Need help connecting G5 Tower wirelessly to the internet

Question

Need help connecting G5 Tower wirelessly to the internet

Please help!

Our Configuation:

We have my almost 3-year-old iMac that is hard connected with an ethernet cable to our Time Warner Cable wireless modem on the first floor of our home.

On the 2nd floor of our home we have my husband's old G5 computer that we are trying to connect wirelessly with no success.

Details on the G5:

Model Number: A1117 EMC 2023

PM G5 2GH 2DC / 512MB / 160GB / 16X / DL SD/GF6500LE

Operation System: 10.4.11

Details on Wireless Modem:

UBEE DVW3201B

We tried three devices that after installing the software that came with it ALL WORKED in finding the wireless network that we assigned. It even allowed us to "connect" and showed an 89% signal strength. Unfortunately, it doesn't actually connect us to the internet because the connection blinks on and off about every 3 seconds. The message when it blinks off says that it cannot find the IP address.

So after those three failed attempts we brought the G5 to the Apple Store Genius Bar and a nice gentleman after explaining they weren't trained to help us with "Vintage" computers found me someone who was willing to help me. He showed me that on eBay I could purchase the M8881LL/A Airport Extreme Card and install it and we would be set. SO, we bought it, installed the software and then put the card in the slot as he showed us at the store. BUT, we cannot put the little antenna in the little round hole for anything and we are wondering if this fix is yet another failed attempt.

Please help! Anyone understand why we are having trouble and has a solution for us? Thank you in advance for your time.

AN ADDED NOTE: I AM able to connect wirelessly in my home with my laptop and my Kindle.

PowerMac, Mac OS X (10.4.11), G5 Model Number: A1117 EMC 2023

Posted on Apr 1, 2013 9:24 AM

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Answer 1

Apr 1, 2013 9:30 AM in response to daisydenise123

Geez ...I have a G5 I just bought used from a friend. I guess I'm going to have all these hoops to jump through, too.

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Answer 2

Apr 1, 2013 1:28 PM in response to daisydenise123

Could you please explain why you cannot connect the antenna. Do you have these instructions?

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/airport_card.pdf

Also, I am puzzled by "installed software"... As far as I know, the card does not need software.

To check on the card after installation, go to Apple Menu / About This Mac / More Info. In Hardware, on the left, under Network check what it says for Airport card. If the card is installed and functioning you will see it listed with specs.

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Answer 3

MichelPM

Level 10

80,952 points

Apr 1, 2013 3:12 PM in response to Norseman2

I Remember your recent posting.

If you get a USB wireless solution, as I have recommended and your wireless router is pretty recent, you shouldn't have any issues.

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Answer 4

Apr 1, 2013 3:19 PM in response to Eustace Mendis

Hi Eustace, Thanks for your reply. The inside of my computer does not look like the one in the PDF you supplied. I installed it in the top left of the inside (I have a dual core). When I wanted to connect the antenna to the back side of the card I could not get it to snap in. Maybe it's a wrong version of the card?

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Answer 5

Apr 1, 2013 3:59 PM in response to daisydenise123

• Maybe it's a wrong version of the card?

Indeed yes. This discussion identifies a different card:

Apple Airport Extreme card.

802.11b/g

See this: http://forums.cnet.com/7723-21564_102-324545/need-help-with-power-mac-g5-wireles s-networking/

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Answer 6

Apr 3, 2013 5:52 AM in response to Eustace Mendis

For me, when I click on the Apple, then go to "About This Mac" and go to "Hardware" and then "USB" I can see it has my wireless USB adapter listed. Has the name and everything. But I guess I don't know how to figure out how to let it know that that is a wireless card, because when I go to Network settings, it doesn't see it in here.

Is that a driver issue? Can someone point me in the right direction please?

Thanks!

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Answer 7

Apr 3, 2013 6:25 AM in response to Norseman2

The airport card will be listed in About This Mac / Networks. If it is not listed, it's not there as far as the Mac is concerned.

With the correct card, no drivers are needed.

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Answer 8

Apr 3, 2013 7:32 AM in response to Eustace Mendis

Yeah I see "Airport" but when I choose that when trying to configure it says "No Airport card found"

So I guess that means my wireless adapter is just not compatible?

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Answer 9

MichelPM

Level 10

80,952 points

Apr 3, 2013 3:20 PM in response to Norseman2

What Wireless adapter are you using?

The adapter I recommended to you should work, but you need to use it with OS X 10.5 Leopard for it to be recognized.

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Answer 10

Apr 3, 2013 6:51 PM in response to daisydenise123

daisydenise123, if you want to use the Apple AirPort Extreme internal card for a dual-core PowerMac G5, the one you bought (the M8881LL/A) is unfortunately for a different model G5. For dual-core G5s, you'll need the MA252G/A AirPort Extreme/Bluetooth Upgrade Kit. Note that this is a "kit" because it consists of the combo WiFi + Bluetooth card, the small circuit daughterboard which plugs into your G5 (called the "runway card"), and the rivet snaps that fasten them together. You can get this as a refurbished product with a 90-day warranty for $88 from DV Warehouse:

http://www.dvwarehouse.com/Apple-AirPort-Extreme/Bluetooth-Upgrade-Kit-for-Power -Mac-G5-Dual-Core--Quad-Core-Late-2005--MA252G/A---Refurbished-p-36513.html

(It looks like you bought this: http://www.dvwarehouse.com/Apple-Airport-Extreme-Wireless-Card-/-Net-work-adapte r-802.11G-M8881-p-31367.html, which is for non dual-core PowerMac G5s.)

I bought the combo kit product for my dual-core G5 a few months ago and it works flawlessly, since it's engineered by Apple to work with my model of computer. You may or may not get consistent service from a generic USB WiFi device. (Another alternative is to buy a new AirPort Express device for $99 and plug your G5 into that via ethernet.)

Note that your computer will have two antenna wires hanging near where the runway card plugs in--one for WiFi and the other for Bluetooth. They both plug into the combo kit (the cables are unmarked, since it doesn't matter which one goes into which socket on the WiFi board). Be careful when you plug in the cables--you don't want to bend anything, and the metal is thin. They should fit firmly (twist them a few degrees to verify they're connected), but note that they don't make a snapping sound when connected.

After installation, About This Mac should show the new card under Network/AirPort Card--the drivers are already included in OS X.

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Answer 11

Apr 3, 2013 7:45 PM in response to daisydenise123

Thanks to everyone for your help! Problem solved. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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Answer 12

May 1, 2013 5:54 AM in response to MichelPM

Sorry I never replied to this. I had put this project on the back burner for a few, but I want to try and get this G5 usable again. It's running 10.4 and it's just as clean and fast as can be, but it won't see my wireless USB card (Netgear). Are you saying I need to have 10.5 installed to use ANY wireless USB card?

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Answer 13

May 6, 2013 5:34 AM in response to Norseman2

Ok I gave up on trying to get it to work with one of my USB wireless cards. I have a range extender that has an ethernet port on it. I moved that to the outlet where my G5 is and ran a network cable from the nic to the range extender and I'm on my wifi - pretty fast too. Only I don't know how to see what my actually connection speed is. When I go in and look at the ethernet connection it just says "100Mbps". And I know it's not that fast because my other wireless devices are only connected at 36-54Mbps in that area of the house. And if I log into the range extender it's only connected at 54Mbps. Any ideas how to see what my actual connection speed on the G5 is?

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