Powerbook G4 + Belkin F5D7010 card

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Powerbook G4 + Belkin F5D7010 card

I'm having problems with a Powerbook G4 500 MHz in combination with a Belkin F5D7010 pcmcia card. When I insert the card, the system hangs. I cant' move the mouse, can't press any keys. When I remove the card after the hang, the system works back.

The card isn't detected at any time. Other PC cards do work.

Since the card is based on a Broadcom BCM4306 chipset it should work. An other PCMCIA card from Belkin doesn't work too (it worked on a Powerbook G4 550, but can't use that portable anymore).

Card is not broken, works in my Windows laptop.

System is updated with all updates and aiport updates.

What can I do? I'm not a mac expert but have lots of experience in Windows systems and not afraid of digging deep in the system.

Many thanks!

Powerbook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Jun 25, 2006 3:57 AM

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Answer 1

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eww

Level 9

53,028 points

Jun 25, 2006 7:40 AM in response to timkerger

Hi, timkerger, and welcome to Apple Discussions. I've read in several past posts here that Belkin has made different versions of some of its wireless cards that bear the same model number, and that these different revisions may in some cases require different drivers. I recommend avoiding Belkin cards, because Belkin provides no Mac support at all for its products, and doesn't identify them clearly enough so you can tell what you're buying.

You may want to have a look at this page and see whether it provides any clues for you.

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Answer 2

timkerger Author

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Jun 25, 2006 10:40 AM in response to eww

Thanks for your answer.

Unfortunately I don't believe its due to a 'bad' (incompatible) revision, because I opened the card. It has a BCM4306 chipset, which is the chipset used by Apple in their Airport Extreme cards.

Since it should be supported, I was wondering what the other cause can be...

Is there a difference between the pc card slots on a PB G4 500 and a PB G4 550MHz?

Many thanks!

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Answer 3

eww

Level 9

53,028 points

Jun 25, 2006 11:56 AM in response to timkerger

Is there a difference between the pc card slots on a PB G4 500 and a PB G4 550MHz?

No, I don't believe so.

Have you tried inserting the card while the Powerbook is shut down, then starting up? If that works out better, try it again with the Powerbook sleeping.

I'm not sure what else to suggest. You've established that the card is good: it works in other computers. You've established that your PC Card slot is good: you say other kinds of cards work in it. The problem must be software-based.

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Answer 4

LilyLC

Level 4

2,828 points

Jun 25, 2006 10:48 PM in response to timkerger

"I was wondering what the other cause can be..."

By chance, might there be an existing AirPort Card inside?
The following article might help.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88058

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Answer 5

timkerger Author

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Jun 26, 2006 11:07 AM in response to LilyLC

Thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately, no Airport card is installed. (If it was, I wouldn't be going through this process :-P)

Too bad those Airport cards are slow and so expensive...

---

I'm downloading Ubuntu for Powerpc now, and I'm gonna have a look at what that OS does with the card. I'll get back to this thread with results.

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Answer 6

timkerger Author

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Jun 26, 2006 11:32 AM in response to timkerger

Well, after trying for about 10 times i managed to get more results. Now I see (happened only once though) a card symbol next to the volume control on the taskbar (the bar at the top), but it says unknow vendor and unknown card type...

In 'about this mac' I see a bit more:
Function: PCCardff
Vendor: Unknown
Type: Cardbus
Vendorcode: 65535
Device code:65535

Any idea what this could be?

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Answer 7

eww

Level 9

53,028 points

Jun 26, 2006 4:38 PM in response to timkerger

timkerger: Are you quite certain that other kinds of PC Cards are reliably and properly identified and work well in your card slot? The fact that your Belkin card was identified once in ten tries suggest to me that there's a poor connection — possibly due to dirt or fuzz among the pins in the card slot, a bent pin, or a loose connection between the card cage and the logic board. Once in a while it makes a better connection, but mostly it doesn't. This is just a hypothesis, though. Are you inclined to check it out by looking inside the PB?

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