TiBook + Airport

[A.Goldberg]

Hi everyone,

I attempted to connect my TiBook to my Comcast/Xfiniti Arris wireless router. I changed the signal to b/g/n mode so it would pick up the signal. I temporarily created an open network, no password, to see if it would connect. It would not- not in OS9 or 10.4. I would just get an error message.

I'm wondering why this is is not working. Ethernet works fine of course.

I'm considering buying an old airport base station and setting up WEP protection, but I live in the city and am a little skeptical about doing this. I suppose the other option would be to get a wireless g compatible PCMIA card. My question is will these work in OS 9 and OS 10.4 and allow me to use WPA security.

Thanks!

 

[bunnspecial]

The PCMCIA G card will only work in OS X, but will give you access to WPA with all forms of encryption as well as WPA2.

WEP with an Airport card is really your only option in OS 9, unless you use a small USB-powered bridge type device as we were discussing in another thread here earlier.

 

[A.Goldberg]

The PCMCIA G card will only work in OS X, but will give you access to WPA with all forms of encryption as well as WPA2.

WEP with an Airport card is really your only option in OS 9, unless you use a small USB-powered bridge type device as we were discussing in another thread here earlier.

I'm just going off memory but was it you that posted a link to eBay with the AirPort compatible PCMCIA cards? If I remember it was something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Airport-WiF...t=US_Laptop_Network_Cards&hash=item3a5f6c5801 (not my auction)
Have you tried these out and if so, how do they work?

 

[bunnspecial]

I'm just going off memory but was it you that posted a link to eBay with the AirPort compatible PCMCIA cards? If I remember it was something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Airport-WiF...t=US_Laptop_Network_Cards&hash=item3a5f6c5801 (not my auction)
Have you tried these out and if so, how do they work?

I've posted a link to something like that before, and I think I even bought from the same seller.

The card I actually received was Belkin branded, but it works perfectly in 10.4 and 10.5(I've not tested it with anything else) and the signal is better than with the stock card/antenna. I only have one, but have tried it and used it pretty extensively in all my TiBooks(save for my most recent 400mhz one, as it's running 10.3.9) as well as in my Pismo G3. It is not recognized at all in OS 9.

The caveat I will add is that I've been unable to get it working correctly with the factory Airport card still installed. I think that it should be able to be made work, but I haven't hit on the right combination of steps to get them to cooperate. If I remove the Airport card and then plug in the PCMCIA card, it will work with zero issues. If I've tried using the computer with both installed(and just powering down the internal card) I often find myself having to go into Network Preferences and deleting the re-adding the Airport card to get everything working right. It's not a big deal, just a few minutes of extra work.

 

[catzilla]

I've posted a link to something like that before, and I think I even bought from the same seller.

The card I actually received was Belkin branded, but it works perfectly in 10.4 and 10.5(I've not tested it with anything else) and the signal is better than with the stock card/antenna. I only have one, but have tried it and used it pretty extensively in all my TiBooks(save for my most recent 400mhz one, as it's running 10.3.9) as well as in my Pismo G3. It is not recognized at all in OS 9.

The caveat I will add is that I've been unable to get it working correctly with the factory Airport card still installed. I think that it should be able to be made work, but I haven't hit on the right combination of steps to get them to cooperate. If I remove the Airport card and then plug in the PCMCIA card, it will work with zero issues. If I've tried using the computer with both installed(and just powering down the internal card) I often find myself having to go into Network Preferences and deleting the re-adding the Airport card to get everything working right. It's not a big deal, just a few minutes of extra work.

Thanks, I have the same card and had issues using it with the Airport card as well. I physically removed the card in my Pismo, if I can avoid removing it in my Ti that would be great.

 

[MatthewLTL]

If you live in the city is there any open networks that work? Usually most businesses will have unsecured wifi, worth a shot. Also most Wireless N routers have the option to broadcast more than 1 SSID, For example, My Netgear router has the option to broadcast a main SSID and a Guest SSID which is an independant broadcast that does not allow access to the main network.

 

[bunnspecial]

Thanks, I have the same card and had issues using it with the Airport card as well. I physically removed the card in my Pismo, if I can avoid removing it in my Ti that would be great.

Yes, removing it in a Ti is a bit more involved than removing it in a Pismo

 

[A.Goldberg]

If you live in the city is there any open networks that work? Usually most businesses will have unsecured wifi, worth a shot. Also most Wireless N routers have the option to broadcast more than 1 SSID, For example, My Netgear router has the option to broadcast a main SSID and a Guest SSID which is an independant broadcast that does not allow access to the main network.

No, people are generally well aware here that your internet should be protected. Occasionally you will find one, but they're usually not within range and don't last long. Besides, most people use at least G now which the original airport is not compatible with. I also don't believe in stealing people's internet.

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Does anyone know why even setting to my wireless router to b/g/n mode will not allow my TiBook to connect? My other computers have no issue.

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The caveat I will add is that I've been unable to get it working correctly with the factory Airport card still installed.

Thanks for the warning. I realized that TiBook airport is not as easily accessible as the iBook G3.

 

[MatthewLTL]

No, people are generally well aware here that your internet should be protected. Occasionally you will find one, but they're usually not within range and don't last long. Besides, most people use at least G now which the original airport is not compatible with. I also don't believe in stealing people's internet.

---

Does anyone know why even setting to my wireless router to b/g/n mode will not allow my TiBook to connect? My other computers have no issue.

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Thanks for the warning. I realized that TiBook airport is not as easily accessible as the iBook G3.

Testing is different than stealing, Also if a resturant or coffee shop offer it it's not stealing (but let's not get into that)

I am assuming it could be something to do with the settings. I know quite a bit about setting up routers. I happen to know (atleast on Netgear) that if you change the connection to allow A/B/G connections the router defaults to 54Mbps speeds. It will do the same thing if you do WEP or WPA encryption only WPA2 can do wireless N speed (atleast Netgear), Try turning OFF wireless N and put it to Wireless B/G with 54Mbps speed.

 

[MagicBoy]

I've got my 667Mhz Gigabit TiBook connected to a WPA network using the standard Airport card (802.11b?) it shipped with on OS X 10.4.11, so it should be possible.

It wouldn't play well with my newer WPA2 only router. Dug the old one out, turned off all the routing and set the Wireless to WPA-PSK TKIP and it's connecting fine. It wouldn't work in AES mode.

 

[MatthewLTL]

I've got my 667Mhz Gigabit TiBook connected to a WPA network using the standard Airport card (802.11b?) it shipped with on OS X 10.4.11, so it should be possible.

It wouldn't play well with my newer WPA2 only router. Dug the old one out, turned off all the routing and set the Wireless to WPA-PSK TKIP and it's connecting fine. It wouldn't work in AES mode.

That's because AES is for WPA2 only.

 

[A.Goldberg]

Ok, somehow I got it to work. I setup my network as b/g/n and am using WEP. Everybody is now happily connecting to the internet. I've noticed with this Xfinity supplied router (Arris) you have to try doing the same thing three times to get it to work on all the computers for some reason.

Testing is different than stealing, Also if a resturant or coffee shop offer it it's not stealing (but let's not get into that)

You clearly do not understand what stealing is based on countless posts of yours. Nowhere did you (or I for that matter) say anything about testing. Eventually karma will catch up with you.

And it's not even so much that you do it, it's that you try and justify that it's okay. Rather than just accepting that you do it and you probably shouldn't, you deny any wrongdoing when everybody else sees what your doing is wrong.

I am assuming it could be something to do with the settings. I know quite a bit about setting up routers. I happen to know (atleast on Netgear) that if you change the connection to allow A/B/G connections the router defaults to 54Mbps speeds. It will do the same thing if you do WEP or WPA encryption only WPA2 can do wireless N speed (atleast Netgear), Try turning OFF wireless N and put it to Wireless B/G with 54Mbps speed.

Obviously it has to do with the settings. If you read through the posts you'd see that I already changed protocol. My router has two modes- b/g/b or g/n. So you know 802.11b is 11Mbps, 802.11g is 54Mbps, and n is <300Mbps. The original airport cards are 802.11b therefore will not function in the g/n mode or ever at 54Mbps. I don't believe encryption has anything to do with the protocol. Maybe with your particular router but not in my experience with Arris, Linksys/Cisco, or Belkin.

 

[MagicBoy]

That's because AES is for WPA2 only.

I'd have to go look that up. I do know I bought an early G Asus router in late 2003 which I used with a Dell laptop at the time. That had a WPA-TKIP+AES option that worked fine with the TrueMobile card I bought for the laptop. I'm not aware that it was non-standard like some of the proprietary encryption that companies like 3com used for a while.

That Asus was a cracking router - very stable. Left it behind at the parents place when I moved out. 11 years service before it failed.

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I am assuming it could be something to do with the settings. I know quite a bit about setting up routers. I happen to know (atleast on Netgear) that if you change the connection to allow A/B/G connections the router defaults to 54Mbps speeds. It will do the same thing if you do WEP or WPA encryption only WPA2 can do wireless N speed (atleast Netgear), Try turning OFF wireless N and put it to Wireless B/G with 54Mbps speed.

That's incorrect. The encryption standard and the Wi-Fi standard are not related. They might be tied together for convenience on the Netgear routers you've seen.

 

[Idefix]

Years ago I had a Ti-400--which had terrible wireless range because Apple didn't put a plastic window in the metal Faraday skin.

The Belkin G-card worked perfectly, with excellent range, since the antenna portion is sticking outside the laptop. I don't recall needing to take the internal wireless card out??

I'm wondering if it might need new firmware for modern standards?

 

[MatthewLTL]

Ok, somehow I got it to work. I setup my network as b/g/n and am using WEP. Everybody is now happily connecting to the internet. I've noticed with this Xfinity supplied router (Arris) you have to try doing the same thing three times to get it to work on all the computers for some reason.

You clearly do not understand what stealing is based on countless posts of yours. Nowhere did you (or I for that matter) say anything about testing. Eventually karma will catch up with you.

And it's not even so much that you do it, it's that you try and justify that it's okay. Rather than just accepting that you do it and you probably shouldn't, you deny any wrongdoing when everybody else sees what your doing is wrong.


Obviously it has to do with the settings. If you read through the posts you'd see that I already changed protocol. My router has two modes- b/g/b or g/n. So you know 802.11b is 11Mbps, 802.11g is 54Mbps, and n is <300Mbps. The original airport cards are 802.11b therefore will not function in the g/n mode or ever at 54Mbps.

1. Sweet. I wouldn't leave it on WEP long term though, It's not that secure.
2. you are doing this to see if your Airport works in the TiBook are you not? hence testing.... If it connected to a business' open wifi it would mearly prove the airport car worked. No one ever said anything about using it. Also I never denied any wrongdoing, And I also have accepted the fact it's being done regardless of Legalities (I want proof of it being illegal IN MN because I can't find squat). But this thread is NOT about that (Hence why I ended it where i did).
3. I was specifically talking about my netgear router, It is the 1st and only Wireless N 150 router i ever owned (only owned wireless G) and that is specifically how my router works, For instance my network is secured by WPA2 however my PocketPC cannot connect to it (unless i do alot of fiddling) but if i down my security to WPA it connects just fine. However, IF i change my Wireless Router to WPA it falls back to Wireless G and tells me that i need to be in WPA2 to get Wireless N speeds.

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I'd have to go look that up. I do know I bought an early G Asus router in late 2003 which I used with a Dell laptop at the time. That had a WPA-TKIP+AES option that worked fine with the TrueMobile card I bought for the laptop. I'm not aware that it was non-standard like some of the proprietary encryption that companies like 3com used for a while.

That Asus was a cracking router - very stable. Left it behind at the parents place when I moved out. 11 years service before it failed.

----------



That's incorrect. The encryption standard and the Wi-Fi standard are not related. They might be tied together for convenience on the Netgear routers you've seen.

Like I stated, That is how my Netgear router works, I never claimed it was like that with all routers.

 

[A.Goldberg]

you are doing this to see if your Airport works in the TiBook are you not? hence testing

No I am doing this to use the internet on my computer like a normal person that keeps their computers connected to the internet. Where did I say anything about testing? Stop trying to back peddle again.

 

[MatthewLTL]

No I am doing this to use the internet on my computer like a normal person that keeps their computers connected to the internet. Where did I say anything about testing? Stop trying to back peddle again.

True..... but you also have to make sure the Airport actually worked otherwise your time would of been for nothing. That's just what you do when you get a computer you make sure everything works.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Not sure about the settings in your router - but my TiBook connects to an 802.11ac router in b/g/n+a/n/ac mode.

 

[weckart]

The caveat I will add is that I've been unable to get it working correctly with the factory Airport card still installed. I think that it should be able to be made work, but I haven't hit on the right combination of steps to get them to cooperate.

I don't think that is going to be possible. The internal card and your Belkin card use drivers that indicates to the system that they are internal Airport cards and, obviously, the system only expects to find one of those. The only software on/off switch is to enable/disable Airport - not a specific card, hence your problem.

 

[catzilla]

I don't think that is going to be possible. The internal card and your Belkin card use drivers that indicates to the system that they are internal Airport cards and, obviously, the system only expects to find one of those. The only software on/off switch is to enable/disable Airport - not a specific card, hence your problem.

That has been my experience so far, I was willing to try a bit more.

 

[weckart]

I think the only way you are going to get this to work is to get a cardbus card that does not report itself as as Airport. That means running a utility to get online.

 

[bunnspecial]

I think the only way you are going to get this to work is to get a cardbus card that does not report itself as as Airport. That means running a utility to get online.

I find pulling the airport card a lot easier

 

[weckart]

I find pulling the airport card a lot easier

I was trying to break it to him gently...