airport extreme card help please

butchdiesel · May 18, 2005

today i bought an airport extreme card for my dual 2.0ghz g5 and installed it, but the computer did not recognize it - "no airport card installed"

i don't understand what the deal with the antenna is...

in the G5 manual it says "Step 5. - Attach the AirPort Extreme antenna to the AirPort antenna port on the back panel. To adjust reception, you can rotate the antenna." and then it shows a picture of a small antenna hooked up to the back of the computer.

but in the airport extreme manual it says "Do I need to install an AirPort antenna? No. The antenna used by the AirPort Extreme Card is already built into your computer."

was an antenna supposed to come with the airport extreme card or wtfrick?

Macman · May 18, 2005

the g5 should have a small wire that acts as an antenna, did you check system profiler to see iof it is being recognized? r did you try airport admin utility?

butchdiesel · May 18, 2005

quick question. the coaxial antenna that is attached to the airport extreme card, is that attached to anything like, like the motherboard, or does that just "hang free" ? i'm asking cause i wonder if i accidentally pulled it out or if it was always like that. i'll try connecting it again and checking the system profiler...thanks

butchdiesel · May 18, 2005

well no luck. i made sure it was seated properly by applying enough force. i'll return it to compusa tomorrow and get another, cause this was a clearance item, marked down from 79.99 to 74.99 (yeah i went for the 5 dollar savings)....maybe it was a non-operational used card. hmmm

d-funct · May 19, 2005

make sure that you install all the software that comes with it + try resetting the PRAM + Open Firmware

butchdiesel · May 19, 2005

still not being recognized after zapping the pram. i couldn't install the software that comes with it because it is already "up to date" (running tiger - must have came with updated airport drivers) i'll drive down to compusa once it opens and exchange it...i hope they sell the ata hard drives that work in g5's there, too.

TTheInfamous1 · May 19, 2005

I believe the attena is attached to the board or to the back of your computer where that little attena goes that came with your G5. And I, I THINK, you may have to attach the other end onto the card. I may be very wrong about that part, but it may be something to look into.

I'm searching around for a tutorial or something easy to follow. I'll post back unless you find out before I do.

butchdiesel · May 19, 2005

thanks for the help guys. returned the old (used) airport extreme card and exchanged it for a BRAND NEW one : ) and it operates fine although i get a full signal to my airport express station when the titanium side cover is detached but no signal at all when it is attached to the computer....anyway to mod the antenna to make it more powerful?

rman · May 20, 2005

I remember reading along time ago. That if you remove the battery and then gently rub along the side wall in tha battery casing. That you might improve the signal strength. Something to do with antenna connection. I believe that Apple went to the Al to improve on the signal strength.

KuruMonkey · May 21, 2005

I'm judging by your first and last posts, but just to check:

You have plugged in the little plastic T shaped aerial that comes with the PowerMac G5, right? It plugs into the back of the machine.

You've also plugged in the end of the wire inside the case, into the airport extreme card? And you're sure you plugged in the airport wire, not the bluetooth one?

The "do I need to plug in an aerial?" FAQ entry is referring to iBooks, not powermacs; you most definetely DO have to plug in the aerial and its wire, on these machines.

Your last post; it sounds like you don't have a connection from the airport extreme card, inside the case, to the aerial on the outside of the case. In which circumstance the case itself will block your signal, as you described.

d-funct · May 21, 2005

**** wondered why mine Airport extreme card sucked failed to get a decent signal anyone know if I can mod it so that I don't need the extenal aerial? I bought a second hand powermac and it did'nt come with the aerial you are talking about

KuruMonkey · May 21, 2005

You can usually find the extrnal aerials going quite cheap on eBay.

Also, I think the aerial connector is a standard type; so you could attach a different aerial if you can't get an original.

Lastly; you could try asking around here for someone who has a powermac but doesn't need / want the aerial.

d-funct · May 21, 2005

The only little minor problem is that I'm in the UK and the UK ebay just does not have the choice the americans have

thanks for the ideas

TTheInfamous1 · May 21, 2005

if you know someone in the US, ask them to make the purchase and you can pay them for it. Just a thought.

KuruMonkey · May 21, 2005

d-funct said:
The only little minor problem is that I'm in the UK and the UK ebay just does not have the choice the americans have thanks for the ideas

Buddy; I'm in the UK, thats the version of eBay I've seen them on. In fact thats where I got my airport extreme card, and I saw a couple of the aerials go through during the time I was watching the macintosh section.

d-funct · May 22, 2005

cool thanks for all your help ... I think I've actually got access to a couple of the elbow bend ones that we did'nt use when putting up a wireless network at a business park ..

butchdiesel · May 23, 2005

KuruMonkey said:
I'm judging by your first and last posts, but just to check:

You have plugged in the little plastic T shaped aerial that comes with the PowerMac G5, right? It plugs into the back of the machine.

You've also plugged in the end of the wire inside the case, into the airport extreme card? And you're sure you plugged in the airport wire, not the bluetooth one?

The "do I need to plug in an aerial?" FAQ entry is referring to iBooks, not powermacs; you most definetely DO have to plug in the aerial and its wire, on these machines.

Your last post; it sounds like you don't have a connection from the airport extreme card, inside the case, to the aerial on the outside of the case. In which circumstance the case itself will block your signal, as you described.

yeah i just have the airport wire (located inside of case) hooked up to the extreme card, and the other end just hanging loose (still on the inside). from what you said i need to run the wire to the outside rear of the case, and hook it up to the plastic T shaped aerial. update: i found the aerial thini that i thought i didn't have....doh! problem solved. hooked it up now have full signal to the airport express downstairs. yay. thanks!!

airport extreme card help please

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