

• Connecting to the Internet

2. Change the TCP/IP settings on your computer to configure using DHCP and choose the option from the "Connect via" pop-up menu that is appropriate for your third-party wireless networking card.

3. Open an Internet program such as a Web browser. The AirPort Base Station automatically initiates a connection to the Internet when it receives an Internet request.

Finding Help - If you are using the AirPort Admin Utility with a non-AirPort-equipped computer, the "Wireless Internet and networking" section of Mac Help is not installed. For more information, see the AirPort Read Me file and Balloon Help in the AirPort Admin Utility.

For information about the compatibility of third-party 802.11 wireless networking cards, contact the card's manufacturer.