Wireless on very old Mac.

Can a G3 iMac (running on OS X 10.2.8) connect to wireless internet? If so, is it set-up already, or is some form of additional hardware needed to make it work?

I must add that this isn't my own computer I'm talking about, I'm posting this to get some advice for my interstate sister. So if the answer is something incredibly obvious, then apologies, I don't have the computer in front of me and couldn't see that. After trying to talk her through wireless set-up over the phone, it's become rather clear that our operating systems are far too different for me to be able to work it out without being there.

Any answer would be appreciated.

ChrisM26 said:

Can a G3 iMac (running on OS X 10.2.8) connect to wireless internet? If so, is it set-up already, or is some form of additional hardware needed to make it work?

Click to expand...

Most of the G3 iMac's can be setup to use wireless networking using Apple's Airport hardware. The very early iMac G3's could not. Probably best to let us know exactly what you have.

You need this Airport card:



And you need this adapter:



You can usually buy both via e-Bay or Amazon.com.

HTH,

- Nick

To farther expand on what Nick said, can you give us the specs on that iMac G3?

Mac OS X 10.2.8
Memory: 192 MB
Processor: 350 MHz PowerPC G3.

I got these specs from her last night, not sure if it really helps to narrow it down or not. Let me know what else could specify the model and I'll get them from her...

ChrisM26 said:

Mac OS X 10.2.8
Memory: 192 MB
Processor: 350 MHz PowerPC G3.

I got these specs from her last night, not sure if it really helps to narrow it down or not. Let me know what else could specify the model and I'll get them from her...

Click to expand...

Yes it does help...but a definite answer is not 100% yet.

All of the iMac G3's that had "tray-loading" CD/DVD drives did not support Airport. This includes the:

- original 233mhz iMac G3
- all 266mhz "Fruit Colors" iMac G3's

In addition, the slot-loading:

- 350mhz "Fruit Colors" iMac G3's
- iMac G3 (Summer 2000 - Indigo) with a Slot-loading CD/DVD drive

...also did not support Airport.

The ONLY iMac G3 with a 350mhz or slower cpu that supported Airport was the "iMac G3 350mhz (Slot-loading Blueberry). This has a "slot-loading" CD/DVD drive.

So it is a little bit complex. We need to know if your iMac G3 has a:

- tray-loading or slot-loading CD/DVD drive
- and what color it is ("Blueberry" or "Indigo")

[size=+1]Blueberry/size]



[size=+1]Indigo/size]




HTH,

- Nick

Thought all 350's were in fact slot loaders, the very first model with 100MHz system bus speed and slot loaders. Certainly all sold Down Under were:-


G3 imac tray-loader-slotloader-all-versions xorg.conf | Linux on your Apple Mac | iLinux

harryb2448 said:

Thought all 350's were in fact slot loaders, the very first model with 100MHz system bus speed and slot loaders. Certainly all sold Down Under were:-

Click to expand...

You're right Harry. I was primarily trying to list all of the G3 iMacs that...were not...Airport card compatible...and I "lumped" the 350mhz slot-loaders in with the "tray-loaders".

Thanks for the "Head's Up"!

- Nick

p.s. Apple really made this sort of Airport compatibility confusing!

So only the lighter, cyan-blue 'Blueberry' will be able to do it?

ChrisM26 said:

So only the lighter, cyan-blue 'Blueberry' will be able to do it?

Click to expand...

If it's 350mhz, has a slot-loading CD/DVD drive, and looks like the upper photo...then that is the only 350mhz model that supports built-in Airport.

- Nick

ChrisM26 said:

I must add that this isn't my own computer I'm talking about, I'm posting this to get some advice for my interstate sister. So if the answer is something incredibly obvious, then apologies, I don't have the computer in front of me and couldn't see that.

Click to expand...

pigoo3 said:

...has a slot-loading CD/DVD drive, and looks like the upper photo...

Click to expand...

I don't have a clue what it looks like! Currently I'm waiting for my sister to reply to my text messages, asking about the colour. But yes, thanks for clarifying all of that for me.

pigoo3 said:

You need this Airport card:

And you need this adapter:

Click to expand...

What's the actual name (and specs, in the case of the adapter, so we can get the right one, assuming all goes well on the colour-match front...) for those?

ChrisM26 said:

I don't have a clue what it looks like! Currently I'm waiting for my sister to reply to my text messages, asking about the colour. But yes, thanks for clarifying all of that for me.

Click to expand...

WHAT...you don't even know what it looks like!!!

ChrisM26 said:

What's the actual name (and specs, in the case of the adapter, so we can get the right one, assuming all goes well on the colour-match front...) for those?

Click to expand...

Here's a person in Hong Kong selling 4 of them...I just did an e-Bay search for "airport adapter":

10 pcs Original Apple Adapter for Airport WiFi Card | eBay

FYI...this guys price is REALLY high @$43.99US. I paid about $15 for the ones I've purchased. Unless $43.99 is for 10 of them.

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

WHAT...you don't even know what it looks like!!!

Click to expand...

Well, as I said to begin with, it's not mine. It's my sister's, who bought it for her kids as something for her kids to play with (which should explain why we'd even be bothering with such a painfully slow, old setup. 350 MHz, I mean really...); and since she lives in New South Wales, a completely different state to me, no, I've not seen it. I'm posting here to help her get answers, it's not my computer.

Haha, I doubt she'll find a use for ten of them...

ChrisM26 said:

Well, as I said to begin with, it's not mine. It's my sister's, who bought it for her kids as something for her kids to play with (which should explain why we'd even be bothering with such a painfully slow, old setup. 350 MHz, I mean really...); and since she lives in New South Wales, a completely different state to me, no, I've not seen it. I'm posting here to help her get answers, it's not my computer.

Click to expand...

You're original post seems a long time ago...so I forgot that detail.

ChrisM26 said:

Haha, I doubt she'll find a use for ten of them...

Click to expand...

Yeah...I knew 10 would be too many...but it gives you some terminology to search for when looking for just one. You're not going to find these things at too many places other than e-Bay. These are parts for 10+ year old computers...so not very common.

In fact (back in the day) most iMac G3's used ethernet cables for networking. So:

- Airport
- Airport cards
- Wireless Routers (at the time)
- and these adapter cards

...were pretty darn expensive. So many iMac G3 owners just stayed with using ethernet cables for networking. By the time these parts we inexpensive enough...most of these iMac G3 owners probably upgraded to iMac G4's, or iMac G5's (which didn't need the adapter card).

Good luck,

- Nick

Now there are four left so it is price per unit. Can do much better with a little Googling.

harryb2448 said:

Now there are four left so it is price per unit. Can do much better with a little Googling.

Click to expand...

It's not super clear...but I think that this e-Bay guy may be selling 10 adapter's for $43.99...(and since it says he has 4 of them for sale...maybe that means he has a total of 40 adapter cards remaining). This would make the individual price $4.39 each (a very good price for folks that need them). Of course not many people need 10!

- Nick