Mac question: Wireless PCI NIC in a G4?

[Micah]

I don't know squat about Macs, so don't assume any knowledge here.

My girlfriend has a G4 tower running Mac OS X. I don't know anything more about it besides that. We are trying to go wireless in our apartment, and I just want to know if I can stick a Linksys wireless card in there. If not, what do I have to get to make her machine talk to a Netgear 802.11g router? Please tell me I don't need to buy some sort of proprietary (ie $$$$) Apple hardware to do it.

Finally, I don't think Anandtech is really the place for this posting, but I don't know any good Mac forums to post on. If anyone knows any, please point me in that direction.

Thanks,
Micah

 

[omissible]

Very few PCI 802.11 adapters have Mac drivers. Sonnet (sonnettech.com) makes one.

You could also use a USB wireless dongle. D-Link sells one with Mac drivers.

The best (easiest, best supported, best signal) solution would be an Apple AirPort card. These used to be about $80, but they've been discontinued. Good luck finding one now (Check eBay.)

 

[HacktheGibson]

Try this part #G54-PCI
ARIA EXTREME AIRPORT PCI 802.11 FOR MAC 10.26+ & 98/SE/W2K/WME

and

M8881LL/A
AIRPORT EXTREME CARD MAC

and

WUA-700
AEROPAD PLUS WIRELESS 802.11B USB NIC DRIVERS FOR MAC/PC

 

[ViRGE]

Obviously this isn't the answer you want to hear, but there's really no reason not to go with the Apple product. The case already has a built-in slot for some sort of Airport card, along with an antenna built in to the case itself, and the software integration is lightyears beyond anything else(which is partially why no one else makes Mac cards). Find out what kind of tower it is, then hit up eBay for the card(either Airport of Airport Extreme); you should be able to find a decent deal.