Adapter for an Airport Extreme card?

February 7, 2006 2:11 PM

I have an Apple Airport Extreme wireless card from a computer I no longer need wireless access to. I believe it's a mini PCI card, although I don't know for sure. Is there are an adaptor out there that will allow me to use it with a regular PCI slot on a PC? (not on a Mac)
posted by northernsoul to computers & internet (7 comments total)

The Apple AirPort wireless cards are unique as far as I know. They look similar to the PC card format but I believe the pinouts are different.

They certainly aren't Mini PCI cards, that's for sure -- take a look at the pictures, they're completely different.

I would be very surprised to find an adaptor to a regular PCI slot, since you can get native PCI wireless cards pretty cheap these days.
posted by xil at 2:24 PM on February 7, 2006

The Airport Extreme cards are technically mini-PCI cards, but they do not follow the same form factor, so you will not be able to buy a ready-made adapter (though mini-PCI -to-PCI adapters certainly do exist). Even if you did get it adapted, it's likely you'd have to do some driver hacking to allow you to use it with a non-Mac computer.

Re: xil's comment, the original Airport cards had the PCMCIA form factor but were incompatible (lengthened pins, swapped power input) with that standard as well.

My advice would be to sell it. They're still in use at this point so you should be able to get a reasonable sum for it.
posted by j.edwards at 2:37 PM on February 7, 2006

Ah, right -- I forgot that the AirPort card form factor changed when they switched to "Extreme".
posted by xil at 2:40 PM on February 7, 2006

Don't buy an adapter. You'd easily make a profit selling it and buying a generic PCI wireless adapter.
posted by cillit bang at 2:45 PM on February 7, 2006

Let me know how much you want for it - I know someone who wants one.
posted by TeamBilly at 2:46 PM on February 7, 2006

Heck, Amberglow might really desire that card right about now. He's been wrestling with some USB wireless devices on his iBook, and having no end of trouble...
posted by five fresh fish at 4:14 PM on February 7, 2006

i'm all set now, but thanks. My old ibook can't use the extreme card anyway--only newer machines can.
posted by amberglow at 9:23 PM on February 7, 2006