Airport Card requires Base Station?

[Natobasso]

Howdy all.

My question is this. I have a G3 Pismo Powerbook laptop and want to install an airport card (not airport extreme) but I keep reading that the card "requires" the Airport Base Station to work. I have an Asante Talk router/print server device that has wireless antennae. If I get and install the airport card in my laptop, will it work with the Asante?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! I am looking to buy a card in the next day or two, but didn't want to waste 40-70 bucks on a card that won't work with my home system.

 

[brianleahy]

I can't speak to the Asante in particular, but a Airport (non-extreme) card should be compatible with any 802.11b wireless router.

 

[Natobasso]

Sounds logical, and I do appreciate the quick response.

 

[Zammy-Sam]

it is compatible with any other 802.11b router

 

[cfleck]

i have several friends at school who have powerbooks with airport extreme built in and they work with all the school's wireless mumbo jumbo, none of which is airport. i know you aren't going extreme, but just a bit more info for you.

 

[Gnomo]

Yeah, the airport card will work with any 802.11b compatible device. They only have the "requires an Airport Base Station" so that the retards that spill Coffee on themselves and sue the coffee shop can't buy one and then be like "It doesn't work" when they is no network in range.

If you watch the Centrino commericals closely, they have a similar disclaimer in the small print at the bottom. <rant>Although I think the Centrino commericals are starting to get out of hand. "You can surf the web on Mount Everest (provided there is a base station)." I mean come on. Some exageration in commercials is to be expected, but that is borderline false advertising.</rant>

 

[Natobasso]

Recap: I went to Fry's Electronics and picked up a brand spankin new Airport card, took it home and installed it myself (there's a great instruction video on apple's website for installation—saved me $75!) And it works like a charm! Now I just have to get my 128 bit encryption working on my router and I will have a secure network.

Speaking of, anyone know how to enter a 10 digit hex code for the 128 bit encryption? Do you choose an arbitrary number or is it something more predetermined?