UPDATE: Using AirPort with Non-AirPort Computers
Date: Saturday, September 8th, 2001, 16:04
Category: Archive
Thank you to all the readers that have responded to my first article about using AirPort with Non-AirPort-equipped computers. Many of you offered excellent suggestions and pointed out errors which I have summarized below.
Thank you to all the readers that have responded to my first article about using AirPort with Non-AirPort-equipped computers. Many of you offered excellent suggestions and pointed out errors which I have summarized below.
ON APPLE’S AIRPORT CARD:
Seems Apple’s AirPort card is not a standard PCMCIA card. The pin-outs are different, on both the AirPort card and the AirPort card slot. Were Apple’s AirPort card a standard PC card, you’d be able to disconnect the antenna from a WaveLAN Gold card and put it in a PowerBook’s AirPort slot for 128-bit encryption. People that have tried say this isn’t possible.
OTHER PCMCIA 802.11b CARDS:
Cisco manufactures a PC card that’s compatible with the Mac OS and AirPort.
MEZZANINE SLOT:
Apparently, there were more enterprising companies making expansion cards for the original iMac than I had previously thought. Not only is there the VooDoo 2 card I mentioned, but also several SCSI solutions.
PCI 802.11 CARDS:
Several readers have contacted Orinoco and have had confirmed by their Technical Support that their PCI card carrier does indeed work with AirPort, despite what their Web page says.
Judging by the number of responses I received, this is a touchy issue for may 1st-generation iMac owners. There are a few options I overlooked in my first article:
- Orinoco makes an ethernet-to-PC card converter. One reader wrote that he’s been able to get this adapter working with an iMac. The configuration software is Windows-only, but the device does auto-sense any AirPort network withing range.
- There a almost a dozen USB-to-wireless adapters, but none of them have a Mac driver. Steven Kan has created a poll with the suggestion that we petition one of these manufacturers to write a Mac OS driver. I believe this is an excellent idea. Both LinkSys and Proxim have always been pretty Mac friendly. Vote!
OS X COMPATIBILITY:
I’ve working on an article about using 802.11b with Mac OS X. Look for it soon. Thanks to all those that responded.
