Wireless modem connection to G4 tower
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From: dorayme on 31 Jan 2010 20:00 In addition to my latest new Macbook, I use a G4 QS running Tiger. I know now - with some help here - how to get *my* present wireless router to talk to the Macbook. I am soon to move my office - not for more than a few months - to premises which already have a wireless modem/router which I am welcome to use. I assume that it would be easy for me to use the Macbook there as I would simply be given the passwords to the wifi. But I also have a G4 QS running Tiger which is still my main bread and butter machine. Can I get it to receive the wifi internet signal (which will come from another room across a hallway)? What do I need to start thinking about by way of any software or further equipment? I am not upgrading this machine's OS further than Tiger. Or should I forget this and simply run a long ethernet cable from the back of the wireless router across the hallway? This latter might prove a disruptive suggestion to my host so prefer to explore the wireless option. My host runs a Windows laptop (in case this is relevant - unlikely!). -- dorayme
From: David Empson on 31 Jan 2010 21:02 dorayme <doraymeRidThis(a)optusnet.com.au> wrote: > In addition to my latest new Macbook, I use a G4 QS running > Tiger. > > I know now - with some help here - how to get *my* present > wireless router to talk to the Macbook. > > I am soon to move my office - not for more than a few months - to > premises which already have a wireless modem/router which I am > welcome to use. I assume that it would be easy for me to use the > Macbook there as I would simply be given the passwords to the > wifi. > > But I also have a G4 QS running Tiger which is still my main > bread and butter machine. Can I get it to receive the wifi > internet signal (which will come from another room across a > hallway)? What do I need to start thinking about by way of any > software or further equipment? I am not upgrading this machine's > OS further than Tiger. The main question is whether the G4 QS has the optional Airport card installed. If not, you will need to find one (second hand - they haven't been made for many years), or use some kind of external solution. One of the ways to find out if you have Airport is to click on About This Mac under the Apple menu, then More Info, which will run System Profiler. Under the Network heading in the left column, click Airport. If it says "No information found" then you don't have an Airport card installed. Assuming it is missing, the card you need is simply called "Airport". You cannot use an "Airport Extreme" card in that model. The original Airport card is 802.11b only, which means the maximum wireless network speed will be 11 Mbps, and it is likely to slow down all other computers on the same wireless network, as well as limiting the speed of data transfer to/from the G4. For this reason alone you may want to consider an alternative solution. Another possible wireless option would be an external Ethernet to wireless bridge. It would plug into the G4's Ethenet port and allow the G4 to connect to the wireless network at whatever speeds are supported by the bridge. One such device is Apple's Airport Express (802.11n model, which has been available for almost two years). It can connect to an existing 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz) or 802.11a/n (5 GHz) wireless network. The older 802.11g model of the Airport Express doesn't support this particular mode of operation (connecting as a client to an existing wireless network and acting as a bridge to the Ethernet port). If you are considering second hand ones, they look exactly the same apart from the model number: A1084 is the 802.11g model, A1264 is the 802.11n model. You don't have to buy an Apple product for this, as there are third party products which can do something similar (I've never looked for one so don't have any recommendations). The Airport Express may have other uses in future, such as sending music from any computer to a stereo. No problems with either of these solutions as far as Tiger is concerned. For an 802.11n Airport Express you will need to install Airport Utility, which is supplied on a CD with the Airport Express. > Or should I forget this and simply run a long ethernet cable from > the back of the wireless router across the hallway? This latter > might prove a disruptive suggestion to my host so prefer to > explore the wireless option. My host runs a Windows laptop (in > case this is relevant - unlikely!). Running the cable under a rug or mat might help to reduce disruption somewhat. -- David Empson dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz
From: dorayme on 31 Jan 2010 22:08 In article <1jd8nat.1l0uy6xn42hxqN%dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz>, dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) wrote: > dorayme <doraymeRidThis(a)optusnet.com.au> wrote: > > > In addition to my latest new Macbook, I use a G4 QS running > > Tiger. > > > > I know now - with some help here - how to get *my* present > > wireless router to talk to the Macbook. > > > > I am soon to move my office - not for more than a few months - to > > premises which already have a wireless modem/router which I am > > welcome to use. I assume that it would be easy for me to use the > > Macbook there as I would simply be given the passwords to the > > wifi. > > > > But I also have a G4 QS running Tiger which is still my main > > bread and butter machine. Can I get it to receive the wifi > > internet signal (which will come from another room across a > > hallway)? What do I need to start thinking about by way of any > > software or further equipment? I am not upgrading this machine's > > OS further than Tiger. > > The main question is whether the G4 QS has the optional Airport card > installed. If not, you will need to find one (second hand - they haven't > been made for many years), or use some kind of external solution. > I know already for sure it has not, I practically built my G4! It is just I don't know much about all this wireless business! > One of the ways to find out if you have Airport is... > > ...the card you need is simply called "Airport". > You cannot use an "Airport Extreme" card in that model. > > The original Airport card is 802.11b only, which means the maximum > wireless network speed will be 11 Mbps, and it is likely to slow down > all other computers on the same wireless network, as well as limiting > the speed of data transfer to/from the G4. For this reason alone you may > want to consider an alternative solution. > Good point, I would not want to slow my human host's access (nor mine) > Another possible wireless option would be an external Ethernet to > wireless bridge. It would plug into the G4's Ethenet port and allow the > G4 to connect to the wireless network at whatever speeds are supported > by the bridge. > > One such device is Apple's Airport Express (802.11n model, which has > been available for almost two years). It can connect to an existing > 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz) or 802.11a/n (5 GHz) wireless network. > > The older 802.11g model of the Airport Express doesn't support this > particular mode of operation (connecting as a client to an existing > wireless network and acting as a bridge to the Ethernet port). > > If you are considering second hand ones, they look exactly the same > apart from the model number: A1084 is the 802.11g model, A1264 is the > 802.11n model. > > You don't have to buy an Apple product for this, as there are third > party products which can do something similar (I've never looked for one > so don't have any recommendations). The Airport Express may have other > uses in future, such as sending music from any computer to a stereo. > > No problems with either of these solutions as far as Tiger is concerned. > For an 802.11n Airport Express you will need to install Airport Utility, > which is supplied on a CD with the Airport Express. > > > Or should I forget this and simply run a long ethernet cable from > > the back of the wireless router across the hallway? This latter > > might prove a disruptive suggestion to my host so prefer to > > explore the wireless option. My host runs a Windows laptop (in > > case this is relevant - unlikely!). > > Running the cable under a rug or mat might help to reduce disruption > somewhat. mmm... thanks for this info. Considering the temporary nature of the arrangement, maybe a cable would be cheapest, how long can such a cable be? Can it be 20 metres or more? I will check out Apple's Airport Express (802.11n model) too. -- dorayme
From: dorayme on 1 Feb 2010 02:18 In article <doraymeRidThis-8B2A16.14081701022010(a)news.albasani.net>, dorayme <doraymeRidThis(a)optusnet.com.au> wrote: > In article <1jd8nat.1l0uy6xn42hxqN%dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz>, > dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) wrote: > > > dorayme <doraymeRidThis(a)optusnet.com.au> wrote: > > .... > > > But I also have a G4 QS running Tiger which is still my main > > > bread and butter machine. Can I get it to receive the wifi > > > internet signal (which will come from another room across a > > > hallway)? What do I need to start thinking about by way of any > > > software or further equipment? I am not upgrading this machine's > > > OS further than Tiger. .... > > ...the card you need is simply called "Airport". > > You cannot use an "Airport Extreme" card in that model. > > .... > > Running the cable under a rug or mat might help to reduce disruption > > somewhat. > > mmm... thanks for this info. Considering the temporary nature of > the arrangement, maybe a cable would be cheapest, how long can > such a cable be? Can it be 20 metres or more? I will check out > Apple's Airport Express (802.11n model) too. Just another thought. Since I am fairly sure my new Macbook will pick up the signal to go internet in this situation, is there a way to deliver that online connection signal from the ethernet port to my G4 QS ethernet port via a short ethernet cable (which I have many of). I would happily run the laptop to get the signal... -- dorayme
From: nospam on 1 Feb 2010 02:33
In article <doraymeRidThis-59C638.18184601022010(a)news.albasani.net>, dorayme <doraymeRidThis(a)optusnet.com.au> wrote: > Just another thought. Since I am fairly sure my new Macbook will > pick up the signal to go internet in this situation, is there a > way to deliver that online connection signal from the ethernet > port to my G4 QS ethernet port via a short ethernet cable (which > I have many of). I would happily run the laptop to get the > signal... sharing preference panel, click on internet sharing. share it from airport to ethernet. |