Getting 68k Mac online

Hello,
I have been away for a few months, and at last I have had some time to fiddle with my collection of Old Macs. Just to recap, for those who might remember me. About a year ago I found an old complete IIGS with no software. After realising that I needed something older than my PowerBook G4 to get this software online, I ended up with many G3 and pre G3 computers. The ones that have fascinated me the most were the AIO Performa 575s. I was able to network from an old SEHD through the Performas and to G3 and from the G3 to the newest PBG4. I was however, using the phoneNet plugs that came with one of the bigger acquisitions, and therefore was unable to get the older Macs online.(save for the PowerMacs)
The Performa 575s did have Ethernet ports, but I was unable to network them through this method and after much fiddling I gave up, believing that they may be 3rd party ethernet cards and I had no drivers.
I updated them to OS 8.1 and loaded iCab and an old version of AIM. No matter what I did I could not get it online. Life took over and I let my old friends sit alone in the cold for a few months, when a few days ago, I realised that I had 20 hours of dial-up a month with my ISP, perhaps they could get me online! I obtained the local phone number and was helped set up the proper PPP settings, before I realised I needed a Modem! I thanked the nice and helpful customer Service agent from Earthlink, and went to go look in the pile of cables and connectors for an old external modem and I found 3!
2 of them were 56k modems and one was a 28/33k modem. I hooked up the 56k and under the modem choice there was no direct match but there was one by the same maker. It dialed the number and said it was connected at an unknown rate. When opened MS IE 3.0 it said that it couldn't find the URL, and the server could not be found. I tried the other 56k modem with the same luck and then the 28/33k and it connected at a good speed,but still no luck. I decided to try a clean install of OS8.1. I even did all the setup assistant. this time when I clicked on the browser, it went ahead and established a PPP connection on its own, said i was connected, and then I got the same error message, also the new version of AIM 4.3 I found online appears to be the power PC version.
So here I am at an impasse. Will I ever see my old 68k machine online, or have I missed the boat? is there some setting I am missing, is it possible that I could I even use the ethernet port? Its a great looking machine and even has the old Claris Works email program that I got to work on one of the old Powermacs. Does anyone out there have this old machine online? Also can anyone send me to a website that might have a 68k version of AIM?

Help.
Thanks,
Patrick

PowerBook G4 1.5 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.8) Apple IIGS, iMac '17 flat, G3, LC, Performa et, et

Posted on Apr 8, 2007 6:30 PM

34 replies

Apr 20, 2007 10:38 PM in response to Jan Hedlund

Hello!
I am now responding from My Performa 575, using iCab 2.9. I am currently hooked up to my 8 port switch which is being fed by the Airport Express Network!
It works, It works! Thank you all for your help.
I was going through my stack of LC "pizza boxes" looking for some RAM to salvage, most of these machines had OS 7.5 installed. I noticed that one had MAC TCP, so I clicked on that and was able to connect to something called "EtherTAlk".
Remarkably it it saw the POWERPC G3, and it was going through the Ethernet switch.
Was it, perhaps that OS7.5 could read the Ethernet card, ond OS8 could not? OR perhaps it was the card itself in both of the 2 Performa's. Rather than risk it, I up- graded the LC to 7.5.3 And then loaded a few internet apps on it, and stuffefed it with a 16 meg RAM chip that I had found in it. When I started up the TCP/IP it gave me the familiar window with the "Ethernet" choice, and "supplied by server" choice. I fired up AIM and it connected right away, and the AIRPORT EXpress gave me an IP Address like it should.
I was online and using my network, but what about the the Performa?
I went ahead and swapped the card and sure enough it worked too! It was actually the cards in both of the Performas, dispite the fact that they looked the same , and even had flashing lights.
I was even able to load this 30 message post in iCab, however I had used up my memory and was unable to respond til now, by using Jan's suggestion about the WannaBe app.
Thanks again all of you for you help. I have some questions about RAM I will be asking soon in a new Post but for now. I have found solutions to all my questions so far.

Patrick

Apr 21, 2007 10:20 AM in response to Patrick Dobson

So if you were to give terse advice to someone who wandered in after you with what appeared to be the same problem, What would it be? As I read it:

• Install MacTCP
• make sure you have a driver for your third-party Ethernet card
• you won't get anywhere until the lights on the Router light up
• use a friendlier Browser like iCab

-- please correct and complete the list above for all who may follow you!

Apr 21, 2007 10:54 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Im sorry Grant,
I am a little confused. I think I answered the problems I had and noted it pretty well, al-bight a bit rambling and fumbling. But just to recap.

-Initially and finally I failed to get lights at the router(until I switched Ethercards), but was confused about this because the lights at the Ethercard were on. (if you are going to get anywhere, you have to have lights at the Router)
-I found an older OS version on another, simular machine, with another ethernet card, which I mistakingly assumed was the same, as the malfunctioning card in the Performa, this was able to "see" the network so I updated the OS to 7.5.3 which therefore installed MAC TCP.
-I can't confirm that drivers are needed as they do not apear on LC with the working Ethercard.
-I think that even with a good Ethernet connection, you need to use a combination of WannaBe which only displays text AND iCab. There is just too many images, and other things to load on the modern internet for a little 33MHz processor to handle.
AIM 4.0.972 works great on the 68k, the only drawback is that it wont go to the AIM server to get your buddy list, however you can copy and import them from another computer using AIM 4.3.
Also, I am now trying out some other 68k applications, i.e. mail clients, and will post a quick review back here when I have decided which is best.

-If you can, load up on RAM, but thats a topic for another discussion.

Sorry about any misunderstanding,
Regards,
Patrick

Apr 21, 2007 11:15 AM in response to Patrick Dobson

You have done a huge set of experiments that most folks in your position would not be willing/able to do. I am trying to distill what was learned into some terse advice that even a non-native speaker of English could use to get closer to success. How about this list then:

• install the card first, then install or re-install the Mac OS. You may also need a third-party driver for certain non-Apple cards.
• you need a good Ethernet connection to make progress with Applications -- lights on at the Computer and Router end before fiddling with Browsers and the like.
• "even with a good Ethernet connection, you need to use a combination of [simpler Applications like] WannaBe (which only displays text) AND iCab. There is just too many images, and other things to load on the modern internet."

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Getting 68k Mac online