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seventn · Oct 4, 2006, 01:01 PM

hello,

I have a DP 2.7 G5 and have recently moved it into an area in the house where I can't run an ethernet wire. So I did the obvious thing to do. I purchased an Airport card only to find out that my G5's Airport connector is defective and has been since day one. but since I never had to use it, i never knew. It's not under warranty anymore and don't want to take it in since just for taking a look at it they want to charge me 85.00$...

So is there a USB Wifi unit out there that is compatible with my G5 and OsX 10.4.8? Here are the things I already tried;

Linksys WET54g bridge= can't configure it and didn't want to work

Please don't tell me the Dlink unit 122C is compatible cause it is not in production anymore and I can't find one.

Anything else out there not crazy expensive?

thanks

Macola · Oct 4, 2006, 03:07 PM

The Linksys bridge is a pain in the rear to configure (make sure to assign your G5 an IP address on the same subnet as the Linksys before you try configuring it). However, once set up, it works very well and will perform much better than a USB adapter, if you can even find one.

seventn · Oct 4, 2006, 03:16 PM

wish the linksys came with instructions for the mac cause I'm no novice and I couln't get it to work.

polendo · Oct 4, 2006, 06:36 PM

You could also buy an ethernet wireless adaptor.. like the ones used on the Xbox. You connect the adaptor to the ethernet port and you receive the wifi signal. Now, the advantage here is that you do not need any special drivers , since the ethernet drivers are already built in OSX.

Amazon.com: D-Link DGL-3420 Wireless Gaming Adapter, Xbox Compatible 802.11a/802.11g, 108Mbps: Electronics

seventn · Oct 4, 2006, 06:39 PM

Polendo: How do you configure it then? Does it work with WEP protection or only on open networks?

Macola · Oct 5, 2006, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by polendo

You could also buy an ethernet wireless adaptor.. like the ones used on the Xbox. You connect the adaptor to the ethernet port and you receive the wifi signal. Now, the advantage here is that you do not need any special drivers , since the ethernet drivers are already built in OSX.

Amazon.com: D-Link DGL-3420 Wireless Gaming Adapter, Xbox Compatible 802.11a/802.11g, 108Mbps: Electronics

That's precisely what the WET54G is!

polendo · Oct 5, 2006, 11:22 AM

You can configure it via a browser. I'm not 100% sure about the WEP protection, but I recall an earlier model which had it.. so by logic this one must to.

About the WET54G it seems its about the same thing. I have had terrible luck with lynksis products though, but that is another story.

There is also another solution which is over done, but it works. Put an old PC alongside your Mac. Connect the PC via wifi and share the PC's internet via its ethernet port. I did this before I could find a second hand Dlink 122 B adapter.

Another alternative that I tried, but failed to work was using a USB dongle from lynksis. That dongle had to be version 4 since supposedly had the railink chipset which they have drivers for OSX. Couldn't make it work at all and ended up returning the USB dongle.

From what I learned about all of this drama of connecting a Mac to a wifi net (without an airport card) is that there are 2 relatively quick ways of connecting:

1. With the ethernet port dongle (I would recommend this option since it doesnt require drivers at all [think about Leopard and future OSx's].. so even if its hard to configure on a browser, this solution is do-able with the expertise that is required. If you can't do it yourself drag someone who knows about this stuff and it SHOULD work).

2. Find the Dlink 122B. This solution is the one I have. But come Leopard and who knows if the drivers for Tiger will work on it. I seriously doubt it. Now again, if there are no plans for an upgrade to Leopard, then this thing work with Tiger and with time will get obsolete.

Now, you can take into consideration that I tried to connect a Mac mini G4.. which to tell you the truth I didn't care that much if I suceeded or not.. but you do have a Power Mac G5, which that level of equipment I would be damn sure it works one way or another!

zerostar · Oct 5, 2006, 11:31 AM

You could try this:

MacWireless 11g USB Stick

not sure what the range would be like, or if it takes an external antenna

Also, if you want to AIM I can probably walk you thru your setup on the linksys as a bridge... I have setup several before and a few WRT54G running in bridge mode as a cheaper alternative as well.

Sherman Homan · Oct 5, 2006, 11:40 AM

I assume you already have a wireless router in the house, right? The easiest thing to do is to find a compatible WDS unit and use it to connect the G5. If you have an Airport Extreme then get an Express and you are all set.

zerostar · Oct 5, 2006, 11:42 AM

HEre is a guide for the WRT54G but is immensly helpful with the WET54G as well...

AnandTech - HOWTO: Use Linksys WRT54G as a wireless ethernet bridge

A bridge is the bext way to go besides fixing your airport unit...

BTW, what part do you need? I have many G5 and none use airport (all wired gig-e).... I might be able to sell you one cheaper?

polendo · Oct 5, 2006, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by zerostar

You could try this:

MacWireless 11g USB Stick

not sure what the range would be like, or if it takes an external antenna

Also, if you want to AIM I can probably walk you thru your setup on the linksys as a bridge... I have setup several before and a few WRT54G running in bridge mode as a cheaper alternative as well.

That's a good one! I didn't saw that product before (the macwireless).

seventn · Oct 5, 2006, 11:46 AM

Yes I do have a Linksys wireless router. What's a WDS?

I was going to go the Airport base station+Express but that runs me in the 400.00 CDN

Might has well by a mini and use it as WIFI.

Zerostar: I think its the little cable that connects to card.

seventn · Oct 5, 2006, 11:47 AM

Come to think of it; if it was the little cable that connects to the card, wouldn't the G5 see the airport card anyway? And just not have any signal?

zerostar · Oct 5, 2006, 11:47 AM

yeah it should be a new network port in your network prefrences...

zerostar · Oct 5, 2006, 11:48 AM

as far as the cable, i am assuming antenna cable, can't you just run a new one to an external antenna out a pci sot or something?

Like This:

Buy.com - Hawking Hi-Gain 7dBi Omni-Directional Antenna for Apple - HAI7SIA - HAI7SIA

has a 2.5ft cable, should be plenty to run out a pci slot or some rear hole...

seventn · Oct 5, 2006, 12:04 PM

that sounds interesting. I'll have to look into that

Sherman Homan · Oct 5, 2006, 12:06 PM

seventn: WDS is the techno-geek term for what a bridge does. One wireless unit operates as a regular old router but it knows to talk to a second wireless unit. The second unit doesn't route, it repeats or amplifies or extends the wireless signal as a "slave" of the first. All network requests that the second unit gets are passed onto the first.

Perfect scenario for my clients whose cable modem comes in through the basement of a three story brick town house. Look Ma no wires! Sounds like what you need to do with your Linksys. The only trick is that WDS doesn't always work with different manufacturers. Should, but doesn't. Don't fight it, get a Linksys that will bridge with your existing one.

The instructions for the Mac shouldn't matter, Linksys routers configure through web browsers.