iBook G3 wireless

[Brother Michael]

I did a quick google and came up with this:

http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n101319.asp

My question is this though:

I have a G3 iBook late 2001 edition. IT has 600mhz and is Airport ready.

If I stick say this card in it, will I be able to use 802.11g? Or wil I still be limited to 802.11b? In the end I don't really care THAT much, but I want to be compatible with as many networks as possible. Compatibility is the keyword here.

I was also looking at 3Com as the this Orangeware driver support comes with the adaptors and thus you don't have to buy them seperatly...anyways it is a little confusing here...

SHould I even try to go this route or just buy an Airport card? Again with Airport it is only 11b will that work on say an 11g network? Again speed isn't the problem here, its compatability.

Mike

 

[rosalindavenue]

The G3 ibook (and the G4 for that matter) lacks a PC card slot, so you can't stick that card in it. Your only option (as I understand it) is an airport card. I dont think the G3book will accept an airport extreme card, so you are limited to "b" not "g".

 

[MacAficionado]

Or you can do this.

Linksys USB Network adapter

And I believe there are more.

edit: D-Link

 

[realityisterror]

i'm pretty sure that the original airport cards are actually PC cards that go internally... but i'm not sure...
airport extreme cards are mini-PCI...

personally, i'd go for regular airport... you're basically guaranteed it will work... to me, the extra trouble of not being guaranteed for it to work isn't worth the extra speed that you'll only notice the few times that you're doing file transfers...

reality

 

[Brother Michael]

yea that's fine, speed isn't a big issue with me...11mbps is fine with me. Do almost all 11g routers and hotspots though still support 11b? That is my main concern.

Course if they don't, a USB adaptors don't look that expensive plus it can double for my PC.

Mike

 

[rosalindavenue]

My understanding is that b is fully backward-compatible with g, so you should not have any problems. Incidentally, I was not aware of the USB wireless modules-- cool! This stuff is getting easier and easier.

 

[Apmonia]

The D-Link wireless USB adaptor does not work with that model of iBook. Owning that particular iBook, I kept getting kernel panics after about five minutes of usage, so I would not recommend that particular adaptor. The two wireless standards 802.11 b/g are interoperatable with one another, you just won't get the speed of g. You will have no problem with wi-fi hotspots or networks that aren't encypted or you have access to. With that being said, I would just purchase the Airport card and use that. It was so easy to set up, i just plugged mine in, put the keyboard back, fired it up and there was my network. It was really easy. I even have a D-Link wireless b router and it works great. Hope this helps,

Apmonia

 

[Horrortaxi]

11mbps is fine with me.

And it's faster than any internet connection you'll put through it. Although 802.11g has a higher speed, it won't get you faster internet speeds. If you're transferrring large files over your home network you'd certainly notice a difference though.