iMac G4

[eyoungren]

The best option for wifi is to get a older router like Daniel said, but to have the best security you want mac address filtering. To do that you want to go into System Preferences on you g4 iMac Click on Network, Then select Airport under show, Then write down the Airport ID (It is acutely your mac address, the thing that each computer has to identify it on a network.) Then on your new to you older router for your g4 iMac you want to set up mac address filtering, this will differ from brand to brand but if set up right it will block everyone but the mac address you have specified (the one you wrought down earlier). On a old air port extreme it is under timed access control there change the default unlimited to no access then after that click the plus button under wireless clients put in a description like old computers and put in the mac address for the g4 you wrought down, you can leave it at everyday all day or change it to a specific time. With this no one but your old g4 iMac will be able to get onto your wifi that is unsecured with modern protections it is what I do and I have never had a issue.

Does that get around MAC spoofing?

My understanding is that intruders who are smart enough to crack your WiFi password and get in are smart enough to spoof your MAC address.

Or am I just being too paranoid?

 

[belvdr]

The best option for wifi is to get a older router like Daniel said, but to have the best security you want mac address filtering. To do that you want to go into System Preferences on you g4 iMac Click on Network, Then select Airport under show, Then write down the Airport ID (It is acutely your mac address, the thing that each computer has to identify it on a network.) Then on your new to you older router for your g4 iMac you want to set up mac address filtering, this will differ from brand to brand but if set up right it will block everyone but the mac address you have specified (the one you wrought down earlier). On a old air port extreme it is under timed access control there change the default unlimited to no access then after that click the plus button under wireless clients put in a description like old computers and put in the mac address for the g4 you wrought down, you can leave it at everyday all day or change it to a specific time. With this no one but your old g4 iMac will be able to get onto your wifi that is unsecured with modern protections it is what I do and I have never had a issue.

Horrible idea.

Does that get around MAC spoofing?

My understanding is that intruders who are smart enough to crack your WiFi password and get in are smart enough to spoof your MAC address.

Or am I just being too paranoid?

You're not paranoid. MAC address filtering is a total waste of time. You can sniff those right out of the air.

 

[z970]

I'd look for a cheap, secondary router to set up a WEP/WPA network on the side. Given those are less secure, you can power off that router when you're not using the G4 too, which is an added bonus.

Even if its use is occasional, I'd be careful with excessive EMF fields solely installed for convenience.

He should use Ethernet instead. It would be faster too.

 

[aalls159]

Depend on what you are using for main Router/Firewall are you using your ISPS Gateway or using a WAP as your router then probably. Now if you are worried then there are options called actual routers and firewalls I personally use PFsense. You Create Vlans that you can stick your second unscere WAP on that you can then create firewall rules to make it so that it cannot easily be got into or are additionally set up as an interlay different network that can't communicate with your already existing network for added secretly. You can also create security certificates in PFsense for under the Vlan and download it onto a usb drive and manually put it onto said compute so it only connects with said certificates. Make sure that the firewall is not automatically handing them out and your better. On PFsense you can also have a network antivirus scanner to prevent you from download any know virus, trojans, and malware with out taxing any of your computers. PFsense also allows you to install a script blocker and dns blocker to stop adds and scripts like tracking, using squid and PfblockerNG. It all really depends on where you live and how proactive you are on secretly. I live in a small town but do all this because I don't trust consumer devices back doors. To answer eyoungren question, they could spoof the mac address but would not be able to connect because they lack the secretly certificate if you had a correctly set up firewall. I Highly Advise a firewall for your network needs over a Wifi router or ISP gateway because of the flexibly it gives you with your network over consumer routers, as an added benefit you don't have to change all your network setting when you add or change WAPS.

 

[Gamer9430]

Even if its use is occasional, I'd be careful with excessive EMF fields solely installed for convenience.

He should use Ethernet instead. It would be faster too.

So I guess every student and office worker who are regularly in buildings with multiple routers every day are just going to die...

I have been using multiple routers in my house for years, as have many others. OP, you have nothing to worry about, and I'd even recommend using two different routers to avoid making your main router insecure just to allow for legacy Wifi connections

 

[z970]

So I guess every student and office worker who are regularly in buildings with multiple routers every day are just going to die...

I have been using multiple routers in my house for years, as have many others. OP, you have nothing to worry about, and I'd even recommend using two different routers to avoid making your main router insecure just to allow for legacy Wifi connections

Suit yourself...

 

[AphoticD]

No need to buy more hardware. Any other Mac with an Airport or Extreme Card can run a simple WEP network through internet sharing (Ethernet to Airport) as a temporary WiFi option for an older Mac with 802.11b hardware.

It’s not very secure but useful for when you want to put the old Mac online to download something. Take it offline when you’re done and security won’t be a concern.

 

[MacKarmaTech]

Little late to post to this thread but thought I'd still put in my two cents concerning the usefulness of working with a G4 iMac for more than just having a novelty Apple computer hanging around.

I have a very good condition iMac G4 20" 1.25ghz that I inherited from one of my clients a few years back. I've upgraded the machine with a 500gb HD (largest IDE HD available), 2gb's PC2700, a 16x DVD-DL Optical drive, and usb wifi & bluetooth dongles. The iMac is operating on a 10.5.8 Leopard build.

Although anything internet related can be a hit & miss experience on these early PPC's, I've concentrated on trying to make my G4 iMac into a decent media server and entertainment center. I've accomplished this by mainly focusing on what these machines can still be fairly capable of doing: like setting up iTunes (v10.6.1) as my main home music server - especially when employing iTunes's built-in internet radio streaming feature - which has literally hundreds of stations from all over the world. Also, since the iMac has a reasonably large 500gb HD, I was able to throw on several hundred gigs of my own personal music collection - with plenty of space still available for additional audio files. I then networked iTunes (via Airtunes) to all of my of my various Airport Express's with connected speakers to easily control my home audio setup with the iMac - which is itself networked to my main desktop Hackintosh, as well as to my Macbook Air - and even to my Android Moto G5 Plus (via the program: Remote for iTunes).

My biggest "entertainment center" breakthrough with this 'vintage' G4 20" iMac was when I figured out that I could perhaps setup an Elgato EveTV 500 via firewire with a external digital antenna. I've been collecting these early Elgato HDTV streaming devices (both boxes & usb sticks) on eBay for the purpose of turning older Apple (and non-Apple) computers into HDTV sets and thought I might try one out on the iMac - which still has a bright and beautiful 1680x1050 20" LCD. Using a EyeTV v3.3.3 program that is compatible with Leopard, the EyeTV 500 device auto-tuned nearly 50 channels with clear QAM - half of them in HD. Sometimes the HDTV channels can get a bit laggy - especially with high visual content or very fast moving action scenes, but all-in-all, watching free OTA TV on a nearly 15 year old computer is really sweeeet - especially watching classic old movies or TV shows from the 60s and 70s. So now, when people ask me where do I watch broadcast TV, I point towards my prized 'vintage' 20" G4 iMac home media/entertainment center and fire up an episode of "Gunsmoke", or the original Star Trek for their viewing pleasure and amazement.

 

[z970]

I have a very good condition iMac G4 20" 1.25ghz that I inherited from one of my clients a few years back. I've upgraded the machine with a 500gb HD (largest IDE HD available), 2gb's PC2700, a 16x DVD-DL Optical drive, and usb wifi & bluetooth dongles. The iMac is operating on a 10.5.8 Leopard build.

That was a shot to the foot. You went all-out on everything, but in the end decided to hamper it with an IDE HD.

 

[MacKarmaTech]

That was a shot to the foot. You went all-out on everything, but in the end decided to hamper it with an IDE HD.

Not really. I did install a couple of 64gb CF cards in a 2.5" adapter a couple of years back but then decided that I'd rather have the onboard drive space for music & video files than a smaller and only slightly faster
SSD drive. Since the iMac is still bound by a limited Ultra ATA 100 protocal with speeds at best 100mb, IDE Flash is a only sometimes better - mainly in 4k read/write speeds. And with the 500 HD that I currently have installed, I still gets a very decent 110 Disc score in Xbench vs a score of 120-130 max with a flash based SSD drive. My biggest "speed" bottleneck on the iMac is from the pretty weak (even for it's time) FX 5200 ULTRA - as well as also hitting the limits of the 1.25ghz PPC CPU. Otherwise, on Activity Monitor, the 500GB IDE HD is reading & writing to disc with very good speed & efficiency for an IDE drive of that era.

Besides, I can easily reopen the iMac and swap out the HD whenever I want - as I've done in the past. That's the whole point of modding and/or optimizing an older machine. You can generally reverse or switch out parts as needed or desired. So, in short, I've hardly "shot to my foot" with the current HD choice configuration of the 20" iMac - because I've already setup a respectably performing 15yo classic computer that's become a great additional HDTV option - as well as my main home music and file server to boot. And all you can seem to comment on is that I could minimally have added more speed with a flash based drive that I've already tied out and moved on from. Oh well! To each his or her own

Best regards to you.

 

[z970]

And all you can seem to comment on is that I could minimally have added more speed with a flash based drive that I've already tied out and moved on from.

You didn't mention in your original comment that you already explored these options. Power to you, I suppose.

Oh well! To each his or her own

Best regards to you.

Just the same.