I have a LAN which uses static private IP addresses. The machines are connected to one another by a hub. The gateway machine is a Linux box running iptables . This has worked well with one recent exception which is likely a failed NIC, and it provides a means of examining traffic.

I just purchased a Mac and want to add it to the network. It is in a place where there are no cables at present.

I should have purchased a wireless adapter for the gateway machine, but instead I purchased the Airport Extreme Base Station. In hindsight, I don't really need a router - but is there a way to use it to simply get my Mac onto the network?

In setup, the airport base station insisted on having something plugged into the WAN port, so I eliminated the hub, plugged the gateway machine's LAN side ethernet into the WAN port of the airport, and plugged the other wired LAN machines into LAN ports. All the wired machines are able to browse the internet (though I'm guessing everything is NATd twice - once in the router and again in the gateway machine).

I have not been able to get internet access through the wireless on my Mac.

Is there a simple way to use this device as a simple wired and wireless 'switch' on my LAN? or should I simply throw in the towel and let the base station be a router and firewall, and do away with a gateway computer?