Connecting Quadra to Internet

[Mithrandir]

Ok so I want to hook up my Quadra 610 to the internet just for fun and to do some Light Browsing (Yes I know it wont be fast). It currently has an AAUI-15 ethernet port at the rear of the computer. Here is the situation. I have a wireless wpa internet connection throughout my home. I connect my powermac g4 to it using its airport card and os x 10.4.11. From there I want to share its internet through ethernet over to my Quadra. That leaves me with two questions.
1.) I know I will need an adapter that can turn the AAUI-15 port into a modern ethernet port. What is the name for one of these and would this one from eBay work? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Asante-Friendly ... _519wt_918
2.) Would I then need a crossover cable for this connection or would a regular ethernet cable work?
3. Is this possible? (This one probably should have been first...)

Thanks,
Mithrandir

[Mk.558]

Funny, I wrote an entire article about this....

1.) Yes.
2.) What you are probably going to want to do is share the Ethernet connection from one Mac over Ethernet to the Q610. For this, use a cross-over.
3.) Absolutely.

Web browsing and file sharing at the same time.



There might be a way to use a router as a simple pass-through, but a cross-over is the easiest way.

[danielb]

I have two Quadras that I connected to the Internet.

I used an AAUI Ethernet adapter, and simply plugged it into my wireless router using a regular Ethernet cable. I gave the machines a static IP address with the TCP/IP control panel (System 7.6). I can browse and download files, and I can do old-school Apple file sharing with my iBook.

Browsing is slow, because rendering web pages is slow. Downloading files, however, is not particularly slow. I have achieved speeds of up to 200K per second with the Quadra 650. The Quadra 700 is slower for some reason.

Don't try browsing modern web sites with lots of animations and stuff, stick to simple ones and it will work reasonably well.

[Forrest]

You shouldn't need a crossover ethernet cable if you're connecting to a ethernet switch, router or a G3 or newer Mac - these all have auto MDX ports.

For web browsing, I recommend iCab 2.9.9

[Gorgonops]

You shouldn't need a crossover ethernet cable if you're connecting to a ethernet switch, router or a G3 or newer Mac - these all have auto MDX ports.

Correction:

"... Most PowerMac G4 and newer Macs - these all have auto MDX ports."

Auto MDX is only a standard feature on 1000baseT (gigabit) Ethernet. *Some* 10/100 Ethernet cards and switches implement auto MDX but not by any stretch all of them. (Most new 10/100 switches do but if you're looking at a several-year-old one chances are good that it doesn't.) The reason you wouldn't under most circumstances need a crossover for a switch or a router's access ports regardless of speed is all but the uplink port are likely to already be wired as standard access ports.

I know, nitpicky.

The other thing to watch out for: Sometimes those old ethernet transceivers can be picky about connecting to any switch/ethernet port that tries to autonegotiate anything faster than 10mbit. There have been times dealing with elderly equipment that I've been forced to stick an old 10mbit hub between the newer switch and the computer to get things working.

[Mithrandir]

Ok well lets say the powermac g4 is a 733 mhz Digital Audio and that it will probably be running leopard by the time my ethernet thingy comes. Would the situation above still work, or do I have to have tiger or older as my OS? (Yes I know leopard is not officially supported on lower than 867mhz but since my G4 has the max 1.5GB of ram it runs perfectly fine).

[Mithrandir]

Sometimes those old ethernet transceivers can be picky about connecting to any switch/ethernet port that tries to autonegotiate anything faster than 10mbit.

So you are saying that maybe a better way to do this would be to have two regular ethernet cables, and use a 10mbs hub in between them. Correct?

[Gorgonops]

Using a slow hub between the two systems negates any possible issues with autonegotiation, yes. It may not be necessary in your case but it helps eliminate a variable.

Also, assuming my rusty memory is correct remember you'll have to use Open Transport rather than "classic" MacTCP to use DHCP. (Which is what OS X's Internet sharing uses. The "Dynamic" setting you see on the MacTCP control panel is a proprietary AppleTalk-related thing.) This probably won't be an issue, depending on what System version you're running on the Quadra. Worse case you can always set a static address anyway.

[olePigeon]

Another option (if you want to keep it wireless) is to get an AirPort Express.

[Mithrandir]

Thank you Gorgonops. =) (Running OS 7.6.1)

In regards to olePidgeon, are you saying I could use my airport express to receive the airport signal and then attach an ethernet cable from that to my quadra? Would that actually work?

[danielb]

Is an Airport Express basically a standard wireless router? Because if so, that's exactly what I do to connect my Q650 and Q700 to the Internet.

Daniel

[Gorgonops]

The Airport Express can either act like a mini-version of an Airport base station (IE, as a wireless access point or full-fledged router, by dedicating its Ethernet port for network uplink) *or* it can operate like a bridge, connecting as a client to an existing wireless network and allowing you to then connect wired computers directly to it or via a hub.

One thing: I could be mistaken about this, but I was under the impression you had to be using another Apple Airport to host your wireless network for the bridge mode to work. (IE, if you're using any other brand of WAP you're SoL.) Is that true or not? I seem to recall it was at the time I debated buying one to solve a bridging problem. (And thus didn't buy it.)

[FlyingToaster]

If you do get it connected, use mobile sites like m.facebook.com, m.gmail.com etc. With java turned off it is very usable

(for reading stuff!)

[Mithrandir]

Ok update. So i want to share an internet connection from my powermac g4 running 10.5.8 from wifi through an ethernet cable to my quadra 610. I plan on using an adapter that will convert the aaui-15 port on the back of my quarda to a standard one. I will then use two stand ethernet cables connected via a 10mbs ethernet hub in order to connect the two computers. By the way, the quadra is running 7.6.1. I really don't want to spend much more money so these are some of the cheap items i found on eBay. I just want to know if they will work for the task.
Adapter http://www.ebay.com/itm/Farallon-Etherw ... 500wt_1180
Hub http://www.ebay.com/itm/190596349166?_t ... 733wt_1180

[Anonymous Freak]

Oh, man... Now I'm really tempted to get one of these: http://www.premiertek.net/products/netw ... P2403.html and hack it IN to an AAUI adapter. Voila! AAUI WiFi adapter! (AAUI nicely provides 5V @ 1.9W, this adapter uses 5V at 0.5W. I wonder how much power the AAUI-to-RJ45 part of an AAUI adapter needs? If less than 1.4W, I'm set!)

[danielb]

Ok update. So i want to share an internet connection from my powermac g4 running 10.5.8 from wifi through an ethernet cable to my quadra 610. I plan on using an adapter that will convert the aaui-15 port on the back of my quarda to a standard one. I will then use two stand ethernet cables connected via a 10mbs ethernet hub in order to connect the two computers. By the way, the quadra is running 7.6.1. I really don't want to spend much more money so these are some of the cheap items i found on eBay. I just want to know if they will work for the task.

That seems a very complicated setup for something which may be a lot simpler.

Why don't you just connect the Quadra via an ethernet cable to your wireless router? This works with both my Q650 and Q700. I use static IP addresses. If this doesn"t work, then try the more complicated setup.

[zuiko21]

I've been successful connecting my Quadra 700 directly to my cable-modem via a regular Ethernet cable. And also the SE/30, thru a shared connection from my sister's MacBook Pro which was receiving WiFi, this time with a cross-over cable -- I don't think you'll need the hub. Watch a video of my SE/30 online!

[LOOM]

There are a bunch of ways to connect your Macintosh to the internet.. I even connected my Macintosh Plus to the internet with System 6.0.8, MacTCP and MacPPP via serial cable (modem/printer port) to a laptop running linux and pppd - connected to wifi. I "called" my laptop from the Plus, got a local IP from the laptop and could access the web..

Plus screenshot

[Mithrandir]

That seems a very complicated setup for something which may be a lot simpler.

Why don't you just connect the Quadra via an ethernet cable to your wireless router? This works with both my Q650 and Q700. I use static IP addresses. If this doesn"t work, then try the more complicated setup.

I would try that except my wireless router is upstairs with the house's main computer. The powermac and quadra are downstairs and the powermac is using an airport card. I could use airport express like someone stated earlier, but the two ethernet cables and hub would be only $20, while the alternative would be well over $50.

[markyb86]

There are a bunch of ways to connect your Macintosh to the internet.. I even connected my Macintosh Plus to the internet with System 6.0.8, MacTCP and MacPPP via serial cable (modem/printer port) to a laptop running linux and pppd - connected to wifi. I "called" my laptop from the Plus, got a local IP from the laptop and could access the web..

I know I'm bringing this back from the dead, however I've been trying to research this exact method. Could you possibly tell me the cable you used and how you connected to the laptop?

Mark

[LOOM]

I were supposed to write a mini howto on how to do that, but there is something wrong with my Plus so I haven't managed to get the pictures I wanted

As I said you need 6.0.8, MacTCP and MacPPP in the control panel. I think I configured MacTCP to static IP 192.168.0.50 on the Plus. I then plugged in a serial cable into the modem port on the Plus, and connected it to a laptop running linux/osx. I think I used a serial to usb converter on the machine in the picture. It was running Ubuntu at the time.

I installed pppd in linux, and played around with the config so I could get a connection and a route from the serial port to my WIFI (using the laptop's wifi/LAN ip).
I saved the command in a small script, so I still have it;

Code: Select all

sudo pppd -detach crtscts lock debug defaultroute proxyarp 192.168.0.10:192.168.0.50 /dev/tty.usbserial 38400

192.168.0.10 is the laptop's local LAN IP, 192.168.0.50 is a random static IP I sat up in MacTCP.

I think that's about it. I then hit the "Connect" button in MacPPP and could browse the web.
It's also possible for pppd to give out an ip to the plus (DHCP) etc, but as I said the machine isn't working so I haven't played with the config for a few years..

A Tip; Set up a web server on the laptop or use ping to see if you can get a connection before you start browsing the web, you may have to enter a router IP in MacTCP or something to reach anything beyond your local LAN.

I'm going to try and recap the Plus in the holidays so I will fix a better howto (with pictures) later.

[markyb86]

Thanks for the info!

[onlyonemac]

Wow! I didn't even know you could still link them to the internet, let alone use Google on them! Also, thanks for the video, it's truely amazing what these Macs can do! (I must get a router soon .)

[volvo242gt]

I just use an Asante MC3NB card in my IIci and connect directly to the router. It works.

-J

[LOOM]

Wow! I didn't even know you could still link them to the internet, let alone use Google on them!

It's actually much easier to link it if you have the Asante EN/SC (ethernet to scsi) box. I have later bought that for my Plus so I don't need to take out my laptop every time I want to download/browse something: