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Alaska · Jul 10, 2007, 02:19 PM

Is there anyway to upgrade my iMac 1.2 usb port to a 2.0 port? The CR wireless 875U requires a 2.0 usb. Thanks.

ibook_steve · Jul 10, 2007, 02:54 PM

No.

Steve

shifuimam · Jul 10, 2007, 04:22 PM

And you can't convert FireWire to USB. Sorry.

I believe you can get WiFi adapters that plug into an ethernet port, if your iMac has one of those. Otherwise, you're likely SOL.

Alaska · Jul 10, 2007, 11:40 PM

Ok, so if I use the wireless card (via USB) on my PowerBook, can I access the connection on my iMac via Airport Express? Thanks.

ibook_steve · Jul 11, 2007, 12:16 PM

Not sure I understand. Are you saying the iMac does not have wireless? You could purchase the WET54G wireless bridge from Linksys which connects to ethernet to give wireless to any wired device. I bought one for my Tivo series 1 and it works great.

Steve

Alaska · Jul 11, 2007, 02:25 PM

Sorry for being vague---I do have wireless on my laptop. I moved to Alaska and the internet service here is slow and expensive so I thought I would add a line to my cell for internet service. My computers do not have a card slot so I have to use a 2.0 USB port. My desktop only has a 1.2 USB. My laptop does have a 2.0 USB port, but most of my data is on my desktop, so I would like internet access there. Thought maybe there was a way to use my airport express so I could access the internet via my desktop. Or can I change the USB port on my desktop to 2.0? Thanks.

analogika · 04:00 PM

The iMac has a slot for an internal Airport card. From your other thread, it's clear that you have an early-model iMac G4 - a beautiful machine!

That machine requires an older "Airport card" - NOT the "Airport EXTREME Card"; that WILL NOT FIT. The Airport Card - sometimes called "Airport 4" is the 802.11B card. The Extreme Card which will not fit is the 802.11G card.
You can find the "b" card on eBay, but they run about $100 or so used, because they haven't been manufactured in a while (the chipsets are no longer available), and they are by far the most elegant wireless solution for any of the older Macs.

You can also hook up an Airport Express to the iMac via Ethernet, and have that Airport Express be an Airport Base Station that the laptop can connect to.

How will you be accessing the internet through your cell line? via Bluetooth? via USB? or via a modem hooked up over Ethernet? because the latter would block the Ethernet port on your iMac.

Alaska · Jul 12, 2007, 02:52 PM

I would access the internet via USB (neither computer has a card slot). Problem being iMac has a 1.2 USB and I need a 2.0. I have an internal network set up with the Airport Express. If I use my PowerBook to make the internet connection via a Sierra CR wireless 875U using my laptop USB port, can I then access the internet on my iMac via my laptop? Its the only way I can think to make it work since its not possible to upgrade the USB port on my iMac (yes, its a great machine and not ready to retire yet). Thanks!

ibook_steve · Jul 12, 2007, 03:45 PM

I don't think you understood analogika. Your iMac has an internal slot for an Airport card. See this:

Apple Mac Airport Card

or this:

Apple AirPort Extreme Card - Buy discount Apple AirPort Extreme Card - Save on cheap Apple AirPort Extreme Card

That's the easiest solution. Those were just the first sites I found with Google image search. You can probably purchase on ebay.

Steve

Alaska · Jul 13, 2007, 01:51 PM

Hi Steve,

I have an airport card in my computer and have airport express. What I am trying to do is get internet via my cell phone company and do not have a 2.0 USB port. So.... (previous message).

ibook_steve · Jul 13, 2007, 02:23 PM

OK, now I really don't understand. If you have an Airport Express base station, and you have an Airport card in your iMac that let's you access the Internet, why do you still want to use a cellular wireless connection with the iMac when it can't move away from your Airport Express? Are you saying that your cellular connection is faster than your connection through the AE?

If that's the case, I guess you could turn on Internet Sharing on the PB in the Sharing preferences to share the cell connection over Airport and then the iMac would connect directly to the PB without going through the AE base station.

Steve

analogika · Jul 15, 2007, 04:24 AM

Please describe in detail what laptop you have.

Does it have built-in Airport/WLAN?

Does the iMac have built-in Airport?

All Macs since 2000 (and many since 1998) have had internal slots for Airport/WLAN cards.

If your iMac has one already installed, what do you intend to do with the Airport Express?

You are very confusing.

SASouth · Jul 15, 2007, 11:30 AM

What I think he is saying is that he wants to use his CELL PHONE by connecting it (the cell phone) to his Mac via USB 2.0 and using it as a modem to access the Internet.

Alaska · Jul 15, 2007, 03:48 PM

My upmost apologies for the confusion. Let me try again.
I do not have internet connection where I moved to in Alaska. The cable company here only as analog which is slow and expensive. The DSL phone connection is also slow, unreliable and expensive. I can add a line with my cell phone company and then connect to the internet via their Sierra CR wirless 875U connector which requires a 2.0 USB port. (Neither of my conputers have an external slot.) My iMac which has most of my data has a 1.2 USB.
I think what you are saying is that I can use the cell connector on my PowerBook and then connect to the internet on my iMac using my internal network connection. Is that correct?
Thanks for your patience!!

analogika · Jul 16, 2007, 02:31 PM

EXACTLY!

You can connect to the internet using the Powerbook, and then share that internet connection via either Ethernet or the Powerbook's internal Airport card.

If both of your machines are already Airport-enabled, all you need to do once the Powerbook has been set up to go online is turn on internet sharing in the Sharing System Preference.

If the iMac does not have the Airport card built-in, then you can still share your internet connection via Ethernet through the same, simple process.

Alaska · Jul 17, 2007, 03:02 PM

!!
Cool, that's exactly what I needed to know---thanks so much!

Mister Elf · Jul 17, 2007, 05:10 PM

And, they may say that the cellular card requires USB 2.0, but there's no way that a cellular connection (even 3G) will saturate USB 1.2...so it should work on the older Mac as well.

PEPPERRULES · Jul 18, 2007, 07:26 PM

Yes, many USB 2.0 devices work with USB 1.1/1.2 they simply work at a much slower speed.

mduell · Jul 18, 2007, 08:35 PM

The oh-so-brilliant folks at the USB standards group decided to redefine everything as USB2. So even if the device only uses USB1 speeds, it still gets to be called USB2. But all USB2 devices are supposed to be backward compatible with USB1 anyway.

Alaska · Jul 22, 2007, 06:35 PM

Well, that's even better if I can directly hook up to my iMac for the cellular connection. My Miglia Mini TV will only work with the usb 2.0 on my PowerBook. Is that because it requires more speed than the 1.2 port is capable of?

Eriamjh · Jul 22, 2007, 08:25 PM

I find it unlikely that your Internet cell connection is going to come in at more than 1.2Mbps since you are saying everything is slow out there. Did you ever try it?

Alaska · Jul 24, 2007, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Eriamjh

I find it unlikely that your Internet cell connection is going to come in at more than 1.2Mbps since you are saying everything is slow out there. Did you ever try it?

Not yet, just ordered to wireless card and connector after I determined through everyone's help that it would at least work with my computers.