Q: Internet on an iMac G3?
This is my second post today, so apologies if I happen to have crossed your path twice. But in looking for information to answer my first question, I discovered a second.
I have an old iMac G3 that I still use a still LIKE to use. The RAM was already upgraded and I expanded the hard drive and upgraded the operating system. By some miracle, I also found a USB wireless adapter that worked with it (in tonight's reading, that seems rare; at the time, it was the advised option).
Would an AirPort card really make the wireless Internet experience any better? I've seen posts where people rave about the cards, but they were also from 2006-2008...
I know, of course, that the speeds won't match anything on any of today's devices and I'm not expecting it to. I've also read that I'd need to change the encryption setting on my router if I were to go for the AirPort card.
Does anyone have any experience with different types of Internet connections on the G3? What would you advise?
Thanks!
iMac, Mac OS X (10.4.1), G3. Snow. 600MHz. 120GB.
Posted on Apr 15, 2013 8:57 PM
For Internet access, the "slow" networking speed of the old wireless tech actually does not matter so much, because it still exceeds the broadband Internet connection speed for most people. Most of the feeling of slowness comes for the old G3 CPU (and old graphics hardware) trying to keep up.
If you use Mac OS X, it's actually not so difficult to find a USB adapter that works, because there are drivers for Mac OS X (especially Tiger and later). What's difficult to find is a product with a driver for Mac OS 9. Your profile says "10.4.1"; if that's what you currently have, be sure to update it to 10.4.11 (the latest release for Tiger).
One advantage of the internal 802.11b AirPort card is that it has a "built-in" driver for Mac OS 9 from Apple. But if you are using only Mac OS X Tiger, I can't see any advantage either way (compared to your USB option). If your USB adapter is 802.11b, there is no need to consider a faster 802.11g or n adapter, for your iMac G3. It has very slow USB 1.1 ports (not 2.0), so while a faster USB adapter may work, you won't get any faster speed from it because the USB 1.1 port is the bottleneck.
I have an old PowerBook ("Pismo") that has USB 1.1 and that same AirPort card. I have a USB adapter from OWC (NewerTech) that is 802.11g (used with another Mac). A few years ago, I tested a file transfer on my local network using the AirPort card versus the 208.11g USB adapter. I timed a transfer of a 100mb file to another Mac. The transfer time was essentially the same, either way. So, I'd stick with what you have, if it's working for you...
Encryption - For my old Pismo (running 10.4.11) using the AirPort card, it supports modern security protocols. I have my router (an AirPort Extreme Base Station) set for WPA/WPA2 Personal. If you were running Mac OS 9, THEN you would need to use the older WEP protocol (because WPA did not exist yet back in the days of Mac OS 9).
Posted on Apr 15, 2013 11:07 PM