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Getting Windows 98SE onto the internet

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First post, by Almoststew1990

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I've got a Compaq NC3123 Ethernet adapter in my Windows 98SE PC. It is connected to my Windows 10 PC through a Cat5e cable. My Windows 10 PC connects to my wireless modem/router combo (can't remember what its called but it provides internet access and 'organises' my home network not that I really have a home network... networks really aren't my strong point if you can't tell!) wirelessly and connection sharing is enabled on the W10 PC. I did get internet access on the W98 PC for a while (a couple of days?) using this method, but it will no longer access web pages. It will not see my W10 PC in Network Neighbourhood (although it may never have done) A setting must have reset or an address changed or something?

On the Windows 98 PC:

  • Client for Microsoft Networks is installed, Windows Logon is the Primary Network Logon (I don't have a windows password though)
  • TCP/IP is installed; all settings to automatic, DNS disabled...
  • File and Printer Sharing is enabled
  • Done the internet wizard, setting it to connect via LAN

On the Windows 10 PC:

  • Connected to my route using the wireless; unidentified network with no network access on the
  • ethernet port connected to the W98PC;
  • Client for MS Networks installed
  • File and Printer share for MS Networks installed
  • QoS Packet Schedular (?)
  • TCP/IP 4 (all automatic default settings)
  • MS Network Adapter Multiplexor Protocol installed but disabled???
  • MS LLDP Protocol Driver
  • TCP/IP 6, all automatic defaults
  • Link Layer topology Discovery responder
  • Link Layer Topology Discovery Mapper I/O Driver

Any ideas what setting I should change? Could it be my Windows 10 PC gave my W98 PC a Dynamic address/ID and W98 doesn't like that? I use retrozilla

Ryzen 3700X | 16GB 3600MHz RAM | AMD 6800XT | 2Tb NVME SSD | Windows 10
AMD DX2-80 | 16MB RAM | STB LIghtspeed 128 | AWE32 CT3910
I have a vacancy for a main Windows 98 PC

Reply 1 of 10, by zerker

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The simplest solution is to simply connect an Ethernet cable directly from you Win 98 machine to your router. Configure your Win 98 to use DHCP to obtain an IP address automatically. It should "just work" in this configuration.

If you already have it configured and aren't sure what to change, just delete your entire network card setup and let Windows redetect it 😀

Using Windows connection sharing is a major pain because you end up with a double-NAT (Network Address Translation) situation. Your Windows 10 machine is translating requests from your Win 98 machine to the network provided by your router, then your router is AGAIN translating requests from your local network to the Internet.

Reply 2 of 10, by dexvx

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Is it safe to do so? I'd image Windows 98SE to have all kinds of exploits.

I have an Asus RT-AC66 router, and wish I could just disable Internet (WAN) access altogether (based on the MAC address of the NIC).

Reply 3 of 10, by dr_st

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dexvx wrote:

Is it safe to do so? I'd image Windows 98SE to have all kinds of exploits.

Win98 SE is so old, that I doubt anything targets it anymore. Most of the modern exploits probably would not even work on 98SE.

dexvx wrote:

I have an Asus RT-AC66 router, and wish I could just disable Internet (WAN) access altogether (based on the MAC address of the NIC).

Some routers do have that functionality, but I don't know about yours.

https://cloakedthargoid.wordpress.com/ - Random content on hardware, software, games and toys

Reply 4 of 10, by zerker

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The router will prevent inbound traffic from reaching the machine unless you have an explicit port forwarding rule set up, or it's in response to a request from the machine. This means there's little risk of just "being on" the internet. Actually using a web browser and navigating to sites still carries risk, of course, but if the main purpose is retro multiplayer games or file transfers, you should be fine.

Reply 5 of 10, by yawetaG

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zerker wrote:

Actually using a web browser and navigating to sites still carries risk, of course,

And most of that risk can be mitigated by not using Internet Explorer, not bothering to install Flash and Java, and not going to dodgy sites (really, the usual stuff).

Reply 6 of 10, by elod

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It's perfectly safe as others have said, the router in the process of IPv4 NAT (but not IPv6!!!) hides the original IP and will not forward any traffic to the machine unless the connection was initiated from the computer or if you have an explicit port forward. I'd disable UPNP on the router though.

IE is not even a problem, it's almost useless on the modern web. Try to hunt down an old version of Firefox or Opera for browsing.

Reply 7 of 10, by dr_st

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elod wrote:

IE is not even a problem, it's almost useless on the modern web. Try to hunt down an old version of Firefox or Opera for browsing.

Which will probably be just a tad less useless on the modern web than IE6. 😀

https://cloakedthargoid.wordpress.com/ - Random content on hardware, software, games and toys

Reply 8 of 10, by LHN91

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Opera 10.63 is... Mostly usable on the semi-modern web? I've actually had it play 360p YouTube on my WinME laptop as recently as last week. Buggy as heck but better than IE6.

Reply 9 of 10, by zyga64

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LHN91 wrote:

Opera 10.63 is... Mostly usable on the semi-modern web? I've actually had it play 360p YouTube on my WinME laptop as recently as last week. Buggy as heck but better than IE6.

You may also try Firefox 8 + KernelEx.

http://kernelex.sourceforge.net/wiki/Mozilla_Firefox

1) VLSI SCAMP /286@20 /4M /CL-GD5422 /CMI8330
2) i420EX /486DX33 /16M /TGUI9440 /GUS+ALS100+MT32PI
3) i430FX /K6-2@400 /64M /Rage Pro PCI /ES1370+YMF718
4) i440BX /P!!!750 /256M /MX440 /SBLive!
5) iB75 /3470s /4G /HD7750 /HDA

Reply 10 of 10, by Jo22

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Hello everyone, found some links for this topic..

Enjoy! 😉

Can you use Windows 98 in 2017? One YouTuber tries to answer the question
https://www.onmsft.com/news/can-you-use-windo … er-the-question

Here’s what it’s like to use a Windows 98 PC in 2017
https://www.extremetech.com/computing/245136- … ry-machine-2017

What If You Had to Do Your Job Today on Windows 98?
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/ga … computer-today/

Building a Windows 98 Gaming PC in 2016 Is a Pain in the A??
http://gizmodo.com/building-a-windows-98-gami … n-th-1782496044

Are old versions of Windows at risk of modern malware attacks?
http://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/quest … malware-attacks

What would happen if you connect Windows 98 or 95 to Internet without any protection?
https://www.quora.com/What-would-happen-if-yo … -any-protection

(PS: I was pretty sure that I had already posted some links earlier in this thread, but none of them are visible now.
Perhaps I did make a mistake or they were removed for a reason ? Don't know. If it was the latter, then please excuse for this post..)

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

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