Network, wireless, or not, or what?

[towerpower]

I am currently using a netgear router to connect my 2 home macs for internet access. A G4 desktop, hardwired via ethernet, and a G5 iMac which connects wirelessly. I have been moving my workstation about somewhat recently due to decorating requirements, and the two machines are now in their final, (he said hopefully), resting place. The iMac is at the back of the house and the G4 at the front (both on ground floor approx 15 metres distance apart). The G4 has no airport card.
Due to a very thick stone wall (0.75 metre) the imac now has trouble connecting, in fact it will not connect at all unless I move the router to a small toilet room which partially avoids the thick wall, this is unsightly, with cables in unwanted places, and still doesn’t get a reliable connection, if at all.
So I need an alternative solution, I suggest the following options with questions:
1) Airport card (or extreme, what’s the difference?) for the G4, site router in hall other side of stone wall from G4. I know this position connects fine for the iMac because this is where my workstation was sighted previously.
2) Homeplugs, do these need to be on the same ring main circuit, if not does it degrade the connection?
3) Is there a booster available for the router which I could site elswhere?
4) Any other solution?

imac is 10.5, G4 is 10.4

thanks for your interest and any response

[acme.mail.order]

Stone wall, or brick wall? Can you drill through a mortar joint? If it's your place and not a listed structure you can get a concrete company to bore a 2cm hole in an unobtrusive place for the cable. Outside is another possibility.

Got carpet? flat ethernet cable. I've got a 20m cable going to the back room under the flooring.

[towerpower]

It’s a stone wall, wouldn’t consider drilling, I have an SDS drill but you would need a massive bit plus morter is irregular so bit wanders. Also I have no carpet. IMac connects wirelessly through stone wall (from same pos as G4) therefore card should work?
thanks

[acme.mail.order]

Does it connect well? As in full signal strength? If yes, then all you need is a better antenna. on the G4. Go to a place that deals with office networks.

I never meant that you would do any drilling - 75 cm of irregular stone and mortar is a job for the pros, but they'll make it look so easy you will be tempted to try it next time.

[towerpower]

Yesthe iMac appears to connect ok with a full strength signal, just tried it a few hours ago. Is there an antenna on the G4?, isn’t this what an airport card would provide? Did you mean a bigger antenna on the router?

[acme.mail.order]

On the G4. Any wireless device has an antenna. If you get full signal strength with the iMac in the same location then the router is fine.

[towerpower]

Cross purposes here, I think. Yes the router is ok and the imac with built in Airport work in tandem in the required positions. Are you saying the G4 already has an antenna built in and that the addition of an Airport card will use this antenna?

[acme.mail.order]

My bad - confusing the models.

If you add a wireless card it will have an antenna. Some Macs have the antenna built in and you just need to hook it up. You then have the option of plugging in a different antenna.

You can also configure an Airport Extreme (and likely other base stations) as a network extender. You just need power - it will re-broadcast the wifi.

[bramley]

2) Homeplugs, do these need to be on the same ring main circuit, if not does it degrade the connection?

Shouldn't be a problem - if there is a serious problem then something else is going on. As a rule there's not much point in asking people outside Britain what they think of ring mains. They are not allowed in their countries.

Homeplugs need to be on the same phase though - but most houses are single phase.

[mclbruce]

An Airport card would probably not be a good idea for a G4. I think they are the older, slower 802.11b spec, which would be kind of slow.

For putting the router in the hall, where it used to be, you might be able to find a PCI card for your G4 like this one:

http://macwireless.com/html/products/wireless_cards/11g_11b_cards/11gPCI.php

I have used macwireless before and they are OK, but they are in California, which is a long way from you. Shipping could be expensive.

Another wifi option for your G4 is an external box with antenna, blinking lights, and an Ethernet connection. These are often called game adaptors but WiFi bridge is the more technical term. Netgear has one that's reasonably priced here in the US. It can be set up from a web browser on the G4, which is good to look for on one of these devices.

http://www.netgear.com/home/products/hometheater/networking-for-home-theater-and-gaming/WNCE2001.aspx

[NovaScotian]

...As a rule there's not much point in asking people outside Britain what they think of ring mains. They are not allowed in their countries...

Other countries (Canada included) didn't have to rebuild after WWII while facing a severe shortage of copper.

[towerpower]

thanks guys, I’ll have a think then make a decision based on your comments

[agentx]

By far the best way to be connected is wired.

I do not advise getting an Apple Airport card for old Mac's as often it will not support all the modern encryption and n speeds etc. You may be better off with a PCI card with Antennas etc As far as adding Apple Network hardware into the mix i advise not doing this....i am of the school of All Apple network hardware or none ;-)

One way to get round the issue. Is a mix of Powerline/ or Run a cable and an extra Wifi Access Point.

Netgear > Ethernet cable > (2 x Powerline or Hard wired) > Ethernet > Wifi Access Point.

[towerpower]

Bit the bullet and purchased the following wireless card:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Airport-Extreme-Wireless-G-PCI-Card-APPLE-PowerMAC-MAC-/200566365489?pt=UK_Computing_Other_Computing_Networking&hash=item2eb2afdd31

Cost £11.99, fitted in minutes, configured in a few more minutes. Glad I didn’t go for the old apple Airport card based on advice given. Signal is about half strength but think I can improve this by fine tuning position of router.

thanks for advice