VOGONS


Reply 20 of 46, by PD2JK

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If you get the Y2K compliance sticker, and put it clearly visible at the front of the case, it'll be alright.

For networking, use the Novell 'Yes' ones. Otherwise it'll be a No.

i386 16 ⇒ i486 DX4 100 ⇒ Pentium MMX 200 ⇒ Athlon Orion 700 | TB 1000 ⇒ AthlonXP 1700+ ⇒ Opteron 165 ⇒ Dual Opteron 856

Reply 21 of 46, by dionb

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Ozzuneoj wrote on 2024-08-11, 22:38:

I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but please PLEASE install a Y2K compliance card. You risk immediate implosion of the computer (along with the surrounding 2 to 20 mile area) if you power on a computer from the late 90s without a Y2K compliance card installed.

In that vein: a Reborn card, one of those ROM-based cards that can roll back any changes in a PC between boots.

Reply 24 of 46, by PD2JK

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When multiplayer you're right. When a modem needs MMX instructions, it's trash. 😉

i386 16 ⇒ i486 DX4 100 ⇒ Pentium MMX 200 ⇒ Athlon Orion 700 | TB 1000 ⇒ AthlonXP 1700+ ⇒ Opteron 165 ⇒ Dual Opteron 856

Reply 26 of 46, by Ozzuneoj

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dionb wrote on 2024-08-12, 06:13:
Ozzuneoj wrote on 2024-08-11, 22:38:

I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but please PLEASE install a Y2K compliance card. You risk immediate implosion of the computer (along with the surrounding 2 to 20 mile area) if you power on a computer from the late 90s without a Y2K compliance card installed.

In that vein: a Reborn card, one of those ROM-based cards that can roll back any changes in a PC between boots.

Oh right! I think I actually have a pile of those around here somewhere...

Now for some blitting from the back buffer.

Reply 29 of 46, by PD2JK

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Cursed Derp wrote on 2024-08-12, 19:48:

So is a win modem good for any games?

You planning to use it? It'll run fine in a P3 if so. But in a P1 MMX; it can slow the system quite down.

i386 16 ⇒ i486 DX4 100 ⇒ Pentium MMX 200 ⇒ Athlon Orion 700 | TB 1000 ⇒ AthlonXP 1700+ ⇒ Opteron 165 ⇒ Dual Opteron 856

Reply 32 of 46, by VivienM

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st31276a wrote on 2024-08-12, 12:45:

What about a pci software winmodem? No win98 pc is complete without one of those.

PCI?!? ISA LT Winmodem FTW...

Interesting question - why would an IBM Aptiva-nee-Acer in 1998 come with an ISA modem? The thing had about equivalent number of ISA and PCI slots... so... why go ISA in early-mid 1998?

(And now that you guys have me talking about modems, I actually think I have a brand new in box USR Winmodem of some sort from 2002ish sitting around somewhere... hmmm...)

Reply 33 of 46, by Cursed Derp

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VivienM wrote on 2024-08-12, 22:49:
PCI?!? ISA LT Winmodem FTW... […]
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st31276a wrote on 2024-08-12, 12:45:

What about a pci software winmodem? No win98 pc is complete without one of those.

PCI?!? ISA LT Winmodem FTW...

Interesting question - why would an IBM Aptiva-nee-Acer in 1998 come with an ISA modem? The thing had about equivalent number of ISA and PCI slots... so... why go ISA in early-mid 1998?

(And now that you guys have me talking about modems, I actually think I have a brand new in box USR Winmodem of some sort from 2002ish sitting around somewhere... hmmm...)

That thing sounds awesome...

I am as smooth as a gravy train with flaming biscuit wheels.

Reply 34 of 46, by VivienM

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Cursed Derp wrote on 2024-08-12, 22:57:
VivienM wrote on 2024-08-12, 22:49:
PCI?!? ISA LT Winmodem FTW... […]
Show full quote
st31276a wrote on 2024-08-12, 12:45:

What about a pci software winmodem? No win98 pc is complete without one of those.

PCI?!? ISA LT Winmodem FTW...

Interesting question - why would an IBM Aptiva-nee-Acer in 1998 come with an ISA modem? The thing had about equivalent number of ISA and PCI slots... so... why go ISA in early-mid 1998?

(And now that you guys have me talking about modems, I actually think I have a brand new in box USR Winmodem of some sort from 2002ish sitting around somewhere... hmmm...)

That thing sounds awesome...

The LT Winmodem or my NIB USR modem?

The LT Winmodem, I don't know how I feel about it. Never had good results with it, buuuuuut... when I subsequently tried to get DSL, I discovered that the copper line into that house was incredibly bad. So bad, in fact, that the phone co tech told me to switch to cable Internet because they just couldn't make the DSL work reliably in summer conditions. (For anyone who wonders what summer has to do with it, heat causes copper to increase in size, and that increase in line length caused the DSL service to get worse and worse between January and late June). So, can't blame the LT Winmodem for also performing poorly on that line..

Reply 36 of 46, by AGP4LIfe?

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There needs to be a 56K modem in there somewhere, it actually makes windows faster I hear!

Who decides what truth is, and what is their objective? Today’s falseness can reappear as tomorrow’s truth.

Reply 37 of 46, by dionb

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Cursed Derp wrote on 2024-08-12, 23:04:

I didn't know much about winmodems until this thread! Can I get one working without a phone jack?

Phone jack won't help on its own, you need an active analog POTS system (i.e. a working fixed line telephony service). Not sure if they're still a thing in your part of the world but I haven't seen one for years. In any event you'll need something else to talk to (a dial-up service).

Assuming no working POTS infrastructure, the easiest way to get this working is to get your hands on a home PBX (telephone exchange). These were popular in the 1990s and now can be found for next to nothing in thrift shops. That will provide line voltage, which is the biggest challenge to using modems. You then hook up two systems with a modem to it (a client and a server) and run dual-up service on the one (any server version of Windows comes with this built-in) and then simply dial in from the other system.

Reply 39 of 46, by darry

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Cursed Derp wrote on 2024-08-13, 12:30:

Yo that's a lot
So it won't work with normal phone service?
Is there any way to get internet on an old pc with modern services?

Define "normal phone service" and "modern services". If you mean a cellular voice line, then no, as jmarsh previously answered (EDIT: in the other thread)

And even if it could somehow be made to work over a cellphone voice line, you would still need to find an Internet service provider that offers dial-up Internet service. Those are very getting very uncommon in urban areas in North America and likely more and more so in rural ones, as most of the modern Internet is practically unusable through such a service.

EDIT: What dionb suggests doing with a PBX is one way of doing what I suggested as an option in the other thread. If cost is a concern, it is possible to simulate enough of a phone line for 2 modems to be connected together. You don't explicitly need a PBX or even a dial tone.

Last edited by darry on 2024-08-13, 15:59. Edited 1 time in total.