Wireless Connection - Airport?

[jules1977]

Hi all

I have a Powerbook G4 and am connected to the internet with a Sky Wireless Router. I can connect to the internet if I plug the ethernet cable into my powerbook, but not wireless-ly

How do I make my powerbook connect wireless-ly, is it an airport card I need or something? Me not sure, hope someone can help. If so how much and how easy is this to achieve?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Jules

 

[Frankf300]

Of course you need an Airport card . The easiest solution is to go pick up an Airport Extreme card for about $30 and bam, you're wireless. I'm pretty sure the Powerbook is as simple to install the card as the iBook. Check out ifixit for a detailed guide, though I doubt it would take more than 5 minutes.

 

[jules1977]

Thanks so much Frank.....never gone wireless before.....knew it was a daft question but I still needed it answering....thanks again!!

 

[Frankf300]

Thanks so much Frank.....never gone wireless before.....knew it was a daft question but I still needed it answering....thanks again!!

Ahhhh, no problem. I had no clue what all this "Airport" stuff was when I first started using Mac. Wireless is the way to go, so nice not being tied to one place by an ethernet cable. I'm sure you'll love it. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[mkrishnan]

Wait... which powerbook do you have? Can you specify the screen size (12", 15" or 17"), whether it has a titanium or aluminium shell, and if possible the speed of the processor (click the apple logo in the upper left and then about this mac). Not every powerbook has the airport card pre-installed, but most except the older ones do.

 

[jules1977]

It a 15" titanium powerbook. I think the speed is 800mHz, not with the laptop at the moment so can't check, but am almost sure that is the speed.

Jules

 

[mkrishnan]

It a 15" titanium powerbook. I think the speed is 800mHz, not with the laptop at the moment so can't check, but am almost sure that is the speed.

In that case, I don't think you necessarily already have an airport card. However, there are two different cards -- airport and airport extreme. The Ti PB ("TiBook") needs Airport (802.11b), and not extreme. Those cards are somewhat harder to find and more expensive, but they are available. Your other option would be to get some kind of USB adapter (which will definitely stick out the side) or a PC Card (which may or may not, although not as much as a USB).

This is an airport card:

This is an airport extreme card:

 

[Frankf300]

It a 15" titanium powerbook. I think the speed is 800mHz, not with the laptop at the moment so can't check, but am almost sure that is the speed.

Jules

mkrishnan beat me to it, I was just going to say you would have to get an Original Airport if that's your PB. I assumed you had an Aluminum Powerbook, I should've asked for the specs before telling you to grap an Airport Extreme . In that case, you're looking at about $100 for the Original Airport card. Again, ifixit has them, but they're like $120 or so. Good thing mkrishnan double checked on that, otherwise you would have had an Airport Extreme card you couldn't use.

Edit:
According to these specs, you should have built in Airport already in there.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbook_g4/stats/powerbook_g4_800_dvi.html

 

[jules1977]

Thank you both for all your help!! Wow that an expensive Airport Card int it?

Jules

 

[scotpole]

Usb

Belkin used to have a USB WiFi device that might me configurable with a Mac. The device plugged into a USB port, had a cord, that plugged into a base, and a USB flash device that you could carry in a shirt pocket.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106777
Describes which computers work with the airport card.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107440
Describes which computers work with the airport extreme card.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=111924
This is the article for installing on the G4 GigBit Ethernet.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88058
This is an article for installation on
PowerBook G4
PowerBook G4 (Gigabit Ethernet)
PowerBook G4 (DVI)
PowerBook G4 (1 GHz/867 MHz)

Good luck.