Airport Solution for year-old MDD G4

I don't know of any way to hook up the APX card to your MDD. I would just return the card, go up to CompUSA, and get a USB 802.11G receiver. They're relatively cheap, and will work very well.

Capt Underpants said:

I don't know of any way to hook up the APX card to your MDD. I would just return the card, go up to CompUSA, and get a USB 802.11G receiver. They're relatively cheap, and will work very well.

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I also don't know of any way to hook up an APX to an AP slot.

But I would not second the recommendation of a USB wifi adaptor. My experience with them (I only found one OSX compatible version, a D-Link, I believe) is that they are shady at best. Ours dropped connection while reporting a signal, ceased to be recognized, and all manner of other problems.
You'll pay a premium, but the original AirPort card is the only way to get older Macs on wifi. Since installing one in our G3 iMac, we've had no problems.

jtgotsjets said:

but the original AirPort card is the only way to get older Macs on wifi.

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Utterly incorrect. I'm using a Belkin f5d7000 PCI card in my MDD and it works fine on 802.11g networks. There's several other cards that also work. If it has a Broadcom chipset it will most likely work.

I use a StarTech in my G3 tower, its a realtek chipset but realtek has a mac driver and app for mac os x. D-link supposedly has full mac support for some wifi products now. Also Mac Wireless might be a good place to check, they specialize in the topic.

kaltsasa said:

Also Mac Wireless might be a good place to check, they specialize in the topic.

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They want nearly $100 for a 11g PCI card! You can get one like mine from an Amazon marketplace seller for $20. I got mine on ebay - £12

Lazarus here, resurection in progress............

Very interested in this belkin f5d7000 pci card for me ole dual 450. Anyone else tried this? Is there newer better info on the subject of old dual 450 types getting on the airport express at g speeds?

Found this in a search for answers, need help getting my old 450 back online.

sorry to highjack thread for my own personal needs (muhwahaha), but I am curious as to opinions of upgrading my pismo to wireless.

On one hand, I can get an original airport card for around $75 bucks and enjoy an elegant solution at 11mbps. Also probably save money on a base station too. Most wireless networks around (coffeeshops etc) are also 11mbps networks. Not sure of wireless reception of pismos, but since they are plastic, seems like it'd be good.

On the other hand, I can get a wireless pcmcia card running .g standard (52mbps or whatever) for the same amount of cash. Slightly less elegant, though easier to install. In most instances will be limited to 11mbps anyway (except at home). Probably pay more for basestation. Have a funky antennae, perhaps configuration problems...

opinion(s)?

All answers for BF must answer mine first, sorry I don't make the rules, but that is the way it is, if we were in the galapagos then I would have to make his bunk, but since this is MacRumors on the internet, I get mine answered first...........dang it!

Utterly incorrect. I'm using a Belkin f5d7000 PCI card in my MDD and it works fine on 802.11g networks. There's several other cards that also work. If it has a Broadcom chipset it will most likely work.

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Very interested if this was stick it in and it works, or "work"?

stubeeef said:

Very interested if this was stick it in and it works, or "work"?

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Instructions for Belkin F5D7000

1) Open box.
2) Turn off machine
3) Open Powermac
4) Install card into empty PCI slot
5) Close Powermac
6) Restart machine

The card is treated the exact same way by the OS as an Apple card and no drivers are required.

Be VERY careful what cards you buy. Third-party vendors have a nasty habit of switching chipsets without changing product numbers (Linksys especially) and only the broadcoms work without additional drivers. The Belkin F5D7000 (but not the F5D7001) AFAIK used Broadcom ships for the entire production and should work without any major problems - the range is a little poor on these cards so you may need to turn on Interference Robustness in the Airport settings.

They seem to be going for about $40 on Amazon and $20 on ebay.com

iGary said:

Can I still use rendez...err Bonjour with a PCI card?

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Yes, It behaves exactly the same as the Apple card. The only way you can tell any difference is by looking in the system profiler.

caveman_uk said:

Instructions for Belkin F5D7000

1) Open box.
2) Turn off machine
3) Open Powermac
4) Install card into empty PCI slot
5) Close Powermac
6) Restart machine

The card is treated the exact same way by the OS as an Apple card and no drivers are required.

Be VERY careful what cards you buy. Third-party vendors have a nasty habit of switching chipsets without changing product numbers (Linksys especially) and only the broadcoms work without additional drivers. The Belkin F5D7000 (but not the F5D7001) AFAIK used Broadcom ships for the entire production and should work without any major problems - the range is a little poor on these cards so you may need to turn on Interference Robustness in the Airport settings.

They seem to be going for about $40 on Amazon and $20 on ebay.com

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Thanks caveman! I was hoping to get g performance for the ole gal!

caveman_uk said:

Yes, It behaves exactly the same as the Apple card. The only way you can tell any difference is by looking in the system profiler.

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To clarify, this will bring .11g capability with it to my old dual 450?

sorry to be so worried, just want to make sure I have it correct, or does it default to a .11b in the old dual 450?

Sorry and thanks.

is the MDD the mirrored front?

Mine is pre that.

I don't know about your specific model but so long as you're running an up-to-date version of Panther it should work. Yes, the MDD is the one with the mirrored front

If the card is recognised in your mac (which it should be) it will be an 11g card.

I mean come on, it's a $20 card on ebay, buy one. It should work but, on the off chance it doesn't, sell it.

caveman_uk said:

I mean come on, it's a $20 card on ebay, buy one. It should work but, on the off chance it doesn't, sell it.

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The only reason I am doing it is to get the ole gal folding. So $20 and not slow my system down, I think I will tonight!

Thankyou for your patience with my lack of knowledge!

Stu

belkin f5d7000 on sale for 15 bucks after rebate at circuitcity. out of stock on line, but my local store has 4-picking one up this morning.

My PowerMac G4 didn't recognize the Belkin F5D7000, what version of panther are you guys running that recognizes it?

Are you completely sure it's a F5D7000? The 7001 is not the same thing. Also are you running the latest Panther with the latest version of the airport software? You need the latest version of the airport software. It doesn't work with the version supplied in the base install of Panther.

Thanks

Yeah, its the F5d7000. I just don't have the latest version of Panther, and I was wondering if that made the difference, and you're saying it does, so I need to update I guess. The reason we're doing wireless is that the router is downstairs, and bashing holes in walls for wires isn't a viable solution given that the house is 100 years old with plaster walls. But if you think the latest version of Panther will do the trick, we'll truck the computer and monitor and keyboard downstairs and hook up and see if that works.
Thanks for the help

Greencardman said:

Yeah, its the F5d7000. I just don't have the latest version of Panther, and I was wondering if that made the difference, and you're saying it does, so I need to update I guess. The reason we're doing wireless is that the router is downstairs, and bashing holes in walls for wires isn't a viable solution given that the house is 100 years old with plaster walls. But if you think the latest version of Panther will do the trick, we'll truck the computer and monitor and keyboard downstairs and hook up and see if that works.
Thanks for the help

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You need the latest version of the Airport software which is here

You might as well do the Panther update whilst you're at it but it's the Airport update you actually need. My Belkin card doesn't work on a default install of Panther but it does with the above update.

You could burn it on a CD on another machine rather than dragging your computer downstairs....

If I'm not mistaken correctly, sonnet makes a card that also acts like the AE, but goes into a pci slot. I believe its around $80.

clykins90 said:

If I'm not mistaken correctly, sonnet makes a card that also acts like the AE, but goes into a pci slot. I believe its around $80.

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Indeed they do. It's has a broadcom chipset just like the other cards mentioned here but costs at least twice as much.