Mac Daniel's Advice

WiFi Hardware Compatible with Desktop Macs Running OS X

- 2009.03.11

Popularity: LEMLEMLEMLEMLEMLEMLEM

Older Macs may not have a slot for Apple's AirPort Card, and even if they do, you may want higher throughput than 802.11b WiFi offers - 802.11g will give you nearly five times the bandwidth. These WiFi adapters may also cost less than an AirPort Card, which tends to sell in the US$50-100 range nowadays.

This page covers USB, ethernet, PCI, and other WiFi hardware that is compatible with OS X Macs. Some of these devices are also compatible with the Classic Mac OS (see WiFi Adapters for Desktop Macs Running Mac OS 9 for a list that only includes adapters that work with Mac OS 9); all of them are reported to work with Mac OS X.

PCMCIA/PC Card WiFi adapters compatible with OS X notebooks are covered in WiFi PC Cards Compatible with PowerBooks Running OS X, and the more efficient CardBus adapters are covered in WiFi CardBus Adapters Compatible with PowerBooks.

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
Airlink101 802.11g AWLL3025 USB ZyDAS ZD1211 10.4.x Zydas Mac Driver Personally used
Airlink101 802.11g AWLL3026 USB ZyDAS ZD1211 10.4.x Zydas Mac Driver Personally used
Alfa 802.11g AWPCI06G PCI Atheros 10.2-10.4 OrangeWare
Alfa 802.11g AWPCI06G PCI Atheros 10.2-10.4 OrangeWare
Ambicom 802.11b WL1100BCF Comp. Flash Prism2/2.5/3 9, 10.2-10.4 IOxperts
Ambicom 802.11b WL1100CCF Comp. Flash Prism2/2.5/3 9, 10.2-10.4 IOxperts
Asante 802.11b AL2001 USB Amtel 9, 10.2-10.4 Belkin Belkin drv With Asante VID

B
Belkin 802.11b F5D6000 PCI None 10.2-10.4 IOxperts
Belkin 802.11b F5D6050 USB Amtel 9, 10.2-10.4 Belkin
Belkin 802.11g F5D7000 PCI Broadcom 10.2-10.4 AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native need Vend ID unless AP 3.4
Belkin 802.11g F5D7000UK PCI Broadcom 10.2-10.4 AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native need Vend ID unless AP 3.4
Buffalo 802.11g WLIPCIG54 PCI Broadcom 10.2-10.4 AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native
Buffalo 802.11b WLICFS11G Comp. Flash Prism2/2.5/3 9, 10.2-10.4 IOxperts
Buffalo 802.11b WLIPCML11G USB (?) Orinoco 9, 10.2-10.4 Ioxperts (10.2 and up), Macsense
Cisco 802.11b AIRPCI340 PCI Aironet (?) 8.6-up Cisco
Cisco 802.11b AIRPCI352 PCI Aironet 9-up Cisco

D
D-link 802.11b DWL-122 USB Prism2/2.5/3 10.2-10.4 D-link
D-link 802.11a/b/g DWL-AG520 PCI Atheros 10.2-10.4 OrangeWare
D-link 802.11g DWL-G520 PCI Atheros 10.2-10.4 OrangeWare
D-link 802.11b/g DWL-G810 Ethernet 9, 10.2-10.4 N/A

E
Emuticom 802.11b WL11000 PCI None 10.2-10.4 IOxperts
Eusso 802.11b/g GL2454-VP PCI Atheros 10.2-10.4 OrangeWare

F
Farallon (see Proxim)
Fujitsu 802.11a/b/g FMV-JW481 Atheros 10.2-10.4 OrangeWare

G
Global Sun 802.11b GL24110P PCI None 10.2-10.4 IOxperts

J
JAHT 802.11b/g JWN-5108PCI PCI Atheros 10.2-10.4 OrangeWare

K
KCORP Lifestyle 802.11b/g KLG-530 PCI Atheros 10.2-10.4 OrangeWare

L
Lancom Systems 802.11a/g MC-54ag PCI Atheros 10.2-10.4 OrangeWare
Linksys 802.11b WDT11 PCI None 10.2-10.4 IOxperts
Linksys 802.11b WET11 Ethernet Prism2/2.5/3 Any N/A
Linksys 802.11g WMP54G* PCI Broadcom 10.2-10.4 AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native
Linksys 802.11a/b/g WMP55AG PCI Atheros 10.2-10.4 OrangeWare
Linksys 802.11b WUSB11 (v.2.5-2.8) USB Prism 10.2-10.4 D-link DWL122 Drivers
Longshine 802.11b 8031 PCI ? 10.2-10.4 IOxperts

M
Macsense 802.11b WUA-400 USB Prism2/2.5/3 9-up Macsense
Macsense 802.11b WUA-700 USB Prism2/2.5/3 9-up Macsense
MacWireless 802.11b HMWPCI? PCI None 10.2-10.4 ???
MacWireless 802.11g ? PCI Broadcom 10.2-10.4 AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native
MacWireless 802.11g ? Ethernet ? Any None
Melco (see Buffalo)
Microsoft 802.11g MN-730 PCI Broadcom 10.2-10.4 AirPort 3.3.1 Add Vendor ID string (pci14e4,4325 for MN-730)
Motorola 802.11b/g WPC1810G PCI Broadcom 10.2-10.4 AirPort 3.1 and up

N
Nat.Datacom 802.11b NCP130 PCI None 10.2-10.4 IOxperts
Netgear 802.11b MA101 USB Amtel 9, 10.2-10.4 Belkin Belkin drv. w/Netgear VID
Netgear 802.11b MA111 (Ver. 1 ONLY) USB Prism 10.2-10.4 Dlink DWL-122 1.4.7 Drivers Edit ID strings in driver
Netgear 802.11b MA301 PCI None 10.2-10.4 IOxperts
Netgear 802.11a/b/g WAG311 PCI Atheros 10.2-10.4 OrangeWare
Netgear 802.11g WGE111 Ethernet 9, 10.2-10.4 N/A
Nortel/Emobility 802.11b DR4000005 PCI None 10.2-10.4 IOxperts

P
Proxim 802.11b PN474(Skyline USB) USB Amtel 9 Proxim Belkin OS X drivers?

S
Sagem 802.11g XG-703A USB ? 10.2-10.4 Sagem
Siemens 802.11b SS1023 PCI None 10.2-10.4 IOxperts
Sitecom 802.11g WL-110b PCI Broadcom 10.2-10.4 AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native
SMC 802.11b SMC2602 PCI None 10.2-10.4 IOxperts
Sonnet 802.11b/g G54PCI PCI Broadcom 10.2-10.4 AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native Aria Extreme
Syntax 802.11b USB-400 USB Prism 10.2-10.4 Dlink DWL-122 1.4.7 Drivers

T
3Com 802.11b PCI777A PCI None 10.2-10.4 IOxperts
TRENDWare 802.11g TEW403PCI PCI Broadcom 10.2-10.4 AirPort 3.1-3.3; 3.4 and up native

U
US Robotics 802.11b USR2415 PCI None None None
US Robotics 802.11b USR2445 PCMCIA Prism2/2.5/3 9, 10.2-10.4 IOxperts, Macsense

Z
Zyxel 802.11g G-405 Ethernet Unknown 9, 10.2-10.4 None

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