I've been using a 4G Mobile Hotspot from Sprint for wireless broadband at home since moving to an apartment and it's so far been great. Fast, reliable, and most of all - When connected to 4G - Unlimited data. No caps! Thanks a lot, Sprint! You guys rock.
There's only one hiccup: Mac OS 9 can't connect to it! I require WEP (open key) to let my girlfriend's Windows box connect. For some reason the Broadcom-based PCI card she uses hates WPA, which OS 9's old Airport software can actually work with. This means I'm forced to use WEP. Augh!
Now, I don't know if this can be done, but I certainly hope so, as it would be pretty sad to me to have to end up finally stop booting into good old 9 just because I can't connect to WiFi. If it doesn't, then I'm tempted to buy a new desktop WiFi card for my girlfriend.
She won't mind that at all. >.>
Spring for the new Wifi card for your gf. Cheap, easy solution.
WEP is so antiquated and easy to crack, you might just as well be running wide open. WPA is much more secure.
The easiest thing to do is: turn off the security.
So if I just switch the thing to WPA, it'll be more secure, AND work with OS 9.
Hmmmmmmmmm...
:: I start eyeing her Windows box ::
Exactly what hardware are you using to get WPA in MacOS 9? Apple never supported it with their hardware. Are you *positive* you don't have this backwards? Your problem is counter to every scrap of evidence on Google regarding "WPA and OS 9".
Edit: Apple's word on the subject:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2594
This is the part where I feel like a dummy :/
It's a standard Apple AirPort card, and I have no clue on Earth where I got that about WPA working now.
I feel even MORE like an idiot because after restarting to 9.2.2 earlier, it connected without fault. Well, until the OS hung after about 25 minutes. It seems that AirPort is causing OS 9 to hang. No errors, no garbled graphics... It just freezes and requires the reset button to continue. 9 is faultless and I can use it for hours when AirPort isn't connected. This is unusual because before I moved, it worked fine, and there aren't any hangs in OS X.
Ah... Can't win 'em all.