Mac w/ original AirPort Card and AC Time Capsule

Bob Timmons mentioned a USB wireless adapter as a last option. The Power Mac G4 (Quicksilver) models have 12 Mbps USB (1.1) ports. A modern USB wireless adapter should be able to handle at least 802.11n, with up to WPA2 security. Such an adapter could per se be used in a USB 1.1 port, but at a reduced speed. The main problem with these adapters is driver software for Mac. Only a few adapters (such as Edimax EW-7811Un?) appear to be compatible with Mac OS X 10.4.11.

Locating proper drivers for wireless PCI cards can be equally difficult. So, if you find a card that is said to be Mac-compatible, please double-check that drivers for your exact operating system version are available. Even so, as Bob said, you may have to try it out.

Yet another option could be a third-party wireless Ethernet bridge (Linksys WET610N is only one example). A bridge like that does not normally need special drivers or setup software, and can (typically) be configured via a standard web browser. This means that the device can be used with older machines under almost any operating system. Connected to the Ethernet port of your computer, a suitable wireless Ethernet bridge should allow a direct WPA2 connection to the router.

Power Mac G4 (Quicksilver) - Technical Specifications

The issue involves both hardware and software.

As far as hardware:

The first version of the 802.11b Original AirPort Card supported nothing more sophisticated than 40-bit WEP. The updated version supported not only 40-bit WEP, but also 128-bit WEP & WPA.

The two versions are:

• revision 1: 661-2219, M7600LL/*, EEE code: G3G appears in the card serial number
• revision 2: 661-2549, M7600LL/D, EEE codes: LH8, M6Y or QAC appear in the card serial number

NOTE: The final character of the 1st gen. card may be A-C; Those ending in a D are 2nd gen. cards. Any card with a serial number ending in G3G would be a 1st gen. card.

As far as for software:

WPA:

• OS X 10.3+
• AirPort Utility 3.3+

WPA2:

• OS X 10.3.3+
• AirPort Utility 4.2+

Out of curiosity, why did you mention WPA2's software requirements at the end of your post? As far as I know the original AirPort card does not support it ever.

You are correct, the original AirPort Card did not support WPA2. Specifically not the CCMP cryptographic protocol.

WPA and WPA2 are not cryptographic protocols. Instead they are certification levels offered by the Wi-Fi Alliance. WPA2 is just a different level of certification.

As you already know WPA/WPA2 Personal (Apple's implementation) uses TKIP for the cryptographic protocol with a RC4 cipher. Whereas, WPA2 Personal can use either the TKIP or CCMP protocols. AES is the cipher used by CCMP. The only basic difference between Apple's WPA/WPA2 Personal vs. the WPA/WPA2 Enterprise options are the authentication methods used by each.

Although I have not done an extensive number of data captures, I believe the following are true:

• When WPA/WPA2 Personal is enabled, wireless clients can use either TKIP-RC4 or CCMP-AES to connect.
• When WPA2 Personal is enabled only wireless clients that can support using CCMP-AES can connect.

Now for the card identification: my card appears to not meet any of those criteria you listed. It appears to have some kind of approval sticker on the back from the French Ministry of Telecommunications.

Sorry, that was all the information that I have been able to gather over the years on these cards ... so it is very possible that there are other variations out there. Unfortunately, since I don't have any information on them, I won't be able to comment.

What happens if you try to connect another device to the "Guest Network" as a test? Can it connect and get a good Internet connection?

If not, the reason might be that the "Guest Network" feature on the Time Capsule will not work correctly when the Time Capsule is set up to operate in Bridge Mode, so that would be the first thing to check on a Guest Network issue.

Open up AirPort Utility

Click on the Time Capsule, then click Edit in the smaller window that appears

Click the Network tab at the top of the next window

Report on the setting that you see for Router Mode. It will either be "Off (Bridge Mode)" or DHCP and NAT.

Since the Time Capsule is set up correctly to provide a Guest Network, the next question would be whether the old Mac is capable of connecting to a simultaneous dual band wireless signal.

In other words, the Guest Network provides a signal that is comprised of both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz components. Whether or not the old knows what to do with that type of signal is open to question.

Even some current wireless printers cannot connect to a simultaneous dual band network unless the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network have separate names or SSIDs.

While you can assign separate names to the 5 GHZ and 2.4 GHz bands on the "main" network, as far as I know this is not possible using the Guest Network.

It it were me, I would use an AirPort Express to "extend" the network near the location where the old Mac will reside, and run a short Ethernet cable from the AirPort Express to the old Mac.

That way, you can have the AirPort Express connect to your main network if you want, and not have to use the Guest Network at all.

Another option would be to use a pair of Ethernet over Powerline adapters to send the signal over the existing AC powerlines in the home and connect the old Mac using Ethernet.

The problem......The 802.11ac version of the Time Capsule cannot provide a dedicated 802.11b wireless signal. The best that it can do is a composite 802.11n/g/b signal.

I doubt very much that a "b" wireless card would be able to connect to a "n/g/b" signal....even with no security enabled, but don't have a Mac with a "b" card here to test.

If you want to connect the PowerMac using wireless, try adding an older A1264 AirPort Express to the Time Capsule using a short Ethernet cable, and then configure the Express to create an 802.11b only wireless signal with no security.

If the PowerMac has a working Ethernet port, you have more options:

1) Simplest and best option....Run an Ethernet cable from the Time Capsule to the PowerMac and connect that way

2) Add an AirPort Express A1392 (current version) or A1264 (previous version) to "extend" the wireless signal from the Time Capsule and then use a short Ethernet cable to connect the AirPort Express to the PowerMac

3) Use a pair of Ethernet over Powerline adapters to send a coded signal from the Time Capsule to the PowerMac over the existing AC powerlines in your home.

If the PowerMac has a USB port, you could try a USB wireless adapter, but I doubt that most wireless USB adapters would support the older USB on the PowerMac. Consider this option only as a last gasp.

Addendum

Power Mac G4 (Quicksilver 2002) - Technical Specifications

Unfortunately, you won't know if any of these "compatible" cards will really do what you want, until you try them out.