Barely functioning wifi on Power Mac G5.

[JohnnyH1012]

So I finally got my Power Mac G5 a proper airport express card after using an iffy usb dongle for about a year now. For about a day, it worked perfectly, and now it is choking on everything. I am able to get about a couple of packets though before it stops functioning. Although my router is maybe 20 ft away, it shows the connection strength as really low, and neither the fourfold or safari are able to load a thing. Any ideas?

 

[bunnspecial]

I'm going to assume that you have an AGP-based G5. If yours is PCI-E(late '05 models) this won't apply.

Do you have the external antenna installed? The G5 case is basically a big Faraday cage, and the signal strength is crummy without this external antenna. If you look on the back panel, there should be a port marked with the Airport logo. The Airport antenna is a T-shaped piece of plastic that plugs in here and shipped with the G5, but they are rare as hens' teeth now.

I don't have the antenna, so I took about a 2 foot long piece of solid 24 gauge wire, stripped the end, and shoved it in the center hole of this port. My signal strength is now great.

 

[Altemose]

A paperclip also works well as a makeshift antenna.

 

[JohnnyH1012]

I'll have to try this when I get home later. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[CubeHacker]

You're supposed to use one of these to help with the WiFi signal.

 

[catzilla]

I bought one of these (not my auction) http://www.ebay.com/itm/181713940109?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
and used an old router antenna. Works great at about 1/4 the price of the Apple antenna.

 

[iModFrenzy]

The Airport antenna is a T-shaped piece of plastic that plugs in here and shipped with the G5, but they are rare as hens' teeth now.

http://www.amazon.com/G5-AirPort-External-Antenna-1000200/dp/B002C57X92

Only 3 left

 

[JohnnyH1012]

Wow! Surely enough, I put a staple in the wireless antenna port on the back, taped a paper-clip to it for some extra range, and now its perfect. Well, perfect ignoring the fact that what was a 2k+ pro machine has a paperclip hanging off the back ; its better than spending the $60+ dollars for a new antenna on Amazon!

 

[Dronecatcher]

Wow! Surely enough, I put a staple in the wireless antenna port on the back, taped a paper-clip to it for some extra range, and now its perfect. Well, perfect ignoring the fact that what was a 2k+ pro machine has a paperclip hanging off the back ; its better than spending the $60+ dollars for a new antenna on Amazon!

Taking no chances......