Airport Extreme + Bluetooth card not working

Question

Level 1

9 points

Airport Extreme + Bluetooth card not working

Hi everybody,

Did a search for this info, but it looks like I'm posting a new one for the Learned...

I have a dual-core 2.0GHz G5 (late 2005) that didn't come with AirPort Extreme + Bluetooth. Shortly after I acquired it, a purchased the "runway card" and AirPort/Bluetooth module and installed it. Only the Bluetooth worked, so I assumed I got a bad card but due to circumstances I could not return the card. The G5 sat in my basement for the past year hooked up to ethernet for use as a casual machine.

Now I want to make it my primary workstation, so Airport is a must. I again purchased another Runway card and Airport/Bluetooth module, but I still only get Bluetooth to work. The machine reports "No Airport card installed."

What am I missing here?

Thanks in advance!
GG

PowerMac G5 dual-core 2.0 GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Mar 26, 2011 5:35 PM

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Answer 1

Joe_Akim

Level 1

4 points

Jul 29, 2017 4:17 AM in response to wallydallas

Hi,

if somebody likes old Macs and has this problem, try this:

1. Remove the airport card from the riser board of the late 2005 PowerMac G5, you don't need to pull off the antenna cables. Just let it hang down an pay attention that the card has no contact with other ports of the Mac to prevent electric short cuts.

2. Boot the machine without the Airport Card. Now, if you look at the system profiler there should be no bluetooth and no airport card installed.

3. Shut the system down

4. Built in the airport extreme card again and reboot

Now you should have back you airport connection!

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Answer 2

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Mar 26, 2011 5:41 PM in response to Graham Green

Hi Graham, and a warm welcome to the forums! 🙂

Hopefully you'll get help with what you hae already, but a cheap solution to the Wifi/Airport problem are these...

http://eshop.macsales.com/search/usb+wifi

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Answer 3

Graham Green Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 26, 2011 9:17 PM in response to BDAqua

Thanks! I've always been happy with OWC and their products, but the 3rd party wireless solutions I've tried (Newer, etc.) are awfully flakey... they really only seem to work if you have no security settings other than a closed network. I've used their USB and PCI solutions and they connect for a few seconds, then disconnect. Since this PowerMac is going to be my main machine, I want to stick with OEM.

Any thoughts on why Bluetooth works, but Airport doesn't in two different attempts? I would have thought that the OS would recognize new hardware and automatically install it.

Thanks again,
GG

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Answer 4

japamac

Level 7

24,400 points

Mar 26, 2011 10:51 PM in response to Graham Green

Resetting the VRAM is a way to force the machine to configure all installed hardware.
You may wish to try that.

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Mar 26, 2011 11:09 PM in response to Graham Green

I've always had far better connections/speed/range, & Security options with USB Wifi sticks than any Apple Airport card!?

I'm worried why it doesn't show as installed at all, never seen that myself, but try japamacs suggestion for now. 🙂

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Answer 6

Graham Green Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 27, 2011 6:44 AM in response to japamac

Thanks for the suggestion! Do you mean "reset the PRAM?" I've done that a few times over the past year with both the old card and the new one but no change in the result. It's my understanding that video RAM shouldn't affect system settings, but I'm up for anything! How do I do it?

Thanks again everyone!

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Answer 7

Graham Green Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 27, 2011 6:52 AM in response to BDAqua

Hi BD,

My Airport set-up consists of an AirPort Extreme (G) base station with WPA2 security on a closed network.

I had a NewerTech MaxPower USB stick that I added to my network after this original card didn't work. It would connect to my network for a couple of seconds, then report "Disconnected!" After a few more seconds, it would reconnect automatically, then disconnect... repeat-repeat-repeat. I get the same result with the NewerTech PCI card I installed in my AGP PowerMac G4. After giving up on NewerTech wireless solutions, I have another Extreme base station set as a remote station connecting wireless to the G4, but that solution is too slow to use with this much faster G5. Sonnet Aria cards work like a dream, but there is no PCIe solution. All my OEM wireless computers have no trouble at all, other than this pesky "No AirPort card installed" issue.

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Answer 8

japamac

Level 7

24,400 points

Mar 27, 2011 7:31 AM in response to Graham Green

Sorry, I meant NVRAM.

Boot to Open Firmware (command option+of) and type:
reset-nvram
hit Return. Then type:
reset-all
and hit Return again. The machine will reboot with NVRAM reset.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1812?viewlocale=en_US

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Answer 9

Graham Green Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 27, 2011 7:47 AM in response to japamac

Gave it go, but no luck. Still seeing "No AirPort card installed" and System Pref>Network won't let me add the AirPort option.

I also reset the SMU this morning but that has had no affect, either.

I've seen other posts that talk about removing the AirportConfig.framework file from the PrivateFrameworks folder of the System Library, but my Library does not contain that file.

This is quite a mystery!
GG

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Answer 10

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Mar 27, 2011 12:59 PM in response to Graham Green

It would connect to my network for a couple of seconds, then report "Disconnected!" After a few more seconds, it would reconnect automatically, then disconnect... repeat-repeat-repeat.

I think we could likely cure that, perhaps in a new topic would be best?

PS. Mine stays connected forever using WPA2 to the old Saucer 802.11g station.

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Answer 11

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Mar 27, 2011 1:17 PM in response to Graham Green

I've seen other posts that talk about removing the AirportConfig.framework file from the PrivateFrameworks folder of the System Library, but my Library does not contain that file.

Mine either, where's the link to that mention?

Closet thing I have is...

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/AirP ortPrefs.bundle/Contents/MacOS/AirPortPrefs

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Answer 12

Graham Green Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 27, 2011 4:40 PM in response to BDAqua

Things were looking grim today, so I went into work and brought home the old MaxPower USB b/g/n dongle I bought a year or so ago. It's been working fine on my network there with no security, just a closed network. I installed it and, bang! It's been connected reliably all day. I went back to my Sawtooth G4 that has the card installed to check on it's connection (I almost never restart the machine, just put it to Sleep but the network connection via NewerTech PCI wireless card was always flakey, too.) Guess what? It connects and stays on the network! Gremlins, I say.

Anyways, this brings me back to the original problem... in two attempts to connect the PowerMac G5 to an Airport Extreme network via OEM Airport/Bluetooth card, the BT works, but all I get is a "No AirPort card installed" message. At least now I have a USB option, but it would be nice to get the AirPort card working!

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Answer 13

Graham Green Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 27, 2011 4:42 PM in response to BDAqua

This is one of the two mentions of the mysterious Config file I found earlier:

http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1695924&start=15&tstart=0

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Answer 14

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Mar 27, 2011 5:44 PM in response to Graham Green

Only thing I can think on the AP card is bad connection or power lines, possibly bad AP card, but 2 seem a stretch.

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Answer 15

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Mar 27, 2011 5:55 PM in response to Graham Green

Ah, that's in the MacBook Pro forums, IntelMacs may have a different Airport setup completely, even Laptop may be way different than Desktops.

I only find that file on my Intel iMac in /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.3.9.sdk/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/... go figure!?

Open Console in Applications>Utilities, check the system log for Date/Time of the last boot, see if Airport or en2 is mentioned.

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