How to Connect an Apple Mac Laptop to the Internet Via a Broadband Router on Comcast

Apple's Mac laptops make accessing the Internet simple and fast. Combined with Comcast's speedy online connections, you can enjoy a dependable connection that allows you to not only visit your favorite websites but also download movies and play online games. Your Mac laptop is already configured for wireless access; some laptops include an Ethernet port for wired access as well. If your broadband router has wireless capability, you will only need a single Ethernet cable connection from the cable modem to the router. If your router does not have wireless capability, then you'll need an Ethernet cord long enough to reach your laptop from wherever you install your router.

Step 1

Connect your Comcast cable modem to a power source. Connect a coaxial cable from your modem to a coaxial jack in your home or business.

Step 2

Connect an Ethernet cable from the Comcast modem to the uplink port on your broadband router. The uplink port is usually denoted by a colored border or the word "uplink" or "Internet" near it.

Step 3

Connect the router to a power source. Turn on your modem, router and Mac laptop.

Step 4

Configure your router for the type of access you are going to use. If you are going to use wireless access, turn on the wireless capability (if available) by following the manufacturer's instructions. If you are going to connect your laptop via an Ethernet cable, you can skip this step. If you are only going to use a wired connection, you can turn off the wireless access on the router.

Step 5

Click on the wireless networking symbol (it resembles a dot with three concentric arcs above it) in the menu bar on your Mac laptop. Select "Turn AirPort On" if it is not already enabled. Click the wireless networking symbol again, and select your home network from the list of available networks. (You can skip this step if you are using a wired connection.)

Step 6

Connect an Ethernet cable from the router to your laptop. (You can skip this step if you are using a wireless connection.)

Step 7

Open a Web browser and navigate to a website to verify your online access is working.

Tip

• If your access is not working, turn off all of your equipment. Then, turn on your cable modem first, and wait two minutes. Then, turn on your broadband router, and wait two minutes. Then, turn on your Mac laptop, and continue from Step 4.

Warning

• If you have enabled wireless networking on your broadband router, you should password protect the connection. Refer to the manual packaged with your router for instructions on how to do so.

References

• Apple Support: Network

About the Author

Allen Breon began writing in 1994. One of his first credits was a piece in "Seventeen" Magazine, followed with a publication in "Chicken Soup for the Single's Soul." Breon received his master's degree in instructional technology from Bloomsburg University in 2006.

Photo Credits

• Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images