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alternate wireless ibook

S

sengKe

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 20, 2005
4
0
aksarben
i have ibook 700 mhz and i want to go wireless. is there any other alternative instead of using apple airport(802.11b)? i want one with 802.11b/g, apple airport only support b and i don't think i can use airport extreme *correct me if i am wrong*
how about usb 802.11b/g anyone have any luck using this stuff? any specific brand?
 
I don't think the old iBooks have USB 2.0 so there's still an 11Mbps bottleneck. Sorry, but I think an AirPort card would be the easiest, cleanest and cheapest route.

Oh yeah, and an Extreme card will not work in your iBook, just to confirm.
 
Also, I'm sure you know this, but almost every network operates on b/g compatible mode, so there will be few, if any networks, to which you cannot connect with an 802.11b card, assuming it has WEP and WPA. The only thing you'll really notice an advantage on, realistically, is networking within the home, because even with a fast cablemodem, the availability of streaming media, torrents, etc, is not likely to let you exceed 802.11b bandwidth very often. :eek:
 
mkrishnan said:
The only thing you'll really notice an advantage on, realistically, is networking within the home, because even with a fast cablemodem, the availability of streaming media, torrents, etc, is not likely to let you exceed 802.11b bandwidth very often. :eek:
Click to expand...


If you've got an internet connection that could even theorectically exceed 11 mbps, I want to live where you live. The fastest most people can get right now is 5 mbps, and most get substantially less than that as a theoretical peak (never mind real world performance).

the g standard is backwards compatible (its part of the standard), so any B device can connect to a G network. So there is no worries about incomaptibility. the only advantage G has over B is speed of file sharing on that network. there should be little to no difference in internet speed.
 
strider42 said:
If you've got an internet connection that could even theorectically exceed 11 mbps, I want to live where you live. The fastest most people can get right now is 5 mbps, and most get substantially less than that as a theoretical peak (never mind real world performance).
Click to expand...

Right, well, I toned down the rhetoric a little bit because of all the bottlenecks. You don't get theoretical speed on the 802.11. So you're right, you're *extremely* unlikely to exceed, but I guess if you actually saw close to the 5 MBPS (yeah, right), you might get close to exceeding the practical bandwidth of 802.11b....
 
so my understanding with the whole posting is that i can use usb but its going to be a bottleneck in rcv'ing signals, is that right?
basically i dont care much about bottleneck, as long as i can surf internet and i am not wasting my hard working money ($80 - 100) for an outdated device, especially when 802.11b/g devices for others run about $20 - 40.
 
Yes, if you don't mind a USB adapter, then you can use one. Just make sure it is Mac-compatible and backwards compatible with USB 1.1.... Ideally, find one that someone reports as working on an iBook G3.

Here is a thread with some recommendations: Link to MacOSXHints
 
sengKe said:
so my understanding with the whole posting is that i can use usb but its going to be a bottleneck in rcv'ing signals, is that right?
basically i dont care much about bottleneck, as long as i can surf internet and i am not wasting my hard working money ($80 - 100) for an outdated device, especially when 802.11b/g devices for others run about $20 - 40.
Click to expand...

The other problem is drivers. You have to find a compatible device. And if they aren't actively writing drivers, an OS update could break compatibility. PLus, it'll be harder to administrate and range may be better with airport because of the built in antenna. you are better off with airport.
 
sengKe said:
so my understanding with the whole posting is that i can use usb but its going to be a bottleneck in rcv'ing signals, is that right?
basically i dont care much about bottleneck, as long as i can surf internet and i am not wasting my hard working money ($80 - 100) for an outdated device, especially when 802.11b/g devices for others run about $20 - 40.
Click to expand...


Buying a quality product that was designed to specifically work with a device in not a waste of your hard earned money. Of all the laptops that come into and out of my network at at work and of all the ones I own personally my little iBook with the original 802b card from Apple gets the BEST reception and I dont have a little appendage hanging off the side of my otherwise awsome looking machine.

Get the Apple card. Its worth the extra dough.
 
I use a Beklin Wireless G USB network adapter, 35$ at staples. It works fine unless my machine goes to sleep, then I need to remove the card and reinsert it. I too didn't want to spend 70 bucks for a laptop thats 3 years old.

One thing I must add is it only works in 10.3. The driver and software can be found at belkins site.
 
Coming Down Under?

strider42 said:
If you've got an internet connection that could even theorectically exceed 11 mbps, I want to live where you live. The fastest most people can get right now is 5 mbps, and most get substantially less than that as a theoretical peak (never mind real world performance).
Click to expand...

Moving to Oz Strider? Check out Broadband2 that is available now over here. Up to 12mbps! :D :D :D
 
joetronic said:
I use a Beklin Wireless G USB network adapter, 35$ at staples. It works fine unless my machine goes to sleep, then I need to remove the card and reinsert it. I too didn't want to spend 70 bucks for a laptop thats 3 years old.

One thing I must add is it only works in 10.3. The driver and software can be found at belkins site.
Click to expand...


For all this trouble Id spend the extra $35 . Or better yet ..see if you can find a used on on EBay
 
LifeIsCheap said:
:eek: Got me! How well does it work? Worth getting?
Click to expand...


Sorry to hijack the thread a little but it works really well. It's great not being attached to Telstra. I've run a speed test on it and got about 3MB/s but apparently that's merely a test of the speed of the machine's Java when the connection is over about 10Mbps. And thanks to the ACCC it's cheaper than most of Telstra's standard 1.5Mbps plan.

I recommend it.
 
any other brand of USB, besides Belkin, that would work in iBook? or is there a list of any wireless usb that support mac os x? last night i called linksys and they said their product didnt support mac os x and i couldnt find it when i do search on web. maybe i type wrong keyword. **just to widen my options.
 
I don't know of ANY other USB dongle that will do 802.11g on a Mac. The 'b' version of the Dlink dongle did work, but the 'g' version doesn't. Linksys says specifically that they do not support Mac. I think you are better off with the Airport card, and forget all of the USB dongle hassles (even on pc's they stink). Do yourself a favor and forget USB.
 
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