Comcast is cancelling the type of phone service I have and made an offer (for 12 months) of unlimited calling and high speed internet for a price about where AT&T has unlimited calling only. However, when I asked if the service would work with my computers running Win98 (I just came off a period of unemployment and can’t afford to upgrade. Well, that and I happen to LIKE my old Compaq.) I was told it needs Win2k or higher.
:dubious: A computer attached to the net is little more than a terminal so as long as it has a compatible browser and a way to connect to the cable modem I should be set, right? The cable modem’s manual says it works with 98 but only through its ethernet port. Piece of cake, since I can pick up an ethernet card with Win98 drivers and a cable at Micro Center.
What else might I need? Are there any IP addresses to plug in someplace or can I just redirect the browser to use the ethernet port and Bob’s your uncle? Am I living a fool’s paradise and there really is no way I can use these new-by-my-standards (merely 8 or 9 years old) computers with Comcast’s internet?
As for asking Comcast, the woman I spoke to, when I asked what the difference was between her service and AT&T/Yahoo’s, replied, “Ours is high speed.” REAL helpful. :rolleyes:
My last PC (which was replaced only a very little while ago) was a Compaq Pentium II machine running Windows 98 and it chugged along quite nicely using probably the exact same Comcast signal you’d be getting besides playing YouTube videos or other streaming applications.
If you don’t have one of their “surfboards” aka cable modem or they try to tell you that the ones they have now don’t work with your system I still have my old one somewhere I think and I’d be happy to shuffle it off to you.
ETA- the issue might be because you have to get a giant monster of a modem when you do the phone and internet combo because they use the same something or other, which is my I have a “spare” old one. If you ditched the phone service you might be alright.
You can always run a bootable CD Linux distribution, and surf around with Firefox.
Near as I can tell, they still use the Surfboard and, as near as I can tell, it hooks to the wallplate they plan to replace with coax while the phone uses a plain ol’ RJ11. Hmmm, would that mean that they have to run coax up to the kitchen for the other wallplate? Since neither the installer nor I wants to climb over the junk we’d need to to do that I’d be better off installing a wireless router downstairs, connect my Compaq to it via ethernet, and put a wireless thing in or on the kitchen computer, and if I can’t find one of those for Win98 I’d be screwed.
Time to go shopping! Okay, time to get back to work and shop later.
I already use Firefox, but Linux will become more viable without needing to deal with a Winmodem.
Comcast digital phone uses the same hookup that the cable and the internet do, meaning it’s all through the cable jack in your house. That’s why they need the splitter modem for the phone and the internet.
Does that mean that the phone wallplates I am NOT getting changed will no longer work?
Oh no, you still plug your phone into the phone jack, but you don’t use traditional phone lines anymore, you’re talking over your cable connection as I understand it.
Finally talked to an intelligent human at Comcast. Phone wallplates will be fine for phones. Do need to run coax to kitchen or else go wireless. They don’t support Win98 because MS doesn’t but I shouldn’t have too much trouble. And I’ll have to hit eBay for an antique wireless USB that works under 98, though a surprising number of current ones don’t need USB 2.0 so that saves me from buying an upgrade card.
Ordered a PCI wireless card instead.