Making a 2009 Mac Pro Wifi.

If you don't mind poking around inside, there are several Wi-Fi solutions that plug into the Airport slot on the board.

OWC has the original 802.11n card here: http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Apple/BCM94322MCK/

Also, macvidcards.com and osxwifi.com have solutions that upgrade Wi-Fi to 802.11ac and Bluetooth to 4.0 to

enable Handoff and Continuity.

As for the USB sticks, as I understand it, you have to use the Wi-Fi software that comes with the stick.

I have so far seen three sources for an internal 802.11ac upgrade for classic Mac Pros. The http://www.osxwifi.com/apple-broadcom-bcm94360cd-802-11-a-b-g-n-ac-bluetooth-4-0 -with-adapter-for-macpro-2009-and-macpro… one requires routing a cable outside of the Mac Pro to get power via a USB socket. While this works I dislike the untidiness this creates. The http://www.macvidcards.com/store/p33/Wifi_AC_and_Bluetooth_Airport_Card.html one is a completely internal one and like the osxwifi one 100% compatible with Apple drivers and also Continuity/HandOff, unfortunately it seems to be permanently out of stock. The third and final one I have seen was on eBay from a Hong-Kong based seller and is effectively identical to the MacVidCards solution but that eBay seller has them in stock unlike MacVidCards.

Warning: The MacVidCards and eBay ones in order to be fully internally installed require fitting an extension cable to the Bluetooth antenna. This is extremely fiddly to connect. I have decades of experience upgrading computers and even I struggled doing this and was only saved by the fact the eBay seller included a second spare extension cable after the first one broke after repeated attempts. It uses the same antenna connector as used for many WiFi products including the old style Mac mini models e.g. 2009, which were also notorious for popping off the connector.

PS. If anyone knows of a source of these antenna extension cables especial in the UK I would be interested to know.

As for the USB sticks, as I understand it, you have to use the Wi-Fi software that comes with the stick.

to amplify what HelmutNewton said, this may be a BAD Idea because of the new restrictions on kext signing being enforced by Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan. The software Vendor now has to jump through more hoops and update their software to the new "Apple Way" or it won't load the kernel extensions and won't work.

You said:

one requires routing a cable outside of the Mac Pro to get power via a USB socket. While this works I dislike the untidiness this creates.

The description says:

No soldering, or cutting cables is required for the installation of this product.
It is a simple plug & play solution and it is fully Internal.

One review noted:

New USB cable makes it even better a fully internal solution

lllaass wrote:

You said:

one requires routing a cable outside of the Mac Pro to get power via a USB socket. While this works I dislike the untidiness this creates.

The description says:

No soldering, or cutting cables is required for the installation of this product.
It is a simple plug & play solution and it is fully Internal.

One review noted:

New USB cable makes it even better a fully internal solution

Thanks for the update, clearly they have 'improved' it since I originally looked at their website. It never needed soldering or cutting cables before it was merely that before it failed to use the logic board power connector which it would seem it now does. The power connector on the logic board is located next to where the original Bluetooth card would have been, it is a very small 2-pin connector.

Yes, I can confirm that the osxwifi.com solution now uses the power connector on the board

since I just installed one myself. It definitely tricky for those with larger hands like myself though.

You must have patience with all those tiny antenna connectors.