Yes, You inlaw could
(#2 Can he connect to the DSL modem without a router?)
bypass the Airport.
He will need the Telco DSL installation Software, often available at their website if you cannot find CD, the username, and the password. You could plug your Airport when he is done.

The VPN IPSEC (security measure most of the companies employ) should work either via wireless or wired connection as a client, however, this way he/you could eliminate the possiblity that your Airport is causing the problem.

A switch is a very cheap and good thing to have if you have a multiple number of cables to plug in, I hardly think it could mess up your Airport configuration. Good luck!

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From what little I know about the Airport, it has two "LAN" connections, an Ethernet one and a USB one.
You should be able to run two PC's at the same time using each of these ports.
There are a couple of potential issues here.....

1. Do you know if the airport is running NAT (Network Address Translation)? In normal situations, DSL modem will run NAT. A quick way to check would be look at the IP address on your MAC (I have no idea how to do this on a MAC). If the address starts with 10.x.x.x or 192.168.x.x then you will be running NAT.

2. Do you run DHCP at the airport (this automatically allocates the IP address to the PC)? Again, your MAC should be able to tell you if the IP address was issues via DHCP.

If the answers to the above are yes, then you should be set to go and be able to run both PC's at the same time (one connected to the Ethernet port, the other to the USB port)

The only other issue you may have may be with you brother inlaws remote access software. If his comapny uses the same private IP adddress range (10.x.x.x and 192.168.x.x) as your router, he may have problems connecting. There is no easy fix to this without changing the IP addressing scheme on the Airport.

Hope this helps!

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Barry - The 4-port switch allows you to expand your single LAN port to 4 LAN ports. This way, your brother-in-law can plug his PC right into one of the ports and be on his way.

I bought a Linksys SRX Wireless Router a few weeks ago and it has both wireless (SRX200) and 4-port switch. I have a PowerMac G5 and a Dell 4700 at home. The Mac is connected to the Linksys via wireless Extreme Airport and the Dell 4700 is connected via the Gigabit LAN (wired) or Linksys Wireless USB card. Both can see/share each other's hard drive and an HP printer, and can connect to the Internet without any problems.

Your Airport hopefully has DHCP on - this hands out dynamic IP addresses in your home network to all computers connected wirelessly or not.

Most internet providers only feed you a single IP address for the internet. That's why you need a router - to split that IP up. To the ISP, even if you have 1 or 10 computers, it all looks like just one is connected.

So what I'm saying, and others are too, is that since your Airport only has one LAN hole, by using a switch, you are creating a daisy chain. This way you have expanded your Airport to 5 or more LAN holes. Now your Airport will be able to give out 5 local dynamic IPs.

Get it?

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it gives you more hardwired network ports. He can then just plug in an rj45 cable and be done.

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Thanks for all the info. I'll pass it on.

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Harmony happens whenever different parts get to form a whole by means of congruity, concord, symetry, consistency, conformity, correspondence, agreement, accord, unity, consonance…….

Ok. I talked to brother inlaw again and found out that he has a wireless card in his computer but has problems accessing his company's system because of VPN. I know there has to be some sort of access codes and passwords that should let a person in a secure network. I can configure VPN here at home and I know that anyone who wishes to gain access to my system has to be provided the information to configure their computer to gain access. My question is what specifically should he ask for in order to gain access to his his company's network? It seems to me that in 2006 a person with a laptop should not have this problem.

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"What you hear in a great jazz band is the sound of democracy. “The jazz band works best when participation is shaped by intelligent communication.”
Harmony happens whenever different parts get to form a whole by means of congruity, concord, symetry, consistency, conformity, correspondence, agreement, accord, unity, consonance…….

Ok, let's take a step back here.

He has a wireless card. That's good. What kind of wifi card is it? a/b or a/b/g? If he has a G and your airport only handles a/b, then it won't work.

He has VPN software on his laptop. This has nothing to do with accessing your airport. The VPN software provided by his company is so that once he's established a connection to the internet, he can then establish a secure connection to his company's firewall and hence access to their private network.

If he can access your airport, and it acts as a DHCP server, he should not have a problem getting on the internet. The next problem is establishing a VPN connection back to his company.

That being said, your airport has to be configured to allow for a VPN connection to pass through it. This is probably where the problem is.

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You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.

You're right. Accessing his corporate intranet is not affected by the use or non-use of a wireless connection. It certainly may be against his company's security policy, but isn't the limiting factor physically. Sounds like a VPN/firewall issue to me.