[Taborite]

Hi everyone:

This is my first post...just joined the forum this evening. I think there might be similar threads out there on this or related topics, but I'll ask anyway.

I have a Lime iMac DV G3 400mhz that we bought in March 2000. Nearly 7 years, 3 OS and memory upgrades, and two hard drives later, it's still chugging along. I love that little old machine and just can't part with it.

So even when we upgraded to one of the new Core 2 Duo MacBooks, I refused to let it go, and actually want to keep it active for older and low-tech kids games and connect it to our wireless network, mostly so my kid can surf the web, play games, and stay away from the new toy. The trick is I'm trying to figure out the lowest cost and lowest hassle way to make internet connectivity happen since we pulled the ethernet cable off the iMac and into Airport Express.

Seems like I/we might have at least 3 options:
--find an airport card and adaptor (~$100?) and install it;
--consider a wireless router (Netgear, Belkin, ~$30-$60)
--a wireless game adaptor? (Netgear ~$30-50)

Basic specs: We run our network off of a DSL connection through a Comcast-supplied Motorola modem, which is connected to our Airport Express (base station). The base station is still a short cable distance to the iMac (or vice versa). I used WPA2 Personal to secure the network.

Do folks have some perspective on which of the three options might work best? Pros or cons of any/all? Tips on bridging an older iMac and OS (currently 10.3 on iMac) onto a network without major upgrades and/or limiting network performance or sacrificing reliable connections? Security and compatibility with 'newer' encryption? Potential interference having two wireless hardware devices close together?

My sense is that getting my hands on an Airport card and adaptor will provide the most reliable connection, but aside from their increasing rarity, are there issues with types/quality of Airport cards--e.g. is one with a 1 warranty inherently safer and superior--and compatibility w/ WPA2 security that I should know about? Will a wireless router or game adaptor basically provide the same functionality at half the price (w/o twice the hassle)?

Powerusers on this formum will probably sense that I'm not one myself. Despite diehard loyalty to Macs for 15 years, wireless networking is new ground for us, so any tips, personal experiences, etc. from the community are much appreciated.

Lastly, I'd be curious to see how others are keeping their iMacs in service--in lieu of newer Macs-- beyond gaming and having a second internet portal. Like the wireless thing, two machines is new and novel, and I know we could be doing more with what we have.

Thanks all!
Taborite

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by Taborite 

My sense is that getting my hands on an Airport card and adaptor will provide the most reliable connection, but aside from their increasing rarity, are there issues with types/quality of Airport cards--e.g. is one with a 1 warranty inherently safer and superior--and compatibility w/ WPA2 security that I should know about? Will a wireless router or game adaptor basically provide the same functionality at half the price (w/o twice the hassle)?

Welcome to MacNN!

First off, you can only use one kind of Aiport card in an iMac DV - the original 802.11b card that AFAIK still doesn't support WPA2. I've got an Aiport card in my tangerine iBook, and I had serious issues trying to get it to connect with WPA2. Not only that, but B-wireless is slow and really crappy for sharing files over a home network. (It runs at 11mbps)

You can try another PCMCIA wireless card (as the internal Airport card is just a PCMCIA card missing the end that sticks out of a PC laptop), but it can be a pain. Belkin used to have an 802.11g card (runs at 54mbps) that used the Broadcom chipset found in Airport cards, so there was no need to find or pay for extra drivers. It's harder these days, however, to find a card with the proper chipset, and without that compatibility, you'll have to pay for third-party drivers that support other chipsets.

You could also try a USB 802.11g adapter, but I believe the iMac DV had only USB 1.1, so your file transfer speeds would probably be as bad or worse than using an original Airport card.

I think for your situation, if you plan on doing only internet surfing and low-end gaming on your iMac, an Airport card would be fine, but you might consider trying a different PCMCIA card that will at least give you 802.11g speeds.

If you plan on doing any file sharing at all, I'd really recommend just plugging your iMac into a wireless router. You could then also get rid of your Aiport Express, if you're just using it as a wireless access point. At any rate, with a computer as old as that iMac DV, wired networking is going to give you the fastest and most reliable connection.

Lastly, I'd be curious to see how others are keeping their iMacs in service--in lieu of newer Macs-- beyond gaming and having a second internet portal. Like the wireless thing, two machines is new and novel, and I know we could be doing more with what we have.

I own two computers and have a work laptop, plus my boyfriend has his own laptop and a work laptop. I mostly use the computers together for sharing files between them. There's not anything really special about owning two computers unless you've decided to make one into a Linux firewall or something. It helped when I was in college to have a desktop and laptop, since I could use my desktop as a big file storage unit and still take my laptop to classes, but other than that, I can't think of anything "more" you could do with your setup at home.

[Mr_E]

Try a wireless Ethernet bridge.
It will just connect to the Ethernet port and should give you enough speed (think there are even pre-N units out there now).


Ex :

Amazon.com: Netgear WGE101 802.11g Wireless Ethernet Bridge (WGE101NA): Electronics

[Will C]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

Welcome to MacNN!
- the original 802.11b card that AFAIK still doesn't support WPA2.

It does when used in an iBook - or at least it does in my June 2000 iBook with the original Airport card. I had to download more up to date Airport software but I am not sure if it was a firmware update to the card or system software update (or both)
I presume this would work in an iMac DV as well

Hope this does not come across rudely - just wnated to make a gentle correction and I note you did say AFAIK.

Anyway, back to the original query....

[P]

I'd recommend getting a wireless USB plug. While the iMac DVs indeed only had USB 1.1, that's still faster than an original Airport (802.11b) board, for two reasons:

* With the Airport board, ALL machines on the network have to drop down to 11 Mbps. With the USB plug, the other machines can keep using 54 Mbps while only the iMac is throttled.
* The 54 Mbps figure is a theoretical one - there's a lot of network overhead there. The 12 Mbps limitation on USB 1.1 isn't all that bad.

The plug is also cheaper, as you can use many standard PC plugs, while Airport boards are only available used. The Airport board does have better range though, as it uses the built-in antenna in the iMac.

This is a list of plugs that use a chipset from a company called Ralink, which makes its own driver for use with Mac OS X. Using that driver, you can use the adapters listed there with a Mac even if the OEM of the plug doesn't support OS X. I use the Cnet plug in that list I linked - it works fine, if not as elegant as the original driver.

[Will C]

Originally Posted by P 

This is a list of plugs that use a chipset from a company called Ralink, which makes its own driver for use with Mac OS X. Using that driver, you can use the adapters listed there with a Mac even if the OEM of the plug doesn't support OS X. I use the Cnet plug in that list I linked - it works fine, if not as elegant as the original driver.

Really useful stuff that - thanks (even though I was not the OP)

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by P 

* With the Airport board, ALL machines on the network have to drop down to 11 Mbps. With the USB plug, the other machines can keep using 54 Mbps while only the iMac is throttled.

I've been wondering about that. Is this just a fact of using Airport cards? Does it happen when using other 802.11b hardware with a B/G access point? Has this effect been proven by anyone?

My work laptop has G, and my iBook has an original Airport card. I don't *think* there was a substantial performance increase in my work laptop with the iBook connected to the network, but I've never really looked.

<edit>
Not trying to be rude here - just wondering.
</edit>

[ibook_steve]

Just to clarify something shifuimam said above, you *cannot* just use any PCMCIA (PC card) in the old iMacs for wireless and it's not because of drivers. The Apple Airport card, despite its shape and appearance, was not a standard PC card and cannot be inserted in a standard PC card slot. And standard PC cards will not fit in the Apple Airport slot. You have to use Apple's card or nothing.

Steve

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by ibook_steve 

Just to clarify something shifuimam said above, you *cannot* just use any PCMCIA (PC card) in the old iMacs for wireless and it's not because of drivers. The Apple Airport card, despite its shape and appearance, was not a standard PC card and cannot be inserted in a standard PC card slot. And standard PC cards will not fit in the Apple Airport slot. You have to use Apple's card or nothing.

Steve

I actually have put other PCMCIA cards into my iBook - and they got power normally. The Airport card has a slightly different sized ridge on one side from a standard Type I PCMCIA card (it might, however, fit into a Type II/III slot). However, it is the same physical dimensions as a regular PC card.

Now, the iBook would require some modification - which others have done - to use a non-Airport PCMCIA card. I'd be curious about the Airport adapter for an iMac DV, as far as what kind of room can be made in the computer for the extra length on a regular laptop PCMCIA wireless adapter.