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euphras · Mar 4, 2006, 12:12 PM

It seems to (same form factor as the Apple Airport card), but i just wanna be sure. Link to the auction: http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

asxless · 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by euphras

It seems to (same form factor as the Apple Airport card), but i just wanna be sure. Link to the auction: http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

I don't know the full answer but...

1 - Apple's Original ( i.e. 64bit WEP) AirPort Cards were Lucnet Orinoco Silver PCMCIA cards without the bulky antenna.

2- Lucent Silver PCMCIA cards are still recognized as AirPort PC Cards by Apple's AirPort software and work fine with 64 bit WEP.

3- Recent versions of Apple's AirPort software will automatically update an original AirPort 64 bit WEP card to 128 bit WEP card BUT...

Apple's software does NOT upgrade a Lucent Silver card (64bit) into a Lucnet Gold card (128bit WEP).

So my _guess_ is that it will work as a 64 bit WEP card but may not be updated to 128bit via the Apple AirPort software.

-- asxless in iLand

EDIT: FWIW the 3 Apple AirPort cards (in the list) are a much better bet. They will definitely be updated/enabled to 128bit via the AirPort software.

ghporter · Mar 4, 2006, 09:44 PM

And a real AirPort card will also work (with the latest updates) with WPA. WPA (WiFi Protected Access) is a security protocol that really works. WEP, on the other hand is a security system that does NOT work. I feel it's worse than having no security because it gives you the impression you're protected-sort of like a tissue paper seat belt. Go with something that will definitely protect your traffic.

Oh, and the "without the bulky antenna" bit is only partly true; not all Orinoco cards had antenna connectors-some had the antenna connected directly to the circuit board instead of being plugged into a connector. If you get one like that you'd be SOL because you couldn't plug the computer's antenna cable into it, and the card's antenna wouldn't do you much good burried inside the computer. Go with a real AirPort card.

euphras · Mar 5, 2006, 08:23 AM

Thanks for your response! The reason i´m searching for alternatives are the really exploding prices for first gen. Airport cards on bay. half a year ago average end price was around 70 bucks, now auctions frequently end in the range of 100-120 bucks

ghporter · Mar 5, 2006, 01:10 PM

Market forces are at work...and Apple just isn't making the original card anymore. Declining supply means increasing price. Sorry.

I'd still jump on a real AirPort card because you KNOW it will work.

euphras · Mar 18, 2006, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

And a real AirPort card will also work (with the latest updates) with WPA. WPA (WiFi Protected Access) is a security protocol that really works. WEP, on the other hand is a security system that does NOT work. I feel it's worse than having no security because it gives you the impression you're protected-sort of like a tissue paper seat belt. Go with something that will definitely protect your traffic.

Oh, and the "without the bulky antenna" bit is only partly true; not all Orinoco cards had antenna connectors-some had the antenna connected directly to the circuit board instead of being plugged into a connector. If you get one like that you'd be SOL because you couldn't plug the computer's antenna cable into it, and the card's antenna wouldn't do you much good burried inside the computer. Go with a real AirPort card.

Auctioned one for 65 bucks. Has the functionality of a gold card, has WPA protocol, works plug´n play - highly recommended

ghporter · Mar 18, 2006, 09:35 PM

euphras, are you talking about an Orinoco card or an AirPort card? The latest AirPort update should upgrade just about all AirPort cards to handle WPA...

euphras · Mar 19, 2006, 06:18 AM

I´m talking about the Orinoco one. The original Airport cards are going for over 110-120 bucks on *bay Germany these days.

bradoesch · Mar 19, 2006, 09:35 AM

That's interesting the original Airport cards can be upgraded to support WPA. I would've considered one of them for my PowerBook had I known that.

ghporter · Mar 20, 2006, 09:59 AM

There may be some particular models that just don't have the components to upgrade, but they should also be pretty old ones... I was first surprised at their upgrade potential when someone posted that they had loaded the latest AirPort software and suddenly they had 128-bit WEP as an option, when the card only supported 64-bit before. Since then I've seen a bunch of people saying they got their old AirPort setups working with WPA. So take this as a caveat: I haven't done this myself, and our only AirPort-equipped Mac is a two-year-old iBook with AirPort Extreme... Just passing on the "collective experience" here. (Does that get me off the hook if someone has trouble?

)

asxless · Mar 20, 2006, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

...I was first surprised at their upgrade potential when someone posted that they had loaded the latest AirPort software and suddenly they had 128-bit WEP as an option, when the card only supported 64-bit before. Since then I've seen a bunch of people saying they got their old AirPort setups working with WPA. ...

The original AirPort card in my old PowerBook G4 500Mhz does 128bit WEP or WPA with our new AirPort Extreme just fine

BTW thanks for suggesting the WPA security option with these old cards. I had just assumed it would not work so I had not tried it before reading one of your posts.

-- asxless

bradoesch · Mar 20, 2006, 02:45 PM

Even more interesting. Too bad the cards are so expensive. I would've preferred one instead.