[TriLUG] wireless for beige g3

[burnett at pobox.com]

On Sun, 18 Apr 2004, Wing D Lizard wrote:

> I would like to connect my beige g3 up to a wireless network.
> Ideally it would be nice to have it work linux and macos (
> 9.2 and/or 10.1).
> 
> I have a usb card in this system and it works ( I can see
> a usb harddrive), so a usb based wireless adapter would
> be ideal.
> 
> unfortunately, all of the wireless adapters I've found say
> 'need pc pruning windows'.  I found one that required mac
> os 10.2, but I do not have it yet ( it's going to be a kids
> pc -- i picked it up cheap, and don't want to sink too
> much into such an old computer).
> 
> Q:  What are my wireless options?  support for linux/macos 9.2
>      and 10.1?

I have no idea about USB-based wireless adapters. If you have an empty PCI 
slot in your beige G3, here's two possibilities for your system based on 
the information you provided:

802.11b PCI card, MacOS 8.1 to 9.2.2, works on most beige G3s. 
*check the Compatible Macs section of the page for a couple of exceptions 
and how to see if your Mac is one of the expections:
http://www.macwireless.com/html/products/11g_11b_cards/11bPCI.html

802.11g PCI card, 10.2.6 through 10.3, supports beige G3s. 
http://www.macwireless.com/html/products/11g_11b_cards/11gPCI.html

I've purchased products from macwireless and they tend to arrive promptly, 
and work exactly as advertised, so I like them. 

> ps: didn't wireless start with the mac?   and now I can't find
>      wireless adapters for it?

Yeah, but Apple launched Airport after the Mac you have came out. 
Providing hardware to retrofit older Macs is a third-party market 
potential. To extend the analogy with a fictional example, Cadillac may 
have pioneered air conditioning in American cars, but they won't sell me a 
retrofit A/C unit for a 1949 Caddy. 

best,
badger at trilug