Wireless iMac G3 to Windows PC

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VolFan

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Hello,

Being a complete noob to the Mac scene, I have an old iMac G3 333MHz which I have managed to install OS 10.3 on. It has 96Mb of RAM installed. I borrowed a 256Mb chip from a laptop to install the new OS which I think required 128Mb as a minimum.

I would like to network this iMac to my wireless Windows-based network. I have a Netgear wireless switch the will accept 4 wired connections. My iMac has an Ethernet port, which when connected to the switch in a wired port, does connect to the internet (my main goal here).

First, what type of memory do I need to upgrade this machine and how much do I need to give a fair amount of speed to OS 10.3? The 256Mb chip I borrowed from my laptop only showed up as 128Mb, so I would assume that there was something not right there.

Second, what type of wireless port will I need for my iMac? I can't leave my iMac connect directly to the switch with a cable stretched across the floor. Is there a type of wireless port which is basically an external unit that will plug into the iMac's ethernet port? Netgear makes a similar device to plug into PS2s or Xbox game consoles for wireless connectivity. Will this work on the iMac?

Please be specific in your answers. Like I said, I'm really new to the Mac world and would like to learn more. For that matter, a G5 system would be great, but the money isn't there right now. As mentioned before, I'd really like to get on the internet with the iMac. Printing and sharing files would be great, too, if that's possible.

Thanks for your help!

VolFan
 
Regarding Networking, The iMac DV was the first to support AirPort Cards, so you're out-of-luck. If you obtain small Wireless AP, like an AirPort Express, you could use it to bridge the Ethernet Port of your iMac to you existing Wireless Network. The AP will have to be self-powered because no Mac Ethernet Ports support Power-Over-Ethernet. There is no reason why this shouldn't work.

Regarding Installing MacOS X.3, LowEndMac ( http://www.lowendmac.com/imacs/index.shtml ) have lot's of information on getting old Macs working with new software. Unfortunately, the iMacs weren't designed to be used in such a way, so your experience will not be indicative of a true Mac experience.
 
OS X requires a min of 128MB of physical RAM. In reality, the more you have the better...especially with an older machine like yours. I'd personally never think about running less than 256MB. Really, you shouldn't run less than 512MB if possible.

According to Apple's specs for your machine, you can't use larger than a 128MB module. So that makes your machine have a max capacity of 256MB of RAM. I'd max it out. MacSales.com has 128MB chips for $30.

You model doesn't accept Airport cards...so you'll have to find an external adapter. A few companies make thumb-sized ones that plug into your USB port. DLink DWL-122


In the long run you'd be better off buying a newer machine. The Mini might be a good choice for you.
 
Thanks Folks!

This is exactly the type of help I was hoping for. The Mini looks nice, but price-wise, I'd need to get a monitor, too. It looks like I'm now having to justify putting $100 to $150 into my old iMac. My wife was wanting her own computer to surf and read emails. I'm sure she'd want to print stuff, too, on a printer shared on my Windows network. Will OS 10.3 do this printing? I recall trying to use a program called "Dave" (I think) which shared resources over a Mac to Windows connection. I never really did much with it. I was using a crossover cable with the 2 computers sitting next to each other with Mac OS8.6 and Windows 98.

If you know about the print sharing, please let me know.

Thanks again,
VolFan
 
Not sure about Windows 98 pronter sharing, but you can read this for WindowsXP and see if you can adapt to 98;

On your Windows XP Machine:

1. Log in as Administrator
2. Click Start>Settings>Control Panel
3. Then Click add/remove programs
4. Then Click add/remove windows components
5. Open the Other Network File and Printer Services section.
6. Put a checkmark in Print Services for Unix.
7. Click Ok; Click Next ( It will probably ask for your Windows Cd at this point)
8. Click finish
9. Close the add/remove programs window

Next steps will have the service start automatically, which is the prefered way to do it:

1. Click Start>Settings>Control Panel
2. Double click Administrative tools
3. Double click Services
4. Double click TCP/IP print server
5. Change the startup type to Automatic
6. Click ok and close all open windows.

Next steps setup the printer for tcp/ip printing

1. Click start>settings>printers
2. Right click the printer you want to share and select sharing
3. Click the radio button for Share as and fill in the share name you want to use.

Now move to your Mac and finish things up.

1. Launch the Print Center for the Applications>Utilties folder
2. Click the Add Printer button
3. Change Appletalk to IP Printing
4. Enter the Windows XP Computer's IP address in the Address Box (Will probably look like 192.168.x.x, if you don't know go to your windows xp machine and from the Command Prompt type ipconfig, it will give you the network address for your windows machine
5. Uncheck the default queue radio button
6. Enter the name of the printer shared name that you setup on your windows machine.
7. Select your printer model, if you installed gimp print it should be there, if not pic a close model number.
8. Close print center after the printer was added.
 
Thanks Again Folks!

Bob, Sorry to confuse the issue... When I first got the iMac, I was on Mac OS8.6 and Win 98. Now I'm onto XP with my network which I do have print and file sharing working. I was just wondering if anything special needs to be done with Mac OS 10.3 for print sharing on my Windows network.

Thanks,
VolFan
 
Just what I outlined above. If you have the printer sharing working, nothing else to do :)
 
No, if he gets the correct compatible RAM advertised by OWC he shouldn't have any problems. Small Dog sent me a 256 MB stick that appeared as 128 in my 233 iMac G3 but they replaced it with one that did work. That's why I recommended OWC because they match up the correct brand with your machine to begin with. (Again, it is important to get one low profile stick for the lower slot.) Lots of folks report 512 MB in their iMacs now that the price of that RAM has fallen so low.
 
According to LowEndMac, Certain 333 Mac's couldn't see more than 128MB of RAM, no matter how much you put in there. Meanwhile, Identical 333's could handle 512MB without Problems. To Quote LowEndMac…

* The exact amount a Rev. A-D iMac can be upgraded varies from unit to unit. We have field reports of some models accepting 256 MB modules in both memory socket and reaching 512 MB -- and other reports of early iMacs that won't work at all with 256 MB modules. There appears to be no way to know in advance whether a particular iMac will work with a certain sized memory module.
Click to expand...

An Interesting Article on installing MacOSX on iMacs is available here.
 
Again, not all brands of 256 MB RAM will work in the iMac G3, no matter what the revision. LowEndMac might have received a field report from me about my 233 BondiMac seeing no more than 128 MB of a module labeled 256, had Small Dog not resolved the issue by exchanging it; LEM was perhaps unaware that certain brands of 256 MB RAM do seem to work in all iMac G3s, revisions A - D.

OWC is the upgrade expert; when you enter their site they first ask you to select your exact Mac model and then they match up those brands of components that they know to be compatible. Their phone support is also excellent, I have found, and they guaranty their RAM for life. I have replaced every single user-serviceable part of my original Bondi with products purchased from OWC and have had no problems at all.

Thus I urge VolFan, and any one else with an obsolescing iMac, to max out their RAM with memory from OWC now, while supplies still last. :)
 
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