Does the White iMac “Core Duo/Core 2 Duo” support 802.11a?
Apple’s technical specifications for the White iMac models simply state that it provides “built-in 54-Mbps AirPort Extreme wireless networking (based on 802.11g standard)”. However, on page 108 of the original iMac “Core Duo” User’s Guide, there is a small blurb under the “Europe–EU Declaration of Conformity” statement that mentions an “802.11a/b/g Mini-PCIe card”, which indicates that the hardware is capable of supporting 802.11a. Some sources mentioned that this inclusion simply was because Apple switched to using Atheros processors to provide Wi-Fi, but Wi-Fi Net News reported that “both Atheros and Broadcom chips are specified in Apple documents and are shown in FCC filings”. Based on a photo from the Japanese PC Watch website, Apple seems to be using the Broadcom BCM4311 in at least some of the iMac “Core Duo” systems. Although no official information is available, it seems like Apple also might use the Atheros AR5006EX in some iMac “Core Duo” models, as it appears to provide sim
