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[SickBoy]

So I'm travelling this week, and the hotel I'll be staying at rather than offering ethernet connections in the suites, has wireless. I contacted the hotel, and they said "we have 'ethernet cards' you can borrow if you leave a deposit."

Fine by me. I assume they mean wireless cards... so I email them back and ask if they know if the cards work with a mac. "Yes they will."

Anyone want to give me odds? I'm not completely opposed to buying an Airport card before I leave tomorrow, but I'd rather save the $100, since my laptop really isn't out and about all that much. At the same time, I'm not completely comfortable accepting the word of a hotel front-desk guy.

I'd worry about it when I got there, but the only place I know of nearby is the Apple Store, which conveniently enough no longer offers the older Airport cards (this is an older G3 iBook, so no Airport Extreme for me).

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

So what's your question?

 

[SickBoy]

The question is, what are the odds this hotel guy knows what he's talking about and whatever hardware they have available will work with my Mac?

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

Well, that's easy. Zero! Just kidding. That's hard to say. He may well have a card that can slide into your PCMCIA slot that will work with your Mac. If it's a larger hotel they must get more then a few Mac customers, and most third party cards support both anymore. Are you running OS X? That would make it a little easier to just slide the card in and go, although they may still have to provide you with some drivers.

 

[SickBoy]

Yeah, I'm running OSX, but iBooks don't have a PCMCIA slot. I was thinking they might have some sort of USB adapter or something... EDIT: Or maybe some sort of wireless bridge...

 

[xsarien]

Yeah, I'm running OSX, but iBooks don't have a PCMCIA slot. I was thinking they might have some sort of USB adapter or something... EDIT: Or maybe some sort of wireless bridge...

Call them back and ask them to get specific. It could very well be a PCMCIA card. But if it's just a standard 802.11x card, then the Airport should be able to find the wireless network.

 

[SickBoy]

Yeah, I don't have an Airport card.

Anyhow, I got back in touch with them. As specific as they could get was the series of card. Did a little look up, and it looks like a PCMCIA card (although the "series" includes a wide range of products).

However, he said that in addition to the cards, they have "ethernet boxes," which I'm assuming means an access point/bridge. I don't see why that wouldn't work....

...still, wish they had a tech support guy or someone I could call.