WiFi for Mac & PC
I am going to purchase a Mac Pro which I will connect to a DSL line with a modem. What is the best way to connect a laptop PC running Windows XP wirelessly to the network? What router is best and does the Apple Airport router work better. I want the best situation. Money is not an object.
Some friends have suggested this could be a problem.
Answer
Most all mass-marketed wireless routers will work for you. The trick for Windows XP is the security method employed by the wireless router's configuration. When you configure the wireless router's security method, you'll need to choose one that's supported by the version of Windows that is running on the PC laptop. At the time of writing, the most secure wireless security type is WPA.
To the best of my knowledge, PCs with Windows XP need to have a minimum of Service Pack 2 installed in order to work with WPA. That said, you don't necessarily have to use the highest-level of WiFi security. Wireless routers, including Apple's, will offer the option of using WEP which should work with all versions of XP.
I would recommend that you take a serious look at the Apple Time Capsule. It includes all of the functionality of the Airport Base Station, plus the ability to use it as a backup device with Time Machine pre-installed on your Mac. In addition to that, you can also plug external hard drives and/or printers into the Time Capsule or into an Apple Airport Base Station and share those devices over the network.