iMac G4 700 MHz can't connect with wireless WPA2

Question

Level 1

18 points

iMac G4 700 MHz can't connect with wireless WPA2

Morning.

Here is a WLAN secured by personal WPA2. I want to connect an iMac G4 700 MHz running MacOS X 10.5.8 with this WLAN. But it failed. Obviously the iMac can not provide a personal WPA2 access. The iMac provides only simple WPA, but not WPA2.

Is there any way to connect this iMac with this WLAN without changing the settings of the WLAN? Could I use an USB WLAN adapter to connect the iMac with the WLAN, or could I change some settings in the iMac's Network Preferences to enable its internal Airport Card to access the WLAN using a personal WPA2 key? Or do I need an update or a special software for the iMac to enable it accessing this network?

Thanks in advance for your support!

Kind regards, Friedrich

MacBook Pro 2,16 GHz, Mac OS X (10.6.2), 3 GB RAM 500 GB HDD

Posted on Jan 3, 2010 9:31 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Jan 3, 2010 12:48 PM in response to vatolin

Would there be a problem with using a setting on the router that supported both WPA and WPA2? My AirPort Extreme base station has such as setting.

You could connect the iMac using an Ethernet cable. Since that iMac model uses the 802.11b AirPort Card, you'd have a much faster wired connection.

Since that iMac model only has USB 1.1 ports, a USB adapter would only work at a lower speed, even if the adapter was capable of 802.11g or n. The specs on this one from OWC says WPA2 is supported

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/MXP802GU2/

and I have used this adapter on an older Mac that has USB 1.1 ports.

The other option that would give you additional speed (because it uses the Ethernet port) is a wireless Ethernet bridge product, for example

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Linksys/WET610N/

They tend to be more expensive.

Or do I need an update or a special software for the iMac to enable it accessing this network?

As you mentioned yourself, I think this is a hardware limitation, not software.

Reply

Answer 2

Jan 3, 2010 2:01 PM in response to vatolin

The iMac G4 700 has an original AirPort card, which does not support WPA or WPA2 encryption. If your router has the ability to use WEP instead, you can use that.

How did you get Leopard to install on a machine running at 700 MHz? System requirements for Leopard include an 867 MHz G4 processor or better. It is possible that this is what is confusing things.

Best of luck.

Reply

Answer 3

Jan 3, 2010 2:02 PM in response to laundry bleach

Most of the original AirPort cards do support WPA as long as the OS is Mac OS X and not Mac OS 9. I have one in my old Pismo PowerBook, and it connects to my AirPort Extreme router that is set to use WPA/WPA2. It is running Mac OS X Tiger. If I reboot it from my Mac OS 9.2.2 installation, it no longer works for the wireless.

Reply

Answer 4

vatolin Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 3, 2010 11:11 PM in response to laundry bleach

laundry bleach wrote:
The iMac G4 700 has an original AirPort card, which does not support WPA or WPA2 encryption.

Really? If I try to connect I'am prompted to input a WPA password.

If your router has the ability to use WEP instead, you can use that.

There are other network equipments requiring at least WPA for security reasons.

How did you get Leopard to install on a machine running at 700 MHz? System requirements for Leopard include an 867 MHz G4 processor or better.

I've installed it by a Powerbook G4 1,67 GHz in target mode of the iMac.

It is possible that this is what is confusing things.

I don't think so, because the iMac worked very well as long as I did not switch the network security to WPA2.

Kind regards, Friedrich

Reply

Answer 5

vatolin Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 3, 2010 11:16 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

Kenichi Watanabe wrote:
Would there be a problem with using a setting on the router that supported both WPA and WPA2?

As far as I see my Linksys Router WRT54G3G does not support a simultaneously access by WPA and WPA2.

You could connect the iMac using an Ethernet cable.

No. I can't.

Since that iMac model only has USB 1.1 ports, ...

AFAIK this iMac supports USB 2.

As you mentioned yourself, I think this is a hardware limitation, not software.

Does it means, that every USB WLAN stick that supports WPA2 will work on this iMac?

Kind regards, Friedrich

Reply

Answer 6

Jan 3, 2010 11:49 PM in response to vatolin

A 700 MHz iMac G4 has USB 1.1. The first with USB 2.0 were the 1.0 GHz (15-inch) and 1.25 GHz models.

Does it means, that every USB WLAN stick that supports WPA2 will work on this iMac?

I can't confirm through personal experience, but if the hardware (the adapter) supports it and the software (Mac OS X and the custom driver it comes with) supports it, then WPA2 should be supported.

Reply

Answer 7

Allan Jones

Level 9

79,430 points

Jan 4, 2010 5:50 AM in response to vatolin

Does it means, that every USB WLAN stick that supports WPA2 will work on this iMac?

It's my observation that most of them don't. due to a lack of Mac drivers. Those bought from firms specializing in Macs (like Other World Computing) come with Mac drivers.

I stood in an electronics superstore and jotted down the names and website for a half-dozen brands of USB network dongles. None of the boxes admitted to having Mac support, and a later check of their websites also failed to turn up an Mac support.

Reply

Answer 8

Jan 4, 2010 11:25 AM in response to Allan Jones

Yes. Get one that has Mac OS X drivers. Without a compatible driver, not only will it not support WPA2, it probably will not work at all on a Mac.

Reply

Answer 9

vatolin Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 4, 2010 11:57 AM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

Kenichi Watanabe wrote:
Yes. Get one that has Mac OS X drivers.

I think I'll purchase the TRENDnet 300MBit/s Dualband Wireless N USB Adapter TEW-664UB MAC/PC. It supports WPA2 and is shipped with an Mac driver. Hopefully without limitations compared to the Windows driver.

Thanks for your input!

Kind regards, Friedrich

Reply

Answer 10

Jan 4, 2010 12:41 PM in response to vatolin

Also make sure that you do not need USB 2.0 for that particular adapter. With USB 1.1, you will not get 802.11n speed, but hopefully, it will still be otherwise fully functional.

Reply

Answer 11

vatolin Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 4, 2010 1:29 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

Kenichi Watanabe wrote:
Also make sure that you do not need USB 2.0 for that particular adapter.

Isn't USB 2.0 fully downward compatible to USB 1.x?

With USB 1.1, you will not get 802.11n speed, …

That's not really the problem. Because where I live is only an UMTS 7 MBit/s service available. Effectively that means appr. 250 kbit/s. So USB 1.1 should allow an sufficient data transfer.

… but hopefully, it will still be otherwise fully functional.

Hopefully. But why not?

Kind regards, Friedrich

Reply

Answer 12

Jan 4, 2010 1:37 PM in response to vatolin

Some USB 2.0 devices need USB 2.0 and do not work with USB 1.1. It might be related to a need for a minimum data transfer rate or it might be related to bus power requirements (USB 2.0 has a higher standard). There are even USB devices that only work with Intel Macs, not PowerPC. Other USB 2.0 devices work fine, although often slower, with USB 1.1.

The specifications and system requirements should state if USB 2.0 is required.

Reply

Answer 13

vatolin Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 4, 2010 1:58 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

Kenichi Watanabe wrote:
The specifications and system requirements should state if USB 2.0 is required.

At least the installation guide for Windows affirms that the device is running at USB 1.1 and 2.0 as well. The Mac installation guide tells nothing in this regard.

Is it imaginable that the device could work on Windows with USB 1.1 but would need USB 2.0 on Mac OS X?

Kind regards, Friedrich

Reply

Answer 14

Jan 4, 2010 2:34 PM in response to vatolin

If it works with 1.1 on Windows, it will probably work the same with Mac OS X (although the driver is different). The 802.11n USB adapter device that OWC sells, specifically states that USB 2.0 and 1.1 are supported, Mac OS X 10.3.9 and higher, with a note that it will not work at full speed if connected to 1.1. So it makes me think that this type of device generally works with both 2.0 and 1.1, as long as there is a Mac OS X driver.

Reply

Answer 15

vatolin Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 16, 2010 11:47 AM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

Kenichi Watanabe wrote:
[...] The 802.11n USB adapter device that OWC sells [...]

I've purchased exactly this Newer Technology USB wireless stick. And it works great. Thanks a lot for this advise!

But there is only one issue, I could not find a solution for: How can I persuade the driver or the system to keep the WAP2 password stored? At the moment I've to input the password at each new access with the network.

TIA and kind regards, Friedrich

Reply