Install Airport/Bluetooth on a late 2005 G5 Powermac

JohnB

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Jun 14, 2012, 6:42:48 AM6/14/12

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I have now discovered that my "acquired" G5 Powermac is the Late-2005
2.3 GHz model and was delivered without the Airport/Bluetooth card
installed :-(

All the "official" forums I have found say that this can only be
installed by Apple and to go to the Genius. Is that true ? There are
a number of the cards (AirPort Extreme with Bluetooth 2.0+EDR)
available on eBay that I might go for if it is an easy fit.

I guess I could also go the PCI card route for Wireless and a
Bluetooth module - but it's not so elegant.

Thanks for any help
--
JohnB

Jon B

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Jun 14, 2012, 6:57:52 AM6/14/12

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You need a few extra components, the Airport/BT card itself, there's two
versions of the card that look very similar. A short plug for lots of
iMacs & PowerBook G4s (common), and the deep socket version for iBooks &
your PowerMac G5s (rare), often mixed up.

This then plugs in to a daughter board that then plugs in to the G5
(rarer still) and some plastic Apple rivits to hold it all in place
which is why it's advertised as being genuis job only.

Or you can buy a PCI wireless & BT cards that are an easy self fit for a
fraction of the cost...
--
Jon B
Above email address IS valid.
<http://www.bramley-computers.co.uk/> Apple Sales, Service & Support.

Jaimie Vandenbergh

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Jun 14, 2012, 7:00:10 AM6/14/12

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On Thu, 14 Jun 2012 03:42:48 -0700 (PDT), JohnB
<jcbre...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>I have now discovered that my "acquired" G5 Powermac is the Late-2005
>2.3 GHz model and was delivered without the Airport/Bluetooth card
>installed :-(
>
>All the "official" forums I have found say that this can only be
>installed by Apple and to go to the Genius. Is that true ?

No. It never is for Macs. Looks just a little bit fiddly - go to
http://www.ifixit.com/Device/iMac_G5 and follow through your model,
then pick "airport/bluetooth card" and see what you think.

Cheers - Jaimie
--
A: Think about it. Come on, you can figure it out.
A:>> When half the group posts top and the other half posts bottom.
Q:>>> What's even more annoying than topposting?
Q:> Why would that be annoying?

Jaimie Vandenbergh

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Jun 14, 2012, 8:02:04 AM6/14/12

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On Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:00:10 +0100, Jaimie Vandenbergh
<jai...@sometimes.sessile.org> wrote:

>On Thu, 14 Jun 2012 03:42:48 -0700 (PDT), JohnB
><jcbre...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>I have now discovered that my "acquired" G5 Powermac is the Late-2005
>>2.3 GHz model and was delivered without the Airport/Bluetooth card
>>installed :-(
>>
>>All the "official" forums I have found say that this can only be
>>installed by Apple and to go to the Genius. Is that true ?
>
>No. It never is for Macs. Looks just a little bit fiddly - go to
>http://www.ifixit.com/Device/iMac_G5 and follow through your model,
>then pick "airport/bluetooth card" and see what you think.

Heh. Go with Jon's advice - I've only ever replaced a dead one, not
installed a fresh one, so I didn't have any trouble with missing
fittings.

Cheers - Jaimie
--
'Bother' to your simplistic linear numbering systems
-- Nigel Hewitt, describing ukrs dive #100

JohnB

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Jun 14, 2012, 1:36:48 PM6/14/12

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On 14/06/2012 11:57, Jon B wrote:
> JohnB<jcbre...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I have now discovered that my "acquired" G5 Powermac is the Late-2005
>> 2.3 GHz model and was delivered without the Airport/Bluetooth card
>> installed :-(
>>
>> All the "official" forums I have found say that this can only be
>> installed by Apple and to go to the Genius. Is that true ? There are
>> a number of the cards (AirPort Extreme with Bluetooth 2.0+EDR)
>> available on eBay that I might go for if it is an easy fit.
>>
>> I guess I could also go the PCI card route for Wireless and a
>> Bluetooth module - but it's not so elegant.
>>
>
> You need a few extra components, the Airport/BT card itself, there's two
> versions of the card that look very similar. A short plug for lots of

> iMacs& PowerBook G4s (common), and the deep socket version for iBooks&

> your PowerMac G5s (rare), often mixed up.
>
> This then plugs in to a daughter board that then plugs in to the G5
> (rarer still) and some plastic Apple rivits to hold it all in place
> which is why it's advertised as being genuis job only.
>

> Or you can buy a PCI wireless& BT cards that are an easy self fit for a
> fraction of the cost...

Thanks Jon - sounds like the PCI cards option is the way forward :-)

Any specific ones you'd recommend ?

Are there the same issues over finding the cards with the right Chipsets
for the OS version that there are for the G4 in 10.3/4. I will probably
clean install 10.5 or 10.6 onto this one.

Cheers

J. J. Lodder

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Jun 14, 2012, 3:14:53 PM6/14/12

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JohnB <jcbre...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I have now discovered that my "acquired" G5 Powermac is the Late-2005
> 2.3 GHz model and was delivered without the Airport/Bluetooth card
> installed :-(

That's the way they arrived out of the box.
The card was optional, and few were sold.
(what does the average desktop Mac need Airport and Bluetooth for?)

> All the "official" forums I have found say that this can only be
> installed by Apple and to go to the Genius. Is that true ? There are
> a number of the cards (AirPort Extreme with Bluetooth 2.0+EDR)
> available on eBay that I might go for if it is an easy fit.

Trivial excercise. Just open up and plug in,

Jan

Jon B

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Jun 15, 2012, 4:20:52 AM6/15/12

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It's got to be the right chipset yes, (you won't get 10.6 on it (intel
only)). Used to use the Belkin cards, Sabrent do one, and a few variants
on eBay.

JohnB

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Jun 15, 2012, 6:33:00 AM6/15/12

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On Jun 15, 9:20 am, black.h...@jonbradbury.com (Jon B) wrote:

> JohnB <john.brennandREM...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
> > On 14/06/2012 11:57, Jon B wrote:

> > > JohnB<jcbrenn...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hi Jon - re the Apple card - looking at the one on ebay.......

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apple-Airport-Extreme-Bluetooth-Combo-Card-Runway-Kit-Late-2005-Power-Mac-G5-/330747729965?pt=US_Laptop_Network_Cards&hash=item4d0219d82d

... Is this the "complete" module in it's daughter board - i.e. this
just plugs into the G5 mobo and job done - no more components needed
- assuming rivets arent essential (?)

Cheers

JohnB

Jon B

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Jun 15, 2012, 8:15:43 AM6/15/12

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Yep that's the job.

Andy Hewitt

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Jun 15, 2012, 8:51:32 AM6/15/12

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Jaimie Vandenbergh <jai...@sometimes.sessile.org> wrote:

> On Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:00:10 +0100, Jaimie Vandenbergh
> <jai...@sometimes.sessile.org> wrote:
>
> >On Thu, 14 Jun 2012 03:42:48 -0700 (PDT), JohnB
> ><jcbre...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >>I have now discovered that my "acquired" G5 Powermac is the Late-2005
> >>2.3 GHz model and was delivered without the Airport/Bluetooth card
> >>installed :-(
> >>
> >>All the "official" forums I have found say that this can only be
> >>installed by Apple and to go to the Genius. Is that true ?
> >
> >No. It never is for Macs. Looks just a little bit fiddly - go to
> >http://www.ifixit.com/Device/iMac_G5 and follow through your model,
> >then pick "airport/bluetooth card" and see what you think.
>
> Heh. Go with Jon's advice - I've only ever replaced a dead one, not
> installed a fresh one, so I didn't have any trouble with missing
> fittings.

Did they change the design then?

I fitted one to my old G5 Dual Processor, and it was just a slide it in,
attach aerial lead, job done.

--
Andy Hewitt
<www.andy-hewitt.me.uk>

JohnB

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Jun 15, 2012, 9:44:20 AM6/15/12

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On Jun 15, 1:15 pm, black.h...@jonbradbury.com (Jon B) wrote:

> >http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apple-Airport-Extreme-Bluetooth-Combo-Card-...

> > y-Kit-Late-2005-Power-Mac-G5-/330747729965?pt=US_Laptop_Network_Cards&hash
> > =item4d0219d82d
>
> > ... Is this the "complete" module in it's daughter board - i.e. this
> > just plugs into the G5 mobo and job done - no more components needed
> > - assuming rivets arent essential (?)
>
> > Cheers
>
> > JohnB
>
> Yep that's the job.
> --
> Jon B
> Above email address IS valid.
> <http://www.bramley-computers.co.uk/> Apple Sales, Service & Support.

Thanks Jon

May go for that then One lasst question if I may - does it need
antennae or will they be already in the G5 (not opened it up yet)
Also I notice that Applemacparts sell the rivets - are they
"essential" and if so ho do you fit them - push in with thumb - or
some wicked Apple gizmo needed ?

Thanks fo all your help

JojnB

Jon B

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Jun 18, 2012, 4:33:33 AM6/18/12

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Believe they are in there but I'd double check to be sure.

The thumb needs to be Apple polarized but otherwise OK

Jon B

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Jun 18, 2012, 4:33:33 AM6/18/12

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Yep, early specs used the standard Extreme cards, late spec used the
small combined AP/BT cards out of the later spec iBooks (which looked
confusingly similar to the card used in the iMac G5s & PB G4s)

Andy Hewitt

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Jun 18, 2012, 8:20:20 AM6/18/12

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Jon B <black...@jonbradbury.com> wrote:

> Andy Hewitt <use...@andy-hewitt.me.uk> wrote:
> > Did they change the design then?
> >
> > I fitted one to my old G5 Dual Processor, and it was just a slide it in,
> > attach aerial lead, job done.
>
> Yep, early specs used the standard Extreme cards, late spec used the
> small combined AP/BT cards out of the later spec iBooks (which looked
> confusingly similar to the card used in the iMac G5s & PB G4s)

I see, thanks.

--
Andy Hewitt
<www.andy-hewitt.me.uk>

Install Airport/Bluetooth on a late 2005 G5 Powermac - possible?

JohnB

Jon B

Jaimie Vandenbergh

Jaimie Vandenbergh

JohnB

J. J. Lodder

Jon B

JohnB

Jon B

Andy Hewitt

JohnB

Jon B

Jon B

Andy Hewitt