Wireless connection for G4 tower machines?

[brons2]

Hello,

I am the volunteer LAN admin for a children's non-profit. We were recently donated 30 Mac G4's from the local university, with which we want to start a 2nd site so we can service more kids.

As we are subleasing the 2nd site, I cannot put wired Ethernet in the walls as in our first location. So I am wanting to use wireless over there. However, I am finding that PCI based Wi-Fi cards for the Mac are quite expensive! I estimated in my budget a cost of $30 each but most of the ones I have seen are quite a bit more than that. I just want one with working OSX drivers, that's my only requirement. 802.11b only cards are fine.

I am not stuck on the idea of using PCI based cards either, but I really don't want things getting up and walking off, so I am somewhat lukewarm on using external (such as USB) wireless adapters, but I will if I have to.

Anyways...any suggestions on using these machines on an 802.11 b/g network?

I haven't kicked around with Macs in quite some time, since around 1998-2000ish.

 

[gekko513]

The only options that I don't see you already have mentioned is to use a combination of wireless and ethernet.

You can put the G4 towers together in small clusters connected to an ethernet hub and then;

you can either use a wireless router to connect the clusters together.

or

you can get wireless for just a few of the towers and let those towers share their internet connection with the ethernet cluster.

Will the network be used for internet mostly or will it be used for LAN based things that require all the Macs to see each other on the local network?

 

[frankblundt]

I got a D-Link DWL G122 USB>Wireless adapter that actually works with the mac, at least in theory, as long as you get the right version (mine was a Rev C1), and was around the $40 mark, but it's a bit wonky. Fine once it's going, but you have to unplug-replug the thing almost each time you start up which is a bit of a pain.

AFAIK there are no other USB modules that work with macs to even this degree.

I'd go with the Gekko plans myself.

 

[brons2]

The network would be used primarily for accessing the Internet. I have thought of using a wireless bridge, attached to an Ethernet switch/hub, in order to light up each wall.

I need something that isn't wonky, so the D-Link you mention is probably out of the question.