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sgmorr

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 13, 2005
86
0
DFW area Texas
I have a Bondi 233 iMac running OS 9 and I would like to connect to it wirelessly. I don't want to spend much and for this reason first looked into USB adapters. I found that people have used them with some success but they sometimes have problems with drivers. And I never found any drivers for OS 9, just for OS X. I don't really want to try OS X on my Bondi (I've got a G4 1GHz flat panel iMac); I'd just like to get a little bit more use out of it for basic e-mail and internet. I have found that an ethernet bridge might be a good solution, since no drivers are needed, but they seem to be fairly expensive. Any thoughts or suggestions. Thanks.
 
You have an existing network, with wireless capability, correct, and want to connect the iMac, which is in an awkward location to run cables to it, to that network?

One other option, besides a dedicated bridge device, that is available with most routers, is to have a router "join an existing network" (that's what Apple calls it), rather than creating its own network. The router then effectively acts as a bridge or access point.

So you have:

Your original router -> DHCP and sets up the wireless network, provides access to your flat panel iMac.

Your new router -> joins the other network, without creating a new network -- in this configuration, it does not need a wired connection to your cable modem or whatever.

So this solution should cost you $25-30 for an 802.11g router, plus the ethernet cable that attaches the iMac to the new router.
 
Thanks for answering. Actually, I do not have a wireless network yet. I just have my flat panel iMac wired to my cable modem. I don't really need to have my flat panel connected wirelessly, just my old Bondi. So could I just perhaps buy two relatively inexpensive wireless routers and plug my flat panel directly into one and have the other one upstairs (wirelessly) for my Bondi? I basically understand your verbal explanation, but the diagram on the page you linked to appears to address a somewhat different setup. Thanks.
 
Two routers probably would be cheaper for your setup considering bridges go for easily over $70 and routers always seem to be on sale at local electronics stores and go for like $20 a pop at most. And often, these routers have several ethernet ports.

Quite often, the software for setting up a router or bridge is done through a web browser, so not too much to worry about as far as drivers are concerned.
 
if your g4 imac is near the bondie you can run an ethernet/firewire cable between them and share the connection.
 
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