04-15-2012, 05:07 PM

Hello, this is my first post to Mac-Forums. I have come to the great people here for a solution to a problem thats driving me crazy.

I have just restored my Mac Mini G4 Running Tiger os 10.4.11 and to my suprise i have no airport card. I have wireless internet located downstairs and also alongside my Mac i am running a desktop computer running Windows XP Service Pack 3, which i built and has a wireless internet connection.

I know there is complications with internet sharing between the two OS's but i would like to know if anybody has any advice and i will be truely grateful.

I also do not fancy drilling a hole through the floor and running a ethernet cable the length of my house,

Thankyou for your time,
Danny.

04-15-2012, 05:09 PM

You said you have no Airport Card? Does that mean it's not showing in the toolbar or just that you can't get a connection to the Internet?

04-15-2012, 05:12 PM

Thanks for your reply dtravis7, i bought the Mac of a friend who had badly mucked up the OS so i reinstalled an updated it but the actually Airport Card is not there, no hardware.

Thanks,
Danny.

04-15-2012, 05:36 PM

What are the specs on the Mini? Since it's a G4 Mini, some did not come stock with an Airport Card installed. There are ways around that but they are not cheap as you need a riser board plus the Airport card. Click on the Apple in the top left corner of the screen and on about this Mac. Give us CPU speed. The 1.25Ghz Mini did not come with an Airport card for sure.

If that is the case, there are some USB WiFi adapters that support OSX.

04-15-2012, 05:45 PM

The computer is being used at the moment, off the top of my head, i know it is the 1.25Ghz model, with 512mb ram, 40gb hardrive.. I was willing to purchase a USB wireless dongle but i just wanted to see if there was another way around it,
Thanks
Danny.

04-15-2012, 06:28 PM

Here is a url to the adapter card:

MacWireless - Wireless Cards & Adapters - Apple Airport Card Adapter

And the Airport card:

MacWireless - Wireless Cards & Adapters - Apple Airport Card

04-15-2012, 06:48 PM

A inexpensive alternative. I just ordered one for my old G4. For only $6.96 each when QTY 50+ purchased - Ultra-Mini USB Wireless Lan 802.11N Adapter - 1T1R (150Mbps) | USB Network Adapters - Wireless (150Mbps)

04-15-2012, 07:52 PM

Fingers crossed and hope it works ~ have never got a USB adapter to work with a G4 yet!

04-15-2012, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by harryb2448

Fingers crossed and hope it works ~ have never got a USB adapter to work with a G4 yet!

I was using a Dlink usb adapter before I retired the G4 imac and gave it away. Just did a clean install and wanted to get it back to wireless just to play with. If I remember right I also had a netgear that worked. Still it's less than $10 to find out.

04-23-2012, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by harryb2448

Fingers crossed and hope it works ~ have never got a USB adapter to work with a G4 yet!

You were correct Harry the new link arrived and I can't get to activate. I wonder if installing leopard makes a difference, I know with 10.3.9 I had 2 different usb links work. Oh well I'll just keep on playing with it.