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QuatermassX · Apr 21, 2009, 05:03 AM

My Mum gave me a call last week to tell me her Internet connection stopped working. Her ISP came in and told her that the modem was fine and that the computer wasn't working.

Well, after a little telephone tech support, it seems that the ethernet port on her vintage iMac G4/800 has indeed died. It comes at a very bad time for all of us as she can't go out on just buy a new Mac Mini or a low-end iMac - but needs to be on the internet asap.

I was hoping to find a USB to Ethernet Adaptor that works with this old warhorse, but I can't find anything currently on sale that specifically supports it.

Does anyone have firsthand experience with the iMac G4/800 and a USB to Ethernet Adaptor that works - and is something I can currently purchase online?

Thanks!

msuper69 · Apr 21, 2009, 08:33 AM

Some people have have reported that the MacBook Air USB Ethernet Adapter works with other Macs.

I can't see why it wouldn't work with your mum's iMac.

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MB...mco=MjE1MDQ4Mw

Simon · Apr 21, 2009, 09:13 AM

Is that iMac running Leopard? If not I don't see the MBA adapter working.

msuper69 · Apr 21, 2009, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by Simon

Is that iMac running Leopard? If not I don't see the MBA adapter working.

Good catch.

Leopard has the driver.

The iMac in question should run 10.5 ok. Max out the RAM of course. All fairly cheap in comparison to repairing the Ethernet port I would think.

hwojtek · Apr 21, 2009, 10:28 AM

Might be even cheaper to have the cable modem upgraded to a wireless one (I don't think there would be any extra charge) and use an Airport Express card. Or even an USB wifi dongle.

QuatermassX · Apr 21, 2009, 11:59 AM

Gosh, thanks for the quick responses! It's running Tiger - I don't think the iMac G4/800 is specced to run Leopard? Well, she's a thousand miles away so there's no Leopard install going on here. She'll be in a position to purchase something new at the end of the year, this is just a plaster to keep her online as she hunts for a house - and I'm trying to keep it to something under USD$100. Unfortunately she now lives in South Carolina and the rural broadband is really rather pathetic - some sort of microwave or satellite service that crawls. No DSL, no cable (at least not the last time I checked).

I was thinking of sending her a wireless dongle and a router, but a USB to Ethernet adaptor seemed simpler - perhaps not?

Repairing the ethernet port is out of the question - that's a logic board replacement and, for that cost, one could simply buy a new Mac Mini.

reader50 · Apr 21, 2009, 12:26 PM

You are actually trusting her ISP to diagnose a Mac? Ethernet ports seldom die - it is much more common for the OS to get mixed up and lose track of a port. Or for her Network prefs to become corrupted.

Network pref pane -> Network Status -> what does it say for the port Built-in Ethernet? Check the configuration details for the port, see if they're all still kosher.

If the network settings all look good, boot into a different partition or external drive. See if the internet comes back.

Ideally, have some Mac geek you trust stop by with a router, known-good cables, and another Mac. Create a LAN for testing, to see if the ethernet port really is blown. It could be a bad cable going to the ISP modem, or the ISP may have misdiagnosed things - the modem may be bad after all.

Windows-schooled ISP tech -> "Uh yeah, our modem is probably OK. I don't know anything about those MAC thingies, so that's got to be the problem. Tell her the computer's bad, to go honest and get Vista. Problem solved, and there's time left for a long lunch break."