Trying to get my G-4 Mac to accept a wireless connection

hi All,
I have been hard wired for the last 8 years with this Mac g4 that I have and now I have gotten an iPad and my son has an IPod. we hooked up a NetGear wireless router and all of out Wi-Fi devices work fine, I have my G-4 hard wired into the router but i want to be able to make this a wireless connection too. When I go into preferences and try and change ANYTHING I get a message that say's"Your network setting have been changed by another application" u press "OK" but the message will not go away and I have to FORCE QUIT preferences to get the computer back to normal. My question is how can I get this computer to be wireless like everything else. This is driving me crazy!!!
I am running a Mac G-4 system Mac OS X version 10.4.11 with 1.25 GHz power PC G4 1MB L3 cache with 1.25 GB Ram

Any kind of help would be SO appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Joe

Do you have an Airport card installed in your Macintosh G4 computer?

- Nick

No and now that I remember I DO need an airport card don't I.....Oh man!!!...

Can I still purchase them somewhere?

Thank you VERY much for the reply

Joe

JoeMacG4 said:

No and now that I remember I DO need an airport card don't I.....Oh man!!!...

Can I still purchase them somewhere?

Click to expand...

I was kind of thinking that maybe you didn't have an Airport card. Airport cards in older G4 Mac's were totally optional at time of purchase...and many folks didn't get one (since they were pretty expensive at the time.

You need an Airport Extreme card that looks like this:

They usually sell for around $20-$30 on e-Bay.

HTH,

- Nick

I'll check it out, after I get the card what will happen, what do I have to do?
Thanks Nick

Joe

pigoo3 said:

I was kind of thinking that maybe you didn't have an Airport card. Airport cards in older G4 Mac's were totally optional at time of purchase...and many folks didn't get one (since they were pretty expensive at the time.

You need an Airport Extreme card that looks like this:

They usually sell for around $20-$30 on e-Bay.

HTH,

- Nick

Click to expand...

Actually I just did some research...and to properly identify what Airport card you need...need to know the exact model "G4" computer you have.

Most 1.25ghz models do use the card pictured above...but there may be 1-2 exceptions.

- Nick

I got the Mac G-4 with the "mirrored Door" I believe.

pigoo3 said:

Actually I just did some research...and to properly identify what Airport card you need...need to know the exact model "G4" computer you have.

Most 1.25ghz models do use the card pictured above...but there may be 1-2 exceptions.

- Nick

Click to expand...

How do I find out for SURE which Mac I have......Darn....

Is your G4 a Mid Tower system with the Mirror doors around the DVD drives? 4 vent holes in the front? Is it a Dual or single 1.25Ghz CPU?

The model with the Firewire 800 port took the Airport Extreme but all the Info I have found says the one with just the Firewire 400 ports is a plain old Airport card.

There should be a model number somewhere on the machine on a label.

JoeMacG4 said:

I got the Mac G-4 with the "mirrored Door" I believe.

Click to expand...

Like "dtravis7" mentioned...there are a few different model Powermac G4 with the 1.25ghz cpu.

- two of these models use an older Airport card (not pictured in this thread)
- the 3rd model uses the Airport card pictured earlier in this thread

- Nick

That is the EXACT computer I have, it is a single processor, Model No M8570 is what it says by the label on the back...

dtravis7 said:

Is your G4 a Mid Tower system with the Mirror doors around the DVD drives? 4 vent holes in the front? Is it a Dual or single 1.25Ghz CPU?

The model with the Firewire 800 port took the Airport Extreme but all the Info I have found says the one with just the Firewire 400 ports is a plain old Airport card.

There should be a model number somewhere on the machine on a label.

Click to expand...

JoeMacG4 said:

That is the EXACT computer I have, it is a single processor, Model No M8570 is what it says by the label on the back...

Click to expand...

Unfortunately...all three models I'm referring to have that model designator "8570".

Two questions to see if we can narrow things down:

- does this computer have a single or dual processors?
- does it have a "Firewire 800" port?

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

Unfortunately...all three models I'm referring to have that model designator "8570".

Two questions to see if we can narrow things down:

- does this computer have a single or dual processors?
- does it have a "Firewire 800" port?

- Nick

Click to expand...

Hi Nick,

It has a single processor and in the description of the firewire it says.... Maximum Speed: Up to 400 Mb/se...does that help?

Thanks man
Joe

The Firewire 800 Port seems to be the key for the Airport Extreme card.

Edit: Then all I can find says a old Airport Card. After dinner I will find you a couple on Ebay.

dtravis7 said:

The Firewire 800 Port seems to be the key for the Airport Extreme card.

Edit: Then all I can find says a old Airport Card. After dinner I will find you a couple on Ebay.

Click to expand...

Oh ok, so the EXTREME one is not what I want?

Thank you VERY much man.


Joe

Here is one. Ignore the G3 part as the Airport cards are all the same that I have seen.

Apple AirPort 802.11b Wireless Card iBook G3 Mac PC24-H 630-2883/C 3892D451 | eBay

Apple AirPort WiFi Card for G3/G4, 128 Bit 630-2883/C | eBay


Here is a pic:

JoeMacG4 said:

Hi Nick,

It has a single processor and in the description of the firewire it says.... Maximum Speed: Up to 400 Mb/se...does that help?

Click to expand...

Just to throw my final 2 cents in. If your Powermac G4 DOES NOT have a "Firewire 800" port (just 2 Firewire 400 ports)...then like "dtravis7" mentioned...you need the older style Airport card listed/pictured in the e-Bay auctions.

You DO NOT need the Airport Extreme card pictured in the earlier post.

- Nick

dtravis7 said:

Here is one. Ignore the G3 part as the Airport cards are all the same that I have seen.

Apple AirPort 802.11b Wireless Card iBook G3 Mac PC24-H 630-2883/C 3892D451 | eBay

Apple AirPort WiFi Card for G3/G4, 128 Bit 630-2883/C | eBay


Here is a pic:

Click to expand...

Thanks dtravis7 I just bought one, I will post if I get it to work after I get it.....Thank you again man!!

Nick, thank you also man, I will let you know if I get wireless access...

i got the old airport card from e-bay.

Great forum, thanks again guys!!

Joe

JoeMacG4 said:

Thanks dtravis7 I just bought one, I will post if I get it to work after I get it.....Thank you again man!!

Nick, thank you also man, I will let you know if I get wireless access...

i got the old airport card from e-bay.

Click to expand...

You're welcome Joe.

Installation of the Airport card is VERY easy. But one thing NOT to forget after inserting the Airport card into the computer is to attach the Airport card antenna wire to the card. It has happened before!

- Nick