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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > Power Mac G3 B&W: Ethernet Card?

Power Mac G3 B&W: Ethernet Card?
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BoulderDash
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Sep 2, 2008, 03:28 PM
 
Hi there,
The built-in ethernet on a Power Mac G3 B&W that I use as a file server is no longer working. This machine is running 10.3.9 since it has a Sonnet card on it that doesn't support 10.4 and up.

Does anyone know what ethernet card I can place in it, so that I can get some networking?

I don't really need it to be Gigabit (since it's just for my home files), so I'll take anything (though Gigabit, if it works in my machine, would be fine). I went to Fry's and MicroCenter, and all they had were PC cards. I looked at Sonnet's website, and they only have a card that works with 10.4 and up.

So... can someone give me a hand? Anything will do. Are there any PC cards that will work? Thanks in advance,
BD
     
seanc
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Sep 2, 2008, 04:09 PM
 
You might have luck with a Faralon card if you can find one. A common PC card that might work is a 3com 3c90x PCI card.
If I can get the old thing to boot, I'll try one out but I think it's running 10.2.
     
seanc
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Sep 2, 2008, 04:20 PM
 
Nope, no luck with a 3com card for me on 10.2.8
     
olePigeon
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Sep 2, 2008, 05:15 PM
 
Good ol' D-Link DFE-530TX+ 10/100 PCI ethernet adapter.

You can get one new for under $10, just Froogle it. Drivers are downloadable from D-Link's website for Classic and OS X. I can verify the card works on a Beige G3 running 10.3, and a Graphite G4 running 10.4.

http://support.dlink.com/products/vi...FE%2D530TX%2B#
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
     
ginoledesma
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Sep 2, 2008, 11:33 PM
 
Get PCI Ethernet cards that use the Realtek 8129/8139 chipsets (which the D-Link DFE-530TX uses). They were one of the first 3rd party providers to offer Mac OS 9/X support (drivers here).
     
BoulderDash  (op)
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Sep 3, 2008, 07:57 AM
 
Thanks for all of the information... I'm going to try the D-Link today! One note: their website has the following as the "latest driver":

Download 3.46 -Added support for Mac OS 10.2.8. 1/10/2006

Is that what you're using to run on10.3.x? Thanks!
BD
     
BoulderDash  (op)
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Sep 3, 2008, 05:42 PM
 
Okay,
I just bought a D-Link DFE-530TX+ 10/100 PCI NIC at MicroCenter and popped it into the Power Mac G3 Blue & White, booted it up, and connected the ethernet cable to it... still can't see the machine.

I was hoping that it would "just work" without the need for any drivers. Looks like that's not the case. I'll have to install their latest, I supposed. One question to you guys (whom would know better): would installing their latest driver (which specifically states that it "Added support for Mac OS 10.2.8" on 1/10/2006) be a risky move, since I'm running 10.3.9?

Thanks,
BD
     
seanc
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Sep 3, 2008, 05:44 PM
 
Probably not since panther came out long before '06. It could have been for backward compatibility.
     
BoulderDash  (op)
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Sep 3, 2008, 05:48 PM
 
So... is it just a lost cause, or is there something that I can do to try and get the G3 to see the card (and the internet connection)?

Thanks again!
BD
     
seanc
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Sep 3, 2008, 05:51 PM
 
I meant, probably not a risk. Just install it and see what happens.
     
BoulderDash  (op)
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Sep 3, 2008, 06:04 PM
 
Sounds good... I'll try and get to it on Friday, since it's a "headless" mac that I normally use Chicken of the VNC to control. And, I'll need to borrow a monitor from someone to hook up to it directly and install the driver (since there's no controlling it without ethernet access).

I'll report back, for archiving's sake.
BD
     
reader50
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Sep 3, 2008, 07:04 PM
 
If it's headless, then check it more carefully when you hook a monitor up. Specifically, the onboard ethernet might not be blown after all - it could be hanging on boot for some other reason, before the network drivers load.
     
BoulderDash  (op)
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Sep 5, 2008, 06:08 PM
 
Well,
I do appreciate all of the help, but installing that card was the worst possible thing I did.

From the instant I first booted up, with the D-Link DFE-530TX+ 10/100 PCI NIC installed, by Mac sat at the grey/white Apple startup screen and never progressed to boot up. Even after taking the card out... it never progressed to boot up.

Attempts to repair the disk yielded a quick exit with Error -9972. So, there's no way that I can recommend this chosen path for anyone with my machine. I'm now having to install 10.3 all over again.

Thanks,
BD
     
seanc
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Sep 5, 2008, 07:45 PM
 
I'm more inclined to go along with reader and think that you had a bigger problem in the first place.

This doesn't happen to have a rev.1 IDE controller does it? Although I'm guess that's what the sonnet card is.
     
BoulderDash  (op)
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Sep 5, 2008, 07:49 PM
 
Though it sure could have been another problem, it happened at exactly the time that I first booted up with the card installed. Could be a coincidence... but the timing is pretty unlucky. Just passing the info along.

Thanks,
BD
     
seanc
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Sep 5, 2008, 07:51 PM
 
Was it booting fine without the card but with a monitor, kb & mouse hooked up?
     
BoulderDash  (op)
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Sep 5, 2008, 07:58 PM
 
There's the rub... since it was a "headless" Mac, when I first dropped the card in, I could not see what state it was in upon booting up after I installed the card. All I could see was that I could not connect to it over Chicken of the VNC via the new card.

When I then installed the monitor two days later (I'd left it running, not using the Programmer's button on the front of the computer to shut it down), I saw that it was stuck on the grey/white Apple screen. Subsequent shutdowns/restarts proved fruitless... never getting past the grey/white Apple screen.

BD
     
ginoledesma
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Sep 6, 2008, 03:03 AM
 
Are you up to troubleshooting a bit more? You could boot into single-user mode (Command-S on boot) to see where it's stalling. Or even simply booting in verbose mode (Command-V on boot) to see at what point its failing. Installing the kernel extension/driver could be causing startup issues.

For what its worth, Mac OS 10.3 (Panther) and later should natively support the RTL8139-based cards. Interestingly, however, XLR8YourMac's OS X PCI ethernet card compatibility DB has numerous reader reports about the D-Link DFE-530TX+ not being detected in B&W G3s and other Macs. If you can't get it to work, hopefully you can return it for something else like the Netgear GA311 or one of the many cards listed to work in the page.
     
bowwowman
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Sep 6, 2008, 06:13 PM
 
Having been there, done that with my own smurfboxen, I can confirm that the DFE 530TX+ DOES indeed work in B&W's running 10.3 & later, but you HAVE to install the drivers FIRST, then install the card, and have all cables connected BEFORE booting the machine.........

Also, verify that you actually have + version of the card, as the non-+ card will NOT work or have drivers for Macs.......

Also, when you say "Sonnet card" do you mean a CPU upgrade or an IDE/SATA controller ?
Just curious, not that it matters anyways, 'cause I had both in all 4 of my B&W's along with the Dlink card neveranottaproblemo
( Last edited by bowwowman; Sep 6, 2008 at 06:26 PM. )
Personally I find it hilarious that you have the hots for my gramma. Especially seeins how she is 3x your age, and makes your Brittney-Spears-wannabe 30-something wife look like a rag doll who went thru WWIII with a burning stick of dynamite up her a** :)
     
BoulderDash  (op)
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Sep 8, 2008, 01:51 PM
 
Hey there,
Not much of an update... I'm heading to buy a new drive and reinstalling everything. FWIW, I meant that I have a Sonnet Tempo Trio (which they don't even offer for Mac's anymore).

Thanks,
BD
     
olePigeon
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Sep 8, 2008, 02:06 PM
 
Sorry you had trouble. "It just worked" in mine. :/
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
     
   
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