Newbie questions about wireless networking

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mattfels - 17 Sep 2005 05:52 GMT

I’m running a Powermac G5, I just purchased an airport extreme card
recently, installed the card and the software included. Plugged the
little antenna wire into the back of the card.

I threw away the airport antenna that came with my computer(the T
shaped one) because I didn’t know what it was.

Here’s my dilemma, in the internet connect panel, I have no network
selected, and am getting no signal level at all. I have tried looking
through the network settings pane, and the internet connect window,
and cannot see/connect any networks or find any indication that the
card is looking for them.

I live in an apartment in New York City, and would like to be able to
connect to open networks wirelessly.

For now I’m assuming the reason is I have no antenna connected on the
back of my tower. I looked into building a cantenna, and purchased
some of the parts including a pigtail that connects my antenna port to
a N-male connector that I intend to connect to a can. With only the
pigtail connected I still get nothing.

Is this normal?
Does the antenna that came with my G5 amplify the signal it recieves,
and is that why the pigtail alone doesn’t increase the range of my
network?
Are there any settings I may have overlooked?
Is there any other hardware I need to connect wirelessy i.e. an
airport base station, or is the airport card enough with a
sufficiently powerful antenna?

If you guys could give me a hand with this I’d be infinitely grateful,
thanks a lot in advance.

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Bob Harris - 18 Sep 2005 00:36 GMT

In article
<2_618186_87eb7928df9b675df45fd3c961b219f2@macforumz.com>,

> I’m running a Powermac G5, I just purchased an airport extreme card
> recently, installed the card and the software included. Plugged the
> little antenna wire into the back of the card.
>
> I threw away the airport antenna that came with my computer(the T
> shaped one) because I didn’t know what it was.

This is the point where you says "D'oh!"

> Here’s my dilemma, in the internet connect panel, I have no network
> selected, and am getting no signal level at all. I have tried looking
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> and is that why the pigtail alone doesn’t increase the range of my
> network?

The G5 T antenna is properly tuned for the WiFi wave lengths. It
would be your preferred antenna. With no antenna you would be
trying to get WiFi signals through a faraday cage (as the PowerMac
G5 is an all metal case)

As to signal strength, how do you know you even have a good signal
from neighbor's WiFi base stations?

You could try using something like AP Grapher or MacStumbler to
see what available signals are visible to the Mac, if any.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/19621
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14746

> Are there any settings I may have overlooked?
> Is there any other hardware I need to connect wirelessy i.e. an
> airport base station, or is the airport card enough with a
> sufficiently powerful antenna?

Most WiFi base stations are perfectly acceptable (Apple's Linksys,
Netgear, D-Link, Belkin, SMC, Buffalo, etc...), if your Mac can
see the signal that is.

You might make sure that the Airport Card is properly seated in it
socket.

You should check the System Preferences -> Network -> Airport
configuration.

Also check Applications -> Internet Connect to make sure it thinks
Airport is properly setup.

> If you guys could give me a hand with this I’d be infinitely grateful,
> thanks a lot in advance.

Bob Harris

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Mac Forum / General / Networking / September 2005

Newbie questions about wireless networking