Power Mac G3 Pismo with Airport wireless card in Mac OS X 10.4 won't connect to wireless network with newest Airport Extreme Base Station set at WPA Personal/WPA 2 Personal encryption.

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Power Mac G3 Pismo with Airport wireless card in Mac OS X 10.4 won't connect to wireless network with newest Airport Extreme Base Station set at WPA Personal/WPA 2 Personal encryption.

My Power Book G3 Pismo with an Airport wireless card running Mac OS X 10.4.11 will not connect to my new Airport

Extreme Base Station using WPA Personal/WPA 2 Person encryption. The Airport firmware is version 9.52. From

posts I've read online at different places indicates the Airport card should support the WPA encryption. Perhaps the problem

is the Base Station is using a combination setting and the fault is in the base station?

Thanks for any suggestions

PowerBook, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Jan 20, 2015 10:46 AM

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Answer 1

Jan 20, 2015 2:08 PM in response to butcherbloc

Turn off all wireless security.. make sure you set a short simple name for the wireless and I would also lock the wireless channel.. try 11, 8, 6 in that order.

No luck it is never going to work.. it is incompatible.

There a several ways around the problem.. the easiest is to run an old airport extreme G wireless model.. plugged by ethernet into the network.. and using it for your G3 Power Mac...

Or much better.. get an express.. and use it as a wireless bridge.. and plug the express in by ethernet.. so all wireless happens outside the G3.

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Answer 2

Bob Timmons

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185,042 points

Jan 20, 2015 2:15 PM in response to butcherbloc

The fault is not the base station.

LaPastenague has it nailed. Temporarily, turn off the wireless security on the base station and see if the Power Book will connect that way. If it will, then the base station is doing its job.

If the Power Book connects using no wireless security.....but it will not connect using WPA/WPA2......then the wireless card in the Power Book does not support WPA. Not all of them did.

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Answer 3

butcherbloc Author

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Jan 20, 2015 5:06 PM in response to butcherbloc

LaPastenague and Bob, thank you for your replies and information. I turned off encryption on the base station and the Pismo

connected to the network quickly. I then added a guest network to the base station and the Pismo would not connect to it.

The error message said, "There was an error joining Airport Network "Guest Network" This is the same message I received

with the WPA/WPA2 encryption error. I agree that the Airport card is incompatible.

I am not entirely clear on the two options LaPastenague has suggested. I don't have an old airport extreme G wireless model to plug into the network and using for the G3 to connect. I do have an old Linksys Wireless G router. I wonder if that would work?

I'll have to read up on getting an express and using it as a wireless bridge as I am unfamiliar with the concept.

Perhaps an inexpensive usb wireless adapter would work as well?

Again, thank you for your trouble-shooting expertise and suggestions. They are much appreciated.

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Answer 4

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,042 points

Jan 20, 2015 5:24 PM in response to butcherbloc

Perhaps an inexpensive usb wireless adapter would work as well?

This is probably the simplest way to get the G3 connected to the wireless network.

I'll have to read up on getting an express and using it as a wireless bridge as I am unfamiliar with the concept.

The new AirPort Extreme is broadcasting a wireless signal.

A new AirPort Express could be located close to the G3. The Express will pick up the wireless signal from the AirPort Extreme, then provide an Ethernet connection to the G3 though a short Ethernet cable.

This can work very well......IF.....you keep the G3 at a fixed location, since it will always be connected to the AriPort Express using an Ethernet cable.

I do have an old Linksys Wireless G router. I wonder if that would work?

In theory, yes. But it would have to use much older WEP "security", which is easily cracked in minutes using free tools available on the Internet. So, anyone who really wanted to get on the network could do so. It's an option, but not a very good one.

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Answer 5

Tesserax

Level 10

158,208 points

Jan 20, 2015 5:36 PM in response to butcherbloc

In addition to Bob's and LaPastenague's comments, the 802.11b "original" AirPort card that was used with your iBook definitely does NOT support WPA wireless encryption ... only 128-bit WEP. There were five models of this card (M7600LL/A - M7600LL/E), at least, available in the US. The C & D models were updated with version 2.x of AirPort software which allowed for WEP security. The E model had version 3.x of this software, but still only supported WEP.

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Answer 6

Bob Timmons

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185,042 points

Jan 20, 2015 5:45 PM in response to Tesserax

Tesserax to the rescue with all the details!

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Answer 7

butcherbloc Author

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Jan 26, 2015 6:44 AM in response to butcherbloc

A helping friend loaned me his Newer Technology MAXPower wireless usb 2.0 stick adapter to try in the Pismo. I found drivers at the Ralink site

for Mac OS X 10.4. Installed the utility program with drivers, but the Pismo now isn't seeing the usb adapter. I tried the adapter in a new to me G5 Power

PPC. It worked like a charm. I have a firewire version of a Clamshell G3 ibook. The usb adapter is not recognized in it either. Perhaps the reason is

that the Pismo and Clamshell's usb is 1.1 and not 2.0. At any rate the wireless usb adapter isn't being recognized and will not work.

I like the idea of using the Airport Express as a bridge. The price is a little steep, but the Airport Express can be used for other things as well. Thank you all for the information and advice. Being an old codger, trying new things and problem solving is a good way to keep the brain matter from turning to mush.

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Answer 8

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,042 points

Jan 26, 2015 7:03 AM in response to butcherbloc

You can reduce the steepness of a new AirPort Express by about 25% if you purchase a refurbished unit from Apple. The product comes with a new warranty, so there is no risk here. Info linked below, if you are interested.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/mac_accessories

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Answer 9

butcherbloc Author

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Jan 26, 2015 7:06 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Both my son and grand daughter have bought refurbished macs and have been very satisfied. Bob, thanks for the reminder!

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