Making my iMac wireless...

danikendaniken
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Okay, so I bought an old iMac for my 3 year old nice and cheap... (see old post) but... now I am wondering what the best (quickest, easiest, cheapest?) way to get this machine wireless is? (if at all possible)



We have wireless in our house for our computers so it would be nice if his was too.





It is running OS X.



Thanks!!!!



*Danielle*

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 3
    kingofsomewherehotkingofsomewherehot Posts: 4,180member
    A USB Wi-Fi antenna/card.



    If I remember your model correctly, that's really your only option.
  • Reply 2 of 3
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by KingOfSomewhereHot

    A USB Wi-Fi antenna/card.



    If I remember your model correctly, that's really your only option.



    And dont let a slick sales drone insist that oyu need a 802.11G adaptor, a B will work fine (and be a little cheaper). You have USB 1.1 and that is slower than 54 Mb/s.
  • Reply 3 of 3
    voxappsvoxapps Posts: 236member
    Look for a "wireless bridge", which is a separate small powered box w/antenna that connects to your Mac's Ethernet port. Most companies that make wireless routers make wireless bridges, too, such as Linksys, Netgear, and D-Link. Simplified versions are available as wireless video game adapters (but they may not offer WiFi security options since video game data isn't usually a security risk).



    The good: pretty much plug-and-play; no software drivers; doesn't occupy a USB port; you can locate it away from the Mac if there's another spot in your room that offers better wireless reception; external antenna may work better than one in/on a PC card or an internal Apple antenna.



    The not-so-good: isn't internal, so you have to look at it or "hide" it; needs to be near an AC power outlet; should work out-of-the-box, but may require a PC for firmware upgrades; Apple's utilities for AirPort won't generally work with a 3rd party device like this.
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