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LordeOurMother

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 10, 2014
397
122
I'm a total noob to PCI slots, but basically I want to put extra usb ports in my power mac G5, it's a dual 2.3 in the description. How would I go about it, step by step and any brand recommendations?
 

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
28,793
26,883
I'm a total noob to PCI slots, but basically I want to put extra usb ports in my power mac G5, it's a dual 2.3 in the description. How would I go about it, step by step and any brand recommendations?
In the past I've used SIIG cards and they have been fine. I've got a 4 port USB 2.0 card that I did remove however in favor of a Sonnet FW400/USB 2.0 card I bought.

With that second card I now have four USB ports and 4 Firewire 400 ports.

You can't really go wrong with any Sonnet card you buy, provided it's a card your G5 will support.

This auction is for a combo card, but if you do a search on eBay for Sonnet USB PCI you'll get lots of hits. The prices on Sonnets have come down too. And being that it's Sonnet you know you aren't getting a crap card.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sonnet-FWUSB2A-Tango-FireWire-400-USB-PCI-Adaptr-Card-/390988543824

^^^(MODS, not my auction!!!)
 

bunnspecial

macrumors G3
May 3, 2014
8,317
6,373
Kentucky
USB cards that use the NEC chip set are almost guaranteed to be compatible with OS X 10.4 (see here: http://jcsenterprises.com/Japamacs_Page/PCI_Cards.html)

I've found NEC chipsets to work well in OS 9 also, with the qualifier that they will work at USB 1.1 speeds. I have a couple of OWR Macs with NEC-based USB cards. I need to spend some time shopping for one(or preferably a combo USB/FW card) for my upcoming 8600 project.
 

weckart

macrumors 603
Nov 7, 2004
5,835
3,514
NEC chipsets are the key. For best compatibility avoid combi cards with USB and FW, which often have VIA or ALi chips. VIA is unlikely to work as well and ALi definitely won't work at all.
 

ziggy29

macrumors 6502
Oct 29, 2014
495
323
Oregon North Coast
Anyone have a pointer for a USB 2.0 PCI card that plays well with the sleep mode of a G4 *and* is usable in OS 9 (even if it falls back to USB 1.1)? The USB 2.0 card I currently have in my G4 DA requires me to disable sleep because with the card installed, the Mac won't wake up from sleep in Tiger *or* Leopard and the only "solution" is to reboot.

Do the aforementioned Sonnet cards play nicely with sleep? Also looking at a Belkin F5U220, which I believe has the NEC chipset, for under $10 on eBay.
 
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weckart

macrumors 603
Nov 7, 2004
5,835
3,514
Belkin works with sleep. I have one but you need Tiger 10.4.2 / 3 or later for deep sleep to work. Any earlier and your Mac will not go to sleep at all.
 

for this

macrumors 6502
Nov 18, 2014
420
162
I like my NEC based card, it's plug-and-play, no need to install anything. It is sleep-compatible with 10.4 and 10.5.

It also works as USB 1 (or 1.1?, not sure) in OS9 but is not sleep-compatible there though.
 

ziggy29

macrumors 6502
Oct 29, 2014
495
323
Oregon North Coast
I like my NEC based card, it's plug-and-play, no need to install anything. It is sleep-compatible with 10.4 and 10.5.

It also works as USB 1 (or 1.1?, not sure) in OS9 but is not sleep-compatible there though.

Well, 10.4.3 and above to be specific, as I'm coming to understand it. That's the general consensus I've heard, and that it will work as 1.1 in OS 9 (without sleep), so I suspect I'll pull the trigger on the Belkin and swap out the one that's in there now.
 

for this

macrumors 6502
Nov 18, 2014
420
162
Well, 10.4.3 and above to be specific, as I'm coming to understand it. That's the general consensus I've heard, and that it will work as 1.1 in OS 9 (without sleep), so I suspect I'll pull the trigger on the Belkin and swap out the one that's in there now.

Having just tried it, it's not sleep-compatible with 10.4.0. So what weckart said is probably right.
 
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bunnspecial

macrumors G3
May 3, 2014
8,317
6,373
Kentucky
I need to check the card in my one of my G3 desktops.

It was in their when I "rescued" the computer(the previous owner had installed it to hook up a USB printer). I think it's a USB 2.0 card, although obviously only gives 1.1 speeds in OS 9. It causes zero sleep issues in OS 9, however.

I don't recall what the combo card in my Quicksilver. That computer is no longer an OS 9 machine thanks to the GPU(core image and OS 9 tend to be mutually exclusive) but don't have sleep issues in 10.4.11 and 10.5.8. I know it's an NEC chipset for the USB, but don't recall who made it or any other details. I just know that it's 2xFW400 and 3x USB 2.0.

My rackmount DA G4 has both a USB 2.0 card(5x USB 2.0 with internal headers for another 4 ports) plus a combo card(2x USB 2.0, 3xFW400, plus an internal FW400 port for 2x FW on the front panel). I've had little issue with sleep in both 10.4, 10.5, and OS 9.
 

MatthewLTL

macrumors 68000
Jan 22, 2015
1,684
18
Rochester, MN
I have a 6 port USB 2 card for mine. Its got the LP4 floppy connector for power. However, its more like 5 port because if the internal USB port is used one of the external USB ports will not work at the same time.... when i boght my MDD it had a Belkin 3 port USB card with NEC, ther 6 port i got is also NEC (suggested to me by people here on MR saying that NEC allows sleep)

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I need to check the card in my one of my G3 desktops.

It was in their when I "rescued" the computer(the previous owner had installed it to hook up a USB printer). I think it's a USB 2.0 card, although obviously only gives 1.1 speeds in OS 9. It causes zero sleep issues in OS 9, however.

I don't recall what the combo card in my Quicksilver. That computer is no longer an OS 9 machine thanks to the GPU(core image and OS 9 tend to be mutually exclusive) but don't have sleep issues in 10.4.11 and 10.5.8. I know it's an NEC chipset for the USB, but don't recall who made it or any other details. I just know that it's 2xFW400 and 3x USB 2.0.

My rackmount DA G4 has both a USB 2.0 card(5x USB 2.0 with internal headers for another 4 ports) plus a combo card(2x USB 2.0, 3xFW400, plus an internal FW400 port for 2x FW on the front panel). I've had little issue with sleep in both 10.4, 10.5, and OS 9.

if you could provide a link to that USB 2 card with internal headers, please do, Id love to have one itll make adding a internal card reader much easier.
 

bunnspecial

macrumors G3
May 3, 2014
8,317
6,373
Kentucky
if you could provide a link to that USB 2 card with internal headers, please do, Id love to have one itll make adding a internal card reader much easier.

It's a lot of trouble to get out, and I don't know when I'll have time to pull it and read p/ns.

Aside from that, don't you still owe someone for shipping on a logic board? I hope you'd take care of that before hunting down what may be an obscure USB card.
 
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