USB?

I have a ten year old computer and am on dial up connection to the internet.
Want to go over to broadband, but not sure if computer will be compatible.
I know I need 125mb of ram (only have 80) so will upgrade where needed on this.
The question is, does the modem they will send me be compatible. The reason I ask is that I have no USB ports on this computer except when I plug in a USB notebook card into the modem slot.
This does not allow me internet access as the modem socket is taken up by the notebook.
Or can I take it, that this has no bearing on the matter?
I'm running win 98 sec edition on a HP omnibook 800CT laptop.

 

I am no expert Fonzie but my brother has just had to replace his computer/Windows 98 which was several years old because it would not run Broadband - did not have the necessary ports etc.
Maybe you can update yours - we have several computer people on GC and I am sure somebody will have the answer for you.

 

Hi Fonzie!
I've just been watching laptops with Pentium 4 processors being sold on Ebay for less than �£200. If the SIMMs memory you want isn't made any more, it'll probably be expensive. I've just been quoted �£50 - �£60 each for modules for our five-year-old PC. (So we raided some old computer gear in my son's loft instead!) And you'll need either a wi-fi card (maybe in the PCI slot your present modem uses) or some way of getting a USB port. Which may mean you can't use your plug-ins, too. ADSL modems are, so far as I know, either wi-fi or USB.

OK, I'm not the ultimate expert by any means, but modifying your present kit will be quite costly, I think, so isn't it maybe better to bite the bullet and update to a newer computer? Be a pity in some ways to lose Windows 98, though - it's still one of the most reliable platforms around by common consent! But newer software wouldn't run on 98 anyway....

 

Hi Fonzie. Hyla has a good point. I am still on Windows 98, with a machine only 2 years old. It runs broadband fine, but I have serious doubts about a 10 year old machine. But I still have problems with an old operating system, many programs assume a newer operating system. I had a case where a program automatically loaded a new version of Flash Media Player, which was incompatable with Windows 98. They don't tell you and it took me some time to work out why my machine kept crashing. Someone on this forum was good enough to tell me where I could get an older version from, which would work on my machine.

 

Hi Fonzie, I'd speak to you ISP provider, but if this this will help. I transferred to Broadband before I got my current machine in 2005. My old machine I had had for a few years, OS 98 second edition. I did have a couple of USB ports, but as I recall, my broadband modem did not connect to them. Worked fine for me after I got all the phone connections filtered, and the wire checked - and twas such a difference from dial up.

Mind I wouldn't go back to that old machine, too many gremlins had built up over time. Maybe tis time you thought of a new one too, keeping your old one as backup

 

Thanks all. Some of the jargon mentioned has gone right over my head,as I know as much about computers as brain surgery!
I hope I don't have to buy a new computer, as this has lots of gadgets (scanner, printer etc) attached and uses parallel ports not USB.
It's not that I'm tight, (although I found an unused plaster once so I cut myself) Ha Ha!
It's just I'm comfortable with this baby so I would like to keep it.
If push comes to shove though I guess I'll have to give the old wallet an airing. Cheers!

 

Speak to who ever provides your internet connections (ISP = Internet Service Provider) and see if they can supply a broadband modem that you can use with your computer.

If they don't then it will be a question of a new one if you want BroadBand. But before you do anything, check that you can get Broadband in your area. Not everyone can.

If you can I would strongly recomend, that whatever new computer you get, you pay to get them to install and set it up and connect your scanner/printer etc. Makes the change over far less painful.

 

Fran that's good advice but cheaper to find out from your ISP what kind of modem would be suitable and buy it locally if possible. I paid �£29.99 for modem from Talktalk which didn't work very well, and replaced it with different one from a local man - �£10 and it works very well.

Also think about a local computer man for setting up/installing as Dell were asking more than �£50 to do this - local man �£15 per hour and he expects to do it in an hour or less!

Fonzie, I am sure if you ask around family and friends then somebody can put you onto a good 'man who does computers' in fact he might be able to advise if your pc is ok to update - worth paying, say �£15, to find out.

 

Edit: Just re-read your post and what I had written probably wasn't applicable to an old lappy

Sorry for any confusion

[ 28. March 2007, 10:59 PM: Message edited by: frogesque ]

 

My advice would be to bin the old pc and update to a new one or refurbished computer no more than 3 years old.

There are a few reasons why i say this.....

Firstly it is recommended that a computer has minimum of 128 mb of Ram (physical memory) but after reading your previous posts i have noticed that your computer will be chewing up a lot of memory without broadband as you have also many external periphals and probably programs running in the background.

When you add broadband, not only are you using up more memory, also resources need to be taken into acount......the Cpu will not cope with the load that it is going to have thrown at it. you usb will be usb 1.0 not usb 2 which is a lot faster and more powerfull.

To be honest you will be throwing wasted money at it.......once you have broadband, there will be other programs that Will have to be installed. such as, firewall, anti virus, spyware protection, etc.....all these use more memory and resources, which im sure your computer will not cope with.

Hope this has been of some guidance.

 

Hi,
I had a similar experience myself a couple of years back. I bought an old second hand PC to upgrade and get my daughter away from dial-up and onto broadband.

As your PC is ten year old I suspect you will have the same problems as I had. It will have been built before the invention of USB ports, and even if you installed the appropriate RAM and a USB Port PCI Card, your motherboard wouldn't recognise the USB ports you'd installed.

You could speak to the technical staff at CCL Computers Ltd who I find to be very helpful and willing to answer any queries.
Tel: 01274 471299 http://www.cclonline.com/

Hope I've been helpful
Keith

 

Yes you could have a problem with an old computer if you are using a USB modem. I use a 3Com Office Connect wireless modem/router, this gives the opportunity to use a network connection instead of USB. Ethernet ports were available long before USB's. Another advantage with the 3Com is that it has it's own firewall.

I use this as I hold computer group meetings at home and broadband is available to members.

 

oh god please not CCL!!! I've used them before and if something goes wrong they are not interested at all. If i were you i would go get yourself a new laptop. I just searched around local small computer shops, got a 6month old reconditioned dell laptop for about �£325, absolute bargain!

 

have a look at acer laptops.....great buys at tescos for as little as �£379 for a 15.4" widescreen laptop...