Airport Extreme on OS 8.6?

The Great Waka · Mar 4th, 2003, 05:03 PM

At school, we just set up an Airport Extreme network. Problem is, our server is At Ease and all the computers are running OS8.6 only, including the powerbooks. Is there some way to make Airport work on 8.6? Apple says it only works on 9.4 and above or something, but there must be a work-around. Any ideas?

monokitty · Mar 4th, 2003, 05:41 PM

Best thing to do is to update all your Macs to 9.2.x or 9.x. Not only does it give you official AirPort Extreme access, but it also improves your network of Macs + network performance.

The Great Waka · Mar 4th, 2003, 06:06 PM

No can do...that would require us to completly update our network, which means licences, which means more money than we have...

MACSPECTRUM · Mar 4th, 2003, 07:37 PM

Contact the vendor and switch the Extreme model for the Regular model.

MACSPECTRUM · Mar 4th, 2003, 07:37 PM

*** duplicate post ***

PosterBoy · Mar 5th, 2003, 01:31 AM

AirPort was introduced with the first iBooks which were first running OS 8.6.

Will the AirPort Admin Utility not recognise the drive? I am pretty sure you can still get the older AirPort software from Apple's website.

There is a good chance that the older AirPort Admin Utility wont work with the Extreme Bast Station because of the newer features (specifically the USB Print Server).

That said, when you plug the ABS into your network, it is set up by default as a Hub (so no IP distribution) and with WEP Off so the network is accessable right away.

Now I can't say for sure with the newer AEBS, but I would assume that the default mode for the AEBS is "Compatibility", which allows connections either over 802.11b (AirPort) or 802.11g (AirPort Extreme). So long as there is some security at the router/computer level everything should work jim dandy until you can get a machine in there to correctly adminster the AEBS.

Either that, or go back to the vendor and request one of the v2 ABS models, the Snow model with the LAN Port.

--PB

Kosh · Mar 5th, 2003, 11:01 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by The Great Waka:
At school, we just set up an Airport Extreme network. Problem is, our server is At Ease and all the computers are running OS8.6 only, including the powerbooks. Is there some way to make Airport work on 8.6? Apple says it only works on 9.4 and above or something, but there must be a work-around. Any ideas?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Why would you setup an airport extreme network with a bunch of old Macs? Old Macs can't use the new airport extreme cards (you'd have to buy third party cards which have just become available) so I'm assuming all the old Macs have normal airport cards which makes an airport extreme network useless. So in other words you are not even utilizing airport extreme, unless you have a new 12" or 17" Powerbook or a new PowerMac with Firewire 800.

As Lars suggested, why not just get a normal Airport Base station. That way it's compatible with what you have and any future Macs you purchase.

I'm also surprised that airport extreme would work with Mac OS 9.2.2 (there is no Mac OS 9.4), I would assume it requires Mac OS 10.2 or higher as the new hardware that uses it, only boots into Mac OS 10.2.x.

The Great Waka · Mar 5th, 2003, 12:03 PM

Regular works with OS 8.6?

PosterBoy · Mar 5th, 2003, 02:16 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kosh:
I'm also surprised that airport extreme would work with Mac OS 9.2.2 (there is no Mac OS 9.4), I would assume it requires Mac OS 10.2 or higher as the new hardware that uses it, only boots into Mac OS 10.2.x.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

to get the higher speeds that AirPort Extreme can use you would have to have either A) an Apple AirPort Extreme Card which will only work in a new machine which will only boot OS X, or B) a third party 802.11g card. As to whether you can find one of those for OS 9, I dont know. Probably not.

However, the older AirPort cards can still surf an 802.11g network, which is a good thing, because Apple Doesn't sell the older ABS any more.

The big issue is whether the older AirPort Admin Utility will adminsiter the new AEBS, which I don't believe it will.

--PB

MACSPECTRUM · Mar 5th, 2003, 07:22 PM

Kosh typed:
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> As Lars suggested, why not just get a normal Airport Base station. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ahem, Lars?

re: getting a Regular ABS. I am sure there is "someone" out here that would gladly exchange your AEBS for an ABS.