USB Wifi for Mac Mini or Airport Extreme Alternative

[Dave_D]

Hello Everyone,

For those First Generation Mac Mini owners who did not opt for the Airport Extreme WiFi option, you NOW have a cheaper alternative to allow your Mac Mini to have WiFi connectivity...

The Hawking HWU54G is a USB WiFi adapter that has been proven to work with Mac OS X.

The device uses a Zydas 1211 chipset and they have drivers available for OS X 10.3 and 10.4.

So, if anyone here can source a similar USB WiFi dongle using this chipset, you'll be able to get your Mini up and running with WiFi without spending a bundle.

Good Luck.

Update: It seems this chipset is quite common for CHEAP USB WLAN dongles. I think I'll look around for one and try one.

This solution also will probably work for iMacs, eMacs or any other USB equipped Mac that does NOT have an Airport or Airport Extreme card.



[Edited on 8-30-2005 by Dave_D]

[Dave_D]

Another USB WLAN dongle that may work is a those which support a RALink 2500 chipset. This is used in the D-Link DWL-G122 USB WLAN dongle.

I think you can safely find these in the local market since I've seen them.

The only caveat is that your Mac must have USB 2.0 to provide enough power. You must also make sure if you're current Mac already has a Airport or Airport Extreme to NOT use both at the same time or else they'll interfere with each other.

[soulstar]

hi dave_d.... are there any wifi pcmcia cards out there that are compatible with a titanium powerbook 667 besides the d-link gwl-650x?

[XyNo]

Thanks for this info Dave_D, this would be really helpful.

[mnx]

Originally posted by soulstar
hi dave_d.... are there any wifi pcmcia cards out there that are compatible with a titanium powerbook 667 besides the d-link gwl-650x?

i use an ASUS PCMCIA 802.11g card. read as an apx card by my former 667.

[rgordo]

I use a Buffalo WLI-CB-G54A pcmcia card....works great plus it has an external antenna connector...

[soulstar]

Originally posted by mnx

Originally posted by soulstar
hi dave_d.... are there any wifi pcmcia cards out there that are compatible with a titanium powerbook 667 besides the d-link gwl-650x?

i use an ASUS PCMCIA 802.11g card. read as an apx card by my former 667.

really...what model was it mnx?

[mnx]

WL-100G



it's been more consistent (connection and transfer-wise) that the APX in my imac and the AP card i initially installed in the tibook.

[soulstar]

thanks for the head-up mnx! appreciate it!

[mnx]

glad to be of help