Replacement 3ctop Extreme Card Airport Wireless Card For Mac

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• Using the command line: ioreg -r -n ARPT The line starting with IOName will have a value of pciVVVV,DDDD Where VVVV is the vendor ID and DDDD the device ID. For example: \'IOName\' = \'pci14e4,43ba\' If you google those you\'ll find the corresponding vendor and model. Make Offer - Genuine Apple Airport Extreme Card 802.11n For All Mac Pro AR5BXB112 607-7211-A Apple Airport Extreme Bluetooth Combo Card G4, G5 and Mac Mini A1126 $7.99.

  I just installed a WiFi card in a and thought I’d share the ease of installation on my website. In my case, I installed it in my pride and joy, a 8-core Mac Pro 2008 model (Mac Pro 3,1) which kicks ass, but it works on newer models as well. As long as it’s a a model before the new late 2013 model (the fancy trash bin).For this WiFi upgrade I used the, found at Amazon new for $25, which MacOS X recognizes instantly – so no need for crazy drivers and weird WiFi apps. The Mac Pro, made out a metal alloy, has two build in WiFi antenna’s and this setup will pick up on 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz WiFi (if the same card is being used). Why use a internal WiFi card?Installing such a WiFi card is obviously less practical than just plugging in a USB WiFi dongle.

  Economic Theory in Retrospect Pdf. E-Book Review and Description: This could be a historic previous of monetary thought from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes – nevertheless it is a historic previous with a distinction. Firstly, it is a historic previous of monetary precept, not of monetary doctrines, that is, it is persistently focused on. Economic theory in retrospect pdf.

  So why did I use this card?Unfortunately, USB WiFi dongles by our much appreciated Chinese friends, are not automatically recognized by Mac OS X and often come with specific drivers and specific software to connect to your WiFi network. In y experience, these applications work not even close to the convenience you’ll enjoy when Mac OS X natively supports you WiFi. So in my opinion: well worth the effort and not even that more expensive.

  Installing WiFi in a Mac Pro steps With some pictures I’ll illustrate how I installed the WiFi card in my Mac Pro. The main reason why I’m describing it here is because when I Google’d it, the resulting pages still confused me a little bit. Step 1 – Open the Mac ProApple fans that actually open their equipment will agree with me: Apple doesn’t just do great design on the outside. The inner-workings of your Apple is a work of art as well. When will PC manufacturers follow this example?First make sure to unplug your power cord!Use an ESD strap if you have one, or touch something metal that is grounded (radiator for example) to prevent static discharges.Opening a Mac Pro is easy: look at the back and pull the lever you’ll find there.Once pulled the side panel can be removed – no need for force or screwdrivers.Keep the lever extended – otherwise you’ll lock the drive bays. Mac Pro WiFi Slot (B) and Screw holes (A)You will see a tiny black wire, marked “ BT” running from the Bluetooth card to somewhere under the motherboard.Follow this wire and try to find a set of 3 thin black wires, marked “ 1“, “ 2” and “ 3“.I found it to be a small challenge to actually find these wires, you’ll recognize their endings (see illustration above) will have small plastic sleeves over them.If you can’t find them right away: don’t worry, they are there, but probably tucked away really well. Step 4 – Connecting the Antenna wires.

  Tip on connecting the antenna wires One of our visitors (Dan) suggested an alternative approach, which may or may not save you some headaches:– First install the Wifi card first in the slot, and secure the 2 screws– Next align wire/pin3 and push it down using the eraser end of a pencil, you will hear tiny click– And after that do same for wire/pin1When you’ve found these 3 wires: we only need the two wires marked “ 1” and “ 3“.If you look at your WiFi card, then you’ll see that one side has two round connectors on the top. Make sure this side faces UP.Hold the card in the position, as if it would be in the WiFi Card slot and you’ll notice that the two wires (marked “ 1” and “ 3“) are not equal in length and kind-a line up with these two round connectors.

  These connectors are, as you might have guessed, the antenna connectors. Connect the wires to the board.Connecting these wires might take a little effort, they are tiny, are a pain to line up correctly and need some extra pressure to make the connection “click”.I have seen people suggesting the use of a plier for this, but I really cannot recommend this.Just practice patience and use your fingers and try clicking them in place until the “stick” and stay in place. Screwing the WiFi card downBefore continuing: Make sure you didn’t by accident disconnect the Bluetooth antenna wire. Step 6 – Close your Mac ProThe next step is obvious: Reassemble your Mac Pro.Re-insert the drive bays,put the panel back on the side andpush the lever on the back of your Mac pro, back into it’s closed position. Step 7 – Does it work?Now reconnect your power (and other cables, if you removed any) and power up your Mac pro to see if WiFi works.First got to “ System Preferences” “ Network“. Once the window opens a message like this will appear.

  Donation optionsDonations are very much appreciated, but not required. Donations will be used for web-hosting expenses, project hardware or a motivational boost (a drink or snack). Thank you very much for those have donated already! It\'s truly AwEsOmE to see that folks like our articles and small applications.Please note that clicking affliate links, like the ones from Amazon, may result in a small commission for us - which we highly appreciate as well. ( 1D3NepyQgb7w86T5VPzCECLz9sWR6hXEPn )( qr4jlaulcuwnjkzr39sz6tgv2dgtgrkdsgs9sgwwxp ). Hi Salsabil!I can imagine that there are several different Mac Pro version out there, and that one or the other has it’s wires laying around rather goofy.

  

  You might want to look and compare your Mac Pro model with the model I’m using here, and if the wires have been in a weird spot by accident (ie. Looped behind something etc.).If you motherboard looks the same as mine, then I’m sure it’s a matter of wires just laying in the case wrong.If your motherboard is different (look at the mounting points for the WiFi card), then I’d wonder if this trick would work for you.hans. Looking closely at one of your pictures that shows wires 1 & 3 with their label tags showing, there’s a third wire with a clear plastic sheath on the end (I have one of these too, unlabeled as far as I can see) that appears to be positioned on or very close to the uppermost mounting post screw hole?This pic is upside-down (?) as the card’s slot tab is at left where when I have my MB exposed the slot is on the right, the mounting posts to the left, antenna wires are above all this at MB’d edge.spc. Hey no problem Hans! With a little help (from my friends!) I can work out the stuff ‘between the lines’!Just wish I had the eyes of a 15-year-old again & fingers as nimble as, well the folks who put these things together for a living!Wire #1 went on with a modest click, wire #2 with a prolonged struggle.

  BUT IT WORKS!!! Connected on the first boot-up but I suspect I’ll have to re-start my APeXtreme as I’m having issues with its USB-connected drive that has some shared volumes. I CAN log into my MP though from my rMBP which was the whole idea getting wireless into the MP.Thanks for the how-to!spc. Thanks for the excellent process. Some minor differences for me that may help others.I ordered the Airport wifi module from OWC. Yes it cost a bit more, but it came with the screws and magnetic screwdrivers and a spunger, all of a which helped immensely. The module I received has three antenna terminals so I used all three antenna wires.My MacPro (2009, dual quad core Xeon) system board did not match the pictures above.

  The Airport slot was actually under the processor/memory module which comes out easily when you flip the two levers. The wires were right there; no hunting necessary. I found it easier to mount the Airport module first, then attach the antennas, but it was still a laborious process. I held the wire with a needle-nose pliers and used the spunger to clip them onto the terminals.Works perfectly. Maximum bars through three walls and a mirror, even with the tower on the floor.I have a picture but it won’t paste into this reply.Michael Haas. Your Mac Pro 3,1 is an early 2008 model – the same model I have (had). (see also: )So this WiFi card would allow you to connect to your AppleTV.However you would not need it to connect to your AppleTV.Your AppleTV can connect through WiFi or through an Ethernet cable to your modem/router.Your Mac Pro can do the same, either with an Ethernet cable or through WiFi (the latter would require this card) to the same router/modem.But you can mix the connection types.

  For example: Mac Pro with a wire and AppleTV wireless.Both just need to be connected somehow to the same modem/router.hans. Hi Dee,I unfortunately no longer have a Mac Pro – I only have MacBook Pro’s.If I’d have to guess then I would say installing Bluetooth will be as easy as WiFi – maybe finding the right module might be harder. The order in which you install it, should not matter, but if I’d have to install both, then I’d insert the BT card first, then the WiFi card, and after that start my Mac Pro to see if both work.On that note: I have never used Bluetooth on my Mac Pro, just once to see if it actually works.

  For my laptops however, Bluetooth is used quite often (mouse).hans. This worked perfectly for me on a Mac Pro 1.1 with an Apple Airport Extreme Card 802.11n MB988z/A card. I had tried a USB wifi solution but the speed was terrible.

  Following your instructions, am now getting 2x the speed with the internal card as I was with the USB solution and 3x what I was getting using a powerline connection. I initially hesitated on which wire went where given the comments, but I too found that wires 1 and 3 worked and that connecting the shorter of the two the near post and longer to the far one as you state was in fact the right solution. Also, I got no System pop up on the new hardware, perhaps because I had already tried the USB solution so the machine had a wifi connection already recognized. But it worked the first time.

  Thank you!Tim. Hey, I wanted to just drop a line to just say: great tutorial, thanks and congrats love the images, I wish all posts were written so well;)I do have a couple quick questions if anyone has an answer, fire away! The stock Mac Pro 2,1 came with WIFI+BT module, but apparently that card doesn’t support Airdrop. Now both my BT and WIFI work fine, but I was wondering if anyone knew a card that will support Airport for sure (ie. You have installed it in your mac pro 2,1 or you have seen it installed and working in one).That said, do you guys know what type that expansion slot is?

  PCIE 1x?I found, but I figured I’d ask before getting anything;DThanks in advance for any info you can shareCheers!freakqnc. Hi Freakqnc,Happy Easter!I’ll be looking forward to see what others find when it comes to using Airdrop with older Mac models.I agree with your view on the lack of support for older, yet very capable, Mac’s. Not to mention older iPhones and iPads. It’s nice hardware, but with policies like this they end up not being used anymore (how environmental friendly is that?).Granted; the Windows world enjoys a similar mess and in all my years, when I was a Windows user, I probably spend more than $1K/yr on upgrades and the initial hardware would not be cheaper than Apple hardware either. Plus the added issues and instabilities I guess there is no winning as a user.hans. Happy Easter to you HansI couldn’t agree moreUnfortunately users are at the mercy of whatever the hardware/OS companies will decide even Linux has its many drawbacks (one of them being the need to geek-up in CLI commands if one really want to get things working and in that Mac OSX hacking isn’t far behind) which won’t make it a win for the end user eitherSide digression: That said I had far more luck with installing Windows 7 for instance on many older PCs which can be done natively and without hacks that can’t be said of Apple hardware not supporting anything past 10.7.5.

  Additionally in Windows’ defense, that’s an OS that when compared to Apple, it supports an amount of hardware (from Motherboards to CPUs, to Graphics cards, to various other expansion cards, peripherals and accessories) that is greater than Mac OS X by several orders of magnitude. Thanks!Yep, you went a little off-topic there.But I agree. In the end, I do like and dislike both (MacOS X and Windows) each for it’s own reasons.Even though I must say that I started to use MacOS X as a Windows user, just as an experiment about 8 years ago. It was supposed to last a week.Due to the closed eco-system, Mac has proven to cause much less problems than Windows, unless we start talking about gaming and exotic hardware – that’s where Windows remains master and ruler. Something that has cost me a lot of money over the years, is the endless upgrading from Windows 95 up to Windows 8. I just got tired of shelling out the cash. XP worked just fine for me.Anyhoo I’ve tried to find applications for old hardware, for example for used smartphones.

  After all, it’s still good stuff to work with, so why toss it? So if you have ideas for repurposing old hardware – let me know hans. Odd, there aren’t any reply buttons on your last reply message (the one marked Mar 28, 2016 – 4:46 AM) Sorry for going off-topic I guess I took a walk on the geek sideI hear you about continuing to throw money at PC hardware, though now the same is true with Mac sadly with the diff that one can’t find decent hardware at affordable price point to use as an upgrade. I got new machines for an Architecture firm and the average Xeon-based workstations with SSDs was just below 1k.

  I could’ve never done the same with macs. Also I was able to add some cheap upgrades on the older Pentium 4 (last gen) machines removed from that office and repurpose them as digital learning stations at a primary school. Tips for up-cycling old PCs: donating to non-profits as office PCs, or donating them to schools, orphanages, or similar institution that could benefit from repurposing those machine they got for free. If they are still decently powerful PCs max out RAM, put in the best (though cheapest) HDMI graphics card you can get your hands on, add the cheapest SSD you can buy and install Openelec on it to use that PC as a cheap home theater system. Although the upgrade might cost you the same as getting a Raspberry Pi 3 you would still have a more powerful PC in the end can always have 2 partitions and use one for HTPC and the other as lightweight office/web.To go bak on topic now I haven’t got the Airport working and feels like something might be missing at hardware level I don’t get the choices below the “Airdrop lets you shareblah blah where I could select ‘everyone’ as an option” imgI made sure on my macbook pro the iPad was being seen to rule out any possibility of a failure on depending on the iOS device. So I am now thinking to get one of the supported cards. Finger crossed then!Cheers and thanks again!freakqnc.

  Hi FreakqncOh the missing reply button is to prevent discussion going deeper than 5 levels. On some screens, if you go deeper than 5 levels, things become unreadable No worries about going off-topic – the geeks-die is a good side.Well, the price difference has it’s reasons.

  When I compare Mac hardware, with similar priced PC hardware, then they are pretty close, and sometimes Apple is even cheaper. However Apple has to compete with super cheap PC’s as well. Mostly cheap and plastic, but functional none-the-less.

  I hear ya though I’m looking forward to the new MacBook Pro, but not so much to the price tag I usually sell my hardware when it’s still current. If not, then I give it away to people I know. But orphanages is a very cool idea!

  I like that!Let us know if you found a WiFi card that would work with AirDrop right away – I’m sure others would be interested.If you’d like to talk further on the off-topic topic, PM me or use the forum – I check daily if there is anything new.hans. Thank you SO much, for this super easy & great tutorial. I have been struggling with slow & inconsistent internet for over a year, & tried several different USB adapters, that didn’t seem to help at all. I was skeptical that I could install the WiFi card myself, as Mac’s are pretty new to me& I’m not a computer genius anyhow. Well in less than 30 minutes, I not only had the card installed, but was able to access the internet much easier & with greater speed & consistency than ever before.

  Thank you for the suggestion on the card, as well as the easy to follow instructions. Today is going to be even greater, as I will have better internet to get work done. Thank you.Travis. This was very helpful, but I might add a few comments.1.

  A headlamp is very helpful when doing this.2. On my MacPro (2009) the antennas are located further down in the machine, near what I suppose is the power supply, etc. The frame there is easy to remove by raising two levers.

  This gives a lot more room, but still not enough. (Sorry I can’t be more precise. I’m new to this stuff.)3. The wires don’t seem to line up with the connectors.

  I had to cross the (1) and (3) to get them to the right place.4. After struggling with the connections for a while it occurred to me that it would be easier to screw the card in first, so I didn’t have to hold it. That didn’t make it simple, but I got it done, using the tip of a small screwdriver to move the antennas around until they were on the connectors and then pressing down with the tip to attach them. Fingers didn’t work for me.5. As I said, I’m new to this, but I got it done, and it worked, though there was a lot of cursing along the way.

  Stick with it and good luck.byomtov. Just wanted to say ‘Thanks!’ for guiding me through this.Found a lovely, loaded early 2008 eight-core Mac Pro from a restorer near Chicago – it’s replacing a heavily used 2008 MacBook that is reaching the end of it’s life. I was surprised to realize the unit (which was everything it was advertised to be) had no Wi-Fi! Mushy listing reading on my part.Anyway, I had set aside a couple of Airport Extreme cards pulled from old macs before recycling and, to my delight, one of them was the right type!

  Your instructions were clear and quite helpful.Your post is a “gift that keeps giving”.J Terry. Hi Nina!Awesome to hear that this guide helpedAs for the unit being defective or not; It could be that the module does not have BT on board – one would need to determine the exact product number (unclear in the eBay description) to be able to Google it and see the specifications.I would expect, if both WiFi and BT are on the card, antenna connected or not, that your Mac would automatically identify both. Even though you might not be able to connect to anything (if antenna’s are wrong or not connected). Did WiFi work? (look under System Settings - Network)Can you read the specs of the card (probably very small print).hans.

  Hi all, and thanks for replying.So, after doing an SMC and PRAM reboot as well as SAFE mode restart, my wifi is now back. But still no BT.ive tried to reset the bluetooth (by Optio-Shift-Bluetooth – Debug – Reset Bluetooth) but still, no success. I can turn it OFF an ON, but no BT devices appear in my list.i hae a BT mouse and Keyboard but neither of those are being seen.At least wifi is workingWhen i do a System Report, and look at Bleutooth, it says something weird: “cambridge Silicon Radio” – i thought mine was Broadcomm!

  Hi Lawrence,good to hear that you’re making progress and tanks for posting the idea to reset SMC and PRAM – I had not thought about that.As for your BT, the device seems legit and correct. I found the same info in an.Bluetooth USB Host Controller:Product ID: 0x8206Vendor ID: 0x05ac (Apple Inc.)Version: 19.65Speed: Up to 12 Mb/secManufacturer: Apple Inc.Location ID: 0x1a100000 / 2Current Available (mA): 500Current Required (mA): 0Bluetooth USB Host Controller:Product ID: 0x8206Vendor ID: 0x05ac (Apple Inc.)Version: 19.65Speed: Up to 12 Mb/secManufacturer: Apple Inc.Location ID: 0x1a100000 / 2Current Available (mA): 500Current Required (mA): 0Does any of this look familiar to you? If yes then we might be looking at a different problem. Is the antenna cable still connected for example?hans. I installed my wifi card last night. I am a little annoyed that the card on Amazon showed it as an apple product and the photo showed apple FCC ID as well.

  However, what arrived was a “blank” card. Still installed fine and I am happy to be connected to the internet with my Mac Pro 2008 early edition.

  This is the longest I’ve ever had a computer.I could not connect the antennae wires myself. I did screw the card down and then handed it off to my wife. Pro Tip, lay your iphone on the chasis and turn the flashlight on. The more light the better.

  She has smaller hands and was able to get the wires to snap on. Pay attention and let the wire come “from the top” of the card rather than going across it, because the chipset may get in the way of the connector seating properly.

  While it doesn’t matter which node the 1 and 3 wires go to, obviously connect the shorter one to the closer node so you have more play with the further node.David. I know this is long after you did this, but maybe you have insights or links you can share.I upgraded my 2009 4,1 to a new airport/bluetooth card from OSXWiFi. Almost everything went fine. EXCEPT that of the three built in antennae wires (including the hidden #2 wire not used in the stock card) I ruined the connector on #2. I must have bent it all out of shape and then trying to fix it made matters worse. I mean, as you know they are nearly impossible to reach or see with human fingers.

  After an entire fruitless evening, I’ve given up.My question is this: Do you know if and how that #2 cable can be replaced? Or, maybe better, is there a workaround by attaching a different antennae to the card connector that I can just mount to the case (to avoid a complete teardown)? I dont know the differences between the three cables or what they connect to and cannot find any info anywhere. My wifi is working even with just two, but obviously the third antennae would improve matters.Any help is appreciated.Signed,Big Clumsy FingersJavier Bonafont. Hi Javier,These things happen to the best of us.I’m not familiar with the OSXWIFI cards, did see one one though.As far as I know, these cables are usually shielded cables. So there is an other “mantle” for shielding and a center wire for the signal.So I’m afraid it either takes patience to reconstruct the cable/connector without making a short, which is what I’d do if I had time and the right tools.OR you could contact the seller and ask for a replacement cable. The look pretty standard and a manufacturer should have plenty of those.

  Of course, when it is just a simple reseller, this may or may not be the case. I’d start with contacting the seller before getting frustrated with the tiny wiresI’ve had similar incidents and the have dealt with sellers that were very friendly and helpful. Worse case they’d charge $5 for a cable or something like that.If it helps, tell him you’re placing his link in one of these comments (you’ve got my approval if it helps).hans. Hi Hans.Sorry, I guess I wasn’t clear. Its not a cable attached to the upgrade airport card, its the internal MacPro cable that I’ve ruined, one of the three antennae cables that comes up next to the airport card. So the stock card just used #1 and #3, and #2 was hidden under the card. The upgrade card needs all three (plus a bluetooth antennae, but thats another matter).

  So I got I and 3 attached but #2 I’ve messed up. Only about an inch of that cable comes out, and its awkward to even get at, so I can’t even get a good look at it without major teardown. Its an antennae, so it probably goes somewhere, but 1)I dont know where and 2)Not sure how to get there, but maybe if anyone knows what the #2 antennae is like I can just plug in a different, similar one to the card and just forget that broken cable? What do the internal MacPro antennae even look like and where are they? Are all three in the same spot? Really, I know nothing about wifi antennas or why 3 of them are necessary, but any advice appreciated.

  Thanks again!Javier Bonafont. Hi Javier,my bad for misinterpreting. I tend to read the messages here in the morning with a cup of coffee, maybe I should have finished the coffee before replying, so I would have been more awake Well, ideally you’d replace the cable of course. I’m pretty sure it will be a standard cable (I found and noticed that has them as well). In the pictures (of the 2 links I just gave) you can see that the other end could be just a small PCB functioning as an antenna coil.Having said that; tearing down the entire Mac is a lot of work for a little cable – I haven’t seen any pictures where the other end of the cable leads to.

  So it may be a small thing, or a big thing However, with a cable where the end is a small PCB antenna, you may be able to position that little PCB differently, and more accessible, in the case of your Mac, which could mean that you don’t have to tear down the Mac entirely. Funny, I just bought that exact NewEgg antenna last night, after lots of fruitless searches for details of what the mac pro antenna 2 looked like. Its so infuriating that this kind of basic component information is so hard to come. So I figured I had zero to lose by plugging in a $5 antenna and seeing if it works. Can’t hurt anyway.

  Wish there was a better system than hit and miss, but I guess thats what it is.:-)So as for it working with 2 out of 3, it works now slightly less fast than the original card (which used the same two antenna), so having spent the time and money to get the upgrade for slightly worse performance seems like a poor bargain, so I’m going to hope the third antenna does the trick. Wish me luck when it arrives that I dont do some other boneheaded destruction.

  Thanks for the help, and I’m reassured that my choice of antenna is not entirely stupid if its one you would try also. (btw, there are two in the kit, with slightly different numbers visible in the photos, so i’m guessing one is 2.4g and the other 5g?

  Any guess which might be the right one to use? Or, most likely, hit and miss again i suppose.)Javier Bonafont. Hey there!Well, as far as I can see, your Mac Pro should have these cables.I did find a and they are talking about the same wires as well.What could be is that the wires are tucked away somewhere.You may have to look under/behind the DVD/CDRom drive(s) slots, or maybe they have been shoved under the mainboard.Additional info can be found at the, (which can be useful to find alternative cards)Just in case the cables are really nowhere to be found; I do recall these cables to be for sale separately, like (you may have to consult Mr. Google).Hope this info helps.hans.

  ...'>Replacement 3ctop Extreme Card Airport Wireless Card For Mac(29.04.2020)

• Using the command line: ioreg -r -n ARPT The line starting with IOName will have a value of pciVVVV,DDDD Where VVVV is the vendor ID and DDDD the device ID. For example: \'IOName\' = \'pci14e4,43ba\' If you google those you\'ll find the corresponding vendor and model. Make Offer - Genuine Apple Airport Extreme Card 802.11n For All Mac Pro AR5BXB112 607-7211-A Apple Airport Extreme Bluetooth Combo Card G4, G5 and Mac Mini A1126 $7.99.

  I just installed a WiFi card in a and thought I’d share the ease of installation on my website. In my case, I installed it in my pride and joy, a 8-core Mac Pro 2008 model (Mac Pro 3,1) which kicks ass, but it works on newer models as well. As long as it’s a a model before the new late 2013 model (the fancy trash bin).For this WiFi upgrade I used the, found at Amazon new for $25, which MacOS X recognizes instantly – so no need for crazy drivers and weird WiFi apps. The Mac Pro, made out a metal alloy, has two build in WiFi antenna’s and this setup will pick up on 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz WiFi (if the same card is being used). Why use a internal WiFi card?Installing such a WiFi card is obviously less practical than just plugging in a USB WiFi dongle.

  Economic Theory in Retrospect Pdf. E-Book Review and Description: This could be a historic previous of monetary thought from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes – nevertheless it is a historic previous with a distinction. Firstly, it is a historic previous of monetary precept, not of monetary doctrines, that is, it is persistently focused on. Economic theory in retrospect pdf.

  So why did I use this card?Unfortunately, USB WiFi dongles by our much appreciated Chinese friends, are not automatically recognized by Mac OS X and often come with specific drivers and specific software to connect to your WiFi network. In y experience, these applications work not even close to the convenience you’ll enjoy when Mac OS X natively supports you WiFi. So in my opinion: well worth the effort and not even that more expensive.

  Installing WiFi in a Mac Pro steps With some pictures I’ll illustrate how I installed the WiFi card in my Mac Pro. The main reason why I’m describing it here is because when I Google’d it, the resulting pages still confused me a little bit. Step 1 – Open the Mac ProApple fans that actually open their equipment will agree with me: Apple doesn’t just do great design on the outside. The inner-workings of your Apple is a work of art as well. When will PC manufacturers follow this example?First make sure to unplug your power cord!Use an ESD strap if you have one, or touch something metal that is grounded (radiator for example) to prevent static discharges.Opening a Mac Pro is easy: look at the back and pull the lever you’ll find there.Once pulled the side panel can be removed – no need for force or screwdrivers.Keep the lever extended – otherwise you’ll lock the drive bays. Mac Pro WiFi Slot (B) and Screw holes (A)You will see a tiny black wire, marked “ BT” running from the Bluetooth card to somewhere under the motherboard.Follow this wire and try to find a set of 3 thin black wires, marked “ 1“, “ 2” and “ 3“.I found it to be a small challenge to actually find these wires, you’ll recognize their endings (see illustration above) will have small plastic sleeves over them.If you can’t find them right away: don’t worry, they are there, but probably tucked away really well. Step 4 – Connecting the Antenna wires.

  Tip on connecting the antenna wires One of our visitors (Dan) suggested an alternative approach, which may or may not save you some headaches:– First install the Wifi card first in the slot, and secure the 2 screws– Next align wire/pin3 and push it down using the eraser end of a pencil, you will hear tiny click– And after that do same for wire/pin1When you’ve found these 3 wires: we only need the two wires marked “ 1” and “ 3“.If you look at your WiFi card, then you’ll see that one side has two round connectors on the top. Make sure this side faces UP.Hold the card in the position, as if it would be in the WiFi Card slot and you’ll notice that the two wires (marked “ 1” and “ 3“) are not equal in length and kind-a line up with these two round connectors.

  These connectors are, as you might have guessed, the antenna connectors. Connect the wires to the board.Connecting these wires might take a little effort, they are tiny, are a pain to line up correctly and need some extra pressure to make the connection “click”.I have seen people suggesting the use of a plier for this, but I really cannot recommend this.Just practice patience and use your fingers and try clicking them in place until the “stick” and stay in place. Screwing the WiFi card downBefore continuing: Make sure you didn’t by accident disconnect the Bluetooth antenna wire. Step 6 – Close your Mac ProThe next step is obvious: Reassemble your Mac Pro.Re-insert the drive bays,put the panel back on the side andpush the lever on the back of your Mac pro, back into it’s closed position. Step 7 – Does it work?Now reconnect your power (and other cables, if you removed any) and power up your Mac pro to see if WiFi works.First got to “ System Preferences” “ Network“. Once the window opens a message like this will appear.

  Donation optionsDonations are very much appreciated, but not required. Donations will be used for web-hosting expenses, project hardware or a motivational boost (a drink or snack). Thank you very much for those have donated already! It\'s truly AwEsOmE to see that folks like our articles and small applications.Please note that clicking affliate links, like the ones from Amazon, may result in a small commission for us - which we highly appreciate as well. ( 1D3NepyQgb7w86T5VPzCECLz9sWR6hXEPn )( qr4jlaulcuwnjkzr39sz6tgv2dgtgrkdsgs9sgwwxp ). Hi Salsabil!I can imagine that there are several different Mac Pro version out there, and that one or the other has it’s wires laying around rather goofy.

  

  You might want to look and compare your Mac Pro model with the model I’m using here, and if the wires have been in a weird spot by accident (ie. Looped behind something etc.).If you motherboard looks the same as mine, then I’m sure it’s a matter of wires just laying in the case wrong.If your motherboard is different (look at the mounting points for the WiFi card), then I’d wonder if this trick would work for you.hans. Looking closely at one of your pictures that shows wires 1 & 3 with their label tags showing, there’s a third wire with a clear plastic sheath on the end (I have one of these too, unlabeled as far as I can see) that appears to be positioned on or very close to the uppermost mounting post screw hole?This pic is upside-down (?) as the card’s slot tab is at left where when I have my MB exposed the slot is on the right, the mounting posts to the left, antenna wires are above all this at MB’d edge.spc. Hey no problem Hans! With a little help (from my friends!) I can work out the stuff ‘between the lines’!Just wish I had the eyes of a 15-year-old again & fingers as nimble as, well the folks who put these things together for a living!Wire #1 went on with a modest click, wire #2 with a prolonged struggle.

  BUT IT WORKS!!! Connected on the first boot-up but I suspect I’ll have to re-start my APeXtreme as I’m having issues with its USB-connected drive that has some shared volumes. I CAN log into my MP though from my rMBP which was the whole idea getting wireless into the MP.Thanks for the how-to!spc. Thanks for the excellent process. Some minor differences for me that may help others.I ordered the Airport wifi module from OWC. Yes it cost a bit more, but it came with the screws and magnetic screwdrivers and a spunger, all of a which helped immensely. The module I received has three antenna terminals so I used all three antenna wires.My MacPro (2009, dual quad core Xeon) system board did not match the pictures above.

  The Airport slot was actually under the processor/memory module which comes out easily when you flip the two levers. The wires were right there; no hunting necessary. I found it easier to mount the Airport module first, then attach the antennas, but it was still a laborious process. I held the wire with a needle-nose pliers and used the spunger to clip them onto the terminals.Works perfectly. Maximum bars through three walls and a mirror, even with the tower on the floor.I have a picture but it won’t paste into this reply.Michael Haas. Your Mac Pro 3,1 is an early 2008 model – the same model I have (had). (see also: )So this WiFi card would allow you to connect to your AppleTV.However you would not need it to connect to your AppleTV.Your AppleTV can connect through WiFi or through an Ethernet cable to your modem/router.Your Mac Pro can do the same, either with an Ethernet cable or through WiFi (the latter would require this card) to the same router/modem.But you can mix the connection types.

  For example: Mac Pro with a wire and AppleTV wireless.Both just need to be connected somehow to the same modem/router.hans. Hi Dee,I unfortunately no longer have a Mac Pro – I only have MacBook Pro’s.If I’d have to guess then I would say installing Bluetooth will be as easy as WiFi – maybe finding the right module might be harder. The order in which you install it, should not matter, but if I’d have to install both, then I’d insert the BT card first, then the WiFi card, and after that start my Mac Pro to see if both work.On that note: I have never used Bluetooth on my Mac Pro, just once to see if it actually works.

  For my laptops however, Bluetooth is used quite often (mouse).hans. This worked perfectly for me on a Mac Pro 1.1 with an Apple Airport Extreme Card 802.11n MB988z/A card. I had tried a USB wifi solution but the speed was terrible.

  Following your instructions, am now getting 2x the speed with the internal card as I was with the USB solution and 3x what I was getting using a powerline connection. I initially hesitated on which wire went where given the comments, but I too found that wires 1 and 3 worked and that connecting the shorter of the two the near post and longer to the far one as you state was in fact the right solution. Also, I got no System pop up on the new hardware, perhaps because I had already tried the USB solution so the machine had a wifi connection already recognized. But it worked the first time.

  Thank you!Tim. Hey, I wanted to just drop a line to just say: great tutorial, thanks and congrats love the images, I wish all posts were written so well;)I do have a couple quick questions if anyone has an answer, fire away! The stock Mac Pro 2,1 came with WIFI+BT module, but apparently that card doesn’t support Airdrop. Now both my BT and WIFI work fine, but I was wondering if anyone knew a card that will support Airport for sure (ie. You have installed it in your mac pro 2,1 or you have seen it installed and working in one).That said, do you guys know what type that expansion slot is?

  PCIE 1x?I found, but I figured I’d ask before getting anything;DThanks in advance for any info you can shareCheers!freakqnc. Hi Freakqnc,Happy Easter!I’ll be looking forward to see what others find when it comes to using Airdrop with older Mac models.I agree with your view on the lack of support for older, yet very capable, Mac’s. Not to mention older iPhones and iPads. It’s nice hardware, but with policies like this they end up not being used anymore (how environmental friendly is that?).Granted; the Windows world enjoys a similar mess and in all my years, when I was a Windows user, I probably spend more than $1K/yr on upgrades and the initial hardware would not be cheaper than Apple hardware either. Plus the added issues and instabilities I guess there is no winning as a user.hans. Happy Easter to you HansI couldn’t agree moreUnfortunately users are at the mercy of whatever the hardware/OS companies will decide even Linux has its many drawbacks (one of them being the need to geek-up in CLI commands if one really want to get things working and in that Mac OSX hacking isn’t far behind) which won’t make it a win for the end user eitherSide digression: That said I had far more luck with installing Windows 7 for instance on many older PCs which can be done natively and without hacks that can’t be said of Apple hardware not supporting anything past 10.7.5.

  Additionally in Windows’ defense, that’s an OS that when compared to Apple, it supports an amount of hardware (from Motherboards to CPUs, to Graphics cards, to various other expansion cards, peripherals and accessories) that is greater than Mac OS X by several orders of magnitude. Thanks!Yep, you went a little off-topic there.But I agree. In the end, I do like and dislike both (MacOS X and Windows) each for it’s own reasons.Even though I must say that I started to use MacOS X as a Windows user, just as an experiment about 8 years ago. It was supposed to last a week.Due to the closed eco-system, Mac has proven to cause much less problems than Windows, unless we start talking about gaming and exotic hardware – that’s where Windows remains master and ruler. Something that has cost me a lot of money over the years, is the endless upgrading from Windows 95 up to Windows 8. I just got tired of shelling out the cash. XP worked just fine for me.Anyhoo I’ve tried to find applications for old hardware, for example for used smartphones.

  After all, it’s still good stuff to work with, so why toss it? So if you have ideas for repurposing old hardware – let me know hans. Odd, there aren’t any reply buttons on your last reply message (the one marked Mar 28, 2016 – 4:46 AM) Sorry for going off-topic I guess I took a walk on the geek sideI hear you about continuing to throw money at PC hardware, though now the same is true with Mac sadly with the diff that one can’t find decent hardware at affordable price point to use as an upgrade. I got new machines for an Architecture firm and the average Xeon-based workstations with SSDs was just below 1k.

  I could’ve never done the same with macs. Also I was able to add some cheap upgrades on the older Pentium 4 (last gen) machines removed from that office and repurpose them as digital learning stations at a primary school. Tips for up-cycling old PCs: donating to non-profits as office PCs, or donating them to schools, orphanages, or similar institution that could benefit from repurposing those machine they got for free. If they are still decently powerful PCs max out RAM, put in the best (though cheapest) HDMI graphics card you can get your hands on, add the cheapest SSD you can buy and install Openelec on it to use that PC as a cheap home theater system. Although the upgrade might cost you the same as getting a Raspberry Pi 3 you would still have a more powerful PC in the end can always have 2 partitions and use one for HTPC and the other as lightweight office/web.To go bak on topic now I haven’t got the Airport working and feels like something might be missing at hardware level I don’t get the choices below the “Airdrop lets you shareblah blah where I could select ‘everyone’ as an option” imgI made sure on my macbook pro the iPad was being seen to rule out any possibility of a failure on depending on the iOS device. So I am now thinking to get one of the supported cards. Finger crossed then!Cheers and thanks again!freakqnc.

  Hi FreakqncOh the missing reply button is to prevent discussion going deeper than 5 levels. On some screens, if you go deeper than 5 levels, things become unreadable No worries about going off-topic – the geeks-die is a good side.Well, the price difference has it’s reasons.

  When I compare Mac hardware, with similar priced PC hardware, then they are pretty close, and sometimes Apple is even cheaper. However Apple has to compete with super cheap PC’s as well. Mostly cheap and plastic, but functional none-the-less.

  I hear ya though I’m looking forward to the new MacBook Pro, but not so much to the price tag I usually sell my hardware when it’s still current. If not, then I give it away to people I know. But orphanages is a very cool idea!

  I like that!Let us know if you found a WiFi card that would work with AirDrop right away – I’m sure others would be interested.If you’d like to talk further on the off-topic topic, PM me or use the forum – I check daily if there is anything new.hans. Thank you SO much, for this super easy & great tutorial. I have been struggling with slow & inconsistent internet for over a year, & tried several different USB adapters, that didn’t seem to help at all. I was skeptical that I could install the WiFi card myself, as Mac’s are pretty new to me& I’m not a computer genius anyhow. Well in less than 30 minutes, I not only had the card installed, but was able to access the internet much easier & with greater speed & consistency than ever before.

  Thank you for the suggestion on the card, as well as the easy to follow instructions. Today is going to be even greater, as I will have better internet to get work done. Thank you.Travis. This was very helpful, but I might add a few comments.1.

  A headlamp is very helpful when doing this.2. On my MacPro (2009) the antennas are located further down in the machine, near what I suppose is the power supply, etc. The frame there is easy to remove by raising two levers.

  This gives a lot more room, but still not enough. (Sorry I can’t be more precise. I’m new to this stuff.)3. The wires don’t seem to line up with the connectors.

  I had to cross the (1) and (3) to get them to the right place.4. After struggling with the connections for a while it occurred to me that it would be easier to screw the card in first, so I didn’t have to hold it. That didn’t make it simple, but I got it done, using the tip of a small screwdriver to move the antennas around until they were on the connectors and then pressing down with the tip to attach them. Fingers didn’t work for me.5. As I said, I’m new to this, but I got it done, and it worked, though there was a lot of cursing along the way.

  Stick with it and good luck.byomtov. Just wanted to say ‘Thanks!’ for guiding me through this.Found a lovely, loaded early 2008 eight-core Mac Pro from a restorer near Chicago – it’s replacing a heavily used 2008 MacBook that is reaching the end of it’s life. I was surprised to realize the unit (which was everything it was advertised to be) had no Wi-Fi! Mushy listing reading on my part.Anyway, I had set aside a couple of Airport Extreme cards pulled from old macs before recycling and, to my delight, one of them was the right type!

  Your instructions were clear and quite helpful.Your post is a “gift that keeps giving”.J Terry. Hi Nina!Awesome to hear that this guide helpedAs for the unit being defective or not; It could be that the module does not have BT on board – one would need to determine the exact product number (unclear in the eBay description) to be able to Google it and see the specifications.I would expect, if both WiFi and BT are on the card, antenna connected or not, that your Mac would automatically identify both. Even though you might not be able to connect to anything (if antenna’s are wrong or not connected). Did WiFi work? (look under System Settings - Network)Can you read the specs of the card (probably very small print).hans.

  Hi all, and thanks for replying.So, after doing an SMC and PRAM reboot as well as SAFE mode restart, my wifi is now back. But still no BT.ive tried to reset the bluetooth (by Optio-Shift-Bluetooth – Debug – Reset Bluetooth) but still, no success. I can turn it OFF an ON, but no BT devices appear in my list.i hae a BT mouse and Keyboard but neither of those are being seen.At least wifi is workingWhen i do a System Report, and look at Bleutooth, it says something weird: “cambridge Silicon Radio” – i thought mine was Broadcomm!

  Hi Lawrence,good to hear that you’re making progress and tanks for posting the idea to reset SMC and PRAM – I had not thought about that.As for your BT, the device seems legit and correct. I found the same info in an.Bluetooth USB Host Controller:Product ID: 0x8206Vendor ID: 0x05ac (Apple Inc.)Version: 19.65Speed: Up to 12 Mb/secManufacturer: Apple Inc.Location ID: 0x1a100000 / 2Current Available (mA): 500Current Required (mA): 0Bluetooth USB Host Controller:Product ID: 0x8206Vendor ID: 0x05ac (Apple Inc.)Version: 19.65Speed: Up to 12 Mb/secManufacturer: Apple Inc.Location ID: 0x1a100000 / 2Current Available (mA): 500Current Required (mA): 0Does any of this look familiar to you? If yes then we might be looking at a different problem. Is the antenna cable still connected for example?hans. I installed my wifi card last night. I am a little annoyed that the card on Amazon showed it as an apple product and the photo showed apple FCC ID as well.

  However, what arrived was a “blank” card. Still installed fine and I am happy to be connected to the internet with my Mac Pro 2008 early edition.

  This is the longest I’ve ever had a computer.I could not connect the antennae wires myself. I did screw the card down and then handed it off to my wife. Pro Tip, lay your iphone on the chasis and turn the flashlight on. The more light the better.

  She has smaller hands and was able to get the wires to snap on. Pay attention and let the wire come “from the top” of the card rather than going across it, because the chipset may get in the way of the connector seating properly.

  While it doesn’t matter which node the 1 and 3 wires go to, obviously connect the shorter one to the closer node so you have more play with the further node.David. I know this is long after you did this, but maybe you have insights or links you can share.I upgraded my 2009 4,1 to a new airport/bluetooth card from OSXWiFi. Almost everything went fine. EXCEPT that of the three built in antennae wires (including the hidden #2 wire not used in the stock card) I ruined the connector on #2. I must have bent it all out of shape and then trying to fix it made matters worse. I mean, as you know they are nearly impossible to reach or see with human fingers.

  After an entire fruitless evening, I’ve given up.My question is this: Do you know if and how that #2 cable can be replaced? Or, maybe better, is there a workaround by attaching a different antennae to the card connector that I can just mount to the case (to avoid a complete teardown)? I dont know the differences between the three cables or what they connect to and cannot find any info anywhere. My wifi is working even with just two, but obviously the third antennae would improve matters.Any help is appreciated.Signed,Big Clumsy FingersJavier Bonafont. Hi Javier,These things happen to the best of us.I’m not familiar with the OSXWIFI cards, did see one one though.As far as I know, these cables are usually shielded cables. So there is an other “mantle” for shielding and a center wire for the signal.So I’m afraid it either takes patience to reconstruct the cable/connector without making a short, which is what I’d do if I had time and the right tools.OR you could contact the seller and ask for a replacement cable. The look pretty standard and a manufacturer should have plenty of those.

  Of course, when it is just a simple reseller, this may or may not be the case. I’d start with contacting the seller before getting frustrated with the tiny wiresI’ve had similar incidents and the have dealt with sellers that were very friendly and helpful. Worse case they’d charge $5 for a cable or something like that.If it helps, tell him you’re placing his link in one of these comments (you’ve got my approval if it helps).hans. Hi Hans.Sorry, I guess I wasn’t clear. Its not a cable attached to the upgrade airport card, its the internal MacPro cable that I’ve ruined, one of the three antennae cables that comes up next to the airport card. So the stock card just used #1 and #3, and #2 was hidden under the card. The upgrade card needs all three (plus a bluetooth antennae, but thats another matter).

  So I got I and 3 attached but #2 I’ve messed up. Only about an inch of that cable comes out, and its awkward to even get at, so I can’t even get a good look at it without major teardown. Its an antennae, so it probably goes somewhere, but 1)I dont know where and 2)Not sure how to get there, but maybe if anyone knows what the #2 antennae is like I can just plug in a different, similar one to the card and just forget that broken cable? What do the internal MacPro antennae even look like and where are they? Are all three in the same spot? Really, I know nothing about wifi antennas or why 3 of them are necessary, but any advice appreciated.

  Thanks again!Javier Bonafont. Hi Javier,my bad for misinterpreting. I tend to read the messages here in the morning with a cup of coffee, maybe I should have finished the coffee before replying, so I would have been more awake Well, ideally you’d replace the cable of course. I’m pretty sure it will be a standard cable (I found and noticed that has them as well). In the pictures (of the 2 links I just gave) you can see that the other end could be just a small PCB functioning as an antenna coil.Having said that; tearing down the entire Mac is a lot of work for a little cable – I haven’t seen any pictures where the other end of the cable leads to.

  So it may be a small thing, or a big thing However, with a cable where the end is a small PCB antenna, you may be able to position that little PCB differently, and more accessible, in the case of your Mac, which could mean that you don’t have to tear down the Mac entirely. Funny, I just bought that exact NewEgg antenna last night, after lots of fruitless searches for details of what the mac pro antenna 2 looked like. Its so infuriating that this kind of basic component information is so hard to come. So I figured I had zero to lose by plugging in a $5 antenna and seeing if it works. Can’t hurt anyway.

  Wish there was a better system than hit and miss, but I guess thats what it is.:-)So as for it working with 2 out of 3, it works now slightly less fast than the original card (which used the same two antenna), so having spent the time and money to get the upgrade for slightly worse performance seems like a poor bargain, so I’m going to hope the third antenna does the trick. Wish me luck when it arrives that I dont do some other boneheaded destruction.

  Thanks for the help, and I’m reassured that my choice of antenna is not entirely stupid if its one you would try also. (btw, there are two in the kit, with slightly different numbers visible in the photos, so i’m guessing one is 2.4g and the other 5g?

  Any guess which might be the right one to use? Or, most likely, hit and miss again i suppose.)Javier Bonafont. Hey there!Well, as far as I can see, your Mac Pro should have these cables.I did find a and they are talking about the same wires as well.What could be is that the wires are tucked away somewhere.You may have to look under/behind the DVD/CDRom drive(s) slots, or maybe they have been shoved under the mainboard.Additional info can be found at the, (which can be useful to find alternative cards)Just in case the cables are really nowhere to be found; I do recall these cables to be for sale separately, like (you may have to consult Mr. Google).Hope this info helps.hans.

  ...'>Replacement 3ctop Extreme Card Airport Wireless Card For Mac(29.04.2020)