h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just do it next to a radiator or kitchen sink - in fact pretty much any "Earthed" metal object. Put both hands on the earthed object, then keep your left hand there while you pick up the card with your right* and insert it in the slot. The only reason for those "engineer's wristbands" is to save them the hassle of doing this.

As long as you don't shuffle your feed while you work, it's safe to use both hands when necessary, as long as you put your unused hand back on the metal surface as often as possible. One good place to do a small job like this would be the draining board on the side of a stainless steel sink.

(*Other, more sinister orientations are available...)

Oh, and as for the card fitting your laptop, just tell the seller what model of laptop you have when you buy it - if it won't fit, they won't sell it to you.

I think you should be OK with the current cards in an iBook. And yes it is as simple as it sounds, no need to pay for a technician.

Static is worse on cold winter days (today in my house it's awful, poor Zeppo generates a large spark every time I touch him, and my new aluminum keyboard has its drawbacks), so it can help to wait for a warmer or more humid day if necessary.

Here are some pages from Apple's site...

http://support.apple.com/specs/ibook/iBook_G4_Early_2004.html
http://support.apple.com/specs/ibook/iBook_G4_Late_2004.html
http://support.apple.com/specs/ibook/iBook_G4_Mid_2005.html

I wish it was so easy for my old iMac G3. I need an Airport card with an adapter and the only place seems to be eBay and the adapters are all from China. Not a chance!! I've had my fingers burned once on there and no more.

turvy

You could try a wireless bridge - it plugs into the Mac's ethernet port and connects the Mac's wired port to the wireless network. I've read that some very inexpensive wireless routers can be put into "bridge mode" but I don't know which ones.

blimey- sounds like I've got the easy option then!

thanks for those links. I ordered my card yesterday so hopefully will be here soon. I ought to say, based on the experiences I've had so far with the apple store I've been very impressed. Makes a change from some companies.
Bought a belkin "G" router for DSL at quite reasonable price yesterday. it says it's mac friendly.
I presume it's just a case of getting the info from the isp, once the line's set up, plugging the router in and setting the security code. No one's had to install software have they?
Once the card's in the computer you just need that airport setup asst. to get it going. It's all the DCHP/PP jargon that's in my manual I'm getting confused about. Broadband is like coming out of the dark ages for me as I've had dial up for years!

Just had a look at those links. I checked late '04 and it says airport is built in. Probably just means the capability is there, cos I know for a fact there isn't a card in my machine through system profiler. Oh well. Just as well I've ordered one.
I'm running a 40GB disk too, and that's not on the specs.
I guess they can't cover everything

aha. that would explain it. Mine must be early 04. I didn't actually recieve it til end of 04 but I'm guessing because I got it through a separate dealer for my uni studies it must've been ordered earlier.
and there's the 40GB disk. what a twit I am.

I have days like that too Kaz!

I spent most of Friday trying to work out why a camera was not being recognised by iPhoto on the small person's G3 iMac. I had previously set up a managed account. In the end, and after lots of messing about (and messing up) I logged in as Administrator and tried the camera on that account. It worked normally and all I had to do was change one setting in the managed account as Admin and the camera worked for the managed account.




Good luck with your wireless setup.

turvy

thanks turvy. I think I'm getting the hang of how it all goes. It's just so annoying that your isp tells you one thing nd the instructions for your router tell you another

hmm. So much for the airport card installation being easy. I got my dad to help as he's a bit more savvy with electrical stuff than me. Put the card in and the wire bracket that goes over the top "fell out" (he said) and wouldn't clamp down on the card properly. I turned the computer on and the card wasn't showing up. *then* he tells me one side of the bracket isn't connected properly. So after all that fiddling about I'm going to end up with an even bigger bill to get a replacement wire bracket for the card seating and someone to put the bloody thing in properly.
Bit of a Royle family moment. Easy, my arse!

Bum.

As Peet put it...Bum

turvy

Oh well. Hopefully should get it sorted. I just hope I'm overreacting a bit and the damage isn't as bad. I hope it's not going to be too much of a big deal to sort . It's a shame as I haven't had a problem at all with apple up til now, and even now it's not really entirely their fault. The instructions and diagrams could have perhaps been a bit clearer but at the end of the day it's my stupid fault for going ahead with it and not asking a proper person to fit the thing. Mt dad's blaming the "cheap" fitting that is that wire clamp/bracket, but I don't believe a word myself.

If the card's not seated right, what's the chance of it coming loose if the laptops not kept flat? I guess they're pretty slim, but nonetheless, thought I'd ask. I did think it was a bit odd that that tab of plastic on one end of the card is supposed to stay there. Seems strange given the rest of the stuff around it is metal but its there in the instructions so hey.

I'm just guessing here, but the odds are that the "tab of plastic" covers the aerial, and it's there *precisely* to stop it coming in contact with the metal.

It's probably best not to have something rattling around loose inside your laptop. It could short something else out.

It's been a few years since I helped someone in my office do this, so I don't remember exactly how it goes - but I do remember the metal bracket being a little tricky to get back in position. It wasn't anything serious just a matter of figuring out how it goes. That bracket doesn't actually do anything but keep the card from moving.

The fact that your computer is not seeing the card suggests that you don't have the card inserted fully, and that in turn would prevent the bracket from fitting correctly. If I were you I would take it out and try again, carefully following instructions - remember things should fit tightly and securely, you'll need to apply pressure and it will probably "snap into place". Most people are too timid but at the same time you should never force anything - if you're unsure about it get a tech to help you. It should all fit *exactly* right, and when it fits you *know* you've done it correctly.

At the very least remove any dangly bits for now. And you may find that you can easily put the bracket back in place if you take the card out, and maybe even get the card back in properly.

The plastic tab at the end is so you can pull the thing out later, if you need to.

cheers guys. I always seem to ask such dumb questions on here so thanks for bearing with me! I'm keeping the computer flat at the mo and not moving it anywhere-typing this on a different machine as well, even though mine still seems operational I don't really want to risk using it til its sorted. The idea of stuff rattling about in there while the thing's on puts me off a bit.

Well, the engineer sorted it out-he's going to have to replace the bracket that secures the card in place so will be coming back but now I am fully wireless and sorted! (and secure) phew.
dunno what the signal's like downstairs-have to test later...

thanks guys.