Airport card is not recognized by G3 iMac

Question

I recently acquired a G3 600 MHz iMac, running OS X 10.4.11, and I want to join the iMac to my wireless network. So I purchased an Airport card ( tested card on a ibook running 10.4.11 and it works fine.) and seated it in the G3 iMac. For some reason the iMac does not recognize it one bit. I checked profiler and System Preferences and no sign of an Airport Card. I then opened the iMac and reseated the card, I even changed out the adapter with another adapter I had. After researching online, some people suggested an archival OS restore. Although I would try that but unfortunately I do not have any of the original install disks. So my question is: does anyone know how I can make the os recognize the card?
Greatly appreciate the help.

Answer 1

There are two versions of the original AirPort card, and their identify can be determined using the information below.
The poster you replied to may be referring to this post quoted below, though even if he had the initially issued card, it would not explain why the card is not recognized. Though incapable of supporting advanced security, it would otherwise be recognized and operate as expected if seated properly, as you have described.
The original AirPort card was equivalent to a WaveLAN Silver card, and supported only 40-bit WEP or 64-bit encryption, and did not support WPA.
The original AirPort Base Station which shipped with these cards on board was limited to 10 clients, had only a 10BbaseT LAN port, and supported only 40-bit WEP. Later cards which looked physically identical, supported 104 bit WEP, or 128-bit encryption, as did the AirPort Base Stations which included them. This second card, also manufactured initially in the Netherlands for Apple by AT&T's Lucent unit—later know as ORiNOCO—was equivalent to the WaveLAN Gold card.
The 661-2219 part number is distinguished by the M7600LL/* marketing designator screened on the label, as well as engineering revision part number 825-4889 and worldwide procurement part number 630-2883. EEE code G3G is embedded right-most in the last four characters of each part's serial number. *This character is typically A, B or C.
The 661-2569, on the other hand, is distinguished by an M7600LL/D or later marketing designator, engineering revision part number 825-5620, the same worldwide procurement part number 630-2883 and typically the phrase '128 bits' along the lower center of the label. EEE codes LH8, M6Y or QAC are embedded right-most in the last four characters of each part's serial number.
While a procurement number generally changes when a service part number change is made, this product did not, as Lucent remained its sole supplier, the 'change' to the card involved different firmware and not a physical change to the product, and Apple personnel largely considered them equivalent, though they were and are not.
Graphite AirPort base station models initially used the M7600LL/A, B or C cards, and was itself designated the M7601LL/A and later, the M7601LL/B. Both base stations were also designated as 661-2265 whole unit service replacement parts. Every card we've ever seen in a Graphite base station was a 661-2219 and was marked as described above.
Apple did not adequately document many of these parts and there applications at the time they were still in use, and all have disappeared from their inventory—except in limited cases—as has much of what existed for documentation. Given their personnel changes over the years, it's quite likely that no one there now can recall the subtle differences or properly identify these products. Once there are designated vintage, then obsolete, they drop quickly off of the radar.
While any properly functioning iMac compatible AirPort card properly mounted in a 076-0804 adapter would show up in the System Profiler without the antenna connected, the performance of such a card would be poor to abysmal.
I believe that you are completely correct when you indicate that either the adapter is not seated properly, that it is not working properly, or that the logic board is defective. The latter two scenarios are quite unlikely, though possible.