mac wireless help

kimchicowboy · 11-11-2004, 09:50 PM

my friend has a powerbook G4 running an 802.11b airport card (firmware version 9.52) connected to a netgear mr814v2.

whenever she goes downstairs, it'll disconnect at times. her roommate has a dell laptop with a netgear wireless card without any problems. any help? thanks!

eSDee · 11-11-2004, 11:32 PM

I imagine that the wireless card in the powerbook is internal. If so, then the reception is not going to be as good as with an external pcmcia wireless card. There's nothing really you can do about that, except reposition the router so that you have the best coverage for your mac. The PC should continue to work just fine.

Maarchk · 11-12-2004, 09:06 AM

Yeah i had that problem with my mac the other day. I was sitting at a table doing work in a place where the router is upstairs. And just spontaneously the signal would come and fade and go out completely for a couple minutes and then pick back up. The only thing i can think of is repositioning your friend or her router so that it covers more area around downstairs. Unfortunately 8011b tends to struggle a little bit through walls and mac's in particular are a little picky about their location and orientation.

revil · 11-12-2004, 09:23 AM

that's not true esdee. my mac has a great signal. better than most psmcia cards. mostly because the mac uses an internal antenna which goes around the screen. my guess is the old mac has an underpowered card.

eSDee · 11-12-2004, 10:27 AM

Believe me revil I speak from experience. I have a 15" powerbook and at work I use a 12" from time to time and it is my experience that PC''s with external PCMCIA wireless cards most of the time have a better range. We recently put 15 WAP's in my building that I had to troubleshoot and the only machines that were having trouble with coverage in weak areas were the powerbooks. However, it is possible that the reception in a powerbook is better than a PC with an internal wireless card.

One more thing kimchi, is your airport software all updated?

revil · 11-13-2004, 03:26 AM

odd, it's the other way around in my network. then again, we only got nine computers and 3 WAPs.

kimchicowboy · 11-13-2004, 05:22 AM

thanks for the info guys.

esdee, i don't think my friend would have updated her software since she purchased her powerbook. is there some software upgrade she should install?

eSDee · 11-13-2004, 01:08 PM

OSX right? Go the Blue Apple->Software Update. That might be the problem. There have been a billion airport updates.

11-11-2004, 09:50 PM	#1
kimchicowboy Admiral Join Date: May 2000 Location: in the middle of the pacific ocean Posts: 5,344	mac wireless help my friend has a powerbook G4 running an 802.11b airport card (firmware version 9.52) connected to a netgear mr814v2. whenever she goes downstairs, it'll disconnect at times. her roommate has a dell laptop with a netgear wireless card without any problems. any help? thanks! __________________ "I pick my nose too but never eat it." - bachviet, 3/30/04 if anyone wants to go scuba diving in oahu or wants to learn who to scuba dive in oahu, PM me.

11-11-2004, 11:32 PM	#2
eSDee Old Skooler Numba 1 Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Diego Posts: 10,063	I imagine that the wireless card in the powerbook is internal. If so, then the reception is not going to be as good as with an external pcmcia wireless card. There's nothing really you can do about that, except reposition the router so that you have the best coverage for your mac. The PC should continue to work just fine. __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 days ~ Willie Nelson 3 days I dread to see arrive 3 days I hate to be alive 3 days filled with tears and sorrow yesterday today and tomorrow

11-12-2004, 09:06 AM	#3
Maarchk Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Where the east meets the west. Posts: 3,066	Yeah i had that problem with my mac the other day. I was sitting at a table doing work in a place where the router is upstairs. And just spontaneously the signal would come and fade and go out completely for a couple minutes and then pick back up. The only thing i can think of is repositioning your friend or her router so that it covers more area around downstairs. Unfortunately 8011b tends to struggle a little bit through walls and mac's in particular are a little picky about their location and orientation. __________________ "The girl is crafty like ice is cold." "I left my heart in san francisco... And my liver at Moe's Tavern." A real friend is one who listens to you as much as they talk to you.

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11-12-2004, 09:23 AM	#4
revil shibuya girl Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Oregon Posts: 6,851	that's not true esdee. my mac has a great signal. better than most psmcia cards. mostly because the mac uses an internal antenna which goes around the screen. my guess is the old mac has an underpowered card.

11-12-2004, 10:27 AM	#5
eSDee Old Skooler Numba 1 Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Diego Posts: 10,063	Believe me revil I speak from experience. I have a 15" powerbook and at work I use a 12" from time to time and it is my experience that PC''s with external PCMCIA wireless cards most of the time have a better range. We recently put 15 WAP's in my building that I had to troubleshoot and the only machines that were having trouble with coverage in weak areas were the powerbooks. However, it is possible that the reception in a powerbook is better than a PC with an internal wireless card. One more thing kimchi, is your airport software all updated?

11-13-2004, 03:26 AM	#6
revil shibuya girl Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Oregon Posts: 6,851	odd, it's the other way around in my network. then again, we only got nine computers and 3 WAPs.

11-13-2004, 05:22 AM	#7
kimchicowboy Admiral Join Date: May 2000 Location: in the middle of the pacific ocean Posts: 5,344	thanks for the info guys. esdee, i don't think my friend would have updated her software since she purchased her powerbook. is there some software upgrade she should install?

11-13-2004, 01:08 PM	#8
eSDee Old Skooler Numba 1 Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Diego Posts: 10,063	OSX right? Go the Blue Apple->Software Update. That might be the problem. There have been a billion airport updates.

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