Wireless card for Mac • Non-Gaming • Apple, Mac, and iPod • Eurogamer.net

thrawn 14 Jul 2004 10:21:38 899 posts
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Help me Mac users. You're my only hope......

We have a friend from Australia visiting who has a nice shiny iBook running OS X. She'd like to connect to my wireless network at home, which is not a problem. Of course she needs a wireless card for the Mac. No PCMCIA slots on the iBook so we're looking at a USB/Ethernet wireless adaptor.

Can anyone recommend a wireless adaptor that they know works with OS X? We're hoping for something in the Netgear/Linksys range, as the official Apple ones are a bit expensive. We've tried a D-Link card that claimed support but it just locks the Mac up every time you plug the USB cable in.

PS. In case anyone says it, yes we could just use ethernet but that would mean her invading my space while I'm gaming and other ....... things.

GrandTheftApu 14 Jul 2004 10:28:36 6,117 posts
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These Belkin usb adapters work with OS X, we've just been testing some at work.

thrawn 14 Jul 2004 10:37:02 899 posts
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Thanks guys.

Otto, you can get wireless cards that connect in four ways. PCI, PCMCIA, USB and into the Ethernet port. They still provide a wireless connection, just the link to the machine is different.

I think the Airport card would probably be the easiest solution, but if she's only going to use it while she's over here (A couple of months) it seems a bit much to spend if we can find another solution for less money.

I'll check out the Belkin USB cards. Trust me to work for a huge networking company that are focusing on wireless big time but have missed this part of the market completely.

lost_soul 14 Jul 2004 10:48:31 9,372 posts
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I've tried using the D Link USB wireless thing on my iBook and it really doesn't work very well. The signal keeps dropping and sometimes the whole system will lock up.

It's annoying really, I don't want to spend Ł80 on an Airport Extreme card, but I don't seem to have any choice.

thrawn 14 Jul 2004 12:09:06 899 posts
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otto wrote:
Yeah sorry thrawn, sometimes I try to sound as if I know what I'm talking about when usually I don't.

But seriously there are issues with 10.3.3 and later and USB modems, I don't know if that would affect the way it works with USB wireless adapters. Definitely the safest and easiest way would be with the Airport card (need to check whether her iBook is Airport ready or Airport Extreme ready) - and surely she'd use it again in the future? Much better than lugging an adapter around.

No problem mate, should have explained it a bit better in the first place

I agree with you 100%, but it's her money. Might try and convince her that there's a problem with the USB that probably won't be fixed before she leaves. That might work. It's not as if she can't afford the Airport kit, she's loaded.

otto Moderator 28 May 2007 11:16:19 49,322 posts
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All she needs is to fit an Airport card.

Will go find you linkage, hang on.

edit - link - her iBook's manual will include instructions on how to fit it, it's dead easy.

edit2 - I see you didn't want Apple-brand solutions. Well I'm not sure how to help you in that case, I guess you're looking for an external receiver that can then connect to her ethernet port. Which is hardly wireless. Hmm. Incidentally, with the most recent updates to OS X there seem to be real problems with USB internet connections. USB modems don't seem to work at all any more.

Edited by otto at 09:28:48 14-07-2004

otto Moderator 28 May 2007 11:16:19 49,322 posts
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Yeah sorry thrawn, sometimes I try to sound as if I know what I'm talking about when usually I don't.

But seriously there are issues with 10.3.3 and later and USB modems, I don't know if that would affect the way it works with USB wireless adapters. Definitely the safest and easiest way would be with the Airport card (need to check whether her iBook is Airport ready or Airport Extreme ready) - and surely she'd use it again in the future? Much better than lugging an adapter around.