# Cheapest way to go wireless on my iBook G3/800.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapest-way-to-go-wireless-on-my-ibook-g3-800/249228>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 8, 2004, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapest-way-to-go-wireless-on-my-ibook-g3-800/249228 "2004-06-08T03:44:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dan\_Turk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dan\_Turk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Turk)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapest-way-to-go-wireless-on-my-ibook-g3-800/249228/1 "2004-06-08T03:44:31Z")

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Panther is the OS.

We have a cable modem hooked to a router w/ 4 ports on it: tivo, ibm1, ibm2, mac1.

I want to take my mac wireless, but don’t care to make anything else wireless, what’s the best way to do this? would I need a wireless router, or is there something that plugs into the 4th port and just makes that one wireless? what sorta card does my mac need?

On [slickdeals.net](http://slickdeals.net) there are some wireless routers, one’s $10 and one’s $45. One’s a “g” and the other’s a “b.” What’s this all about?

I hear that the B is 10mbps, so I’d notice a slowdown from my wired ethernet connection which runs at an alleged 30, what’s the G? Will I notice it being slower?

Help. I’ve no idea what’s going on, but I want to use my iBook outside and am not rich.

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**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapest-way-to-go-wireless-on-my-ibook-g3-800/249228/2 "2004-06-08T11:49:07Z")

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You can replace your current router with a standard wireless router, they usually have 4 or so wired ports in addition to the wireless. G is faster than B, but B is probably way faster than your internet connection, so the only difference would be in the transfer of files within your home network.

Your Mac will need an AirPort card, though I don’t know what is available on your model. AirPort Extreme is their 802.11g, regular AirPort is 802.11b. Your iBook may not be compatible with AP Extreme, my PowerBook wasn’t.