Mac Daniel's Advice
WiFi CardBus Adapters Compatible with PowerBooks
- 2009.03.11
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This page covers CardBus WiFi hardware that is compatible with Mac OS X. CardBus uses a 32-bit data bus that's faster than the 16-bit bus used by PCMCIA/PC Card devices, which are covered in WiFi PC Cards Compatible with PowerBooks Running Mac OS X. Any PowerBook with a card slot that's supported in OS X can use CardBus devices.
USB, ethernet, PCI, and other WiFi hardware more suitable for desktop use is covered in WiFi Hardware Compatible with Desktop Macs Running Mac OS X.
This information is adapted from Mac OS Wireless Adapter Compatibility List by permission of the author, who gives a "nod to the linux-wlan.org Adapter List for doing the heavy lifting."
| Vendor | Type | Product ID | Interface | Chipset | OS Support | Driver(s) | Comments | |||||
A |
||||||||||||
| Alfa | 802.11g | AWPC006G | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| Asante | 802.11g | AL5403-XG | CardBus | Broadcom | 10.2-10.4 | AirPort 3.1 and up | ||||||
| Aztech | 802.11b? | WL830PC | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
B |
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| Buffalo | 802.11g | WLICBG54 | CardBus | Broadcom | 10.2-10.4 | AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native | ||||||
D |
||||||||||||
| D-link | 802.11b/g | DWL-G650X | CardBus | ? | 10.2-10.4 | D-link | ||||||
| D-link | 802.11a/b/g | DWL-AG650 | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| D-link | 802.11g | DWL-G650 | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | HW Rev B1 only | |||||
E |
||||||||||||
| Elecom | 802.11a/b/g | LD-WL5411A/B | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| Elecom | 802.11a/b/g | LD-WL54AG/CB | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| Eusso | 802.11b/g | GL2454-01 | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
F |
||||||||||||
| Farallon (see Proxim) | ||||||||||||
| Fujitsu | 802.11a/b/g | E5454 | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| Fujitsu | 802.11a/b/g | E5454/CB | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| Fujitsu | 802.11a/b/g | FMV-JW481 | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
I |
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| IBM | 802.11a/g | 31P9101 | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
J |
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| JAHT | 802.11b/g | JWN-5108P | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare |
K |
|||||
| KCORP Lifestyle | 802.11b/g | KLG-520 | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
L |
||||||||||||
| Lancom Systems | 802.11a/b | MC-54ab | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| Lancom Systems | 802.11a/g | MC-54ag | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| Lancom Systems | 802.11g | MC-54g | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| Linksys | 802.11g | WPC54G | CardBus | Broadcom | 10.2-10.4 | AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native | ||||||
| Linksys | 802.11a/g | WPC55AG | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
M |
||||||||||||
| Macsense | 802.11b | WPE-800 | CardBus | Broadcom | 10.2-10.4 | AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native | ||||||
| MacWireless | 802.11g | ? | CardBus | Broadcom | 10.2-10.4 | AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native | ||||||
| Melco (see Buffalo) | ||||||||||||
| Microsoft | 802.11g | MN-720 | CardBus | Broadcom | 10.2-10.4 | AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native | Add Vendor ID string | |||||
N |
||||||||||||
| NEC | 802.11a/b/g | WL54AG | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| Netgear | 802.11g | WG511T | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
S |
||||||||||||
| Samsumg | 802.11g | SWL5200N | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| Sitecom | 802.11g | WL-100b | CardBus | Broadcom | 10.2-10.4 | AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native | ||||||
| SMC | 802.11a/b/g | 2336WAG | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| SMC | 802.11a/g | 2536WAG | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| Sonnet | 802.11b/g | G54CB | CardBus | Broadcom | 10.2-10.4 | AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native | Aria Extreme | |||||
| Sony | 802.11g | PCWAC300S | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
T |
||||||||||||
| 3Com | 802.11a/b/g | 3CRPAG175 | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
| 3Com | 802.11a/b/g | 3CRWE154A72 | CardBus | Atheros | 10.2-10.4 | OrangeWare | ||||||
Not sure if you should upgrade your old Mac or replace it? Check the Mac Daniel index to see if we've already addressed your problem.
Recent Mac Daniel columns
- WiFi Hardware Compatible with Desktop Macs Running OS X, MetaPhyzx, 03.11. USB, ethernet, PCI, and other wireless hardware compatible with Mac OS X.
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