FreeBase

FreeBase is a free Windows software that helps you set up your Apple AirPort Base Station. If you're using a Mac, you might already know that there's built-in software for it, but what about all the Windows users out there? That’s where FreeBase comes in!

Affordable Access Point

The Apple AirPort Base Station costs about US$299. It's actually one of the most budget-friendly wireless Access Points that meets the 802.11b wireless networking standard. It has an Ethernet port, a V.90 modem, and even comes with the WaveLan card!

Windows Support

The downside? The official setup software is only for Mac users. But don’t worry! FreeBase was created to help those on Windows configure their Base Station easily. Plus, it allows you to swap out the WaveLan card for a 'WaveLan/Orinoco Gold' card if you want better encryption.

A Quick Setup Guide

You might think setting this up could be a quick “one-week project,” but it’s actually pretty straightforward once you get going:

• First, plug in your Base Station's power. If the center light turns green and all other lights are off, congratulations! Your Base Station has booted up.


• Next, head over to your Network Neighbourhood settings. Set your “TCP/IP -> ORINOCO” or “TCP/IP -> WaveLan” properties to get an IP address automatically. Make sure to remove any existing router addresses and DNS entries so your PC can grab all network addresses from the Base Station through DHCP.


• The Base Station will give out addresses ranging from 10.0.1.2 to 10.0.1.50 right out of the box.


• If you're using version 6.0 or later of the driver, go into the control panel applet for WaveLan and change your Network Name to 'ANY' (just like that!). For older versions, you can set this name in the Network Properties of your WaveLan adapter.


• Now, reboot your PC.


• After it starts back up, run FreeBase!

If everything goes well, you'll see your Base Station pop up! You'll just need to use 'public' as your password (no quotes needed) to start configuring it.

If you're ready to dive into setting up FreeBase, check out this link.