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TiBook G4 won't recognize Sonnet Aria Extreme in cardbus slot

C

Coffeeguy

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 9, 2007
11
0
transplanted from New Orleans to Boston area
My TiBook 15" G4 (OSX 10.4.8) has an Airport slot but no Airport card. I got a Sonnet Aria Extreme card but it shows nothing on the TiBook — not in the menu bar or in System Profiler. I've tried restarting with and without the card inserted. The Sonnet support guy suggested everything I had already done and then came up with "Check under the keyboard to be sure the cardbus connection was intact." Seems fine. I'm assuming the card has the Broadcom chipset because they swear it works fine on the 15" TiBook G4.

Also, Airport software is updated, but doesn't show or function because it doesn't see any wireless capability.

Like everybody else who gets frustrated, I've also done everything again 4-5 times, just in case the computer or the card might forget that it doesn't work.

It would be great if someone could come up with a suggestion before I send it back? Thanks.
 
Hm, I use a Buffalo Wireless on my old G4 15 and it works fine. Computer sees it as if it were an Airport card.

Anyway, try this and see what you get.

Open your Application folder.

Look for Internet Connect.

Open it and click on the Airport button, then click on "Turn Airport On" if it is available.

Also check the "Show Airport in Status Bar" check box.

You may have already done this but then again, maybe not...
 
IIRC I had to update my OS to the 10.3.2 or something when I got the Buffalo card to make it work...
 
rjphoto, I tried it and only VPN shows inn the Internet Connect summary window. No sign of Airport. I'm assuming that that is because the OS isn't seeing any wireless hardware. Would Airport show if only the software was installed without any hardware?
 
Coffeeguy said:
rjphoto, I tried it and only VPN shows inn the Internet Connect summary window. No sign of Airport. I'm assuming that that is because the OS isn't seeing any wireless hardware. Would Airport show if only the software was installed without any hardware?
Click to expand...

That's what I was afraid of. If it's not showing up there then the laptop is not seeing it.

You may need to send it back.

There may be a patch that needs to be installed or something.

I'll keep checking around.
 
Have you update the Airport Software on your machine?

I found a review on MacWorld that said it would work with Airport 3.1 on OSx 10.2.3 I think. and as I recall that's the version I had to upgrad to to get my Buffalo to work. We're wayl past that now, I know.

Can you hardwire to the internet and download the Airport software and install it and see.

Who knows, maybe it's not installed at all.

And again, like CanadaRAM said, you need to check the CardBus to make sure it is working.
 
I downloaded and installed the latest Airport update, although there isn't anything I can do with it and it also doesn't even show in the menu bar because I have no Airport card or other recognizable wireless card installed. When I open the Airport utility it asks if I want to configure a base station & eventually accuses me of having no card.

My guess is that the card is defective. I'll send it back & try another one. What a pain. I'm aiming to take a roadtrip toward the end of April and really want to have wireless by then. Knowing wireless isn't always so simple, I allowed myself 6 weeks or so to get it done. Good thing, right?

Thanks a lot for you help.
 
Make sure that the connector for the cardbus is in firmly. If you take off your keyboard, look in the bottom left of the opening. The connector is right above the multicolored wires for the battery connector and to the left of the ram. Press that down firmly to make sure it's in and let us know whether that did anything for you.
 
Str8edgepunker, you nailed it. Everything is purring along wirelessly. Here's what made the difference: On my 2nd exchange with Sonnet the guy offered up his last suggestion. He said that the wire that connnects the cardbus is rarely, but sometimes, loose and to check that. Well, I couldn't find any loose wires, Your description made all the difference. The brown rectangle that connects the ribbon to the bus looked fine, but I used two fingers and gave it a good firm press and down it went—a lot. Simple as that.

Irony department: I filled out the faulty product return request at Amazon yesterday a.m. They gave me a free return label and expressed a replacement to me instantly. It was on my doorstep when I got home today. Wow. The one time a company really comes through and I don't need it. Luckily I checked the forum before I opened it.

I really want to thank you. I was getting the feeling that this might become one of those endless epics I read about in the forums.
 
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