Configuring an Apple Airport for BigPond
Cable
Update (Aug '06): Telstra have announced that the Heartbeat
system will be gradually retired over the next 9-12 months. See
Whirlpool
for more. While many people will still find the information on
this page relevant for the time being, those who are switched
over to the new system will find connecting now to be much the
same as for Optus Cable subscribers. (No username & password
required but Mac address can play a role. See tip
on the heartbeat page.)
Note: Some people have reported getting regular dropouts after
being changed over to the new system by still running a login
client, so if you previously had a router working happily that
now has a bad case of dropping out, this may be why.
Overview
Plugging it all in.
Configuring OSX to "see"
the Airport
OSX - Configuring the Airport
OSX - Configuring "Launch"
Configuring OS9 to "see"
the Airport
OS9 - Configuring the Airport
OS9 - Configuring BPALogin for Macs
Overview
Configuring an Airport as a Gateway on BigPond Cable is not all
that different to configuring any other Router for it, wireless
or otherwise.
One difference is that the older Airports only have one Ethernet
port, which can be confusing if it's to be used with Wired PCs
as well, and the other main one is that it doesn't have a built-in
Login client for BigPond Cable and its notorious Heartbeat.
There are ways around both of these difficulties, and there are
a few set up like this around Australia today working flawlessly
to prove it.
Bear in mind that if you're just thinking about going wireless,
there are many Wireless Routers on the market that work just as
well with Macs but are much cheaper. See the
Router Review Section for some examples.
 This guide
does not aim to be an instruction sheet for every configuration
option for Airports, so you'll still need to fill in some gaps
from the manual.
Special thanks to Kevin Hiscox for assisting me with screen shots
and theory testing from all the way over the other side of town.
Update: Charlie emailed me a link to a book called "Take
Control of your Airport Network" by Glenn Fleishman which
he found very handy for setting up his Wireless Network.
Plugging it all in.
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If you don't have wired PCs to consider, just plug the
Cable modem into the Ethernet Port on the Airport.
( If the
link light on the modem isn't lit up, then you'll need to
get a special crossover cable instead)
If there are wired PCs, first you'll need a hub or switch,
which most people would already have if they have an existing
wired LAN.
Then simply plug the Cable modem into the uplink port on
the hub (You'll know you've got it right if the Link Lights
come on) and plug the Airport in by it's wired Ethernet port
as well.
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Configuring OSX to "see" the Airport
Rather than use the standard DHCP settings, on each PC under
Control Panels > TCP/IP, specify sequential IP addresses of
10.0.1.201, 10.0.1.202, 10.0.1.203 etc. (You'll need to specify
the Airport's IP address, 10.0.1.1, as the Gateway IP address
as well). 
Also add DNS Server IPs and Suffixes relevant to your state.
See the DNS Page.
AppleTalk Menu can stay blank
Proxies can stay blank
And set the password for your Airport in the Airport Menu
OSX - Configuring the Airport
Login to the Airport in the usual manner and be greeted with
the main menu
In the Internet Menu, select "connect using Ethernet",
"Configure using DHCP"
All other options can remain blank.
The Network Menu can stay with it's default settings unless
you have better ideas...
In the port mapping menu, map ports from 5051, 5052, 5053 etc,
to each of the IPs specified on the PCs above.
Access control Menu can stay blank
Authentication Menu can stay blank
OSX - Configuring "Launch"
The Telstra supplied "Launchpad" is not suitable
for this application, so download and install "Launch"
from Jami
Curmi's Site, and install it on all of the PCs.
Set your BigPond Username and Password on the "General"
Menu
(Yep, same username & Password on all PCs)
"Control" Menu can stay as is
In the "Advanced Menu, specify the Auth Server .
See the DNS Page.
Now, in the same menu, specify the port number applicable to
the IP address on each PC, as you set in the Airport Port Forwarding
Menu
"Debug" menu can stay at default
That's it!
Only one
PC needs to do the Login for all of them to get the connection,
but this way allows any PC to perform this task and not rely
on one having to be left on all the time. In other words, just
login to BigPond with Launch
on one PC at a time if possible.
Configuring OS9 to "see" the Airport
Rather than use the standard DHCP settings, on each PC under
Control Panels > TCP/IP, specify sequential IP addresses of
10.0.1.201, 10.0.1.202, 10.0.1.203 etc. (You'll need to specify
the Airport's IP address, 10.0.1.1, as the Gateway IP address
as well).
Also add DNS Server IPs and Suffixes relevant to your state.
See the DNS Page.
OS9 - Configuring the Airport
Login to the Airport in the usual manner and be greeted with
the main menu
In the Internet Menu, select "connect using Ethernet",
"Configure TCP/IP using DHCP"
All other options can remain blank.
The Network Menu can stay with it's default settings unless
you have better ideas...
In the port mapping menu, map ports from 5051, 5052, 5053 etc,
to each of the IPs specified on the PCs above.
Access control Menu can stay blank
Authentication Menu can stay blank
OS9 - Configuring BPA Login for Macs
The Telstra supplied "Launchpad" is not suitable
for this application, so download and install BPALogin for Macs
from
Adrian Burke's site, and install it on all of the PCs.
Set your BigPond Username and Password on the "Settings"
Menu
(Yep, same username & Password on all PCs)
Specify the Auth Server sm-server
Now, specify the port number applicable to the IP address on
each PC, as you set in the Airport Port Forwarding Menu
That's it!
Only one
PC needs to do the Login for all of them to get the connection,
but this way allows any PC to perform this task and not rely
on one having to be left on all the time. In other words, just
login to BigPond with BPALogin
for Macs on one PC at a time if possible.
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