[Mac Pro] Airport Extreme Card - which of the 3 wires to connect?

[scoopz]

Hi,
I bought a MacPro two weeks ago and have just taken delivery of the bluetooth module and Airport Extreme card design specifically for the Mac Pro. I've put the bluetooth card in and connected up the cable that has "BT" label on it.

I thought it would be same for Airport Card but there's 3 cables to choose from labelled intuitively "1" "2" and "3". All with the same connectors on the end and all taped up together.

The Airport Extreme card requires 2xcables to be connected. Anybody out there have a MacPro with Airport pre-installed and can take the side off and have a look at their config for me please?

They are supposed to be a service center install hence don't come with a manual, they refer you to the AppleCare Service Source Website.

 

[Sun Baked]

Yep, it likely is in the Service Manual...

There are some Apple Service Techs on here that you can PM to help you, if someone doesn't come along quickly with a installation procedure.

Of course in the last thread about it, people said how simple it would be to install ... looks like that isn't the case without the section on installing the Airport Extreme card.

 

[scoopz]

Ok thanks for letting me know.

In that case could i please appeal to any Apple Service Techs on here? The exact item i have is:
MA688ZM/A - "Airport Extreme Wireless Upgrade Kit for Mac Pro" for Apple Authorized Service Providers.

Thank you in advance

 

[waremaster]

Hi,
I bought a MacPro two weeks ago and have just taken delivery of the bluetooth module and Airport Extreme card design specifically for the Mac Pro. I've put the bluetooth card in and connected up the cable that has "BT" label on it.

I thought it would be same for Airport Card but there's 3 cables to choose from labelled intuitively "1" "2" and "3". All with the same connectors on the end and all taped up together.

The Airport Extreme card requires 2xcables to be connected. Anybody out there have a MacPro with Airport pre-installed and can take the side off and have a look at their config for me please?

They are supposed to be a service center install hence don't come with a manual, they refer you to the AppleCare Service Source Website.

wire #1 Goes to the bluetooth card
wire #2 Goes to the Airport card
wire #3 Goes to the Airport card
wire BT should have been attached to the back of the motherboard

 

[scoopz]

wire #1 Goes to the bluetooth card
wire #2 Goes to the Airport card
wire #3 Goes to the Airport card
wire BT should have been attached to the back of the motherboard

I would have thought that made sense but the other end of the wire with BT label on it seems to be attached to the motherboard, well it's certainly not loose nor does it seem to be attached to the other end of wire 1 as you suggest.

I thought perhaps the keyboard was just connected to BT because it was so close and the antenna wire was doing nothing so i just went to the far side of the house with my Apple BT keyboard and it worked all the way. I then disconnected the cable connected to the BT module labelled BT and tried the same test. Keyboard stopped working after matter of 2m if that so it would appear that the BT cable is doing "something". Perhaps this is why I should've had it fitted by Apple themselves

 

[waremaster]

I would have thought that made sense but the other end of the wire with BT label on it seems to be attached to the motherboard, well it's certainly not loose nor does it seem to be attached to the other end of wire 1 as you suggest.

I thought perhaps the keyboard was just connected to BT because it was so close and the antenna wire was doing nothing so i just went to the far side of the house with my Apple BT keyboard and it worked all the way. I then disconnected the cable connected to the BT module labelled BT and tried the same test. Keyboard stopped working after matter of 2m if that so it would appear that the BT cable is doing "something". Perhaps this is why I should've had it fitted by Apple themselves

On mine I get about 30 + ft from the machine with my Treo 650 and I can still sync with BT mine has #1 wire going to BT.

Did you by chance have to tug hard to get the BT wire from the back of the board?

 

[Sun Baked]

Perhaps this is why I should've had it fitted by Apple themselves

When ThinkSecret posted the page out of the Service Manual everyone said how easy it looked -- why can't it be a DIY project.

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0608airportexpress.html

Looks like you are proving them wrong.

Edit Looks like google works, just need the Airport one.

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/Mac_Pro/Bluetooth_MacPro_install/Bluetooth_MacPro_install.html

 

[scoopz]

Did you by chance have to tug hard to get the BT wire from the back of the board?

Not at all, wires 1-3 and BT were all dangling just below HDD bay two.

Looks like google works.
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/M...o_install.html

That was the very first document i came across. I then noticed he has labelled his wire BT himself, althought the link to thinksecret says its labelled BT too and the image on that one shows black sticky label as per mine, so i will assume that is correct. It should be noted however that it would appear these labels could fall off pretty easily.

I'll powered down now and connect wires 2 and 3 to Aiport card see what happen.

 

[waremaster]

Not at all, wires 1-3 and BT were all dangling just below HDD bay two.

That was the very first document i came across. I then noticed he has labelled his wire BT himself, althought the link to thinksecret says its labelled BT too and the image on that one shows black sticky label as per mine, so i will assume that is correct. It should be noted however that it would appear these labels could fall off pretty easily.

I'll powered down now and connect wires 2 and 3 to Aiport card see what happen.

what kind of range do you get out of your BT with wire #1 attached. That was a big complaint for a little while on this board. And I believe that wire #1 was the solution for most of the problems.

 

[scoopz]

I've attached an image.

For now i have attached BT to BT module and cables 2 and 3 to Airport card. I am connect to my base station, but it's right next to my machine and i only get a 50% signal

Right I guess i need to test BT range with BT wire and wire 1. What is the best way to do this, keyboard test not so helpful. Just connect up a BT phone and start walking down the street?

 

[scoopz]

Just thought, i might see if i can dig out a cable/continuity tester and see if the end of wire one is connected to the end of BT cable as waremaster thinks.

 

[waremaster]

I've attached an image.

For now i have attached BT to BT module and cables 2 and 3 to Airport card. I am connect to my base station, but it's right next to my machine and i only get a 50% signal

Right I guess i need to test BT range with BT wire and wire 1. What is the best way to do this, keyboard test not so helpful. Just connect up a BT phone and start walking down the street?

Use a phone or even a bt headset if possible or a pda anything with bluetooth

 

[waremaster]

I just thought I would refer you too this thread as well.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/231788/

 

[scoopz]

waremaster thanks for the help and link to other thread.

Having finished reading all the posts I decided to hook up wires as per your setup:
#1 - to bt module
#2 - top of wireless card
#3 - bottom of wireless card
bt - not connected

See attached image.

 

[uaaerospace]

Glad you got it worked out. That seems to be such an unApplish way to do it

 

[waremaster]

waremaster thanks for the help and link to other thread.

Having finished reading all the posts I decided to hook up wires as per your setup:
#1 - to bt module
#2 - top of wireless card
#3 - bottom of wireless card
bt - not connected

See attached image.

You are quite welcome I am glad I could help.

 

[thespis]

Getting at those wires!

Did any of you have some special trick to getting the wires out for use? On the only MacPro I've seen, the wires appear to be kind of jammed underneath and I couldn't get at them.

 

[thasoul]

my mac pro AIRPORT and BLUETOOTH has also bad airport reception (i have no bluetooth device to test bluetooth)

Interesting: Cable 3 is connected to the lower airport connector. There is a 4th cable with a plastic cover on it, connected to anythin. Any Ideas. My WLAN is now so slow. Any Ideas?

 

[underbcover]

Just curious, how much does the bluetooth+airport card cost if you purchase it after the mac pro?

 

[scoopz]

Think i paid £50 for the pair of them which isn't much more than getting them in a custom build mac pro.

 

[MagicBez]

waremaster thanks for the help and link to other thread.

Having finished reading all the posts I decided to hook up wires as per your setup:
#1 - to bt module
#2 - top of wireless card
#3 - bottom of wireless card
bt - not connected

See attached image.

My wires have no tags on them as in this picture. My wireless signal is terrible but bluetooth seems ok, i've been able to sync my phone etc with it. Anyway I can tell which is which and solve the problem without having to lug this thing to the apple store again?!? Pulling my hair out here.

 

[logicpro7]

i have bad reception on my mac pros bluetooth too.

my BT mouse only works properly within 12 inches from the tower? if i use it about a meter away it seems to stutter.any ideas anyone?

 

[lushforlife]

Old news. New first time Mac owner

I experienced the same problem with the bluetooth on my mouse right after I had the Airport Extreme/Express card installed on my Pro.

While researching the problem, I read one of the articles earlier in the thread about the BT wire to the Extreme card being mislabeled. Long story short, I switched the two identical cables (BT cable and Unlabeled cable) and voila!! My mouse works great. I checked the reception on the Airport card and it's perfect. I know this might be old news to the majortiy of you but I thought I should share. Someone might find it useful.

 

[SwitchingSoon]

Is there a reason I can't find these wires? I found #1 and #3.....is #2 tucked away?

Is it safe for me to pull on these wires...?

 

[SwitchingSoon]

actually only one wire is labeled. Wire 1.

1 of 3 (they're in a batch) isn't even long enough to reach the card.

I will just put wire 1 and the unlabeled next longest one onto the card. (I get a sense i'm talking to myself)

There's a fourth unlabeled wire that is not the in the batch, and comes from the other side...........

I'm having trouble connecting the wires. Do I just push down? They don't seem to fit.