# Which USB Adaptor to replace an Airport card ?



## oniro (Aug 23, 2003)

I got an Ibook 4,1, / Version 10.4.6, Mac OS X, *without* the airport card. Now I would like to connect the Mac to a D-LINK Wifi station I use to send the signal to my neighbor´s PC. Because of the high priced airport cards, I am considering to buy instead an USB adaptor but I don´t know which one will be the best option. Could you please recomend me an adaptor that fits the MAc specifications ?

Thanks a lot,

Oniro


----------



## Pensacola Tiger (Apr 23, 2006)

oniro said:


> I got an Ibook 4,1, / Version 10.4.6, Mac OS X, *without* the airport card. Now I would like to connect the Mac to a D-LINK Wifi station I use to send the signal to my neighbor´s PC. Because of the high priced airport cards, I am considering to buy instead an USB adaptor but I don´t know which one will be the best option. Could you please recomend me an adaptor that fits the MAc specifications ?
> 
> Thanks a lot,
> 
> Oniro


Sorry, but what is an iBook 4,1? If you are referring to an iBook G4, then the Airport card is NOT too expensive - $39 from the Apple Refurn store.

If, indeed, you have an earlier iBook G3, then the older AirPort cards are about $85 from Mac of All Trades, but IMHO are superior to any USB 'dongle' you can buy. The first time you knock it off your iBook, you will think the same thing.


----------



## oniro (Aug 23, 2003)

Thank you very much for your answer.

I am also sorry because I took the spcs. exactly from "about this Mac" > "More Info"> "Machine model : Powerbook 4,1"

I have to confess I don´t know if this is a G4 or G3 Mac. I am not a very knowledgeable person in computers. This is a used MAc I got as a gift from a friend who was not using it anymore.

Regards,

Oniro


----------



## Pensacola Tiger (Apr 23, 2006)

Right above that entry is the Machine Name. What is it?


----------



## Pensacola Tiger (Apr 23, 2006)

OK, it took a bit of searching, but I identified your laptop as a Dual USB iBook. It is a G3 processor and was manufactured in 2001.

So, you definitely would need the original AirPort card, not the later AirPort Extreme.

I still recommend that you go with the original AirPort card, even though it is more expensive. I have read of incompatibility of many USB WiFi dongles and G3 iBooks. If you decide to get one, make sure that you can return it is it does prove to be incompatible.


----------



## oniro (Aug 23, 2003)

Thank you so much Pensacola Tiger.

As I live in Scandinavia and this market of used cards is estremelly distorted here, the prices go to the skies, I will ask my daughter in LA to search for the original card.

Thanks for your research and for your kind advise.

All the very best,

Oniro


----------



## Pensacola Tiger (Apr 23, 2006)

oniro said:


> Thank you so much Pensacola Tiger.
> 
> As I live in Scandinavia and this market of used cards is estremelly distorted here, the prices go to the skies, I will ask my daughter in LA to search for the original card.
> 
> ...


If your daughter cannot find one locally, and they are out of production, so it may be hard to find, suggest that she may want to get one from either of these two places:

Mac Of All Trades

Baucom Computers

Stress to her that you do not want an Airport Extreme card, as it will not fit in your iBook, only the original card will do.


----------



## oniro (Aug 23, 2003)

Thank you again Pensacola Tiger. I am already working on your leads because I decided to go with the original Airport card.

Greetings,

Oniro


----------



## Pensacola Tiger (Apr 23, 2006)

In a PM you wrote:

_I did not have time to search for the card till now, when I have found good prices in the shops that you suggested but still I am not sure if this card needs an adaptor which is priced at around US 27.99. How can I be sure if I need or not such an adaptor ?. Please advise me.

Thank you very much again.

Oniro_

No adapter is required - the original AirPort card fits into a connector under the the G3 iBook keyboard and the antenna leads attach to the card. I think that you might be referring to the adapter that was required to use the AirPort card in a desktop computer.

Hope this helps.


----------



## oniro (Aug 23, 2003)

Thank you P Tiger once more. My question arouse from browsing airport cards in the web. There are some shops that warns about the adaptor, because it seems that some Ibooks were made in the Summer 2002, late Fall 2002, Spring 2001, and it has effects on if an adaptor is required or not. But I don´t know if those warnings refers to desktop computers or to Ibooks. Hopefully I am not making a mess with this answer.

All the best,

Oniro


----------



## Pensacola Tiger (Apr 23, 2006)

oniro said:


> Thank you P Tiger once more. My question arouse from browsing airport cards in the web. There are some shops that warns about the adaptor, because it seems that some Ibooks were made in the Summer 2002, late Fall 2002, Spring 2001, and it has effects on if an adaptor is required or not. But I don´t know if those warnings refers to desktop computers or to Ibooks. Hopefully I am not making a mess with this answer.
> 
> All the best,
> 
> Oniro


Oniro,

I can't explain why the shops are trying to sell you an adapter. It should not be needed. I provided two reputable sources for AirPort cards in a previous post. I would strongly suggest that you deal with them, rather than with a shop that may or may not know what they are doing.

To make certain that your iBook is indeed the model that we are discussing, follow this link and confirm that your iBook looks like the one pictured. By the way, this site also has the instructions for installing the AirPort card.

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/iBook-G3-12-Inch/


----------



## oniro (Aug 23, 2003)

This was very helpful. It is my IBook indeed and I went through the Guide to check the slot for the Airport card. It looks eaxtly the same as in my IBook. Now I will proceed to order the card.

This will solve my question. Thanks for your good will to help.


----------



## LBee (Jul 12, 2007)

I logged into this website with this specific question in mind, the issue of the wireless for a G-3 Ibook. Glad that all those questions were asked, settling my question, and thank you for providing the links to the online dealer. It took about 60 seconds to search this site and have my answer. awesome!


----------

