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Hi. First, I'm a newby to Applefritter, so please excuse any clumsiness or unintended violation of protocol.
I just moved to a place w/ one (count 'em, ONE) phone jack -- in the kitchen, no less, where I've had to set up my DSL modem and 802.11 router. This is forcing me to take full advantage of the router to use both this laptop and (hopefully, eventually, fingers-crossedly) my PowerMac G4 dual-867-CPU ("mirror-door") in my office. (My fiance's not keen to the idea of me running Cat5 cables into the kitchen any more than she is putting my desk and computer there!)
Anyway, I've been looking for alternatives, i.e., WiFi adapters for said G4 and dang if they aren't both rare and expensive. I'm told now I can't even use Airport Extreme PCI cards Apple sells -- I believe "Extreme" refers to the $80 price tag -- so I'd have to use an older and even more expensive Airport Card. Yikes!
Anybody have a suggestion or three?
I understand that it boils down to an issue of drivers (or lack thereof) to use existing PCI and USB WiFi adapters out there. I actually stuck an AirLink USB adapter into the G4, which at least recoginized it, but, alas, no driver, which I expected.
Any help/advise/consoling will be much appreciated. Thanks!
JS
I suggest looking into ethernet to wifi adaptor things, not sure exactly what they are called, like they have for video game systems.
An example:
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1134692497433&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper
There are better ones, I just can't seem to find any.
Hopefully someone else here can help you out a little more.
OK, your best buy/circuit city shoppinglist:
1: RJ11 (thats a telephone jack) splitter
2: RJ11 Cable (thats telephone cable
3: Linksys WRT54g Wireless router
4: Just about any PCI wireless card or USB wireless adapter for your mac (PCI preferred)
total cost: hmmm... i dunno les than 200 bucks thats for sure.
now, hook the splitter up coming out of the phone jack, put the stupid DSL filter on one side of it and plug your phone into that. Run the other cable down into a kitchen cabinet and hook up your modem and wireless router. Put wireless solutin into your computer and enjoy the internets....
OR SOLUTION B:
screw DSL and go with cable its better.
As wonderfully comprehensive an explanation as that was, I think it's the specifics to step 4 he's looking for.
To specifically answer your question, an Ethernet-to-WiFi adapter like themike suggested is probably the easiest way to go. A more practical approach, however, would be to call the phone company and have them send a tech out to install another phone jack in a more convenient location.
linksys wet11 or wet54 ethernet to wifi bridge. plug in to ethernet port no drivers needed.
as i remember, there is a beklin card that should work. you could also use the belkin f5d6050 i believe, or the pci equivalent of the f5d7011
This is a link to the product page on the WET54G:
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1134692497433&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper
and here it is at newegg for $89.00:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833124015
i have not used this model, as it appears the wet11 is discontinued. i know the 11 works, the reviews ive read on the 54 seem mixed some people seem to love it while others hate it, i honestly (from the comments ive read anyway) think that the problems people had were user error.
hope that helps more than my rudimentary how to set up a wireless network guide... lol
/Bill
P.S. Linksys also makes 3 "game adapters" that dont use drivers and plug into your machines ethernet port, if you go to the products tab, select wireless, and then choose "entertainment" you will see al 3 of them.
heres a PCI solution i saw on ebay while i was looking for something else. not sure who really makes the card....
http://cgi.ebay.com/Airport-Extreme-PCI-Wireless-Card-G3-G4-Power-Mac_W0QQitemZ150000627366QQihZ005QQcategoryZ4607QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
/Bill